What's This? {Aika & Purnip}

[theknightwhosaysni]

The green appeared from between over Dalibor Weyr, and the man on her back rapidly explained to Frino what he was to do.

"You'll have to take your stuff down to the Candidate's Barrack, then report to the Candidate Master and that kind of thing." the details were misting over in the older greenrider's mind. It had been far too long since the man had transferred from Ista to Telgar Weyr as a young Candidate.

Frino nodded his head lazily, "Thank you, Y'gran." he said to the greenrider as the green settled on the ground with a thump, leaving the Candidate to slip down from the green's back, waving goodbye to Y'gran with his one free hand. His other hand was claimed by a rather large suitcase, which was stuffed to the brim with old drawings and half-finished woodcarvings, and that kind of thing. All useless pieces of junk, but he was rather attached to the clutter on his floor that he had to wind his way around. That, and there was some clothes lurking around in the bottom of the suitcase.

The green took off with a few powerful beats of her wings, leaving Frino alone on the ground with an unforeseen issue. He didn't know where the Candidate's Barracks were. "Shard it..." Frino growled to himself, glaring at the ground, resolving to ask the next person he saw where the Candidate's Barracks were. He didn't like lowering himself to converse with them, but that wasn't an issue.

He'd hate sitting around with that stupid, heavy suitcase as night fell. That was a worse fate than asking someone he didn't know where the Barracks were.

Frino sighed, dropping the suitcase on the ground with a thump. It would be useless to hold onto the stupid thing anymore. It wasn't going to help him, and it was sure as Faranth going to hurt him. Already, his nearly non-existent muscles were feeling the strain.

Frino sighed, wriggling his toes inside his shoes. This part of the Weyr didn't seem to be all that active this late in the evening. The sun was already starting to crawl behind the horizon, leaving Frino in the growing darkness.

At least it wasn't storming or anything, though. He'd heard they had some nasty storms up here. Or maybe those were just stupid rumors? Ugh. He didn't feel like standing here until the heardbeasts came in.

Someone needed to hurry up and find him so that he could get into the Candidate's Barracks already.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt gazed into the setting sun, watching as the clouds overhead faded into a soft pinkish color. Heaving a contented sigh, he got up from under a tree and began his nightly stroll. Sure, it wasn’t exactly night-time, but the crimson-haired boy loved to watch as the animals scurried to their beds, or began their darkness-filled days. Rubbing his face a bit with his palm, he watched as a green flickered back from between, probably coming from a long voyage. It took some time for him to realize that Greens Searched for Candidates as well as Blues, and there may be a newcomer on her back. Grinning broadly, he dashed off in the direction of the landing dragon. He finally slowed to a stop as the large creature took off once again, to leave a lithe boy, with blond hair and the largest amount of freckles one could ever imagine. However, what caught Rethalt’s attention the most was his eyes: they were an iridescent jade eyes. He began to feel his cheeks redden, but shook his head to cool himself off. He didn’t even know the person, for Faranth’s sake! ”Hello, and welcome to Dalibor,” he managed to stammer out, and shook his head again to clear his mind. Shells! Could you have said anything stupider?!? he cursed, hoping his face wouldn’t turn as red as a fire.

[purnip]

Wrynri actually thought he was alone out here. Really. Well, it was likely the food distracted him.

He had been walking about with a bowl in his hands that was filled to the brim with tiny dumplings that he had just finished cooking in the kitchens. One of the drudges left a list of ingredients for the wherry pies behind and the kid simply picked it up and changed some ingredients around. He learned how to make dumplings back at home when he helped his mother make snacks for his brothers. It was a lot more acceptable for him to help her at the time, since he was once the daughter of a busy family. Now it was a secret hobby that he loved and hated at the same time. Fortunately, the drudges were busy cleaning up and they were content enough to let Wrynri use the ovens as long as he cleaned up after himself. With stealth and delight he crafted the dumplings, baked them, and waited for them to cool. No, he couldn't even do that. Once they were done, he put them into a bowl, cleaned up the rest of the kitchenware, and decided to take a stroll with his edible gold.

And so here he was, strolling about in the daylight popping a fresh dumpling into his mouth. This would be his most docile composure. Nothing like good food brought peace to Wrynri these days. He did not notice Rethalt sitting under a tree, so as far as he was concerned, he was out here alone. Either way, he didn't mind.

