Open Air - {Bushy}

[purnip]

He stopped worrying about Suede's constant disappearances. Lyam sat back on the lowest bench, devouring a record on Dalibor's history with his eyes. Reading was dull, but the people here were just too busy to stop and chat. If he lingered too long inside, he'd be taken aside to do chores. Regardless of what a Bronzerider told him a while back, chores were best avoided. Besides, Lyam wanted to learn more about the history of this place to get a better understanding of weyr life. Chores would be waiting for him afterwards, untouched.

"There has to be something I'm missing," he muttered to himself, impatiently flipping through the records.

Something more than the chores, or beyond them. Something more to the relationships he had yet to form with his acquaintances. What would Lyam have to watch for in the days before Impression? What sort of ties needed to be made to assure he would Impress? It wasn't going to be as simple as it was to impress his Blue flit. Dragons looked for something more, within a person. The history revealed very little. All it was composed of was documents, dates, but none of the drama behind them. Lyam set the records aside and slumped over, his head in his hands as he thought beyond that.

He knew exactly what he'd do if he impressed. He would be the go-to guy. He'd get things done. In order to know what needed to be done in a place like this, he needed to know what was done in the past. The past was only useful to prepare for the future, after all. Why be the go-to guy? He'd be in the best place. Everyone would know his name, even when he didn't know them as well as they knew himself. He'd be important and absolutely necessary. Lyam would drool over a burden like that. Being a Candidate irked him. He was needed alright; needed to be present in order to ease the Weyrwoman's worries about her dragon's clutch. Being present was just not enough.

He rose his head and got up, just about ready to move on. He wasn't finding a useful tidbit of information in the entire record.

[hatori3070]

Jasra was tired of being inside. It was spring, for Faranth's sake! This was no time to be cooped up in a hot and stuffy kitchen, mopping floors and washing dishes, or toting buckets to and fro. The bucket toting had quickly become her least favorite chore. Granted, she knew it had to be done and probably helped exercise muscles that would be needed later in the care of her dragon, but it was just so boring! At least the other chores had evidence of something being accomplished.

Instead of slipping further into her dark mood, she'd fled to her room in search of distraction. Her eyes fell immediately on her unfinished miniature dragon. Rummaging in her trunk for her metal shaping tools, she'd taken both tools and dragon to find somewhere she could work. The bowl would be perfect, full of the comings and goings of dragons and riders, but with plenty of places where she could sit and tinker. Plus she'd be able to get a better idea of how to properly shape her figures' limbs and get the clockwork movement of its wings just right. It would never be as amazing as the real thing of course, but it was a good way to pass the time until she Impressed a dragon of her own. She was adjusting her wire outline of the wings, not paying attention to where she was going, when she unexpectedly bumped into a boy, young man really. The papers he had been holding spilled onto the floor, and she hurriedly bent to pick them up. "I am so sorry!" Juggling her dragon and the papers, some kind of history by the looks of them, she straightened and really got a good look at him for the first time.

Jasra had seen him from a distance, coming and going at the barracks. He seemed a couple of turns older than her, but a bit shorter. That was typical of quite a few people. He seemed fit, and for some reason he didn't exactly look like the type who enjoyed reading at all, let alone histories. She herself found them to be quite dull and avoided them unless necessary. "Here you are." She said with a friendly smile. "Sorry about that. I should really watch where I'm going."

[purnip]

Lyam didn't see her coming since he had just turned the corner. When the papers were on the ground he bent to pick them up, only to find that the girl had picked up most of them. She must be used to this sort of thing. He didn't recognize her though he felt that his gaze must have passed over her in the dining hall once before. That long red hair isn't the easiest thing to miss. He had met so many people however, just in the last few weeks alone, and only a handful he could name on the spot. Lyam had solid memory, but in such a short period of time it wasn't possible to remember every name. Though this girl was taller than him, he stood up straightly at all times due to his parents' nagging at his posture as he grew up. At first he defied them on purpose, but eventually he gave in and realized that posture says a lot about someone. People with this sort of confidence to their appearance are treated with more respect and that was what he hoped to attain in this weyr. As much respect if not more than the Weyrwoman herself. He could dream alright, and he didn't just think it dreaming. It can be done.

Automatically he was dissecting her with his mind, probing what little she had said and her manners and actions to determine what kind of person he was dealing with. Ah, this seemed like one of the better ones, the easier ones. Not easy in a condescending way, mind you. She would be easier to engage in a conversation. After spending the last hour by himself he could certainly use some conversation. Once he was standing again, papers he had collected in hand and prepared with a friendly grin. This may just be a pleasant encounter for a change. "No harm done," he replied, and suddenly his expression shifted to curious concern as he pointed to the sculpture with his free hand. "I didn't damage that, did I?"

Lyam wasn't particularly fascinated by art. Sure, it was pretty to look at but he couldn't spend more an a minute admiring anything unless it was very elaborately done. He liked to understand how people worked though, not objects. Objects are cold and boring, plus, someone else has those all figured out. It's better to know people; people who know how to use the objects you don't care so much about, and so on. Still, he would have felt a pang of guilt had he ruined the girl's piece. He didn't realize that wires were showing because she had not completed it just yet.

