My Job to Help

Writers: Aaron, Curious
Date Posted: 6th April 2022

Characters: L'saz, K'don
Description: K'don does his best to help a Weyrling in need.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 14 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Ay'ell (not by name)

K'don

K'don was never exactly sure just how much initiative to take as an assistant to the weyrlingstaff. He knew that he was really not much more than a go-for when it came to classes and that it was likely difficult for the weyrlings to take him seriously â€" especially the ones that were older than he was.

But he could not let any of that stop him when he thought he saw something that he could help with. And it looked to K'don like there was a new weyrling who was having just a little bit more trouble than the rest.

**Mash, can you talk to Faelath and ask whether we might be able to help her and her rider? If nothing else, we could give them someone to talk to who's not in their class and who's not really a teacher, either.**

}:I will ask,:{ said the brown to K'don. To the green weyrling, he said, }:Ahoy, lovely Faelath. I would dearly like to know whether you might find me worthy to be your friend. And my good rider wishes to know the same of your own.:{

L'saz was laying on his cot, staring at a blank piece of parchment and pondering what to write. It was going to be a bucket of lies, of course, but how could he make then _convincing_ lies? Lost in his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice when Faelath, sprawled out on her own bed, raised her head and reached out to Maciath.

}: Do you make all of your friends by asking total strangers if they want to be friends? Because I have to say, kinda odd. But... :{ She paused for dramatic effect, a playful, teasing tone leaking into her voice when she resumed speaking... }: I suppose I can give you a shot. Come on over - we're at our bunk. :{

}:Not all,:{ said Maciath. }:But mayhaps many. Or most.:{ His tone, too, carried with it the sense of a grin. As a full grown brown, and a beefy one at that, Maciath was perhaps a touch too big to try to squeeze into the weyrling barracks.

But he was already most of the way inside before he thought that through. He waddled to curl up next to Faelath's wallow, trying â€" and succeeding, if only in part â€" to huddle in on himself, keep his wings tightly folded, and his tail curled up around him so as not to knock into anything or anyone.

**Mash, are you going to be able to turn around to get out of there?** K'don asked, wishing he had been quick enough of thought to tell the brown not to let his impulsiveness get the better of him. After all, he had only asked him to _talk_ to Faelath, not invite her for a snuggle.

}:I shall be well. Most likely.:{ To Faelath, Maciath said,

}:I have not looked on you as an outsider, as it is a deal of K'don's work to help with whatever jobs the elder teachers ask of him insofar as it belongs to your learning â€" and he has seen the both of you from where he walks on that road. You have likely seen him, too, though you may not have known it then that it was he you saw.

}:I hope you might also look on me as someone who can and will help you, should you need it.:{

In Maciath's defense, Faelath hadn't thought of the logistics of trying to squeeze a much larger brown into the weyrling barracks either. Her delighted, bell-like laugh would ring in Maciath's head as she took in the sight.

Meanwhile, L'saz dropped his paper and writing implements and scrambled to sit up. "Faelath, what in Faranth's name!?"

}: Relax, he's just here to visit me. :{

"Should I ask _why_?"

}: No. :{

While her rider sputtered, Faelath reached over to gently nuzzle Maciath's shoulder. }: Well, actually squeezing in here has certainly earned you some merit. Not many dragons can contort like that. :{

}:I am nothing if not willing to go to great lengths to outdo my fellows,;{ Maciath answered, his eyes whirling blue-green. He appreciated the nuzzle, but there was too little room for him to respond in kind. }:And to become worthy in your sight.:{

"Sorry," K'don apologized as he climbed over and around Maciath to get to L'saz's bunk. "I... I asked him to... I mean, I asked him to see if maybe you..." He blushed.

"I wanted to offer to help, if you needed it. With weyrling stuff. I'm supposed to help if anyone needs it. I didn't expect him to..." K'don motioned vaguely in Maciath's general direction.

L'saz rubbed at his face with a sigh. "It's fine," he grumbled. Dropping his arm, he fixed K'don with a flat look. "But what would I need help with?"

Meanwhile, Faelath gave a thoughtful mental hum. }: Do you spend a lot of time wondering if others find you worthy? :{ she asked.

K'don turned his gaze onto the floor, worried now that L'saz was too annoyed to do anything more than humor him. He was younger, after all.

"I don't know," he said. "That's why I'm asking if you need anything. I'm training to be a dragonhealer," he added. "So that's probably the sort of lesson I can help best with. But I'll do my best with whatever you need."

"I don't need help with anything," L'saz said. Lied, but there was no way K'don could help him with what he needed help with anyway. Odds were, no one could. "I'm just... Existing."

}: Some of us had an easier time impressing than others, :{ Faelath informed Maciath, voice faux-casual.

}:Oh? Was it hard for you?:{ Maciath wondered. It seemed strange that a dragon might have trouble Impressing. But perhaps there was no perfect Candidate, and she had to settle for whatever all this was.

