Try, Try And Fail (Raining)

[Kiran]

Jafari had been ordered out of the sands within all the other Candidates. Newt had been taken from his arms by a handler, and Jafari had been unable to fulfill his promise to his fellow candidate. He couldn't help recover the body. He couldn't help make Newt feel better. He couldn't...

And to top it all off, that sharding Lirmox had Impressed! Not him. He had failed it for the second time. What would Saowyn think of him?

He loitered by the entrance to the Sands for a bit, waiting for his friend to come out with her wher. Saosk would undoubtedly be loud and angry. That was the norm for the little wher. Not so little anymore, he supposed, realizing that it had been a year since the wher had hatched. The wher was approaching his full growth. And with time passing on it meant Saowyn would graduate and he would be... Left behind.

Jafari looked at the sky, utterly dark. The two moons hadn't risen this night. It seemed dreadfully appropriate, given what had happened in the Sands.

Who knew when the next hatching would be? And did he want to wait around, waiting for a wher when Saowyn had one and was a fully ranked Handler? Perhaps he would join a craft. He could do something with his life then, instead of waiting and putting his life on hold for this. A wher might not happen. He might be left standing for years. And what then?

His eyes caught sight of Saowyn exiting the sands. His eyes took in how she had grown and changed during their year here. Okay, perhaps not grown so much, but she looked so much more adult. Like a woman. Jafari knew he had grown taller, and his voice had finally settled into a rich timbre, but as far as he knew to her he still looked like a gangly, awkward child. Perhaps he always would. He sighed softly at that. Oh, well. It was what it was.

He started over, giving her a smile. "Well. It wasn't quite like Saosk's hatching, was it? I know I'm hoping that the next one isn't quite as eventful."

[Raining]

This hatching had shaken the wherling up a bit. She didn't think it would happen this way, Saosk's hatching was nothing at all. Sure they knew the hatchlings were dangerous, all whers were. But they way Rysk and Saosk carried on... it was actually kind of cute and sort of funny (when they weren't all bleeding). The danger of wher hatchlings was sort of pushed aside as Rysk and Saosk impressed without major incident.

This... this was not the same. These whers were terrifying... and she found herself not wanting Jafari, or even Lirmox down there. What if the same thing happens to him like that one guy down there? Saosk told her to stop being so wherry-brained on the way down from the stands. Though she never said anything, he could definitely feel her worry. HAPPENS, he said nonchalantly, THIS NO FLIMSY DRAGON HATCHING. She had sighed, "I know but... it didn't need to k-" PUNY JAFARI, he announced cutting her off suddenly as she tried to repeat her worries.

She twisted on the spot and her eyes brightened when they landed on Jafari. It was a quick mix between heavy relief and slight worry. One of Saosk's rare noises huffed from him, as his gaze heated. Saowyn glanced at, 'Don't... he doesn't need this right now.' she told him, silently. Saosk eyed her as Jafari approached.

Saowyn tried a smile, but it was no where near pity or sympathy. He didn't need pity, because none of this really had to do with luck or skill... bonds happen because of something the wher or dragon sees. She heard his words, but didn't say anything... instead she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Faranth.... are you okay?" she asked pulling back, and then sighing out a laugh of sorts, "no... his wasn't like this at all."

Saosk not enjoying being left out of the conversation pushed himself between them until he was standing in front of Saowyn his eyes, cool green eyes swirling with bits of orange as he glared up at Jafari. ATTENTION! YOU WEAK!-- "Saosk, stop!" she scolded suddenly but Saosk turned his head to her (words still heard by Jafari). SO IRRITATING! NOT DONE! and his gaze turned back to Jafari. NEED MORE TRAINING! NEXT TIME...THESE WHERS NO GOOD, NOT FOR SAOSK, NOT FOR PUNY HUMAN.. His head sort of bobbed in finality but he didn't move from his spot in front of Saowyn.

Relief flooded through her, "I think that's as close as a compliment as you're going to get outta him." a real smile then, one that touched her eyes, almost driving away some of the worry. Only some. The smile slipped some, "are you all right?" she asked again light green eyes searching his.

[Kiran]

When Saosk huffed at him, Jafari thought that he would be yelled at or scolded or something. It never came. Saowyn walked forward and took him in her arms and asked whether he was okay. The candidate tightened his hold on her for a moment, but only a moment since Saosk wedged himself between them and out of a slight fear of being gutted by the spiny black Jafari backed off.

He stood up straight and at attention as Saosk talked - yelled - at him. His expression was sober. But the expression slipped a bit into a small smile when he realized it had actually been a bit of a backhanded compliment. Saowyn's reassurance that it was so and repeated asking if he was okay made him puff out a bit, forcing a grin on his face.

"I'm fine. Didn't Impress this time around, but ya know what? Saosk is right. If I didn't do it this time then I need some more training, and these whers weren't good. Not for me, at least. Next hatching I'll Impress, the best one of the bunch!" As he said it, Jafari became more sure of himself. "And I know I can believe it, too. After all, Saosk is one of us. He's your wher, so he has to be right." It was a burst of the optimism and trust that he had held to his heart when they were Holdess. Jafari believed what they said, had to. They we're his friends. Saosk... Saosk was Saowyn's wher, but Jafari believed him to be a friend. A strange relationship to be sure, but there were odder ones.

