Perfectly Timed [V'zire]

D’hys wasn’t one to spend an abundance of time with his head stuck in his closet trying to decide what to wear. He had casual clothes that more or less all went well together and suited him and he had a two outfits kept for more formal or important moments – like a Hatching feast. Tailored black pants and a nicely fitting dress shirt in a shade that accentuated his eyes nicely counted as the perfect outfit for the night’s plans. While most people were simply excited to have another successful Hatching and a reason to drink excessively together in public with good music playing, D’hys had targeted the night as being perfect for his next stage in seducing V’zire.

He had easily managed the friendship stage within their first real conversation together but it had taken the following few months to strengthen that bond and earn as much trust as he could from the greenrider that guarded himself against most everything. He wasn’t the type of man to be okay with a kiss on the first date and holding hands one evening to guide V’zire to the Dining Hall for a celebratory drink had been a risky move D’hys felt would be allowed. After all, V’zire had given him a hug as a congratulations for the promotion so the bluerider was feeling a bit cocky and sure of his moves.

Tonight, however, would be different from their usual routine. It would still take perfect strategy and well-timed actions and words but V’zire would be in for a surprise and hopefully it would be well-received. No, D’hys corrected as he ran his fingers through his short hair to style it, it would definitely be well-received. They had a bit of a spark between them but in the end, who could truly resist him?

Twenty minutes later and D’hys was dismounting Zeianth who was soon taking off to hang out nearby to watch the humans at their usual silly antics. D’hys had asked the icy blue to find Niskziath and mingle with her for a bit but Zeianth had no desire to do so right off the bat. Instead he found a larger open area and hoped to see Aveleth soon so they could spend time together. He was fond of and protective of his young friend but also genuinely enjoyed his companionship as much as D’hys did with Z’ia.

For the first little while, D’hys went around chatting with people he could tolerate, dancing with those he liked on a sexual level, and enjoying a drink with a good conversationalist. Finally, after thinking enough time had passed, he approached the man he had kept a casual eye on since he arrived. “Hey, V’zire!” D’hys greeted cheerfully as the Harpers were between songs and it was calm enough around them to do such a thing with a large smile and a quick wave for added attention-grabbing. “I hoped you would come. What a Hatching, huh?” He couldn’t actually say if his sweet friend had been in attendance or not since he had been focused on all of the bets and talking with some of the men that had placed them, but he couldn’t see V’zire missing such an occasion.

When the Harpers struck up a lively tune that begged to be danced to, D’hys gave them what they wanted. With his large smile still in place, he held out one hand to V’zire to take and jabbed the thumb of the other hand in the direction of the open dance floor area. “Would you like to join me?” Normally the invitation would have been left with only actions or simply dragging his partner to him for that dance but he was being on his best behaviour as he always was around V’zire. A lot of who he was around the greenrider was exaggerated or completely false to who he truly was but V’zire believed it all and that created persona was what was needed to eventually reach the long term goal of getting the sweet soul beneath him in bed.

The Hatching had gone wonderfully, V'zire remarked to himself. Sure, there had been no gold egg, but the young greenrider liked to think that three Golds was a good enough amount for a small Weyr. It looked like Tsuen's Gold was rising less and less frequently, but Jada's certainly made up for it. That Gold rose what seemed to be like every other day! The little Gold was too young yet, but her rider seemed to be an even-headed girl. Tsuen had gone off the deep end a while ago, and Jada had been so outspoken that the poor girl's reputation was tarnished! Secretly, he hoped that she would just sit back and relax, or everyone would become worried of the possibility of Nirinath not rising again and Krypth being the next one in the air. So, while there had been no Gold in this clutch, V'zire considered every clutch to be a success. Look at all the young dragons swelling their ranks!

The young greenrider was in a cheery mood, and hadn't even resisted going to the Hatching Feast with a group of his friends. They were all trading marks, but V'zire's pocket remain unchanged. He wasn't big on betting, and his answer to a friend asking what color he believed to hatch from certain eggs was 'I am sure it will be a baby dragon!'. Gossip was being passed between them, which V'zire only weighed in lightly on. The young man liked to listen far more than actively participate - he more openly gossiped with close friends like Rhaedalyn. In large groups he liked being loosely involved, liked simply being around friendly people.