[hatori3070]

Jasra noticed the young man's analytical gaze, and looked right back at him. He stood straight, not in an arrogant way or anything, but in a way that said he knew what he was doing. It made him seem taller than he was, and had the potential to instill confidence if he were to reach a leadership position at some point. He wasn't bad looking. Not gorgeous, but not bad either. "Good." She said with a smile of her own. He seemed nice, and she didn't want him to find her annoying. She knew she had a tendency to be a bit scattered, courtesy of her father, when she was working on something.

"Oh no, it's fine. Some of the springs still need to tightened, so they might've come loose, but that's more my fault than anything. I know clockwork mechanisms need to be secured or they go sideways pretty easily." Hopefully he wasn't just feigning interest to talk to her. Some guys would shamelessly pretend to like or be anything for a chance with a girl, and she sincerely hoped he wasn't one of those. "I'm Jasra by the way."

[purnip]

Being the type of guy who liked to know how things worked, he was actually curious what the clockwork was for. It appears as if the sculpture is not just an art, but something just slightly more practical. He smirked and decided to joke around a little. What? He thinks Jasra can handle it. She didn't strike him as the easily offended type. Still, you need to be cautious. He discovered back at home how people had different senses of humor. He thought this comment would be rather harmless though. "Building a mechanical flitter? I bet I'd be a lot more loyal than the real deal."

Somewhere, precisely at the dining hall, a Blue firelizard rose his head from his nap on a certain human's shoulder. Just as if he could hear what his mine had said. He was off in a flash to find him and prove him otherwise.

But back at the bowl, Lyam was unaware that he had offhandedly offended Suede. He was mostly interested in Jasra herself. Judging by her knots, she too was a Candidate; that was among the first clues he noticed. His mind kept straying back in wonder as to how he couldn't quite remember seeing her. He'd spend this week redoubling his efforts to meet the lot of them, no doubt. Normally, that was his concern in life. He needed everyone to be able to call him by name, so in the future he can be exactly as he wishes to be--that go-to guy. He was on the right track but boy...he was taking forever!

"I'm Lyam," He replied, then he chuckled. "Which lately I couldn't help but think that it would be a difficult name to part. I notice that male riders have shorter names and read something about them being changed at impression." Lyam shrugged. "Yet the girls get away with keeping theirs. I've been wondering at it." It took some conscious willpower to keep from rambling. Though this Candidate worked very hard to make friends and acquaintances without the chains of relationship, he still fancied women. This one was no exception. Despite Javra's angular features, she was still attractive. Nonetheless, Lyam was an expert at controlling himself and his feelings.

[hatori3070]

Jasra laughed. "I'm not so sure about that, but no. It'll be a long time before I can make something that complicated. It's just a miniature dragon that can move its wings when you turn the tail." She demonstrated by turning the knob where the tail would eventually be, forgetting that she'd heard some of the springs she'd mentioned jangle when she'd run into him. Of course, nothing happened, and she chuckled at her own absent-mindedness. "I guess it did get a bit messed up. Nothing I can't fix though." She smiled it him. She didn't want him feeling responsible for something that really was entirely her fault.

It had only been about four days since Jasra had first arrived here, but some of the other candidates had mentioned Lyam in passing. They'd had nothing much to say about him. He was nice, but no one really knew him enough to be able to say anything more. Everyone she'd talked to had liked him though, some of the girls a bit more than regular fondness. "Oh, is that what you were reading about? I've never really known any 'Riders, but that is kind of odd. I wonder why that's done? It would make sense if everyone changed their names, but why just guys?" It didn't make much sense to her to change only the male names. If a name-change was necessary to be a dragonrider, shouldn't they all have to change their names? Somehow, it didn't seem fair.

[purnip]

"I'm sorry about that," he said with an apologetic manner about him. Oh, he was genuinely so; he was never in favor of destroying someone else's hard work. That's just going a tad bit too far. Lyam's methods of reaching goals were often composed of passive long-term schemes involving maximum patience and caution. It was part of the reason why nearly every word that came out of his mouth was calculated. Just like building a machine, it was crucial to maintain the parts and put them all in the right order, if not the machine will fail to function and preform the task. Something like that. The analogy sounded better in the farther reaches of his mind. "If there's anything you need to get it to work, just ask. I know a guy in the Lower Caverns who collects parts from watches and the like."

He had been around this weyr over and over again, making sure to have the essential contacts in check. It's very useful to have friends in every nook and cranny, every craft and every hold. Well, impossible for now. A dragon would further his reach, that was for sure. Suede would make things easier once he was capable of going between

And speaking of the flitter, Suede was just flying into the bowl, landing with quite the bit of grace for a young firelizard onto his shoulder. All the air he was getting was advancing his aviation technique. He have a croon, trying to let it be known to Lyam that he was indeed loyal and that it shouldn't be a crime to make like His and make some friends. He tried to project that with mere image and feeling, but Lyam managed to get the general idea. He chuckled and gave the little Blue a light stroke. "Suede's been about making friends at his own pace," he explained. The firelizard was content with His' attention, but his own attention was on Jasra. He was also eying the clockwork dragon with great curiosity.