As a Green descended a distance away from him, Wrynri cast the dragon a glance as he watched yet another Candidate get dropped off. The third one this sevenday, he thought to himself, nibbling on the edge of a dumpling. He watched as the Candidate was left behind and the Green took to the skies again. That was about when the boy he had failed to notice made himself known to the stranger by welcoming him.

Wrynri didn't walk away or try to disappear, but at the same time he didn't approach. He watched the two from his spot, standing still and enjoying the food. His icy blue eyes betrayed his subdued attitude today. He was in a good mood for a change, though his wariness was never all that gone. No judgments were being cast at the moment. Wrynri was content with being a spectator.

[theknightwhosaysni]

He should've noticed the approach of the other boy, but Frino wasn't really in a noticing mood. He really felt like hunting down someone and demanding that they tell them where the Candidate Barracks were, but he wasn't going to go broadcast his forgetfulness for everyone in the Weyr to hear.

It took the other boy's voice to jolt Frino from his reverie, and he looked the other boy up and down with a small smile. If he wasn't mistaken, that was a blush he spotted in the fading light. Frino liked having an affect on people, male or female.

"Thank you for the welcome." Frino said formally, nodding his head lazily, a hint of a smile lurking in his voice. This was going to be fun, he realized with a grin spreading across his face. Back at Telgar, he'd been old news, but here he was new and special and that kind of thing. "I'm Frino. You?"

He glanced over the other boy, who'd been lurking some distance away, popping dumplings in his mouth and considered what to do with him. It would be a bad idea to start excluding someone so soon, not even a candlemark after his arrival. Frino should go invite him over, but he was perfectly happy right there.

A wave would have to do. No sooner thought that done, Frino waved in Wrynri's general direction, putting a welcoming smile on his face, just in case the other boy could see his facial expression from this far away. You could never be too careful, after all.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt broadened into a toothy smile, hoping against hope that the newcomer didn’t dwell on what he probably saw. ”I’m Rethalt, currently a proud Wher Candidate,” he stated, extending an arm to shake hands. ”I’m guessing you want to know where you’ll be spending your days here?” he guessed, wanting to be sure that he wasn’t going to mess up. He watched as Frino waved to an unknown person, he whipped his head around to see another boy, but he was…. different. Shrugging, he used his other hand to beckon the other boy over, trying to start conversation. ”I haven’t seen you around often, and I feel that we should at least introduce each other,” he explained to nobody in particular. In fact, he had no idea if anybody was paying him any heed at all.

Turning his attention back to Frino, he rubbed the back of his head. ”If you want, I could show you to the Candidate’s Barracks… You seem a bit lost…” he muttered. He bowed his head, making sure that he mentally slapped himself. Of all the things to say, he had to say something that would seem feminine! Looking up, he gave an apologetic smile. ”Please forgive me. Unlike my sister, I’m not the most charismatic of the family,” Rethalt joked. He straightened up, and pointed in the general direction, finally having his emotions in check. Not even his twin could read his face now.

[purnip]

Raising a brow, Wrynri didn't take all that long to mentally debate whether or not he should ignore the summons. He was in good spirits and in all honesty, he was getting pretty lonely lately. He knew that would change once he Impressed, if a Wher wasn't in its right mind to do so. Because he personally felt like his chances were dim, it was best to try and be friendly for once. It wasn't going to be easy though; both Candidates were boys. Had they been girls, his reluctance to approach would have been completely extinguished. Yet he found his feet obeying the subconscious as he brought himself to them. The summons worked, much to his own surprise. These must have been really good dumplings.

Once he was before the new arrival, he exercised the manners he learned from being a girl for a good part of his life and finished chewing before he uttered a "Sup?" His tone of voice was actually a lot more curious than it ever has been, but mostly it was the treats talking. As Rethalt noticed him and made his statement, Wrynri spied that look in his eyes and that subtle shrug of his. Did he notice something? Was something out of place? The kid suddenly picked up a little of his defense, but he did not say a word. What are you looking at? came to mind, but he was doing so well...