He wasn't spectacularly dressed up, but he did make an effort to look nice. His clothes were earthy tones, a soft green shirt underneath a brown jacket. Matching brown pants and dark boots tied in the ensemble. A Hatching Feast was just about one of the only occasions for a party at Katila, and thus one of the few occasions anyone was really seen being dressy. Still, with D'ren out of commission and a less than suitable Weyrleader in his stead (at least in V'zire's soft spoken opinion) it made even the Hatching Feast seem a little unremarkable. There was a bit of a dark cloud hanging over it, though V'zire would not be the one to bring up that topic of conversation.

He was a happy person, and he liked talking about happy things, and -- "D'hys!" A smile blossomed across his face, his cheeks a healthy flush when he noticed the bluerider. D'hys had become one of his closer friends in the past few sevendays. He didn't really hang around D'hys while he was with other people, but that hardly meant they weren't friends. They just liked to hang out together, and had eaten a few lunches and gone flying a few times with just the two of them. V'zire didn't think much of it than two friends socializing. Besides, they were in the same wing, it was only expected for them to be seen together more often. Rhaedalyn's scandalous opinion of their friendship resonated in the back of his head, but he dismissed it quickly.

They were friends! Just friends.

"I don't think I could avoid a party even if I tried." Someone would have dragged him out of his hut eventually. V'zire was a bit of a social butterfly, so it wasn't necessary for anyone to come to his 'rescue from solitude'.

D'hys invited V'zire to dance with him, and for a moment the embarrassed blush was perfectly clear on his face. Rhaedalyn's words kept circling back to him, and try as he might, he was now failing at pushing them away. V'zire was not a spectacular dancer, but most people knew not to ask him. On a rare occasion, he could be seen dancing with R'ore, but even that was a moment filled with a little hope and a great deal of awkwardness. V'zire was almost tempted to turn the offer down, but in the end he guessed he kind of... wanted to dance with D'hys? The thought made him blush a little more before he offered his friend a little smile. "U-um, okay! I mean, I would like to!" D'hys was suddenly subjected to V'zire's nervous, stuttering conversation that R'nd usually received.

R'nd deserved it more for blatantly flirting at him. D'hys had done no such thing! They were just going to have fun and dance, and be FRIENDS while dancing! D'uh.

The greenrider allowed himself to then be drawn out towards the dance floor, though he felt terribly unsure of himself and definitely awkward. D'hys seemed like the type who knew how to dance, so V'zire was going to place his trust in the bluerider that he would prevent V'zire from embarrassing himself. "I-I don't dance often enough. I-I'll probably be the worst partner you've ever been stuck with."

V’zire’s stuttering, usually around R’nd, was legendary and it amused D’hys to see it come out so beautifully over simply being asked to dance. Of course it was also a little worrisome since he couldn’t figure out if it was because his little greenrider was suddenly nervous around him because of potential actions or because the dancing itself scared him. Given all of the careful steps taken to that point, D’hys decided it was the dancing only and smiled sweetly at V’zire. “You don’t ever have to be modest around me, V’zire. I’m sure you’re as skilled at dancing as you are in making friends – which you do effortlessly and beautifully I’ll clarify before you protest.” He laughed lightly and started the dance, leading them through some basic steps all the while guarding his toes in case V’zire’s claims were true.

When the song was over and the next started up almost instantly, D’hys let go of his dance partner and gave a playful little bow. “Definitely not the worst partner I’ve had. In fact, you might be one of the best!” The statement was left purposely on the vague side, hoping to leave V’zire thinking about him a bit more after they parted ways which would be soon though only for a short while. He moved with ease and confidence on the dance floor and everyone knew dancing was the vertical expression of a horizontal desire though given how innocent V’zire was, it was hard to say if the man’s mind would even venture down that path.

Regardless, D’hys scoped out the nearby crowd and spotted some people he knew were among V’zire’s friends and tapped the greenrider on the shoulder and gave a quick gesture in their direction. “I better not steal all of your time but I’ll be back soon for another dance if you’ll have me.” With another smile, D’hys departed, not giving V’zire a chance to say one way or the other though he did turn around briefly to give a quick wave before vanishing back into the crowd.