"I just happened across it. I skim read, just to get the general idea," he gave a small nod and seemed to think on the topic. "There was no explanation for it however. It's a bit funny since my parents took my possible future with dragons in consideration. They still named me Lyam. Wonder if they'd settle for L'am and thought I would do the same. But L'am?" He chuckled again. "I don't think all male riders get their names shortened if they're already short."

[hatori3070]

"It's fine. I'll just anchor them properly next time." Jasra giggled at her forgetfulness. The last time she was working on her miniature she'd told herself that she would anchor the springs the next time she worked on it, then forgotten. Now she was paying the price not only for her procrastination, but her clumsiness as well. But wait, Jasra hardly ever giggled. This was odd, but she chose to ignore it for now. The obvious reason for her giggle wasn't quite so obvious to her, or she might have been in denial. Either way, she was clueless.

"Oh, I've already got everything I need for the mechanism, but thank you. That's nice of you." It looked like this was turning out to be a productive conversation instead of just interesting. Jasra found herself hoping that she would run into Lyam again soon, and she told herself it was simply because of the conversation. It was hard to find someone that could have stimulating conversation, and she didn't mean to let this one slip through her fingers.

A blue flitt interrupted her train of thought, landing gracefully on Lyam's shoulder. "Oh, he's beautiful. Did you say his name was Suede? That's a nice name." Jasra smiled at the flitt and determined then and there that she would figure out a way to get her own flitt. They were adorable and looked like miniature dragons in all respects. "I don't really know that much about flitts. Do they Impress like dragons do, or is it different because they're so much smaller?" She could see the flitt eying her dragon, and held it up a bit. "Did you want to see this Suede?"

Jasra chuckled along with him. "Can you imagine if I had to shorten my name? J'sra, or something like that." She made a face for emphasis. Now she was glad that she didn't have to shorten her name, but she still felt like it wasn't quite fair.

[purnip]

It could have turned out worse then. He wasn't sure what anchoring entailed, only the meaning of the word itself, but he guessed that it was an easily solved problem in the right hands. And what better hands than the creator? He shook his head and wagged a finger at her almost playfully, but keep in mind, he was completely aware of his every action. He wouldn't have it any other way. Well...it was easier to feign playfulness than usual, so it wasn't impossible that Jasra was having an effect on him. Everyone got a different brand of Lyam.

"Still, keep it in mind. I'll be willing to point you to the guy should you need him in the future," he said, then lowering his hand to his pocket. His other was already in a pocket as well, so he was taking his casual stance. This girl was much easier to work around than some of the others. There was less of a risk of slipping up and getting on her foul side, because his morals were at least majority appealing, so it would seem to them. If people knew how much he calculated behind his words, they would likely hate him. He knew of this because there are some out there who happen to be sharp enough to tell; people who do the exact same thing.

But he was letting himself enjoy this one. For once, his answers were coming naturally. He didn't have to lie, not once, and that takes the stress out of it. At the corner of his eye, he saw Suede leaning forward to get a better look at the mechanism, as Jasra offered to show it to him. The Blue flit tapped it very lightly with his nose, only to retract quickly when he noted how cold it was. Not that he was silly enough to think the machine was a living thing, but a part of him wasn't completely sure of it. It had a shape he could relate to. Sort of how some humans can't help but treat dolls like living things because of how much they resemble people. He was still eyeballing it but his interest in the mechanism was wanning. He looked back to Lyam and chirped, image of the mechanical in his mind. He wondered if it was meant to be alive and pointed out that it was obviously not. This caused Lyam to chuckle.

"He's a character. Yeah, his name is Suede," he stroked the Blue's back and thought aloud in hopes that the flit would pick it up, she's still working on it. He must have gotten the message in a sense because he stopped leaning forward so much and rested more comfortably on the shoulder. Those questions that followed were familiar, and so he could tell that Jasra was likely interested in impressing a firelizard herself. He used to ask all those questions before Suede came into the picture. He would be much obliged to answer with what he learned. "They're hunger driven after hatching. I noticed they usually flew at the hands carrying the most meat in their sights. I heard that dragons are not the same. They choose a person and worry about their empty bellies afterward."

Suede wasn't ashamed to be described as 'hunger driven' after hatching. He was. And His had a decent handful of meat-scraps to placate him. Nothing wrong with that, in his eyes.

Lyam laughed again at hearing J'sra. "That's actually not all that bad compared to a few others I thought about. But sometimes people manage. I thought, for the longest time, that Jaxom was female when I skimmed over the weyr history, but when I got a bit confused as to who the 'he' they were referring to was, I finally put the pieces together. Now could you imagine? J'xom. J'om." He seemed to stress the names as they came out, which made them sound all the more awkward and amusing. "And if you have a longer name, there's no telling what you'll end up with. My uncle was once Dhrioran, but after impression it was shortened to D'oran."