Besides, what the hell'd the other kid know? He was a boy now, as far as they were concerned, no matter how odd he looked. Maybe it wasn't obvious. It could have been the bowl come to think of it, but Wrynri knew better. Though he didn't utter that retort, his icy stare was upon Rethalt, cold once again as usual, as he gave a more appropriate answer. "Name's Wrynri. I don't get out much." He didn't mind admitting to it. He spent some time outside, but the sun beamed harshly on his delicate skin and he didn't always approve of outdoor activity. At most he was fine with a semi-domestic life. He craved adventure once in a great while, but 'adventures' that composed of venturing to town or taking a stroll outside the weyr.

He listened as the one who shot him the suspicious look went on. So far he wasn't liking the guy, but it was no surprise. Wrynri picked up a dumpling and nibbled upon it as he listened intently and watched every move. Like prey to a predator, he did not trust Rethalt. The other boy well...he didn't know all that much about him yet. He was simply waved at by their new inmate. When Rethalt added the bit about not being the most charismatic of the family, Wrynri's sarcastic impulse took over but he did manage to make it sound more like a joke when it came out. "Could have fooled me."

[theknightwhosaysni]

Frino grinned in return to Rethalt's toothy smile. He was having fun already out here, coming out to Dalibor had clearly been one of his better choices in life. "I'm a wher candidate as well." He paused for a moment, before nodding his head, "Yeah. I didn't think to ask Y'gran where teh Candidate's Barracks, and he didn't bother to tell me, so now I'm kinda lost." Frino shrugged, "It can't be too hard to figure out my way around here, though. I'd be grateful for some help, though..."

Frino smiled, "Yeah, that would be really nice of you." he nodded his head cheerfully, "I don't like being lost. It's kinda annoying." He frowned, before it faded into another smile.

When Wrynri approached, Frino nodded his head in greeting, "Nothing much. Just being lost, but Rethalt here seems ready to fix that. You?"

Now that Wrynri had introduced himself, he was going to have to introduce himself again. "I'm Frino, a new wher candidate around here." There. He'd introduced himself.

Frino hadn't chosen to respond to Rethalt's words, but when Wrynri replied, he nodded his head lazily. "You could've fooled me as well." he wasn't joking, though. He was being 'honest'. Really, he was getting into the good graces of Rethalt. His first 'friend'.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt looked appalled by what Wrynri had said. Well, not by what he said, but how he said it. Sure, it sounded like a joke to the average weyrfolk, but to somebody that has to deal with the fluctuating emotions of a female twin, he could easily detect the slight hint of sarcasm in his remark. Trying to keep his rage pent up was becoming a difficult task. Wrynri didn’t seem like the kind of person somebody would automatically trust; more of, they would have to fight to gain the trust of him.

Grinding his teeth together, he let his face go blank again. ”Well, Wrynri, I’m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, but I’d be delighted if you would accompany us to the Barracks,” he tried, trying so hard not to gag at his own words. Rubbing his face again, he became more alert as the fading lights of the sun turned to darkness. Grinning once again, he set off at a steady pace, motioning for the two to follow.

Under his happy features, Rehtalt was seething with rage. How dare he treat me like that! I just don’t see him often! Is that such a crime now?!? his subconscious voice screamed. Giving a curt nod of acknowledgment, he tried not to make eye contact with who was quickly becoming his first true enemy.

[purnip]

"A Wher Candidate, huh?" Wrynri gave Frino a curious look before staring at his bowl of dumplings. "We might outnumber the Dragon Candidates soon enough." His tone was neither here nor there this time. He picked out another dumpling since he had finished off that last one he had been nibbling and took a straight up bite out of it. The food seemed to work like a drug. Whenever Wrynri felt himself getting defensive he'd take another bite and find himself thinking about how good those dumplings came out this time around.

Upon hearing Frino's introduction, Wrynri gave a small nod before adding a "Welcome to Dalibor, Frino," in response. Yeah, he must have been in a rather exceptional mood to behave like this. He wouldn't have even given his name if he was in his usual state of mind. Still, Rethalt was unnerving him. Since that first impression, Wrynri had this irksome feeling that the boy could see through him and it was a feeling he was growing to detest. He didn't seem to show it though--the food made for a great distraction. He gave a smirk when Frino agreed with him. At this point, Wrynri felt a lot less threatened by Frino than Rethalt.