Seven songs later, D’hys found his way back to V’zire with two cups in his hand and waited for an opening to address his friend. “In case you worked up a thirst as much as I have.” He offered a cup to V’zire and chuckled softly and leaned in a little closer to keep the confession between them. “It’s diluted wine. I know you don’t like to drink too much but this was a good batch so I couldn’t let you miss out so I added a little juice for you.” He had yet to find out the true reason behind the reluctance shown the day of his promotion but speculation led D’hys to believe V’zire was embarrassed about his actions when intoxicated. One day, definitely not that night, he would see exactly what happened first hand.

“Drink up and we can go for another spin on the dance floor if you want. I’m in the mood to steal some more of your time if you’ll allow me.”

"I'm not --" V'zire began to protest, but D'hys always had a way of intervening at the right moment. There may have been the slightest bit of a pout on his face when he couldn't get out what he wanted to say, which undoubtedly meant that he was going to disagree (politely) with D'hys. He wanted to say that he was being honest about being a terrible dancer! Sure, he had bunches of friends, but he hadn't necessarily been graceful and it hadn't been effortless. He felt as if D'hys put him on a pedestal, and V'zire was certain that he did not deserve to be regarded so highly. He was a greenrider, and he knew most people's opinions of them weren't all that great. V'zire was used to being looked down upon, so it felt even more unusual that D'hys thought so highly of him.

The dance did not go terribly, despite V'zire's worst fears. His movements were a little disjointed, and he hadn't looked up at D'hys' face even once. His eyes had practically been glued to his own feet to ensure that he did not trample all over D'hys' toes. The fact that he had managed to avoid such a terrible fate made the little dance a success. V'zire looked even a little bit proud of himself that he hadn't hurt D'hys even once! A pleased smile was on his face moments before D'hys scared it away with his compliment. The greenrider looked a little startled, and then downright blushed, "N-no! I'm terrible!" At least he managed to get this one protest in. D'hys must not have danced very often if he thought V'zire was one of the best! But, he had seen D'hys dance with a person or two earlier... "Y-you're lying!" he accused playfully.

"I can't believe you even want to dance with me again!" He was a little shocked, but D'hys was definitely humoring the sweet natured greenrider. V'zire felt at ease with D'hys, and though he was a little embarrassed, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to dance with his friend again. He doubted his friend had heard his little protest, for D'hys was already disappearing back into the crowd. Doubtlessly D'hys had plenty of other friends he wanted to associate with, and V'zire's friends were already calling him back to them.

They were going to gossip at him, and he already had a bad feeling that the gossip would center around him now!

V'zire certainly hadn't gone far by the time D'hys returned. The glass of wine was given a look of suspicion before his friend clarified that it wasn't full of alcohol. He smiled warmly as D'hys explained that he had softened the drink for him, and V'zire was far too kind to turn away the cup now. With a little nod of his head he accepted the cup, and holding it carefully out to one side he gave D'hys an appreciative hug. "Thank you! I know it's a little silly of me to not want to drink at a party."

The offer to dance again was made, and V'zire would have accepted immediately if it wasn't so rude to not drink first! D'hys had gone through the trouble of fetching him the wine, so he wouldn't let such an effort go to waste. He took a few sips of his drink first, silently pleased that he could taste the juice. He was already silly enough as it were, it would be so much more embarrassing to get drunk and make a fool out of himself. He set the glass down on a table, intending to come back to it later. "I'd like to dance with you again. I promise not to step on your toes, or make you look bad - uh, not that you could ever look bad."

Sometimes he should quit while he was ahead. He definitely was going to look stupid to D'hys.

“There’s nothing wrong in knowing what makes you comfortable,” D’hys had a remarkable tolerance for alcohol and could still keep a level head at parties though some of the spectators at the Turnover where he had Z’ia sprawled on the table beneath him before finally taking it to a more private location would question that statement. He knew exactly what he was doing and would do it without a drop of alcohol in his system. Other people weren’t quite as fortunate and while he may have pitied those men to some degree, they were also highly entertaining, like all the drunken idiots in the brawl at that very same party. As he took a swig of his own drink, D’hys was still curious about what sort of drunk V’zire would be. For now, he’d just have fun messing with the sober mind!