He wished that the wher would move so that he could hug Saowyn again, though.

"Lirmox got one. Not sure about that green. Seems a bit... I think I will try to avoid watch duty with him if - when - I become a handler myself. I don't think I'd want it to eat me." He gave a playful grimace.

Then a trill came from above, and a small brown blob divebombed onto Jafari's shoulder, chittering at him about loitering about since he hadn't Impressed and now he had work to do. Jafari truly did grimace then, and motioned for Saowyn and Saosk to follow him across the bowl to where they should be. "Saowyn, Saosk, this is Captain. I, uh, happened across his egg when it hatched, and... Well. He seems to think that I should work and work hard and work until I've gotten a rank, and by the egg! If I dare sleep in I'm in for it!" Jafari grimaced a bit, but laughed immediately after. He was rather fond of the brown. "If I've been a good candidate, then he snuggles after. So he isn't too bad."

Captain chirped at the two to introduce himself, winging off around them to examine them closer. Well, Saowyn, at least. The flit had learned that some whers preferred flits as snacks rather than as companions. But after his brisk inspection he settled back on Jafari's shoulder, ever-vigilant that there was work to be done.

[Raining]

Saosk's gaze was very critical as he watched Jafari come to term with what was said to him. When he saw that the boy smiled at last he was pleased to know that the boy was still willing to work harder. He allowed his gaze to cool to a green, and he didn't add on due to his bonded's orders. But no friend of Saowyn's is going to end up with any no good whers.

Saowyn on the other hand was worried and really hoped Jafari wasn't too insulted. But he seemed unfazed, and a smile slipped to her lips in relief. SHARDIT WHERRY BRAIN, SAOSK KNOW WHAT HE DOING he'd tell her only, scolding her sort of. Sometimes his was too soft, and she knew since leaving her 'home' she had softened up. Or maybe she was always like this, and Saosk just reminds her that she has the potential to be more. But yelling at Jafari who hadn't impressed and saw what he saw... wasn't her definition of 'tough'. But it seemed to have worked.

A laugh then "Your optimism is very refreshing. Whatever you'll impress to will be the best of the bunch." she told him. Saowyn felt similar in that as Holdless all they had was each other, and there wasn't anything that could sever that bond. "Saosk has his moments," she snickered as the wher rounded on her puffed up. But before he could tell her how much he didn't like that comment, a brown flit decided to join them. "Ohh isn't he handsome!" she'd say as they both walked across the bowl. Saosk watched Captain intently, where Saowyn smirked a bit at Jafari.

"He sounds like a handful" she told him, his laugh contagious as she couldn't help but smile brightly. But back on topic, "that whole... clutch of whers seemed a bit violent.." she said, "I hope Lirmox will be okay with that green." she admitted a bit worried. At least he didn't have that blue colored one... the one that killed its sibling. "Anyway.. that leaves you available to patrol with me, once you impress and all that," she grins.

[Kiran]

Jafari was able to smile much more wholeheartedly when he saw a smile slip onto her lips. Saowyn was genuinely concerned for him, and it warmed his heart so much. And Saosk had let up on him as well, which... Well, he felt very good about that! He was unbearably fond of them both and if he had to keep seeing that look on Saaowyn's face he wouldn't have been able to stand himself for putting it there, simply by being there at that hatching.

As they walked to the other side of the bowl, Jafari couldn't help but chuckle. First lightheartedly at her praise of his flit, which landed on his shoulder and watched Saosk as intently as the wher watched him. Then it darkened at the thought of Lirmox. "Yeah, a handful for Lirmox. But I think that green fits him. Shows just how-" he broke himself off, not too thrilled with how mean the words that were going to come out of his mouth were. Instead Jafari decided to look on the event much more seriously. He glanced back at the entrance to the grounds. They were quickly receding behind the pair.

With that, Jafari shrugged. "Somehow, that one has to fit him. Maybe he has a secret, murderous rage in him. But he will be fine with it. It wouldn't have bonded to him if he couldn't, right?" Jafari gave a careless shrug. Honestly, the candidate had mixed feelings on Lirmox's Impression. On one hand, he was insanely jealous, and upset that their fellow Holdless had somehow warranted a wher. On the other, Jafari could honestly say that he was fairly sure he didn't want a wher like that one. Thinking on that brought up another Impressee to his mind...

"It was a rough hatching. Saowyn... I promised him that we would go back for his wher. But Ausk ordered us off the sands. Was I... Was that okay? I know that Audren and Kalesk and her handler were there, but is it okay? That I didn't stay with him? I don't..." Guilt stabbed through him finally. Jafari stopped in his tracks, eyes wide and serious as he looked at Saowyn. "Was it okay to break my promise like that?" His fists clenched, knuckles white. He didn't know what he would do if something like that had happened to him. Would he have felt angry at the person who left him? "Do you think I can make it up to him?"