[hatori3070]

Man, why was this guy so charming! It was so easy to talk to him, easier than most other guys she'd met. Jasra was finding it incredibly hard not to outright flirt with him. It was terribly tempting. True, he wasn't the best looking guy around, but it wasn't just looks that attracted a person. It was personality more than anything else that determined how compatible two people would be. Still, there was something holding her back. Perhaps it was his lack of real friends. She hadn't been able to find one person that truly considered themselves his friend, and that bothered her. He'd been here long enough to have at least one friend, and the lack of that said something was off about him. Her feelings were getting in the way of her ability to think objectively here, so she banished the idea from her mind. They had just met, and she refused to allow any soft thoughts about him at this point.

"I might just have to take you up on that." Geez, what was wrong with her! That was flirting! She mentally berated herself, trying to get her brain to remember the rationalization just before her last sentence. Outwardly, she was careful to appear normal. If things did have a chance to go somewhere, she didn't want to mess things up by looking like a complete spaz. "What do dragons look for, then? It can't be random, can it?"

Good, a completely intellectual question with no hint of flirting in the least. She wasn't going to let her emotions run away with her. Lyam didn't seem like the type to respond to overt flirting anyway. Subtlety would be far better. If she even planned on pursuing him in the first place, which she wasn't sure she even wanted to do at this. She laughed chuckled appreciatively at the possibilities for Jaxom, had he shortened his name. "With him, it might've had more to do with the fact that he was the heir to a Hold than that it would be awkward to change his name. They hadn't had to deal with that kind of thing before, after all." The thought was an intriguing one. Maybe histories weren't quite as boring as she'd thought. She had always acknowledged their usefulness, but now she had another way of looking at them. Information for information's sake wasn't an alien concept, but she'd never really thought it an interesting pursuit. "Oh, you have family that're 'Riders? Then you probably know more about this than I do. As far as I know, no one in my family are 'Riders. But then, I don't know anyone other than my father." She turned the statement into something funny by laughing at herself. Some people reacted to her being raised by a single father in a strange way, and she didn't want Lyam to be one of those people. She really didn't.

[purnip]

His charm was working well, Lyam could sense. It was somewhat tragic to him because he spent most of the conversation giving answers he would have given if he could not type-cast Jasra. That meant that he was speaking mainly from his own personal thoughts, from what he observed of himself. A dangerous route though it was simpler; to reveal as much about oneself as the other is careless. But Lyam didn't want to lie when the truth was working out so great. He didn't want to be someone he wasn't and consequently fail. If this was working, being himself, then he'd have to settle for some exposure. This wasn't Tylar or Engrye he was dealing with. Though he had made many acquaintances, those two stuck around in his mind as the first names he could pull from memory in his mental census. Tylar would take any information from Lyam he was quick enough to catch and record it just as carefully as himself. Not nearly with enough tact as Lyam possessed, but he could be dangerous enough with the information should he have the proper motivation. The other wasn't a complete hothead. As for Engrye, he had to be absolutely careful as well. She was the type that he might be able to get along with being himself for a change, but if he slipped up, he sensed a strength in her that could put him down in the future. He wasn't going to make the same mistake Tylar made in making Engrye an enemy.

Though he felt nothing of it, Lyam knew how to respond to Jasra's subtle flirting; simply leave it unnoticed. If he pressed her on it or increased his charm, he could accidentally drive her away. This was working out too well however for him to make such a mistake. This time he needed to choose words rather than let them come on out.

She asked an academic question indeed. One that could be answered with a measured amount of his outgoing nature. "I can only repeat what I've heard. Sometimes, dragons impress people with the same agendas, other times they impress people whom they can help simply by being a voice of reason. I even hear of pairings of opposites." He crossed his arms and leaned on the wall, for they were still in the hall that lead to the bowl itself. "It's a little disturbing though. Like someone or something out there knows exactly who we need and just passes them on to us when the time is right." He was off on a tangent and caught himself with inner disgust. He knew this was dangerous. His musings were getting out of his head where they belong. Focus! She asked not of what you think beyond the logical point! "But that's what I hear. I haven't seen a lot of actual proof but that's what the riders say."

He must have been frowning, because when he was about to make himself smile despite the slight inner turmoil, his muscles on his face contracted. He kept the smile there and gave a chuckle, faking to have thought of something clever and now he had to make up something on the spot to back it up. "Personally, my uncle and his Amadarith are nothing alike." And that was pretty much a lie. Still, they weren't peas in a pod. He had no idea what relationship his uncle and his dragon shared. He assumed it was simply a mutual bond, but there's not enough humor in that to support a chuckle like his. That wore off and he was able to maintain a contented expression as he listened to her continue.

That was true. Lyam must have read too quickly over that part to catch on to it. "I forgot about that," he admit, raising his brows. He didn't want to admit to not having interest into most of the reading because he didn't want her to think of him less. He had to make the best of himself here.