“Well thank you,” D’hys grinned, amused at the awkward flattery that showed that V’zire wasn’t blind or dead at the waist so there had to be some attraction there to continue building on. “I’ll tell you a secret though. If you ever mess up, carry on with your confidence and make that mistake into something you did on purpose. No one can doubt you or think you look bad then.” Daring to go a little further with the touching, he placed his arm around V’zire’s waist to guide him to a more open area for dancing, letting his fingers lightly trail away as if almost hesitant to do so but still being respectful. His big move would come soon but another few spins together were in order. The goal was to make it seem like all the fun together was the final push needed for the confession and D’hys would wait for that perfect moment which he knew would come sooner than later.

“Were you practicing the entire time I was gone? I swear you seem much lighter on your feet this time,” D’hys twirled V’zire twice and when he pulled the greenrider back into him, he poked his friend on the nose. “Or maybe it’s because you’re not over-thinking everything this time and you’re just having fun.” Fun was important and a good stepping stone toward ultimate trust and tumbling into bed.

"I'm pretty sure any mistake I make would be so grievous that no one could ignore it, and that playing confident would only make me look more ridiculous." Dancing certainly wasn't his strong suit. D'hys' words were comforting, but the reassurance did little to actually turn him into a better dancer. If he wasn't being so observant, he probably would have walked on D'hys' toes on the way back to the dance floor. He wasn't naturally a clumsy person, but he was suddenly full of self-doubt and self-awareness around the bluerider. He couldn't quite explain why he was acting this way around D'hys now, but he would blame it on being out of his element with dancing to begin with.

He was only mildly aware of the fingers that lingered at his waist, but easily dismissed the gesture as being simply friendly. It wasn't like he minded so much, though if someone like R'nd were to do the same thing he'd be a flustered ball of nerves. V'zire trusted D'hys, and truly did not believe that D'hys wanted anything more from him than his friendship. Perhaps the fact that he did not mind at all played in D'hys' favor, but the little greenrider was more distracted by starting the moves of the dance. His hands were a little stiff on D'hys to begin with, his movements crisp and clean - painfully so. He was reluctant to let himself get too 'crazy' with the dancing, but D'hys had a way of loosening him up.

A breathless smile was on his face as D'hys spun him, even though he almost tripped at the less-than basic move. He was better by the second time D'hys twirled him. Even a giving laugh was received  by D'hys as the bluerider poked him on the tip of his nose. "I think it's just luck, and maybe it's because you're a far better dancer than I am. I can't look bad when I'm dancing with you. I keep thinking I'm going to trip and make us both humiliated."

“Trust me, V’zire!” D’hys allowed himself a laugh at that since it was easily covered up by their current activity and conversation. The poor greenrider was being played so hard and would likely never trust anyone ever again by the time they had a few good romps in bed together before getting tossed aside. “I’ll cover for any errors we make and no one will be the wiser.” When the song ended and the Harpers paused long enough for a long swig of ale before starting up again with a slightly more complicated song, D’hys kept V’zire right where they were for another dance, almost as if to prove he wasn’t afraid of looking silly with their dancing as well as to show he’d cover up as promised.

Anytime there was a stumble, D’hys moved with the motion and made it seem like it was a planned part of their dance. It may not have been traditional steps for the well-known and loved song but he made sure people would see it as something the pair had fun doing and making their own. The smile on his face certainly helped make that statement known as well. With the last note hanging in the air, D’hys gave a cheer for the Harpers with some others in the crowd and laughing, put his arm back around V’zire’s waist to lead him back to where they had left their drinks.

That was always a risky thing to do at such events since after a certain point anything not in hand – and even then that wasn’t always a guarantee – would disappear from someone passing by and wanting more of the depleting stock. But their cups were still there and D’hys took a sip of both before offering V’zire the wine cut with juice. “See? Do you believe me now when I say to just go with it and it’ll all work out; especially when you’re with me?”

