Friends Of Silver (Maggie)

Imber pulled the kindest, most encouraging smile she had from her arsenal. Her classmate seemed down and upset, and she could help. It was what she had done her whole life. At least, it had been since her family had died. "It's a pleasure to meet you, K'ian. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. It's just that... With Hikkikoth.... He and I...." She paused, trying to find a good way of putting it. "I could use your help, you and Kamikith. Hikkikoth is very shy and scared, so I was hoping that perhaps you both wouldn't mind helping me get him out of his shell."

Her heart was pounding as she made the request of the weyrling. Imber didn't step out of her boundaries. She stayed in the background. She helped others, not the other way around. But here she was, trying to not show fear or nervousness about this in front of her classmate that she barely knew and hoping he wouldn't... Wouldn't... Oh, Imber didn't know! Perhaps she and Hikkikoth were far better matched than she had first imagined, she thought. But on the other hand, that meant that she would be taking charge and helping Hikkikoth get out of his shell as well.

Her black, on the other hand, was not taking well to Imber talking to K'ian, stalking back and forth along the fence with his eyes whirring with a delicate mix of yellow, orange, and red. Someone was talking to His! His Bonded, his only friend! The yellow only distracted him for some moments as Hikkikoth reeled back, his back arching much like a cat's when it tried to fend off unwanted attention. It being Hikkikoth, he refused to speak to Kamikith, inching back to get away. After all, it wasn't like the yellow would follow him! Good thing, too, since Hikkikoth hated the way the yellow was so calm about talking to him and was just so yellow and so happy! It wasn't natural.

Imber made a motion back to where their dragonets were, so that K'ian could see her black's behavior. "If we work together to get this done faster, perhaps we could take our time going back to the barracks? It would be good for him I think..." The suggestion was more hesitant than before, Imber suddenly feeling shy about being so forward with her request. It felt like she was demanding of it, and Imber didn't want her classmate to think that she was just using him for her dragonet.

Imber tilted her head slightly at the boy's - man, he was almost a man and looked to be a bit older than her - words and considered her next ones carefully. "Thank you very much. I appreciate it deeply. I don't want Hikkikoth to be lonely, and I can only do so much for him by myself. You're doing me a great favor." Her gaze stopped fluttering about around him, where she had been focusing to things just to the side to avoid looking him directly in the eyes, and instead brought her eyes to his and gave him a bright, sincere smile. He seemed as shy and retiring as her black. The way he stood and spoke mead her think that he was unsure of himself as well. Imber hoped that maybe she could make him feel more at ease as well.

That was something she liked to do, after all. It put her on firmer ground with dealing with him.

His words about not being good with herdbeasts softened her smile a bit as she glanced around. "I'm not terribly good with them either. I never really kept pets. I was too worried-" she broke herself off. Imber mentally scolded herself for nearly saying something so dark. How could anyone feel comfortable if she said she never kept pets because she was too afraid she would die on them and leave them alone to fend for themselves?

That thought momentarily drew the black's attention and panic away from the encroaching yellow. Imber wasn't going to die and leave him, was she?! The motion to stop and look for his rider meant that the yellow got close. Very close. Too close. When Hikkikoth drew his attention back he was smack dab face to face with Kamikith. His wings fluttered uselessly in surprise but he couldn't shy away now! Not with his back to a post.

"It's okay, though. I can show you what to do. I've done chores with them often enough." Volunteering with others, taking over when they felt too tired, and simple luck when she had been picked and assigned chores did mean she wasn't completely helpless about this. "Come on, let's get our pitchforks. The herdbeasts are used to this that they'll even move when we shovel their muck out. It's handy." For a moment Imber hesitated, but going with impulse (and wanting to set an example for Hikkikoth) Imber reached out to gently grasp his hand and lead him to where the gloves and pitchforks were kept.