She started showing interest in his uncle and kept on as Lyam listened intently. There was hardly ever such a thing as a boring conversation, unless one intentionally made it so. And she seemed to be anxious about revealing her lack of a whole family. Lyam tilted his head slightly. He didn't see the matter in that. "My uncle didn't tell me all that much. I learned more about weyr life in one day here." He chuckled, and this time it was not nearly as hard for him to do so. Just at the thought of how highly he thought of D'oran though he never really spoke to him all that much. Simply because they were alike and his uncle rode a dragon. "I looked up to him as a kid but he didn't spend a lot of time around. He's been a Bluerider for as long as I've been alive."

That would be dangerous information to reveal around someone like Tylar, who would find yet another reason to attempt to butt heads if he thought Lyam was weaker due to past family impressions to something other than a King or Sub-King. Elitists were truly daunting. He didn't think that revealing this to Jasra would bite him later. She didn't strike him as the type to gossip. Most girls do, and frequently, but he didn't expect it from her.

[hatori3070]

Lyam appeared to notice the subtle flirt, but said nothing about it. On the one hand, it was a relief. Jasra had no idea what she would've done had he flirted back. On the other, she was slightly disappointed. He could just have wanted to be nice and not pressure her, but her mind instantly jumped to the worst conclusion: that he didn't like her in that way. Oh, he seemed to enjoy talking to her, and friendship may have been in the near future. Unfortunately, Jasra knew now that a part of her, and not a very small part, wanted more than that. Or at least to see if it could happen.

His next thought was interesting, in a slightly scary way, and got her mind off of such silly things. A higher power of some kind? "I definitely don't want someone else mucking about in my life like that. What if they get it wrong? It's a much more comforting thought that the dragonets have a kind of instinct. Similar to how the firelizards look for food, it could be that they can feel things from the candidates. They do have a psychological link with their 'Riders, and it would make some sense that they choose the person that they like the feel of. That matches with themselves the best, or harmonizes in some cases." Jasra had to keep herself from rambling. The urge to think out loud was causing her to go on and on, and she really didn't want to bore Lyam with her ideas. It was best to think something through before mentioning it to someone else, unless of course you're collaborating. Now she was rambling to herself. She gave a mental shake to bring her back to the conversation.

"Are any other members of your family 'Riders?" This could be promising. She'd heard somewhere that 'Riders tended to come more often in families than not. What if someone in her own family had been a 'Rider, and she'd simply never heard of them? It might be interesting to go looking through the Weyr history to see if she could find a connection to her father. Her mother was a mystery, so the connection might be from that side, in which case she would never find it. Unless she finally managed to get her name from him, which she highly doubted. It was still a raw wound for him, so she had carefully skirted that subject for most of her life. Who knew? She might be able to get him to tell her as a kind of gift for Impressing. He would definitely be there, beaming at her from the stands. It was a feasible concept. Only time would tell.

[purnip]

{I love breaking the forth wall with 'higher power' conversation in DRoP. xD}

Lyam didn't think she was rambling. He had believed that any talk was interesting; some topics were simply more interesting than others. In this case however, the topics were of decent interest. It disturbed him too to think there was a higher power in the works because of his tendency to control the world around him and bend it to his will. He wondered what kind of person he might just degrade into when standing upon the Sands on the day of the Hatching. It was easy for him to tell himself now to keep his own wits about him, but when he got there faced with the possibility of walking away unbonded, would his cool be kept?

He was certainly having no trouble with it right now. Jasra allowed him to speak with more freedom than he had exercised with others, so his answers held a stronger tinge of wholehearted belief behind them. To be completely honest, he hoped to make the girl a friend instead of an acquaintance. Nothing more, of course. That could lead to difficulties in the future. She was impressive in appearance and that didn't help him to keep neutral, but his own practice of control made it possible for him to curb his attraction. His answer came slowly as he put a bit of on-the-spot thought into it. Normally he thought his answers through before he gave them, but he felt some humanity was required. He didn't want to sound too automatic. It would give the appearance of him not caring. He did care. He cared to make Jasra a positive contact. "I hope there's no higher power involved," he admitted with a shrug. "But the alternative sounds nearly as risky. Dragons choosing candidates by instinct. I get the feeling that dragons could be wiser than humans, but clearly no one is exempt from being able to make mistakes." He would have sounded contemptuous if he let the feeling slide, but his expression reflected a willingness to debate it that his tone suggested, as if the matter was merely something light to discuss. But he was contemptuous. It was foolish, but he didn't like that dragonets had all the say. It would lead to his most vunerable moment yet. Indeed it was selfish, but Lyam had known little but of a life he could control through the people he coaxed and his own tongue and charm. He might as well be told to stand on the Sands naked on the very day.

Back to more average questions though. She shook his head. "Not that I know of. I have a small family. My father and my uncle were close, but I don't have any siblings, my mother doesn't have any, and I don't know anything beyond my mother and father. They didn't talk about family much." He was fine with letting that out. Lyam had few secrets about his past that he'd keep to himself. In his pocket, he felt for his coin, but noticed that once again it wasn't there. His brow furrowed a bit and he dug his hand a little deeper into both pockets in case he missed it, but to no avail. There weren't any holes in these pants either. The furrowed brow disappeared as he answered for the moment somewhat wearily. "I thought I lost something. I just remembered I must have left it in my room," he explained. He hoped she wouldn't call him on that. He didn't leave it there at all. He always carried that coin with him and the last time he lost it, it was around the lake. A Candidate there helped him to find it. He would search for it after the conversation was over.