"What would it take for you to get to, uh..." K'don pondered for a moment for the right word. "Thriving?"

}: Oh, no. I'm not talking about me. :{ She didn't say the words outright, but for a moment her gaze wandered over to L'saz.

Meanwhile, L'saz flopped backward and stared up at the ceiling with a snort. "Among other things? Fine clothes, nice food, marks to spare, and the assurance that I won't ever have to fly threadfall. But I assume you can't do that, so I suggest not even trying."

Those kinds of assurances were impossible to give, not without doing something gruesome â€" and malingering never occurred to K'don.

"The first three are easier to come by than the last," he said. "It's kinda funny. They won't let me fight even though I want to, and they're going to make you, even if you don't."

He tapped his chin curiously. Whoever tried to Impress without already being committed to fighting Thread?

"You thought you wouldn't Impress," he concluded.

L'saz went quiet. How was he supposed to respond to something like that? It was the truth, but not the _full_ truth. The full truth was a complicated beast with the potential to get him into all sorts of problems. The wise thing to do would be to say nothing.

And yet...

What would the harm be in telling one person? He doubted that Ay'ell would do anything drastic over it. Ideally, the bluerider wouldn't find out at all. He'd have to make sure that K'don didn't tell _anyone_ else, but... Maybe it would remove some of the weight pressing down on his chest.

L'saz kept his eyes on the ceiling when he finally corrected K'don, "I shouldn't have been _able_ to impress. I wasn't a legitimate candidate. I bribed my searchrider to bring me to the Weyr."

K'don's eyebrows climbed into his hair with the surprise of that admission. His eyes quickly darted around to make sure no one had overheard. A Searchrider taking bribes was no small matter, but it was a large matter K'don wanted nothing to do with if he could avoid it. He hoped L'saz would leave it at that and not bring any names into the discussion.

"I guess," he said, "that means you could have got here for free if you'd found a Searcher with all his scruples attached."

He sat down on the floor beside L'saz's cot. It sounded like he was going to need a friend even more than K'don originally thought, and that was something he was more willing to think about.

"Why did you want to come here?" he asked. It must have been very important if he risked the trouble and committed the resources to bribery.

"I _didn't_," L'saz admitted, still not looking away from the ceiling. He didn't _dare_, couldn't stand to face the pity or condemnation that he would surely find in the other's expression if he looked. "My father thought I was too lazy, wanted me to _make something of myself_. He thought it was great when I was searched, wanted me to get fine bronze and bring the family honor. Me... My plan was just to stand once then come home, say that I couldn't stand the debauchery and loose morals. He wouldn't protest that, and the fact that I tried would have kept him off my tail for a long time."

But it didn't work out like that. Instead, there was Faelath, and he loved her, couldn't help _but_ love her, but... Faranth. He was _screwed_.

"Ah." K'don tapped his chin as he pondered. That was quite the conundrum, indeed. Holdborn fathers were notorious â€" in his experience thus far as an assistant â€" for disappointment with green. On an intellectual level, K'don could understand that holders thought rare things were better than common things, but he also could not fully understand _why_.

And of course, there was the other component. They all drew their own inferences as to what the color of a dragon's hide meant when it came to a rider's interest in... Well, K'don did not particularly like thinking about it. It was not that it repulsed him; he just did not understand it, and it bothered him when he did not understand something.

"Sometimes it's hard when our dads have really big ideas about what we have to do to make them happy. Well. Actually, it's always hard when they have those. I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"Yeah, well." L'saz shrugged, then forced out a laugh. "It's alright. I've got it in control. I have a plan."

}: A _terrible_ plan, :{ Faelath confided in Maciath, leaning in closer to the brown. }: Sillier than anything a green could come up with, frankly. :{

She didn't bother hiding the biting edge in her mindvoice at that remark. For one thing, she knew that her rider was too caught up in his own mind to listen in on anything she was saying right now. But if he wasn't... Well. She was trying not to let him feel any _hurt_, but at this point, she was willing to let him catch on to her bitterness. Just a little. After all, feelings easily became large and overwhelming, and although she was trying her best to keep them small and manageable, she didn't know how long she would be able to handle that if she kept everything pressed down indefinitely.

}:â€˜Silly greensâ€™ is an awful misbelief. You are rather even-headed and bright to have readied your own plot to help your silly rider.,:{ said Maciath.

As he relayed the thought to his rider, K'don cast his eyes toward the dragons for a moment. He was worried enough about the sound of that before hearing that Faelath did not approve, and now...

"Maybe I can help you," he suggested. If he did not immediately spell out his intent to dissuade L'saz from doing anything rash or ill-considered, he might be more willing to tell K'don what he meant to do.