A deep whine escaped the black when he saw Imber grabbing the boy's hand, and even more so when the yellow spoke to him. He couldn't... He couldn't...! But it was all too much and the black broke down. He plopped himself down in the mud and looked up at the yellow. Y-yes-s-s, Imber is-s m-m-my friend. And... I s-suppose w-we can be fr-riends-s, too. It seemed that nothing else would stop the yellow's encroachment and Imber was doing her hardest to make him say something and be around others. Maybe if he gave in she would stop?

But Hikkikoth had to admit, right now he hated his rider, just like he hated everyone else.

Imber's smile couldn't help growing when the yellow weyrling said that he hadn't ever had pets like those. She was fairly certain of that. This was the first time in her life she herself had pets, she couldn't have them before since she had been so determined that she wouldn't make them suffer when she died- a certain eventuality, but the timing of which was unknown. "They're wonderful, very lovely. I think that it's sweet that they're making friends with other flitts, as well. I only have Hikkikoth and Lovely, my pillie. Lovely came along a few seasons ago. She's around, various places. I think she's as good for Hikkikoth as Kamikith seems to be, since she adores loving others. As fickle as she can be, since I seem to be the only one she will come back to and adore consistently." Not that Imber minded. She found that she actually rather enjoyed it.

She was getting soft. Just a season before that, she would have dreaded such a thing, what with having to think about what would happen after she died. Imber glanced down at the pillie dancing at the edge of the pens, waving her feelers at each of the beasts that would come closer and look at her. None seemed particularly perturbed at her soft trilling or movement, possibly from being used to seeing all the strange creatures that constituted the population of the weyr.

She moved for another large scoop that was dumped in the appropriate spot. They were getting through this fairly well. K'ian was a hard worked, and Imber appreciated that. "Kamikith is truly wonderful. I saw how he helped those after the girl died. I am glad that he picked you, you seem a wonderful match for him." Imber offered K'ius a shy smile, unsure if she had overstepped her boundaries saying that. "Hikkikoth and I.... We both aren't terribly good with people, but I have to be for him. I don't want him unhappy. I don't want anyone unhappy, so I'm trying hard." She blushed and looked down at the ground as she said that. He probably thought she was an idiot for it.

Hikkikoth was eyeing Kamikith wildly, unsure of what the yellow was talking about. A group?! Why w-w-would an-ny of them wan-n-nt to join-n that gr-r-roup?! I don't! I don-n't want to join-n it!!! The black scuttled back ever so slightly, pressing himself deep into the dirt. They-y couldn't hel-lp m-m-me! N-no one can! N-not ev-ven-n ImberM-mine![/coor] He covered his eyes with his wing, unable to look at his brightly-colored brother out of dread and anger. Friend. The yellow wanted to be friends with him. Called him a friend. No one was his friend! No one could be his friend! It had to be a trick. The black shook as he lay there, terrified and angry about what Kamikith was saying.

Imber nodded when K'ian said he was afraid of pillies. "I can understand. You aren't the only one that finds them distasteful. I wasn't particularly fond of them until I Impressed Lovely, and had she been any meaner or stranger I don't think I would have changed my opinion much. But I haven't bothered trying to actually go to many Hatchings, as I-" Her tongue had gotten away from her. Imber cleared her throat a bit and went back to shoveling furiously for a few moments. "Nevermind. I simply haven't tried to be at any hatchings on purpose, Lovely was an accident."

And would hopefully be her only one. Imber didn't want any more creatures attaching themselves to her that might feel bereft when she died. The idea still made her want to shudder. She glanced up at K'ian, suddenly worried that she had made him feel awkward with her sudden seriousness. The black weyrling cast him a small smile. "I'm glad you have such wonderful flitts, though. They do seem wonderful, perhaps one day I'll Impress one." Or not. She was fine with not. Not that she would tell K'ian that, though.