Things seemed to take a turn for the worst after Rethalt's final comment. Wrynri only spared the boy a glance, but it wasn't the friendliest. It was cautious and accusatory. How the hell would he know what foot he ended up on? He was right, that was for sure. The boy might as well start dancing on Wrynri's feet like an imp.

But the hostility died down. Frino was a nice guy and he didn't want to lose his good spirits to some boy. Such a female thought...Wrynri found himself upset. Why'd this fellow have to ruin his mood?

Somehow, he found himself forcing a smirk. It might have been a snarl, but a part of him truly wished this meeting would go well. His moodiness has lost him friends on so many occasions, he was losing count.

"Enchanted," he said, looking Rethalt in the eye. It was difficult to look a boy in the eye still, but Wrynri simply had to get used to it, especially if this kid was suspicious of him. He even decided to add salt to the wound and hold up his bowl. "Pardon; I could be so rude. Would either of you like one? A kind lady in the kitchens happened to give them to me."

[theknightwhosaysni]

If Frino had been more attention grabbing, he would've thrown a fit right then, but since he really wasn't, he just let it go. He could get that attention back later, and besides, Rethalt didn't seem that bad. They might be friends, and it would be a waste of his time to get annoyed with a potential friend.

Rethalt's next words made Frino jump slightly, but he wasn't all that adverse to the turn of events. Wrynri didn't seem all that bad, either, and he'd be perfectly happy making two friends rather than one that could come in handy later. "It's not a problem with me." Frino grinned lazily, running his fingers through his hair, "Two heads are better than one, after all."

Frino grinned, "We just might, and you never know, it could be part of a plot for whers to dominate Pern." he chuckled to himself at the not very funny joke, before moving on to whatever it was that would happen next.

"Thank you, Wrynri." he spoke formally, but there was a grin that was steadily growing wider on his face. This was going to be fun, wasn't it? Silently, he thanked Y'gran for taking him to Dalibor.

"Hmm..." Frino examined the bowl for a second or two as Wrynri lifted it up, before plucking a dumpling from it, "Thanks!" he said, his voice slightly muffled by the dumpling.

After a few moments of hurried chewing and swallowing and a few vigorous coughs, Frino had cleared his mouth enough to say "I mean, thank you." and it was more understandable. Frino grinned sheepishly towards Wrynri, "That was pretty good."

[aikastarr]

Rethalt was forced to lock eyes with Wrynri, and it sent chills down his spine. He didn’t seem like the best person to be around, trying to weasel out every last secret that you possessed… He shook his head free of the thought, his dark crimson hair landing in his face. Brushing them aside, he watched, in slight horror, as the other boy put a smirk on his face.

He was actually taken aback by the offering. By how he was acting, Wrynri seemed more like the selfish type, but he’s been wrong before. He took a dumpling hesitantly and bit into it, trying to find out if there was anything odd about them. Well, the only thing odd about them is they’re so good, he thought, and swallowed his food before talking. ”That was very kind of you, Wrynri. Be sure to thank her for the delicious food,” he complimented, giving the boy a genuine grin. However, he was still a bit wary of the bowl-wielding Candidate.

Looking back at Frino, he gave a slight chuckle. ”That would be interesting. Having the Weyrs survive in forever night and all…” He trailed off as he realized that he had said his personal quote to the two of them. Fingering his seashell pendant, Rethalt quickly turned his head, hoping that his face wouldn’t turn red at this time. Thankfully, the cover of night was fast approaching, and that saved the boy from utter embarrassment.

[purnip]

Wrynri couldn't tell how much he was annoying either one of the boys. In fact, he was completely oblivious to having annoyed Frino in the slightest by attracting attention. He didn't actually mean to do that. All Wrynri ever wanted in his sorry excuse for a life was to fit in somewhere, and so far he had epically failed to do it. He didn't think it could be done as a woman and now he wasn't sure if he could pull it off as a man. But what was a kid like him to do? He had to stick to something and make the best of it.

If they had known it would have been bad news indeed. Frino would suddenly want to put distance between them and Rethalt would make accusations and point fingers. Wrynri was already assigning the two personalities they didn't actually have. Or had they? He couldn't tell, and honestly he didn't care. He wanted to stay safe and make a friend at the same time. Why'd it have to be so damned difficult?

