Party Now, Worry Later

Writers: Aaron, Avery, Devin
Date Posted: 30th April 2024

Characters: T'lin, J'ler, V'rel, Kadira
Description: The younger generation hangs out after the unusual Impression.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 3 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: A'kades, Jadirah, Dessa

T'lin

J'ler

The family had sat together for the Feast, with A'kades and Jadirah
both telling stories from their respective jobs to the table so the
folks from the other Weyr could catch up on their lives and listening
to funny things. It was a deliberate attempt to keep the table loud
and cheerful and keep Kadira from noticing the ways that certain
people were looking at her. But now it was time for the dancing and
for social obligations, and both adults had disappeared from the table
with an admonition for 'the kids to have fun'.

V'rel leaned across the table to look at Kadira. He'd originally
planned to dance with T'lin half the night, but he wanted to check in
on her without the adults listening first. "So, Ishath. Totally
asleep?"

"Yeah, out like a dead glow after being fed." Her lips quirked in an
immediate fond smile as she thought of her lifemate. "He didn't want
to go to sleep, he wanted to come here so he could protect me. I had
to tell him dragonets weren't allowed."

"But big brothers are." T'lin smiled. "And little brothers too," he
added with a nod to J'ler. "We'll keep you safe."

J'ler stood up straighter at the acknowledgement. It was gratifying to
be remembered. Even as an afterthought. The limelight had well and
truly moved on from him and Maishoth entirely, but V'rel still
remembered him.

"Ishath can rest easy," he promised.

"If he was still awake, I'd tell him that," she said with a grateful smile.

She breathed out and rubbed at her forehead. "I can't believe that I
Impressed him. I mean, I know I did - I can _feel_ him - he's so tired
and he was so hungry. And this is just as wonderful as all of you told
me."

"It is, isn't it?" T'lin sent love to Calaroth, warmth echoing across
their bond. "Dragons know, and Ishath _definitely_ knew he wanted you
with the way he followed you like that."

"You're going to be famous," said J'ler. "Pretty soon, all of the
dragonfolk in the world are probably going to know your name." There
was a hint of jealousy there, but mostly pride. "Or Ishath's, anyway."
He grinned.

Kadira's skin went paler than normal as she thought about that.
"That's terrifying," she said faintly.

"Why?" T'lin asked.

"Yeah, are you kidding? I'd do just about anything to have that!"
J'ler insisted. "â€˜There goes J'ler â€" smoothest guy in the world. Come
back, J'ler! Can I shake your hand!?â€™ Only, you know, they'll be
saying â€˜Kadiraâ€™, because you're the famous one. It's gonna be
awesome."

"That sounds like what they'd say to a new goldrider. Remember all the
pressure and focus Dessa got for that?" V'rel said, half to T'lin
who'd been in the same class, half to the others. "Being rare, or one
of a kind, means all eyes on you. But that's not easy if you don't
want it."

"And I don't. I would have been happy to just Impress green and be
obscure," she said. "Now I can't hide."

Leave it to someone weyrbred to think any dragonrider could be
"obscure". "Don't worry about that now," T'lin said. "Weyrlinghood
will keep you so busy you'll barely have time to think about it." He
was dying to talk about how amazing her unique Impression was, but he
didn't want her to feel any more like a curiosity.

"I suppose you two would know," she said. "I wish I was in J'ler's
class like you two were together."

Kadira's reluctance frustrated J'ler, but he tried not to show it. She
had something he wanted his whole life â€" she was special â€" and she did
not even want it.

"Oh, y'all, what if Maishoth had been a gold?" he asked. Well, if she
did not want to be the center of attention, the least he could do was
to stop pointing the spotlight at her. "World's first and only
goldriding man, right here."

"You really could have shocked the world, then," V'rel said, grinning
at his half-brother. "Maybe you can fall in love with a goldrider,
Maishoth can catch her dragon, and you can be the first brownriding
Weyrleader in the Pass."

J'ler's eyes widened, and his smile spread from ear to ear. Now that
was a goal. He had never even considered it, but now?

}:I can catch any gold who flies these azure skies, no lies, I'll
chase her and catch her and watch their faces' surprise!:{ Maishoth
boasted.

"That would definitely be something." T'lin chuckled. "Or what if
Calaroth or Rymeth caught Santhiath? That would _really_ make the
bronze boys cry."

"Maishoth says he can do it," J'ler said excitedly. Of course, if a
blue caught a gold, that would once again overshadow a brownriding
weyrleader. But then he would just have to find something else no one
had done and do that.

"Only, he said it with a bunch of rhyming... Maybe _his_ name should
have been Rymeth."

}:Maishoth. My name is Maishoth.:{

**I know your name, wherryhead.**

"See, that's a good goal," Kadira encouraged.

}:But I'm Rymeth,:{ protested the blue dragon to his rider.

V'rel laughed. "Come to think of it I've never heard of dragons with
the same name. People, yes - sometimes we get named after grandparents
or relatives. But dragons? I wonder if you read a hundred Turns of
records if you'd ever see a repeated name."

"That's a good question. How do you think about such things?" she asked.

V'rel shrugged. "I just do," he said. The Harpers struck up another
jazzy reel, and he looked over at T'lin, then hesitated.

"Are you going to be okay if I go dance with T'lin? If J'rel stays
with you for a bit? Unless you had someone to dance with," he added,
looking at J'rel.

"You wanna dance?" J'rel asked Kadira. The lively upbeat songs always
had fun dances, and sometimes, a big group could all sync up together.

She shook her head. "I'd really rather stay here with one of you. I
don't want people to look at me." And dancing, they would. In the
crowd, they would.

"We can take turns," T'lin said as he reached for V'rel's hand. "We'll
have a dance and then come back, and then J'ler can find a partner."

"We won't let you be alone. And the parents will come back too, I'm
sure, if you need," V'rel agreed, dropping a kiss on his sister's
cheek before he swept off with T'lin.

"Thank you," she said quietly, watching them go.

Last updated on the April 30th 2024

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Party Now, Worry Later