{That's just setting up for later when he bumps into Rhysia. xD}

[hatori3070]

He did make a point. The expectation that some weyrlings may be lost when learning to between was proof enough of a dragon's ability to make mistakes, even though that was as much the responsibility of the weyrling as the dragon. "You have to admit, though, that dragons have abilities that we don't understand. I would much rather it be up to them than some unfeeling force pushing us around like pieces on a game board. At least they have a better chance of really knowing, since they have some type of psychic abilities." Jasra was thoroughly enjoying the debate, and was glad that no opportunity to flirt had presented itself again. She doubted that she could trust her traitor mouth to ignore the chance to betray her should it come up.

Her metal dragon was pretty much forgotten in her hands, tools still tucked into her belt where she'd put them before leaving her room. All she'd been looking for was an interesting place to work, but had instead found someone this interesting and attractive to talk. Part of her couldn't wait to tell Dekistee about him, but another stronger part of her knew that it would be easy to slip into gossip talking to another girl. She would want to know everything about him, and it wouldn't be right. It would be betraying his trust to tell her more than what could be seen or learned in a few minutes conversation. Jasra would tell her what he looked like, and that he was attractive in that he wasn't a dunce. He had a sense of humor that wasn't vulgar, and he could carry an intelligent conversation. That would be it. Oh, and of course she would tell her about Suede. He was far too adorable to leave out.

"Oh. I was just considering that heredity could have something to do with it in some cases. For example, someone with a 'Rider as a relative may have more opportunity of being Searched than someone who doesn't. Thus, they would have a better chance to Impress. Except in some cases, where it is completely unique within the family to be Searched." Well, possible dead-end there. She would have to perform further research to know for sure. The unique cases would also have to be researched. Perhaps there was some specific quality that a dragon looked for more so than another. A certain malleability maybe, to be able to adjust to Weyr life. Or resilience, in order to stand firm when faced with threat of Thread. Whatever it was, Jasra wanted to know. If there was none, than she wanted to figure out what did cause dragonets to choose who they did. It would be an interesting project.

[purnip]

Lyam couldn't quite choose which he'd be more comfortable with. Both sides presented to him a loss of control on his part. It'd be easier to think that there was no higher power though. A higher power would suggest that in his life he had limited say, and that fate would determine his future on a constant basis, not just at Impression. He felt a tinge of desire to visit the newly laid clutch on the Sands, but the idea he knew, was absolutely foolish. Not only could he end up getting expelled from the weyr but Kalith {whom he had heard had quite the protective instinct} could tear him in half in a second. He was worried, but he wasn't that desperate yet. He remembered reading very briefly on something that entailed a Candidate introduction to the eggs upon the sands. There was a sentence or so that pointed out that not every clutchmother would be receptive to allowing Candidates anywhere near the clutch before Hatching. He wanted to keep up the debate as he too was contented with finding someone to debate with. He only knew a handful of people he could share this pleasure with but their attitudes made evoking debates a bit of a challenge. He'd get to it eventually. Lyam loved a good challenge. "I would hope that's the case. I do believe in a dragon's latent psychic abilities, so there's no doubt that they must make the choice." He folded his arms. "But there are methods to make the choice more obvious to them...but I don't think the Weyrwoman will follow through." Jasra was bright enough to catch on to what he meant.

Nice and bright; Jasra was certainly a jewel amongst the lot of Candidates he met. He wished the best for her, plenty of luck, and that she impresses whatever suits her fancy. Lyam hadn't a decent conversation like this since his ride over here from Fort Hold, and even that was cut short by the dragon's ability to simply pop in and out of between with ease. He wouldn't be likely to bring her up around anyone unless it was for good recommendation. Like most boys, Lyam didn't gossip. Because most of his friends were not that close, he didn't feel as if there were any people in his life he'd ever confide in. If others were just as fickle as himself, and he was the only example he trusted to go by, then he couldn't trust anyone. People like Jasra made it a little harder for him to remember that. But no, no one would hear about their debate or about him meeting her, unless they asked, and if so he'd be blunt about it. Lyam cared to respect whatever privacy Jasra holds dear. Everyone was granted that sort of respect. He didn't stalk people, but he waited for them to come to him. It was only natural that it would lead to something like this.

Suede was still captivated by the robotic creature. He tried not to stare at it, but his eyes kept returning. It was uncanny! He was impatient upon Lyam's shoulder, like a kid who was being restrained from playing with others. Still, he calmed when His stroked him lightly.