The two took his offering of food as he smirked at the comment about Whers taking over. "Quite unlikely, but if the dragons keep their heads in the clouds, whers might just rule the land below," he mused. Wrynri was highly articulate, though his words were used like weapons to defend himself most of the time. He would have loved to be a poet if he had the time, but he had other hobbies that he gravitated towards more, like cooking and learning new recipes. This of course, would remain a secret kept by no one but himself.

So when Frino grinned at him and complimented the dumpling, Wrynri felt his face grow a little hot in a blush. He looked away, pretending to have been distracted by something, until he could only feebly force it away. He hadn't been complimented on his cooking since he lived back at Crescent, and even there people didn't do such a thing often. They believed his mother did more of the work. His mother was a good teacher in that respect.

Rethalt's comment re-ignited suspicion of the highest degree within the kid, who couldn't stop himself from glaring at him before realizing he had broken the uneasy peace with the thoughtless reaction. Wrynri looked down at the bowl, mentally seething in hatred and fear. Could Rethalt...know? Something about that tone of voice, that sentence, and then that grin. The way he said 'her'. Wrynri was just about to resort to his usual rude outbursts and actions until he noted the other boy's embarrassment with his own comment. Mentally, Wrynri smiled in his little victory. Popping another dumpling in his mouth and eating this one with a lot more vigor than the last few, he managed to douse his inner flames of rage enough to prevent overheating. If he should, he'd lose any opportunity of making friendship with any of the guys, as well as damaging his reputation overall. He couldn't help his defensive nature. He'd been attacked for the past few years for being different. He was quite tired of it.

"I'll be sure she gets your compliments," he managed to reply, this time not even making sure he gulped all of that dumpling down. His mind was now distracted by both the taste of his success and the taste of suspicion.

[theknightwhosaysni]

Frino licked his lips happily, "Yeah, be sure to tell her. Those were quite good." He felt like he was repeating everything that Rethalt said, but Frino didn't mind much. He was perfectly happy being second best. He didn't have to be the greatest to succeed, and succeeding wasn't even the most important thing he had in mind, anyways.

Frino nodded his head, "Forever night would be the only place where whers would dominate, anyways. But I wouldn't mind being a member of the ruling force's Candidates. I've never liked dragons much. I guess it comes with the territory of being raised by a wherhandler." he was rambling, Frino noted, but he didn't really mind. This wasn't so bad, being out here with those two. He was entirely oblivious to the silent war between Wrynri and Rethalt, and even if he'd been paying attention, he wouldn't have cared.

When Wrynri began speaking, Frino was struck by the poetic words, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say. There wasn't much room for a reply in what the other wher candidate had just said.

When Wrynri went on, Frino suppressed a sigh of relief. He didn't like awkward silences all that much, and that space of time had certainly felt awkward to him.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt took a couple of easy breaths before turning his head back, letting some of his genuine feelings seep through his masquerade: happiness, slight anger, sadness, and even a tint of fear. He rubbed the back of his head, and thought about what he should say. He takes things so seriously, and he’s paranoid about everything I do… Did I do something wrong? Did I say something to insult him?{/i] he thought worriedly, looking at the boy with pleading eyes. He didn’t have many friends himself, but that’s because he preferred the night over the day.

When Wrynri broke into poetic lines, Rethalt was speechless. Once the boy finished, he finally stepped forward, his eyes screaming an apology. ”Look, I’m honestly sorry if I did anything to offend you. I would take I back if I could, but…” He felt like his sister was beginning to rub off on him, what with his emotions spilling out like a waterfall. He placed his hand gingerly on Wrynri’s shoulder. ”For whatever I did, please forgive me,” he finally asked, giving the shoulder a light squeeze before backing away.

Rethalt glanced back at Frino, and suddenly realized that he was paying more attention to Wrynri than him. Rubbing his face with his palm, he turned on his heel to face the new Candidate. ”Well, I think we have talked enough, and haven’t walked enough. Shall we continue?” he requested, while giving another look to Wrynri as he backed away from the front of the group.

[purnip]

Wryrni tried to distract himself by listening to Frino, but after he heard that bit, it was then that Rethalt was giving him an apologetic look in return, as well as an actual apology.

