Weyrledge Picnic (3/3)

Writers: Aaron, Avery
Date Posted: 7th February 2019

Characters: A'vel, Brennault
Description: A'vel and Brennault have a weyrledge picnic.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 13 of Turn 9

Brennault

"So... you really can tell whether a rider likes men for sure by what
color dragon they ride?" Brennault asked. Of course, greens had a
reputation outside of the weyr, but it seemed impossible to Brennault
that it could be so ironclad as that. Fluid as his sexuality was, he
could not quite comprehend the idea that there were absolutely no
bronze or brownriders who would roll in the furs with a man from time
to time.

And hearing it, he felt all the more ignorant for asking R'fal for a
kiss on the weyr rim. He should have known, but he had assumed it was
just one of those old wives' tales.

"I don't know for sure, I mean, everyone is different. But I'm pretty
sure bronzeriders only ever like women is an absolute, and male
greenriders definitely like men. We have to since we have to be caught
by men."

Brennault nodded and shrugged. "Seems like your boy R'nar had to catch
you just as much, yeah? Well. It doesn't have to make sense to me to
be true, does it?" He chuckled and shrugged. It was what it was, and
A'vel surely knew more about it than he ever would.

"But it sure puts a damper on my dreams of riding a bronze, though!"
He laughed. "Well. It was probably always just a dream, anyway."

"You don't want to ride a green like Tsogath? She's hurt," A'vel teased.

"How could I ever replace Tsogath?" asked Brennault, smiling and
winking at the green. "She's my best girl."

A'vel grinned. "She likes hearing that." And it was true, the dragon's
eyes whirled happily.

"I kept thinking and hoping I'd Impress a bronze and finally prove my
father proud," A'vel said. "Obviously it didn't happen and he was
devastated. But I was just happy to be chosen at all."

"Well," said Brennault, sitting up straighter at the mention of
A'vel's father's disappointment, "I'm proud of you. Look at everything
you've earned here." He waved his hand from the weyr to Tsogath. "You
are every bit as worthy of pride as any bronzerider, and Tsogath is as
worthy as any bronze. Nobody can take that away from you."

Brennault had known more than one young man whose father had been
disappointed in them, and he meant to be proud enough of every one of
them to make up for the disappointment of a hundred fathers or more.
Everyone deserved to be loved for who they were.

A'vel stopped shredding the sandwich into tiny components and pressed
a hand to his mouth, feeling his eyes start to water. "You - thanks,"
he finally managed after a moment. The Harper, who Brennault had just
said sounded like a poet when he talked, was just totally lost to
words.

Tsogath knew her rider couldn't find words. So she let out a long, low
croon around them, directing it to the runner.

Brennault reached out to gently touch A'vel's shoulder and smiled.
"You're very welcome. And hey, Tsogath talked to me!" The croon was
enough of a vocalization for Brennault to count it, anyway. "You have
a beautiful singing voice," he said to her, still smiling.

"Maybe she'll talk directly to you one day. It's not very common, it
seems. It always seems to happen in moments of great emotion, or to
people who are meaningful..." A'vel cleared his throat.

"In my head?" asked Brennault. He had not been sure that was a thing
that could be done, hearing someone else's dragon. He could not think
of a reason why it should not, but it was just another one of those
things that had not occurred to him. "Well. Maybe someday, if I'm very
lucky," he said, smiling. "But we'll still be friends, either way,
right, beautiful?" he asked her.

Then he turned back to A'vel and asked, "You OK? Do you like hugs?"

"I like hugs," A'vel confirmed. He put down the plate with the
sandwich pieces and shuffled himself along the ground of the ledge
towards Brennault and reached out to hug him.

Brennault pulled A'vel into his arms and held him close, resting his
chin atop his head. He smiled and sighed happily. He could be content
just sitting there with A'vel for as long as he would allow it.
Brennault was very seldom the one to end a hug first.

A'vel was happy to settle in and let Brennault hold him. "You know,"
he said, quietly. "Nobody's really said anything like that to me
before. I mean, nobody of like, our age. Weyrleader N'vanik got real
defensive when my father got upset."

"Well, I mean it, too," Brennault assured him. And at the same time,
he was thrilled to hear that N'vanik had stood up for A'vel. This was
not the first time he had seen or heard of a father think more of his
own happiness than his son's. "Hardly anyone can do what you've done.
And even if they had, nobody else is exactly like you. You're worth
being proud of."

A'vel let out a long, shuddering sigh against Brennault. "I would
bring you home to meet my father and sell him that, if I wasn't afraid
of what he'd say," he joked. "You're really good at being comforting.
How come you arne't a Harper?"

"Nobody's ever wanted to take me home to meet their father before,"
Brennault chuckled. He gave A'vel a bit of a gentle extra squeeze. "I
never wanted to be anything but a runner. I don't know if I've got
much of a singing voice. My dad was a runner, and his dad... You know,
I could take you to meet my dad. He would tell you the same thing I
did. Grandpa probably would, too."

A'vel's eyes widened. "You think they would? Really?"

"I know they would!" Brennault assured A'vel with a smile. "It's not
far to the waystation – it's a bigger one, so more than just runners
can stay there if they're on the road. But not far a'dragonback. If
you ever need a dad who's proud of you."

"We could fly out on a restday if you'd like. I've seen the station
from the air but I've never been in there," A'vel admitted.

"I'd love to. Would you?" Brennault asked. He did not want to twist
A'vel's arm if he was not ready, but Brennault wanted him to know that
he was welcome.

"I would. I'd like to learn more about different places," A'vel
decided. "Not just the Hall and the Weyr, but lives like yours. See
more families. Know that there's not only one true way."

"There's all kinds of ways," Brennault said as he squeezed A'vel
gently. "We can go as soon as you're ready. Tomorrow. Next week.
Whenever."

"Well, I'll be happy to let you know," A'vel said. Tsogath crooned a
comment from the ledge. "She says she'd like to see as well, though she
can't fit inside," he added with a laugh.

"She's more than welcome! I know my dad would be happy to meet you,
too, Tsogath. There aren't many folks at my old home who have dragons
for friends!" said Brennault, smiling. A'vel's laugh was beautiful.
"I'll be looking forward to it."

Last updated on the February 26th 2019

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Weyrledge Picnic (3/3)