Quietly Tunning (Open to Anyone)

[carolin]

The sun was bright, and the weather not to horrible hot, and yet Javert was still not happy. He was rather lonely to tell the truth. He knew it was silly of him to be lonely. He was surrounded by other Candidates, Dragons, and inhabitants of the Weyr, so really there was no reason he should feel that way.

Javert sat at the edge of the lake with his harp in his lap, gently strumming the strings absentmindedly. He really didn't really notice the tune that he was playing. Most of the time it was just him coming up with things off of the top of his head. Today was no different. He didn't sing, he couldn't. He knew that much, but he could play a few songs on his harp. That at least amused him and kept his mind off of most things.

He looked up at the sky and watched a flitter fly by. He wished he could have one of his own. Maybe then he could have someone to talk to. He was to nervous to approach anyone, and often tried to get someone to notice him and invite him into a conversation, but if they didn't he would just leave it at that.

Javert wasn't very sure of being a candidate either. Was a shy boy really meant to be one? What if they had been wrong when they searched him? The only good thing that really seemed to come out of this was he was getting some more training in healing. He liked being able to help others. It made him feel like he was actually doing something to help, and not just sitting and being in the way.

The sounds of the waterfall gave Javert an idea. His fingers flew across the strings as he played a tune, using the waterfall in the song he was creating. He smiled when he finished it and played it again. Each time it sounded different because the water fall didn't always make the exact same sounds as it hit the water below. He could at least hear that much. He had completely zoned out and wasn't paying attention to anything around him.

[purnip]

Not much of a klutz by nature, Lyam was somewhat frustrated as he approached the lake, his eyes scanning the ground carefully as if searching for something he had left behind. He had indeed left something around here. It had slipped out of his pocket when he passed by earlier.

Lyam wasn't particularly materialistic; this and that was never worth much to him. He had very few objects that held any value to him and this one was missing. It was a coin he had kept on his person ever since his uncle had given it to him. The coin was crafted by a Smith, one of a kind, not worth a thing on the markets but worth the world to his uncle D'oran. The Bluerider had given the coin to Lyam, promising the boy that he will someday be searched and someday impress a dragon on his own. Ever since he had received it, the boy held it in high regard. Now, there was a hole in this outfit that betrayed the coin to the forces of gravity. The problem was the coin no longer had much of a shine to it. It was quite old. D'oran got it when he was just a lad.

Maybe it fell in the kitchens. I can ask the drudges... He didn't think anyone would take it. Like said before, it wasn't worth a penny to anyone else.

In his search, he barely noticed the other Candidate before he noticed the sound of music. It was improvisational, or else it wouldn't have gotten his attention as much. Lyam didn't really stop searching, but his edge was smoothed just a bit. He grumbled before looking to the sky in his moment of grief, then he turned to Javert with a defeated look. Maybe that boy could help him find the coin. He appeared...friendly. Finally, a friendly male candidate. Most of them seemed so competitive, as if being in a weyr meant you had to prove something. Lyam didn't have to be an ass to get what he wanted and he proved that time and time again. He was already making strides towards the other Candidate and slipping out of his former state. He needed to be just a little calmer for this sort, he guessed. He didn't know Javert well enough to draw a definite conclusion. There could be a wolf under that sheep's clothing -or Pern's equivalent of a wolf and sheep-.

"Hello there," He said, keeping a decent amount of distance from the other boy as to not startle him. "I'm sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't have happened to see a coin around here, have you? It's a very dull bronze color and not quite a mark."

[carolin]

Javert was so lost in his own thoughts that he had not noticed the other coming over towards him. He wouldn't have expected him to talk to him even if the other came over to the lake. Who wanted to talk to the young man that said nothing anyways? He sighed as he finished his piece and looked out at the lake.

Javert jumped when the voice penetrated his thoughts. He looked over at the other candidate with a slightly startled look on his face. When he heard what he said he shook his head. "I didn't, but I will help you look." His voice was very soft, which sounded a little odd coming out of a male's mouth.

Slowly he stood from the ground and brushed himself off. He couldn't just ignore it if someone needed help. He figured this would be a good thing to do instead of sitting down on his bottom all day. He looked around the ground beside the lake. A hint of bronze caught his eye and he lifted it from the ground. He cleaned it off and looked at it before looking over at the other. "Is this it?" He smiled. He hoped that it was.

[purnip]

Indeed it was. Lyam didn't feel the need to cloak his risen spirits; Javert was the sort it seemed that would favor validation above indifference. "That's it!" He flashed a brilliant smile before taking it lightly from the other Candidate's hand. "I've been up and down Dalibor looking for this. I was about to lose hope." Not a chance. Lyam couldn't help but exaggerate his gratefulness. He was, after all, very grateful. This was an object of great importance to him.

He put the coin in a pocket, one that he had checked again to make sure there was no hole in this one. Patting the pocket merrily, he looked to Javert searchingly. "Alright. What do I owe you?" There was a playful tone to the question, but he really meant it. One extremely important thing about making 'friends' was to make sure he owed nothing to no one. That would make it easier to get favors and be in good favor in the future, and Lyam was all about his future.