No one ever apologized this much to him before. It was a strange sensation, but Wrynri felt himself feeling sorry for the boy. Perhaps he had no idea whatsoever. It was likely that after all these turns of being on the defense that he might have lost himself and taken Rethalt's words out of context. If so, Wrynri felt like a genuine jackass. He blushed, ashamed for having lost so much of his old sanity to the plague of his insecurities. "No, you've no need to apologize. I'm sorry for having been rude," he then glanced up at Rethalt, revealing that he was indeed as sorry as he had said before. "You only meant well. I..." He noted how he was starting to sound feminine again. He cleared his throat and tried to man up once more. "It's been a rough time, but I suppose there's nothing like the aftermath of a war to facilitate it."

He returned his attention to Frino, mainly for the sake of recovery but also because this boy was the one who was due for the attention in this conversation. He was in fact, the new arrival here. Wrynri knew what it was like to be a third wheel and he sure as hell didn't want to put someone else through it if he could help it. "Rethalt's right. We should give you your own personal tour of the place. I've done my chores for the day and no one else will be able to show you where the best rooms in the Barracks are. Trust me, some get warmer or colder than others." A half smile returned to his features, but Wrynri was still perturbed. He couldn't help it...but this might be a near successful attempt at friendship after all.

[theknightwhosaysni]

Frino watched the apologies with a small smile on his face. It was entertaining to watch Rethalt scrabble for words and try to figure out why Wrynri seemed so annoyed. He hadn't really noticed that Wrynri had been annoyed, though. He probably should've been paying a bit more attention to what was going on around him.

...Yeah, probably. But Frino didn't mind not paying attention, as long as it got him something in the end. And these two boys didn't seem so bad, and Rethalt was even kind of cute. So was Wrynri. He'd clearly gotten the choicest pickings of the boy to welcome him.

Frino grinned, "The poetry convinced me." he laughed to himself for a second or two before bending down to lift up his suitcase, glancing up at Wrynri as soon as he'd managed to heft it into the air.

"A personal tour? That sounds nice." he nodded his head lazily, "I'm in, then!" Yeah, like he'd thought earlier, these two were certainly some of the choicer pickings around, and he hadn't even needed to go inside the Weyr to meet them. He was liking Dalibor already. "But you sound like you know quite a bit about this Weyr..." his voice trailed off as he glanced at Wrynri again, ready to set off.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt hung onto each word Wrynri said, a lopsided grin forming on his face. The boy was finally loosening up! He mentally applauded, and started giving tips about noise and weather, and how to muffle it to the maximum possible effort. With each passing minute, the young man became more alert; by the time they had reached the Candidate’s Barracks, he felt like he could run laps. Grinning, he motioned for Frino to enter the hallway first. ”To be honest, I think Wrynri will know which empty cot would be best for you,” he said, nodding towards said Candidate. Looking at the two of them, Rethalt saw a great friendship.

He leaned against the wall, trying to pick out a wher or two in the dead night. Their domain is my domain, in the cradle of forever night, he mused, humming softly to himself. It was a lullaby that he would sing to his twin when she was distressed, or just needed some sleep. Gazing at the stars brought peace to him, and he hoped that they would never have to escape him. Oh, Faranth, I wish that night would reign, and daylight never showed its face on Pern again, he thought, but then mentally scolded himself; if there was no daylight, there would be no warmth on his home, and warmth is the key to survival. Oh, but to be with the one creature that would be His, in their forever night, would be greater than his fantasy…

[purnip]

Poetry? Wryrni had no idea he had been reciting anything of a sort. Still, he didn't seem to be disturbed anymore, at least from what anyone could tell at a glance. The dumplings were nearly finished off and he decided to save a couple for these two while they were on tour. It was unlike him to think of sharing, and food no less. Wryrni's own satisfaction for his bowl of treats coupled with the compliments they received might have opened him up to it though. He wondered if that was more of a male or female trait and second guessed himself, but he didn't think that sharing was a genuinely female sort of thing.

It finally looked like Rethalt was done being defensive himself. Wrynri stopped watching him so closely when he started to doubt his troubles, but he couldn't help but feel nagged by the presence. Oh well. Who said comfort could come easy?

