A Couple of Clowns
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Duskdog
Date Posted: 30th May 2024
Characters: H'taysh
Description: H'taysh Impresses, and it’s not what he expected
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 13, day 1 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Rabain, Lenorin, Arlin, Aydhara
The wait until Hatching time had seemed to crawl so slowly, but once it finally began, it all seemed to go by in a blur. A brown hatching first and making a beeline for his chosen, and then more eggs cracking, dragonets of all colors staggering about on the Sands in search of lifemates, and Haysh hardly knew where to look because he was so afraid he would miss it -- miss his dragon (even though deep inside he knew his chances were low), miss seeing all the dragons, miss seeing them Impress, even if it wasn’t to him.
He almost missed Rabain Impressing, in fact, because he was watching Lenorin, his heart swelling with joy for his friend and hope for himself and envy all at the same time. Maybe he could have a brown, too. A nice steady brown with a hide the color of freshly-turned earth after the rain, and a mindvoice like a crackling fire. But there was Rabain and a blue dragon, too -- proof that he had a chance, himself, and the hope in his chest rose so high that it almost _hurt_, a lump forming in his throat as if he was about to cry even though there was no reason to do so. He could have a blue, maybe, like Rabain -- but his would be bright and beautiful like the summer sky, his voice light and airy, gently teasing, spreading his little wings to wrap around them both in an embrace.
The eggs kept hatching, and the dragons kept coming; it seemed there were far more broken shells than unbroken ones by now, and anxiety set in. Now of all times, of course, when he hadn’t been nervous to ask to Stand, hadn’t been nervous to join the Candidates, hadn’t even been nervous to step out on the Sands even though he thought he must look ridiculous in his white robe. He didn’t mind looking ridiculous, didn’t mind taking risks, but the prospect of being left behind was somehow too much even though he had tried to prepare himself for this. It was just for fun, like Rabain had said. Just taking a shot while they had the chance, so they could say they could. But Rabain had Impressed, and it didn’t matter that several of their other friends were still on the Sands, too -- Haysh didn’t want to be left alone now, longshot or not.
Arlin Impressed a blue, almost right in front of him. Arlin and Lenorin both, now -- he thought vaguely that at least they’d be together, but maybe they didn’t care as much anymore now that they had dragons; he didn’t know. Would dragons hear him if he called to them in his head? If he put himself out there, the way he always put himself out there for girls, with no fear even though he expected rejection more often than not; as he’d said, he knew he wasn’t everyone’s kettle of pots, and that was okay because it was fun, and all it took was one. One girl to say yes made it all worth it -- one dragon to look his way to make it all worth it.
(There was fear _now_ to put himself out there, where there hadn’t been before, since Aydhara had humiliated him and he’d heard the whispers from others, too. He couldn’t think about that now, though. A dragon wouldn’t like him to feel bad -- surely a dragon would want him confident and unafraid. He knew enough about himself to know that the silly, unserious parts of him that turned some off were what turned others on. His worst qualities, his best assets, just a matter of finding the right person. He’d never been afraid to be himself before, he couldn’t be afraid now.)
**Here I am!** he thought hard, spreading his arms, unmindful that there was a whole Weyr full of people watching. He was just one white-robed figure of many, after all, among dragons who were infinitely more interesting. **Just a big silly guy! This is me -- don’t all crowd at once!**
He would never actually know whether she heard him or not, or if it was just a coincidence, but suddenly there she was -- a delicate little green bounding up to him, practically bouncing and prancing, remarkably sure on her feet compared to most of her siblings. He hadn’t thought much about greens -- they sure were pretty, but they weren’t for _him_ because he wasn’t like _that_. Nothing against it, it just wasn’t him.
But this green wasn’t like other greens. She was _perfect_, petite, her little muzzle rounded and delicate, her hide a soft pastel mint, her tail whipping back and forth in excitement as she stopped in front of him and stumbled face-first into the sand (that surefootedness not absolute, not as a baby, not quite _yet_). The face-plant didn’t seem to bother her, though, because she sat back up and shook the sand off, shifting her weight back to her haunches and craning her neck up so that she could look up and up and meet his eyes.
}: I found you! :{ she declared happily, tail lashing again, and he could _feel_ her joy at winning the game that he didn’t even know he was playing. Or maybe it was _his_ joy. They felt like one and the same now, indistinguishable maybe forever and he was okay with that -- more than okay, because it felt natural, like it was supposed to be and always should have been but had somehow been kept from him for all the turns of his life so far. The lump that had risen in his throat earlier, the harbinger of tears saved for rejection, flowed freely now instead for _acceptance_, and he couldn’t stop himself from dropping to his knees to embrace her the way he had been imagining an embrace from a (now unimportant) blue dragon just a few moments ago.
}: Your face is leaking, :{ she said -- _Selkirth_ said, his dragon, but he wasn’t sure how he knew her name, if she had said it or if he just somehow _knew_. Mirth bubbled behind her thoughts, gently, tinged with affection and the warm settle of _completion_. She wasn’t mocking him, she never would, she just wanted him to smile.
And he was, so wide that it hurt. “You’re a silly little dragon,” he hiccuped, but with the same affection that had tinged her tone, because he would never mock her, either, and he also only wanted her to smile, in whatever way dragons could.
}: Thank you, I try very hard, :{ Selkirth replied, as solemnly as she could muster, but that mirth still danced just beneath the surface, threatened only by the growing awareness of a gnawing hunger inside her.
She was all he’d ever wanted, he just didn’t know it until she found him.
Last updated on the June 1st 2024