"I trust you!" V'zire assured his dance partner, and after a short pause supplied D'hys with, "I do not trust myself with this!" D'hys was far more graceful, and far more confident. V'zire was such a submissive individual that it was a miracle he wasn't constantly plagued by self-doubt. He was a happy greenrider, though, the sort of person that seemed to always be in a state of joy. There were rare moments when V'zire was truly unhappy, and those were moments he chose to not reflect on. He automatically pushed away negativity, rather focusing on those things that made him smile and feel good. It never solved any problem, but as a whole V'zire was better off because of it.

The dance started up again, the song a little bit more upbeat, which meant that V'zire struggled with it all that more. D'hys did a wonderful job of covering up for his blunders, so much so that he was beginning to believe that he was making no mistakes at all! Where before he was stiff and uncertain, he was now beginning to get into the proper mood to actually dance. The last few choruses of the song allowed for the greenrider to be a little more confident and care free, and gave him the chance to actually enjoy himself before another break in the music was given.

V'zire, a little breathless, eagerly followed D'hys back to where their drinks had last been spotted. Secretly, he was happy that D'hys had taken cautionary sips of both drinks to figure out which one actually was V'zire's. "Thanks," he muttered politely as D'hys gave him his drink and then took a healthy sip of his muted wine. "I never doubted you," he protest with a small smile. "But, I guess you were kind of right, that wasn't so bad. You must be pretty great at dancing if you can cover up for my errors and make me... not feel so stupid and silly." All of his self-deprecation was made in good humor, and it was unlikely that V'zire really thought so negatively of himself.

"Thanks," he murmured again, giving D'hys a warm hug afterwards. "That was fun!"

“I taught myself how to dance by watching others and just being confident in how my body moves,” D’hys whispered as he leaned in to share the secret that wasn’t really embarrassing or anything to keep from the public at large. He just wanted to make it seem like it was something he only trusted V’zire in knowing. “But I’m glad you had fun! I would have been pretty sad if I was the only half of our amazing pair that was enjoying the moment.” When it came to the dancing, that was true but D’hys could recall times in other situations where he was the only one enjoying himself and it didn’t overly bother him.

When he was suddenly pulled into a hug, D’hys reacted far quicker than he had in past surprise cuddly moments and held V’zire close for a few moments longer than he assumed the greenrider would have been aiming for and finally released the hold and took a step back. He was smiling but a hint of sadness shone in his eyes. Another round of wander off and return had been planned but D’hys skipped it and went in for the final stage of the night. “Come with me a moment?” He offered his hand for V’zire to take and led them a bit further away from the singing and laughing so they could talk a bit easier. There was still a lot of noise all around them but they wouldn’t have to yell personal confessions now.

“I worry you’re going to hate me in about two minutes but it’s not fair to either of us if I don’t say something now,” D’hys finished the last of his drink as a stall tactic and set it down on a nearby table. A glance about them showed no one was really paying too much attention to them which was good. D’hys doubted V’zire worked well under pressure and would hate having an audience on top of that.

“The other day when you were resting with Niskziath after practice, I realised I really wanted to go curl up beside you and hold you close while we talked and laughed. I know you’re kind of with R’ore but… forgive me, V’zire, but I hope to maybe be more than friends with you.” D’hys couldn’t blush on demand, in fact he was pretty sure he simply couldn’t blush at all, but he looked away and down at the ground as if suddenly embarrassed over making a confession. He had played the sensitive man before for some of the younger women with dreams of the perfect man so the act came fairly easily to the bluerider, especially since he had quite a bit of practice with V’zire already as well.

“And,” D’hys looked up again and slowly cupped one of V’zire’s cheeks and gave a small smile, “you’re so handsome tonight, you know that? It’s doing nothing to help stop me from thinking how much I want to kiss you – if you’d let me.”

"I'm sure you would have noticed if I weren't having fun!" V'zire was terribly easy to read, and undoubtedly would suck at games like poker because of it. What he felt was displayed on his face, every minute change in his disposition and attitude reflected in the light of his eyes or the curve of his lips. The young man was painfully honest about everything, and it was unsurprising that because of this trait he was none the wiser to what game D'hys was playing. He gauged the man on how he acted and behaved, and took D'hys for being a genuine friend. There was no reason to believe that D'hys was anything more than that! The bluerider had displayed no great faults, none of his darker thoughts were privy to the young greenrider.