But of course, Wrynri knew plenty about Dalibor, at least where to find what. He was the sort that was too stubborn to use maps and preferred to find what he wanted to find all on his own. That way, he'd have a better time of remembering where to look later on. He wasn't keen on exploring when necessity didn't call for it. The weyr was tense lately after the whole ordeal at the Bowl, and Wrynri felt himself detached from the event. It all happened when he wasn't even here yet. He knew none of the people that fought and he didn't feel all that interested in dragon affairs.

He could understand why he wasn't chosen to be a Dragon Candidate, though he was wrong. He believed it had everything to do with his gender ambiguity. It didn't help his case at all and it only made him a lot edgier since he arrived at Dalibor. This would have to be the closest he had gotten so fart to actually making friends. Nobody could put up with him for long when he wasn't calmed; Rethalt was clear proof of it.

"I've been here for a while, so naturally I got bored and wandered," Wrynri said with a shrug. "In time you'll probably know Dalibor like the back of your hand." Even his tone was now completely at ease, though he was consciously making sure he sounded like the boy he was supposed to be. It felt embarrassing if any of that sultry female pitch slipped from him. It was likely that if someone startled him and he screamed, he'd certainly lose his temper.

Wrynri would wait for Frino to enter the hall first as well, though it seemed like he just might be leading the way. To Rethalt's comment he gave a smirk and shook his head. "Aye, only because I wouldn't pick a room without testing each one of the empty ones. I'm a light sleeper and some of those cots are peculiar."

Their talk about Whers early didn't spur Wrynri to think about them much. He never had. For a Candidate, he didn't get excited for Hatching. Not in the slightest. It was more like waiting for a dreaded exam. For everyone else, it would mean finding their one true partner on Pern. For him...it was a final judgment. After a few days here, he quickly learned about dragons and gender preferences. Whers couldn' t have been all that different. If he Impressed to something that went for straight males, then Wrynri was on the right track. If he didn't Impress to anything at all--well. Something had to be wrong with him.

[theknightwhosaysni]

Frino was happily surprised when Rethalt gestured for him to go first. Polite was a good thing, and it seemed that around here, they were more polite than most, which was even better. Dalibor was going to be quite, quite fun, Frino decided, and he would've nodded his head in that moment if he hadn't been walking into the Candidate's Barracks. "I'm sure he will." Frino nodded happily to himself, agreeing with the compliment absently. He wasn't paying all that much attention, to be honest, most of his attention was claimed by the thoughts that a wher or two might be out here.

He'd always wanted to see a wher at night...

"Yeah, that's probably true." Frino was jolted back into the real world by Wrynri's voice, "I've never been very good with directions, though." he snorted at himself, "It's just something about keeping track of when I took that left turn and when I took the left that makes me even more lost than before."

Frino was a lot less of a light sleeper and a lot more of a log-like sleeper. He would wake up if someone were trying to wake him up, but Frino could mostly sleep through anything that wasn't within two dragonlenths of his sleeping body, depending on how loud it was.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt lightly chuckled to himself, watching as the two slipped into the Barracks. Sighing, he slumped down into a sitting position, wondering if anybody would accompany him in his routine nocturnal strolls. Peering about him, he snatched up a small rock and tossed it between his two hands. I wonder what those two are thinking right now? he thought, slipping down onto his back. The ground was cool already, and it felt nice on his back.

The boy turned his head to catch the shadow of a creature dashing through the night and smiled. A wild wher was probably going to get its meal, lurking around some critter’s den. Letting out another gusty sigh, he let himself relax and closed his eyes, letting images of dragons, whers, firelizards, Frino, and Wrynri pass through his mind-

Wait, what?!? Rethalt startled himself, letting out a small groan of pain as he smacked the back of his head against the rough outer wall of the Barracks. ”Damn, that hurts!” he swore, curling into a ball while clutching the back of his head. How certain thought wormed their way into his dreams, he’ll never know. For now, he just had to get the pain out of his present agony.

[purnip]

Wrynri was quiet for the time being, which was more normal for a sort like him. Needless dialogue was just that---needless. He held on to the bowl with the the two dumplings left rolling around inside, glancing down at them once in a while to remind himself of their separate destinies. He would offer them to Frino and Rethalt once they got to the Barracks.