}: Thank you, Maciath, :{ Faelath said. }: It's sweet of you to say that. I don't know that I'd call it a _plot_ though. I just... :{ She shot her rider a long, wary look before giving a small snort and shaking her head. }: Forget silly, it would be downright _stupid_ of me to let him keep secrets from _everyone_. :{

Faranth knew her rider was doing a good enough job of digging a hole for himself. Even the most airheaded of greens could tell that too many secrets and lies were bound to lead to disaster. And Faelath? Faelath liked to think of herself as pretty, sweet, and dainty, but she was _not_ the most airheaded of greens. Or at least, she didn't like to think so.

Meanwhile, L'saz knew that his dragon was talking to K'don's. He could _feel_ it as indignity and pride flared up within her simultaneously. However, he actively chose not to acknowledge her. He felt like he was entering risky enough territory that it was also tempting not to acknowledge _K'don_. Unfortunately, he had the sinking feeling that that would cause more problems than solve them.

L'saz finally turned his head to look at the brownrider. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Why would you say that when you don't even know what I'm planning?"

"It's my job to help, remember?" said K'don. "It's all I _can_ do, so I'm gonna do it." That was not entirely true â€" he was, after all, studying to be a dragonhealer, but his role in the infirmary was not appreciably different in the scope of his duties and responsibilities and what his superiors expected of him. He was only an apprentice, only an assistant.

Helping L'saz meant doing what was best for him, not necessarily bringing this particular plan to fruition.

}:Things kept hidden may be harmful or helpful. Or at the least, harmless. You are wise to know which is which,:{ said Maciath.

Faelath responded before her rider. She looked down at her paws and murmured, }: It's just common sense. :{ Unfortunately, that seemed to be something that her chosen was woefully lacking in.

A few moments later, L'saz let out a sigh. "I don't have a _complete_ plan," he admitted. "But I haven't told my parents about Faelath. Don't plan on it, either. They think I'm still standing."

He also hoped to find a way to get out of fighting thread, but he wasn't dumb enough to say that to K'don directly. He could say what he wanted about his intentions, it didn't change the fact that he seemed like a bit of a goody-two-shoes. He'd probably go straight to the weyrlingmaster with his lack of compliance, and then where would he be?

K'don nodded. There was little he would keep back from his parents, but his parents were not going to disown him for the color of his dragon's hide.

"If they're going to be upset, then you probably shouldn't. But what if you told them something different â€" say, that you Impressed brown?" K'don suggested. He just so happened to know a brown dragon who might be willing to play the part if it came up.

L'saz frowned, then faltered. "That... Shards. That might actually work." He sighed, looking back up at the ceiling. "It would certainly work better than just pretending to stand until I age out."

}: Oh, joy. Do I get to paint my hide now? :{ Faelath grumbled, tail twitching in faint irritation. Even so, she did not directly call out her rider.

}:Do not worry,:{ said Maciath. }:I will not do anything to further this plot without your yes. I do not like this playing at being someone else's any more than I think you must like it. But I do like K'don finding a way to befriend your rider.:{

"We can make it work," said K'don. "Even if you did pretend you're still Standing, you would eventually run out of time, and then you'd have to find some other reason you aren't going home. Better if your parents know you're going to be fighting Thread. If anything happened to you, and they thought you were still just a Candidate..."

}: I'm fine with it, :{ Faelath grumbled, wrapping her tail tightly around himself and resting her head on her front paws. }: L'saz wants to play at being a brownrider? Let him. I won't stop him from digging a deeper hole for himself. :{

Meanwhile, L'saz didn't say anything. He couldn't find the words to represent his jumbled feelings and wasn't sure that he _wanted_ to. He just stared at the ceiling, waiting for this uncomfortable moment in time to pass.

K'don gave L'saz a moment. He did not need K'don hassling him if he needed time to think.

}:Would the two of you like us to leave, or may we stay?:{ asked Maciath. He would have loved to stay with Faelath to comfort her, but the space was... less than conducive to the task, and the longer he stayed wedged into the Weyrling barracks, the more likely it would be that someone would ask him what in the world he was doing and why he would not leave.

Faelath let out a little hum, not lifting her head. }: You should probably go, :{ she said after a moment. }: L'saz isn't going to say anything more if yours won't, and it isn't fair for me to ask you to stay squished in here. But... I'll talk to you later? :{

}:You may talk to me whenever you wish. I would bethink it a gift to me if you did,:{ Maciath answered.

"I'll get out of your hair, all right?" said K'don as Maciath sent feelings and images to him that caught him up to what the brown was feeling. "But, you know, think about it. Whatever it takes to make sure you stay good with your parents, I'll help you."

}: I will, :{ Faelath said, leaning over to nuzzle Maciath's cheek. }: Thank you. :{

As the green pulled away and settled back into her couch, L'saz nodded. "Alright," he said. "And, uh... thanks."

K'don smiled brightly and nodded.

"You're welcome. I'll see you around."

And with that, Maciath began with K'don's help as a ground guide the embarrassing and laborious process of extracting himself from the barracks without knocking into anything.

Last updated on the July 15th 2022

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