V'zire was a little surprised to feel D'hys' arms back around him, the embrace lasting for longer than he had intended. However, it wasn't unpleasant, and the gesture was even welcomed. The warmth of the embrace made him happy, so he made no move to peel himself out of it. He'd let D'hys dictate that much, especially since he had been springing hugs on the man here and there. "Sure," V'zire agreed as he reached out to take D'hys' hand. He couldn't fathom why the bluerider wanted to draw him away from the crowds, but he was happy enough to go along with it, even if the hand holding was a little embarrassing and just mildly scandalous.

When they finally made it to a more secluded area, V'zire's brows knit in confusion as D'hys began to talk. "Wait, why would I hate you?" he interjected, and then realized how rude it was of him to interrupt D'hys while the man was clearly trying to say something important.

W-whoa wait!

The confession blindsided him completely, and it was likely the greenrider would panic and turn D'hys down as he had turned everyone else down. Shells, he was sure he had turned someone down while he was hanging out with D'hys. By all accounts, he should stop D'hys now and reject him as kindly as he could manage. He was sort of tangled up in some lopsided love triangle where he constantly drew the short end of the stick. R'ore rarely spent time with him outside of when Niskziath was close to rising - the man right now likely was dancing with his weyrmate and completely oblivious to the fact that his treat on the side was also in the area.

In V'zire's mind, he considered himself taken. He was an honest person, and with R'ore he felt that he could honestly like the man if he was ever given a chance. But... he had been given none in the few turns Niskziath had taken to R'ore's dragon. It was secretly disheartening, and V'zire constantly got his hopes up that the man would come around only to have them crushed when R'ore didn't. He really didn't want to keep playing this sort of game with R'ore, but it was still wrong to seek someone else out when R'ore was the one who warmed his bed whenever Niskziath rose.

The greenrider was clearly torn. Whereas with someone else he'd be quick to reject them, when he tried to form the words on his lips they just couldn't be spoken to D'hys. He was on the verge of panicking because he simply did not know what to do! Why was it so hard to say no to D'hys? Was it because, maybe... he kind of liked the bluerider? D'hys was fun, polite, warm, and shells he cared more for him than R'ore did! V'zire bit his bottom lip, trying desperately to conjure some way to simply say 'no'.

He couldn't.

He wasn't sure he wanted to.

D'hys deserved a chance, didn't he?

After what seemed to be a couple of minutes to him, the greenrider slowly nodded his head. Words seemed to have escaped him, his stomach twisted in a ball of nerves making his throat tight and his cheeks darken more with a blush. Unsure if D'hys understood him, he nodded his head again.

D’hys did his best to patiently wait while V’zire came to grips with the confession and warred with himself over whether or not it was okay to kiss another man that wasn’t his not-really-mate. Only due to the end goal did the bluerider continue to stand there doing his best to look nervous and not bored or annoyed. He really didn’t think it was that hard of a question, even if it was V’zire that had been asked! D’hys was hard pressed to think of someone on the spot that would turn down a chance to have his lips on theirs but in the end, that one and than two nods of an adorable blonde head proved even V’zire couldn’t say no to him.

“I…” D’hys didn’t actually have anything to say, only made it look like there was some sort of line of gratitude or perhaps a second confirmation that it was okay. With his attempt at speaking left hanging between them, the bluerider stepped in closer and wrapped one hand around V’zire’s waist, a spot it was getting used to being that night. A warm smile greeted V’zire when their gazes connected and slowly D’hys went in for the kiss, making it as sweet and tender as he could. He was definitely a dominating force and when he deemed it appropriate to give a kiss they were always passionate and demanding but that wouldn’t do now and likely wouldn’t for quite some time. He’d have to get used to the super sweet kisses, hugs, and touching if he wanted everything to continue running so smoothly.