Hikkikoth wanted to scurry away when Kamikith came closer. Hugs?! Imber gave him those, even though he didn't want them and oh what was he doing what was he DOING?! He cowered just a little bit more as the yellow closed in on him..... and placed a wing over him. The trembling didn't stop but Hikkikoth could look at his Yellow brother with a querulous croon. Imber would do this, but a hatchmate of his? Kamikith wasn't doing anything to hurt him, nothing to tell him he was... less... that he wasn't as deserving. The black didn't know what to make of it. For several long moments he was silent. ::Than-n-nk y-you.::

The words were quiet, hesitant. Protection? Someone didn't hate him entirely? Hikkikoth still didn't believe it was some sort of nasty trick, but his eyes whirled more gently than before, a calmer color that belied how touched he felt at that moment. But was still distrustful that it would be snatched away at a moment's notice.

Besides, even if Kamikith liked him, it didn't mean anyone else would!

Hikkikoth's nerves just finally gave up. He could no longer hold the tension that had kept him so high-strung for the last few minutes. The black flopped to the ground, his eyes whirring a lazy orange-green. Friendly vibes, indeed. The yellow covered him in his wings and cuddled him. Hiikikoth let Kamikith do as he wished, the yellow undoubtedly was going to do it anyway. He gave a soft crooning sigh. But no matter what - no matter what! - he was not going to cuddle back. There were certain lines he couldn't cross. Maybe if his clutchbrother didn't betray him after a few days. Or weeks. Or months. After they graduated. Perhaps then there would be cuddles back. Until then Hikkikoth would simply accept them.

"That sounds absolutely marvelous," Imber agreed, feeling like smiling again. She did so, happy that she had found a subject that had brightened up K'ian. "I remember my father and mother had flitts, but they went wild when they died. But mother's flitt, Flutter, she would come in during the night to check on my brother and me, and if we were having nightmares she'd cuddle us. And father's, Popper, he would steal the best tidbits off of our plates during dinner. But we tended to feed him them anyway so it didn't really matter. I just never thought about getting one after they... after they passed. I haven't seen their flitts since."

A sadness lingered in the back of her eyes at that statement and she went back to shoveling with a vigor. "I've been alone in my head right up until I Impressed Lovely, and alone-alone for a few Turns now. My family, they've all been dead for a while. And since until then I'd only had my parent's flitts, I know what having a pet you couldn't really sense is like. It's... You have to pay more attention when they try to get your attention, and it's far more of a guessing game about what they want, but you still feel the same love when they adore you." It might have been all in her head, but Imber did feel that way. She did adore those pets just as much and knew they loved her besides. Her actions became less active as she glanced up at K'ian, regretful about how she had to sound. "I'm sorry. This is depressing. I should be better than that. Your flitts seem wonderful, and I'm glad you have them."

Her eyes went over to the pair of dragonets when K'ian called attention to them. Her smile became a genuine grin. "They're adorable together. I think Kamikith will be good for Hikkikoth. As long as you don't mind them hanging out together." Imber's eyes slid sideways to the yellow weyrling. "It would be nice to hang out together sometime, so that they could. Whenever you have time for it, of course, and if you would like to. I don't want to impose on you if it would be too troublesome."

Truthfully, Imber rather liked K'ian. He was friendly and helpful, and rather adorably shy. She wanted to help him as much as she could, and if by being his friend and having their friends hang out would do that, she would be happy for it. It made her feel useful again, more useful than she had been since Impressing Hikkikoth. Weyrlings were so restricted in their actions and activities that it was downright impossible to go sneaking about the weyr as she had, helping people in her quiet, obscure way. She wished to help him however she could, just as much as Kamikith was helping Hikkikoth.

Her black gave a squawk at the mention of a support group. ::I'm doing what?:: His eyes snapped towards his Rider, who gave him a supportive nod. Imber wasn't going to object to it, and that meant he couldn't either. Hikkikoth lowered his head to the ground and grumbled. ::I suppose I am.:: A support group, huh? He could go and pretend he was interested. That would make Imber happy, and Kamikith. As long as he just went....