Taking Your Mind Off It

Writers: Anika, Avery
Date Posted: 17th April 2015

Characters: Kapera, R'taran
Description: Kapera finds R'taran doing some research and suggest a better way to take his mind off his concerns.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: P'ton, J'nus

Kapera

R'taran had several hides out, as he'd been researching for some time.
With a stretch, he rolled his massive shoulders and turned his head one way
and then the other to relieve some of the tension. As he turned his head
he noted the black-haired goldrider entering and offered his greeting.
"Good evening Kapera. You working late?"

"I have some hidework to catch up on from earlier in the sevenday," she
confirmed. "How're you doing? Congrats to you and Qharterioth, by the
way."

"I'm doing well, and thank you. Qharterioth couldn't be more
pleased." R'taran couldn't curb the wide grin on his face nor the way his
chest puffed out a bit with pride. "Riyanth's clutch is growing well. I
don't think I've ever see a dragonet grow as fast as P'ton's Cirynath.
He's going to be larger than I'd expected, I'm guessing."

"I think he might be one of the Cove's largest. Wouldn't that be cool?"
She gave him a quick but genuine grin. There was something special about
watching dragonets grow if you had a hand in them. Soon R'taran would
understand the feeling.

"What are you doing out at this candle mark instead of celebrating?"

"Well, ah, just some research," he stated nonchalantly before giving
up and offering a rather sheepish grin. "On brown/gold flights and the
resulting clutches."

"Ah, so you're looking forward to the future celebrations of your
hatchlings," she teased.

"Just making sure that there there will be cause for celebration," he
answered, though in all honestly Kapera wasn't far from the mark.
He'd been shielding his anxiety from Qharterioth, but brown/gold
pairings were not terribly common and he was concerned about the
clutch. So far he'd found that brown/gold pairings were not overly
rare, particularly with a young gold and that the clutches might be
smaller but not so much so unless the brown was small or immature.
R'taran only hoped that six turns was enough maturity to allow for a
good clutch. He was proud of his lifemate and fervently hoped the
clutch would be a good one.

"There will be. I know a gold at Windswept who was caught by one and
she sired 23 eggs with a bronze. You'll be fine," she said
confidently.

Of course, her tendency to gossip, especially when it made others look
bad, reared its head, and she couldn't resist adding, "Besides, I hear
Elleth's last was small, so yours is going to be a step up."

"I hope so," he replied. He knew Elleth's last clutch had been small,
and it was sired by a bronze, though a very young one. He'd always
thought that the length of the flight, and specifically the height
attained, was the major determinate in clutch size, but his research
was pointing to age of the sire as a factor as well. "Qharterioth is
large and I think he should have enough maturity to sire a reasonable
sized clutch," he nodded, trying to convince himself as he spoke the
words. "Though good healthy dragonets of any number are certainly a
boon to the Weyr. You must find my anxiety rather silly," he added
with a self depreciating grin. Kapera had seen several of Riyanth's
clutches hatch, and he figured she was rather beyond worrying over the
details.

"After my dragon didn't Rise for two turns? No, I don't find it silly
at all," she reassured him. "Your brown is how many Turns?"

"Six and better than a half. He hatched in month four," he answered,
relieved that the goldrider didn't find his concerns foolish. Though
generally a confidant man, this new turn of events, while exciting,
also left him feeling apprehensive. He wondered if he would feel as
nervous if he found out he was to be a father rather than his dragon.

"You'll be fine," she said again, feeling like she was repeating the
refrain of a Harper's chorus. She stepped forward and rested a hand on
his shoulder to make him feel better.

Though initially surprised by the contact, R'taran recovered quickly
and met Kapera's emerald eyes, offering a smile. "Thanks. I know
you're right. According to my younger brother I was just born
uptight." The brownrider didn't bother to repeat the rather rude way
P'ton tended to phrase that. "He's threatened to give me lessons on
relaxing when he graduates weyrlinghood."

Kapera found herself snickering at the image. "That one's going to be
a lady killer. I expect to hear Cirynath's caught a gold - in eight
Turns or so," she added.

R'taran snorted. "He just has to survive the celibacy of junior
weyrlinghood." Actually, he was very proud of his little brother, but
he wasn't going to come out and say so.

"Did you find that part difficult?" she asked impulsively.

"No, not specifically," he answered honestly. "I was far less...let's
say experienced at P'ton's age, though I came to the Weyr when I was
older than he. I have always been somewhat more reserved. I don't
think I appreciated that aspect of Weyrlife until I had been here for
a turn or so. P'ton has always had an affinity for women, even when
he was very young," the brownrider explained, struggling not to roll
his eyes. "To be fair, he has always shown a certain respect for
females, young or old. He honestly seems to adore them all. Some
more than others, of course," he quipped.

"He is young for it, but quite the charmer. I can see why the girls
would go for him," she agreed. "And I'm sure you opened up eventually,
hmm?"

A memory of herself after weyrlinghood emerged, her first tentative
fumblings towards desired intimacy; and her first heartbreaks. She
wondered if R'taran had ever felt anything like that, and her face
turned pensive.

"Oh, yes, for a young man, at least, that part of Weyrlife was quite
easy to adopt," he replied with a conspiratorial smile. He paused,
more hesitant with his next statement. "Anything more, though, has
proved evasive." If he were honest, he knew his strong Hold ideals had
much to do with that.

"That's a pity. Were you hoping for a weyrmate?"

His features twisted into a wry expression as he considered her question
and his response. "I think I wrote off a meaningful relationship of that
variety when I came to the Weyr. I'm, ah, rather well, I suppose you might
say conservative in my views and assumed it just wouldn't work. I
understand and appreciate the need for relationships to be different in the
Weyrs than in the Holds, but I just don't know if I can reconcile myself to
an , _open_ relationship so I've kept things casual." He didn't feel it
necessary to mention that he hadn't quite mastered establishing a rapport
on a non-physical level with Weyr females.

"It's quite a different life here, and I can see how you're not as quick
to have shaken it all off as some. Though you know, some choose the
monogamous, Hold-style ways. Mating flights and stuff aside, of course."

She thought of J'nus then, of how she'd been faithful during Riyanth's
clutch hardening. And then she thought of how good it would be to break
that, to have someone else in her bed. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she
looked at him - but he'd just said he was more conservative. Ah.

R'taran wasn't sure, but he almost thought he was getting a vibe from
the attractive goldrider and his pulse quickened. "Well, there's
something to be said for keeping it casual, too. It's enjoyable for
all and there are no strings attached," he said with a wink.

"In that case, want to take your mind off of your research? I have a
private bathing pool," she said shamelessly.

"Who could possibly refuse such an offer?" he replied, hastily
stacking up the hides he'd been pouring over.

Last updated on the April 29th 2015

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Taking Your Mind Off It