The kiss ended but D’hys didn’t pull out of V’zire’s space. Instead he leaned his forehead against that of the greenrider’s and smiled with a light chuckle before a sad sigh. “I’m pretty sure I don’t even deserve a friendship with someone as sweet as you but thank you for the chance to get to know you, V’zire.” Slowly he untangled himself from V’zire and took a couple of steps back to give the likely overwhelmed greenrider his space. D’hys played up his own indecision on whether he should leave before being told to never talk to the man again by looking at the ground, looking up at V’zire, looking back at the ground, and then to his empty cup, giving off the illusion he would use it as an excuse if need be.

V'zire was more nervous than he had ever been since the day he attended his first Hatching. He still wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do, but he so badly wanted to give it a try. D'hys was genuine with his feelings, and it warmed his heart to know that D'hys had been honest with him about developing a deeper affection. He had turned down so many people before, but those people weren't D'hys. Most of them had just wanted a quick tumble in bed with a pretty blonde, which V'zire would be far too scandalized to even contemplate.

He was blushing all the way up until D'hys kissed him. It felt so unusual! He hadn't really kissed anyone, since R'ore wasn't the type, and in flights kissing was forsaken for other things. It only took a few moments for the young greenrider to adjust before he sweetly pressed back into the kiss. As expected of V'zire, the kiss was completely chaste, rather a passing of affection over any sort of physical desire. D'hys was attractive, but V'zire wasn't really in to his physical appearance more than he was in to his personality.

V'zire was smiling when the kiss ended, realizing that he felt perfectly... happy! Even a little giddy, though he was trying really hard not to show it. His cheeks were still flushed, and he was biting his bottom lip as if he were uncertain of how he should react to being kissed. He wasn't a virgin, but he sure behaved like one. In reality, he was very new to relationships, and thus even more naive. The only relationship he truly knew was his fucked up one with R'ore. "No, you deserve so many things! Y-you, y-you're..." and he was out of words again, fumbling in his adoration for the bluerider.

V'zire was trying to come to terms with what this could possibly mean. If D'hys was interested in him... and he was interested in D'hys, could they really date? Would it be okay to? He wasn't sure, but he couldn't find any reason right now to tell himself no. Instead of arguing with himself, as D'hys took a few steps away he walked back over to his friend and potential lover. Hands rested on D'hys' shoulders, and he leaned up to press a very tentative kiss to the bluerider's cheek before he too backed away. "Thank you, f-for, u-ummm, I think I... I-I-I kkkind of like you."

He had no idea what was appropriate to do!

“Really?” Perfect. D’hys looked up hesitantly and broke into a large smile a moment later. Months of stalking and laying down hidden traps and finally the prey was his. D’hys knew it would happen and was even more pleased with himself that it happened on a schedule he had laid out as well. Perhaps he could have pushed for the kiss a bit earlier but it was too risky and would undo all his progress if it didn’t work out well. He was glad he kept to the timeline and stayed in character enough to keep V’zire eating out of the palm of his hand.

Letting more of his usual confidence shine through since, after all, he was an experienced bluerider and known for the confidence that shone through in everything he did, D’hys took V’zire’s hand into his. “You up for some more dancing?” It was obvious V’zire was feeling a bit in over his head and would be unsure what to do since he had never really been with anyone outside of R’ore in their flights and he would need someone to guide him. It was a good thing D’hys was a natural leader and liked being in control. He might play up being shy and nervous when he had to in order to get what he wanted but he had no problem in switching back into the leader role. “I’d like to steal more of your time this evening.”

A time would come soon enough where he wouldn’t have to ask to steal time as it would be given wordlessly to him every time and it would be entire nights and not only a portion leading up to the end of social hour. That would be when the true fun started in their merry relationship that would rival the sweetness of even R’nd and B’jin. If there was a competition for cutest couple within the weyr, he would win it easily with V’zire glued to him in eternal hugs. It was because of how adorable the greenrider was on a daily basis that D’hys believed the real fun would begin once they reached the sexual stage of their courtship. The quiet and innocent-looking ones were always the wildest in bed and he couldn’t wait to see what happened beneath the sheets. For now, though, he’d have to keep himself entertained with the dancing which he actually had to admit had been enjoyable that night.