"I don't think heredity has much to do about it," he said, reaching into his pocket to grab a piece of dried meat. "There's a better chance for the children of riders to be searched because their parents are already strong characters and have raised that child in an enriching environment. Others simply develop strong character on their own. But I'm sure that Searchdragons choose the people whose characteristics are desired most for a particular time. Such as when there's a Queen egg on the Sands, Searchdragons may focus a little more on finding a female candidate with the right qualities to lead." But for a time like now, when there was already a substantial amount of Queens and Sub-Queens, he didn't see what would be the subject among this batch. What were Searchers scoping for with this motley crew?

[hatori3070]

Jasra definitely preferred the thought of it being up to the dragonets. She honestly believed that they would know best, but she hadn't considered what touching the eggs did for the chances of Impression. Jasra thought she remembered something about Jaxom having touched the egg of Ruth. "That's right. Touching the eggs not only gives candidates a better chance to Impress, but there's also less chance of a dragonet going unImpressed. It isn't entirely up to the Weyrwoman, though. If the Queen doesn't want anyone touching her eggs, then I don't think there's much that can be done about it. Kalith is a Copper, and they have a reputation for having a temper." She had to admit, she loved the idea of being able to touch the eggs, but the Copper Queen wasn't likely to allow it. Her color was normally temperamental, but when eggs were added to the equation it could be extremely difficult to judge her reactions.

Her eyes were drawn back to the Blue flitt on Lyam's shoulder. He still seemed very interested in her metal creation, and she smiled as Lyam calmed him with a stroke. It was easy to imagine a bouncing little kid waiting to be given permission to play. "Suede can take a closer look if he wants to. I really don't mind." There was already enough damage done that he couldn't really do much else to it. Even if he scratched the surface with those claws of his, it could be buffed out or filled in when she added color later.

The heredity idea seemed to be hitting a brick wall. "What would they be looking for in a case like this though, with no Queen egg? And the possible colors aren't even assured right now with all these new ones popping up. Do they just look for whoever has a chance to Impress with this many eggs hardening so they have the best chance of them all Impressing? Or is it something else?" Jasra felt like she was beginning to pelt him with questions that he couldn't know the answer to. "I'm sorry if I'm seeming a bit demanding, I'm just thinking out loud." It was easy to talk to Lyam, which meant it was easy to fall into a ramble. That was something she did not want to happen now that they were really engaged in a good conversation. Plus, she didn't want him to think badly of her now after making a good first impression.

[purnip]

Suede flew off of Lyam's shoulder and landed nimbly on Jasra's arm, folding his wings and peering at the mechanical with a tinge of orange in his color-changing eyes. He was still unsure about his feelings towards the thing. His found it amusing. The Blue was just as intrigued as a young child would be when given a doll. It held a likeness to the living but did not possess life. Lyam was curious as to how that would settle with him.

But the sensation of curiosity was not the most prevalent. Anxiety had slowly snaked up his spine since the conversation of Impression continued. A fate he could not influence, or perhaps could, yet it could make no or all the difference. Records only told you so much, and riders only told him so little. As if Impression were a test and giving any answers would put one at an unfair advantage. He'd take what he could get. If cheating was necessary, then Lyam would cheat. Running out on to the Sands to touch an egg with Kalith out there was simply suicide. He had limits. He couldn't Impress if he was horribly maimed or killed. The anxiety didn't show yet, and it wouldn't for a while. With the day drawing nearer, he would soon lose more sleep. He would soon lose his cool, maybe even his temper. Confidence would escape him as the thought of being left dragonless would leave him half mad.

That was the future that he saw in store. Lyam had to avoid it at all costs, but some of it would still end up inevitable. The best he could do was learn every trick and every trade secret that would make Impression all the more possible. Jasra had confirmed his thoughts. A Copper would be least likely to allow Candidates on her Sands before Hatching, aside from a Red. "They haven't sent for us on the matter. I heard that there will be a class for us in a few days that will explain the Impression process to us. Maybe then we'll learn something useful." His eyes were gazing off at the bowl, narrowed and somewhat sad. He doubted that it would make a difference. All the other Candidates would be learning the methods involved as well, and so he wouldn't be at any advantage. "But I was hoping if I asked a few riders I'd get some other ideas. Dragonets must be attracted to something..." He was unveiling more of his desperation than he had planned to or cared to. His lips tightened for a moment and he stopped leaning against the wall. "So far there are more than twenty of us. Still, we may not Impress. If Ours is not out there."

"Is that still possible?" He leaned in a bit and his very mild display of disturbance was swept away. A perfect excuse to slip into a mood more favorable. "More colors when there are so many now. I understand a mutation here and a mutation there, but it seems to have all turned into a myriad of them in such a short time. I believe it's possible our lot is experimental. They've gathered all sorts of people, and I can attest to that, to see what the new colors prefer in terms of personality." It made more sense than random happenstance. He had this sort of 'eureka' expression, though the revelation came to him rather slowly. It faded a bit when she had made her last comment.

"Not demanding at all," he said, meaning it. Honestly, he didn't know the meaning of the word. When people 'demanded' he interpreted it more as a glimpse of personal interest. It was a good thing for one such as himself. Most useful when determining how a person was like. And there was no doubt in Lyam's mind that she was intelligent now, and certainly insightful. Speaking to her was a pleasure. He couldn't help but let a silly grin escape as he continued. "I was just hoping I wasn't boring you with the conversation."