Just hearing two sentences from the guy told him much. This was a kind person, perhaps even selfless to some degree. That was not only useful, but a massive relief. He wouldn't have to put up with the mounting suspicions and the irritation of dealing with the other male Candidates. So far they proved to be no better than himself and as an added bonus, they practiced less subtlety. As Lyam waited for Javert to answer he wondered if perhaps this could become an actual friendship. Not that...Lyam made actual friends. He thought about it more in the sense that Javert would see Lyam in a positive light. So far he was getting the impression that the other Candidates were still rocky about him.

[carolin]

Javert watched as the other seemed to cheer up. He was glad he was able to help the other, even if it was just finding a little trinket in the grass. Seeing the other smile the way he did made Javert smile back shyly. "Sometimes it helps to have another pair of eyes." It was true. He had lost many things in the past and had not been able to find them on his own, then when he asked for help;when he wasn't to shy to ask for it; he was able to find most of his things.

"Owe me?" Javert was a little stunned when the other asked him that. He didn't think the other owed him anything. If someone asked for help he found it the right thing to do to help them. He wouldn't feel right asking for something in return. He bit his lip and looked at him. "You don't owe me anything. Anyone would have done the same."

He carefully picked up his harp that he had placed on the ground. It was nice to have someone to talk to. It seemed like forever since he had actually spoken. He had almost forgotten his own voice. "Please don't worry to much about it."

[purnip]

Anyone would have done the same? Not where Lyam was from, especially so. So Fort got a little better after the ancient times when Fax was large and in charge. That didn't mean Fort Hold was full of sunshine and friendliness. Just about everyone expected something or another from someone else, especially after favors are done. Once someone does a favor for you, you are in debt. Lyam made sure he had no debts before him...this system Javert proposed was beyond him.

"Really?" The Candidate stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets, thinking it over. "Well, I should I least thank you. Not everyone would do the same." Lyam gave a slight bow of his head. "Thank you."

Now that the exchange was over, he debated on whether to continue here or move on. Moving on always posed the favorable option, but it would be nice for a change, to make a good acquaintance. Lyam's plans weren't made this morning when he had realized that his coin was missing, so it threw him off. Noticing Javert's handling of the harp and remembering the music he practically ignored when he first came here, he pointed it out with some interest. Well, not completely. Lyam was neutral about music. "So you play?" Of course. He was playing earlier, wasn't he? "Fort was rather quiet in terms of music. The Harpers only stopped by for big events. Otherwise it was all just chatter."

[carolin]

Javert did not understand that. His mother had always taught him to help out others, and others would help you out. She couldn't have been wrong about that. Then again when he was little he was picked on a lot. Especially by the holder children. He tried not to remember that though.

Javert smiled when he was thanked. "It was no problem at all." He felt a little uneasy when he bowed to him. Really why wouldn't someone help another out. Dragon riders helped each other out, so did healers and others.

He looked down at his harp. His fingers running over the strings. "I do, but I am not as good as my father. He's a Harper." He held his harp close. IT was his prized possession. If he lost it he would be very upset. It was like the other's mark. It was something that might be worthless to other's but it meant the all of pern to him. "If you would like to hear me play I can, but it's not really that good." It was so nice to have someone to talk to.

[purnip]

Honestly, Lyam didn't care for music, but it looked like it would please the boy if he lent an ear. He didn't know a thing about musical theory or any of that Harper business; some songs sounded good and others didn't. His complaint most of the time was that most of these songs were just too...generic. If Lyam had been into music, he'd be the sort to determine another way to make a sound, aside from the average harp. Something new to gain him some respect. Oh, no one would like it at first, but no one ever took to change well at the start.

"Ah, you shouldn't say such a thing. Even if you're not moving the stars to tears with your tunes, that's nothing practice and a little time can't cure, hm?" He kneeled down to sit cross legged on the grass before Javert like a good audience member might. "Just imagine, soon you might be playing songs to a dragon." Lyam wasn't just buttering Javert up. He was happy for him. Kid's gotta have some hobbies. None of them hurt really, unless it wasn't socially acceptable and you were caught, but playing a harp won't land you in prison. Lyam couldn't quite think of what the benefit of having a harp-playing friend would be, aside from making friendship. It was good to have as many allies as possible though.

Besides, he didn't only speak to people he deemed 'useful'. Sometimes those that didn't seem to have anything truly valuable to offer would later come in handy. And if not, you might have yourself a friend. Lyam didn't like to let people get too close though. He had done that once, back in Fort. He met this girl and well...things were great for a while. Then she dropped him like a rag. It hurt in a way he hadn't experienced, but instead of keeling over and moping, he quickly got over it. Lyam knew there were other people out there. He had more friends than he could count. Since then however, he never let anyone get too close to him.

So he sat, looking up to Javert expectantly. For whatever reason he had actually developed muse to listen. He wondered what 'not really that good' would sound like.