He’d just find Z’ia or some past lover to take care of his sexual needs once he saw V’zire safely home and they parted ways like good boys.

V'zire nodded his head in answer, because he seemed to be far more fluent with that action than he was with words. Verbally he was making a fool out of himself, but D'hys hardly seemed to be deterred. They had been friends for a few months now, so he supposed that if D'hys didn't tolerate his stupidity they would have gone their separate ways by now. They wouldn't have danced together and they certainly wouldn't have kissed! He really needed to stop thinking about the kiss, though, because it was making him blush all over again. D'hys was going to think so poorly of him if he couldn't get his head screwed back on straight enough to hold conversation with the bluerider.

But, he hadn't screwed up yet, so that had to be a good sign.

"Oh," and silently he was so relieved that D'hys was taking charge of the situation. He had no idea what to do! If it was up to him he probably would have scared D'hys off by hugging him too many times. "Yeah, I think I'd like to dance some more with you." He wasn't sure he'd want to dance with anyone else right now. D'hys was the only person he felt like he could be confident enough around to try dancing again. He knew he wasn't the greatest, and was pretty sure that he tripped up every couple of minutes.

"W-well, I don't have anyone else that I really need to talk to tonight." Everyone else could wait until tomorrow, even Rhaedalyn. All he wanted to do was hang out with D'hys and try to figure out how... well, how this kind of thing worked. "I w-would like spending my time with you most." The greenrider smiled, an embarrassed but honest expression. Deciding that it would a bad move on his part to make D'hys lead everything after his confession, he reached out and placed his hand over D'hys'. Gently he led the way back to the dance floor, suddenly feeling a lot more confident and infinitely happier now that D'hys' crush had come to light and V'zire's became realized.

Congratulations, you found a clue!

clue 08:

The festivities eventualy wind down, and the crowd disperses. On the way out, however, you spot a patch of blackened grass. It looks like someone was burning some garbage in between buildings. As you pass by, the Weyrleader's name jumps out at you in the torchlight.

If you approach, you will find a half-burned letter. The bottom half and the first few lines have been lost, but the middle remains legible.

"-arding baby has been demanding so much of his attention. I hate it. I hate HIM even more for not putting her away. We have a creche for that, and D'ren has so little time anyhow...I just can't bear how little attention he pays to me ever since Tsereni was born. I'm not sure how much longer I can b-"

It's written in an unsteady hand, like the author was hurried or perhaps intoxicated.

Dancing and talking. Those weren’t the typical ways D’hys normally passed Feasts and Gathers with but he found himself doing exactly that with V’zire. While it was all done for fun and to eventually get the precious greenrider into bed, D’hys had to admit it wasn’t entirely horrible and didn’t seem like a chore. He supposed it helped that it was dancing and not numbweed picking as the activity of choice. He twirled and dipped V’zire as much as he held him close and gazed into pretty hazel eyes all in an effort to keep the swooning in effect. V’zire had been successfully played to a good point in their relationship and D’hys planned on maintaining the new level of supposed budding interest for a while. He was well-prepared for the hand-holding and occasional kiss that he would slowly amp up to something more commonplace between them.

By the end of the night, even his feet were starting to get sore and D’hys didn’t mind the festivities winding down. As intended, he managed to get V’zire to agree to an innocent walk home in which the hand-holding began. The burnt area and paper were almost missed but D’hys happened to glance in that direction at just the right time and his curiosity spiked. Instead of passing it by he held them up long enough to pick up the remaining larger scrap of paper. A quick glance of the sloppily written text managed to earn a quirk of the brow but D’hys tucked it into his pocket. “It’s just someone’s trash. I’ll toss it out properly after we part ways for the night.” V’zire wouldn’t handle the implications of what made it seem like Tsuen had it in for her own child and D’ren but D’hys knew Z’ia would like seeing the letter. The only thing that seemed odd to the bluerider was who would the letter be intended for? Perhaps it was a page from her journal which meant who had access to it?

Those were too many questions for a night that was coming to close and had much more important things to deal with her first – like a kiss good night to a sweet greenrider. V’zire may not have realised it yet himself but he already belonged to D’hys.