[hatori3070]

Jasra smiled at the little Blue as he landed on her. He seemed a bit hesitant to approach the model in her hand, like a child unsure of a new toy. It was adorable and strangely endearing. She was now more sure than ever that she would obtain a firelizard. It shouldn't be terribly difficult in a weyr, she'd already seen quite a few whizzing about. With all those flitts there should be at least a few clutches soon.

When Lyam mentioned the class, she couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. She wondered what would be covered. What the different colors were typically attracted to? How to properly care for a dragon if you Impressed? At that 'if' Lyam echoed her next thoughts. She could be left Standing. "Well, if that's the case, then we'll just have to wait for Ours to be out there." Jasra gave an inward sigh of relief as she managed to seem more confident than she felt. Any color would satisfy her, as long as she wasn't left Standing. A knot of anxiety proceeded to get comfortable in her gut, and she had a feeling it wouldn't quite go all the way away until after the hatching. Unless she didn't Impress. With a mental shake, she forced her mind away from such gloomy thoughts.

His next comment was a good distraction. "There certainly are a lot of different people here. My roommate is daughter of a Lord Holder, and I wouldn't even be worth notice to someone like her if I was back at home. It's strange how we're getting along so well." Weyr life would certainly be better than home, Jasra was sure. Who knew, if she Impressed to a higher-up color than Dekistee, the tables could be turned completely.

She flashed him a returning smile of her own. "Not at all. It's been a bit hard to find an intellectual conversation around here. Not that there's anything wrong with a casual one, just that it's nice for some stimulation every now and then." There she went rambling again, only now she knew that it probably wouldn't matter. Lyam didn't seem like the kind of person who would mind a little more information than he bargained for.

[purnip]

He felt just about the same when it came to the probability of Standing. Even though there was little reason for it, Lyam would feel deep shame to be left behind when everyone else had successfully Impressed. It would feel like a loss, and a great one at that. Not only would it set him back, but it would wave in his face just how unforgiving chance could be. It worried him so much that it left him shaking when no one was looking, but before another pair of eyes he hid it like a most talented actor. He stood with so much confidence that it was hard to tell if he carried even a semblance of worry. Like he was just so sure of himself. He wished to believe the facade himself and carry a legitimate grin. His cheeks were starting to hurt a little under the strain of false ones. It was hard to bear one when he felt so anxious.

Not to say he found Jasra boring. As stated before, she was interesting to talk to. At this point however, no matter how interesting the person he found was, he felt the stress of seeing them again by a dragon's side while his side was quite empty. He stopped trying to hold a grin; something told him that eventually someone with Jasra's intellect would decipher it as false. The initial was true to his feelings but he didn't bother to keep it longer than necessary. "That's easy to say," he admit. His eyes deferred to the right a bit as he paused to think more on the subject; perhaps he shouldn't be so pessimistic. It was equally possible that he was being excessively nervous for nothing. "But who'd want it any other way? I'd rather Impress the right dragon than be settled for, if that's even possible."

What did fate have in store for him? That was his ultimate question. He wondered if somewhere deep in Kalith's subconscious she somehow chose for the little ones. It simply didn't make a lot of sense to him. Some Candidates, he heard, were Impressed practically the day before Hatching only to see the eggs for the first time on the very day the dragons started to hum. Maybe it was a joint effort; the little ones calling out to Searchdragons for beyond between or something of that sort and begging specific names. Or maybe the dragonets just searched out from what they were given. But would it be so much easier with an answer to it all? Not really. Every scenario involved forces beyond his control. No silver tongue could reach something of that magnitude.

"You've got a roommate?" He rose his brow at this, wondering why he didn't. He'd been wondering about it for some time now. "We must have turned out an odd number among the boys. I've got my own room here, though small. Bigger than my room back at home though. Can't see what you mean though. You wouldn't be worth a notice?" Perhaps he had been flattering her, but that wasn't the case. He didn't make friends with the Lord Holder's children back at Fort, since he made friends with no one and simply rallied all the children up, but the Lord Holder's son was always fascinated by the posse that followed Lyam about. He joined them once in a while when he felt he had the chance to be bossy, and Lyam would simply allow him to be. He had no reason to be antagonizing anyone, especially the Lord Holder's son. He had higher aspirations. "Anyone's worth a notice if they wish to be noticed," he said, much like a personal mantra.

It was decent, he'd admit, talking to Jasra. He believed her and he didn't even catch a lie. She was being rather sincere and he appreciated that. Most would admit to him becoming annoying. He had to leave the window open for escape if she was starting to get bothered by his own instinct to chatter. "That's a relief, to hear you say that. Keep in mind, you can break the conversation whenever you like; I can end up talking for ages, I think."

Suede chirped at the sculpture a couple of times before losing interest in it. He was actually finding himself comfortable on Jasra's shoulder. He enjoyed the company of strangers, if only to befriend them. It was one of his favorite pastimes.