Maybe he finally made a couple of friends. Though Wrynri got off on the wrong foot with Rethalt, now that he finally cooled down a bit, there wasn't much of a problem between them. It was possible that they could sustain this as an actual bond amongst the three. It made Wrynri feel a little better about approaching them in the first place. His spirits were in the best state they had ever been in since he had gotten here. He made the right choice. For once in forever, he made a choice he didn't regret. Yet.

When the shadow in the distance passed, a stealthy shade, Wrynri paused and turned to see what it might have been. His expression softened as he wondered briefly about it, but whatever it was, it was long gone again. All the talk about whers got him thinking that it was just that, but he turned away and continued moving on, hardly giving the idea any more thought. Wild animals or shifty things in the dark unsettled him, which might have been odd considering that whers thrived best in the dark. But wouldn't it have been better then to try and Impress one? He'd have someone to help protect him in an environment like that. It'd be nice...

"Hm?" Wrynri turned, his expression flat until he noted how much pain Rethalt must have been in to curl up like that. "Hey, are you alright?"

Kneeling down by Rethalt and placing a hand on his shoulder, he glanced to the wall where he might have hit his head, but honestly he didn't know what happened in the slightest. The boy was behind him until just now. It took him a second though as he realized how close he got to the injured boy, and how feminine his concern sounded to his own ears. Wrynri withdrew his hand and looked away, trying to recover from that and not sound like a total jackass again. "Whatever it was, you're not bleeding," he said rather softly, standing back up and holding his other arm with a wash of insecurity over him. He was still getting used to this and he didn't want to ruin what he had such trouble achieving. An actual friendship, among guys no less. It might have been too strange if he got close to either one of them, but he didn't know how close was too close. Wrynri hated the confusion, but it was something he'd rather deal with later, when the others weren't about.

[theknightwhosaysni]

A shadow flitted through the night, and Frino turned around to glance over his shoulder to examine the unpenetrable night. Perhaps the shadow had been nothing but his imagination, but he could've sworn that he'd seen movement out of the corner of his eye. Frino glanced around once more, before writing it off as nothing. Yeah. It had to have just been his imagination - there wasn't anything except for a wher or two that would be out right then, and what were the odds that a wher would be over right where they were right when they were right there? Not very good.

Frino gave a startled jump as he heard Rethalt speak, "What did you do?" he turned and walked hurriedly back over to the other boy, "Looks like it hurts." he added sympathetically. He didn't care about sounding like a female, himself. He was obviously male, and he didn't have self-esteem issue, so...

Frino leaned forward, nodding his head lazily. "Yeah, it doesn't look like you're bleeding." he leaned a little farther forward, before straightening up, retreating a step so that Rethalt could have room to breath, and get up if he needed to.

[aikastarr]

Feeling a hand on his shoulder and hearing the two’s voices soothed Rethalt’s nerves. Uncurling, he got up with an apologetic smile across his face. ”Sorry, guys. Just got startled is all,” he said simply, rubbing where he made contact with the building gingerly. Looking at Frino, then Wrynri, he let out a small chuckle. ”I feel like a pathetic little kitten that needs constant watching,” he joked, a small blush flaring on his cheeks. His shattered confidence was coming back, and that allowed the boy to broaden into a lopsided grin. ”Sorry about postponing your tour. Shall we continue?” Rethalt tried to hide his throbbing pain, but that was easier said than done.

Looking back into the night, he shook his head in shame. Why, Faranth, have you brought these two to me? I would not have injured myself if it wasn’t for them! his subconscious asked while he turned and walked into the Barracks. He made his way to his cot, not paying any heed to if the other two were following him. Sighing, he settled onto his bed and placing his head on the pillow to cushion the lump. Maybe he could get some ice for it when morning came…

[purnip]

{Thought I should leave you guys with a post before I poof. :3}

The boy must have been a lot more hurt than he was willing to let on, because once he had seemed to recover, he was already making his way back to the Barracks on his own accord. Wrynri watched him carefully, finding this action peculiar, even for a male. Was it normal to shrug off pain and limp back to your room without a word? One thing Wrynri never understood about males was their aptitude for hiding their true feelings. Either they never seemed to show them, or they did show them but at the most inopportune times, leaving a female speechless. It was a side of him that would never quite turn male like the rest. Wrynri always let it be known the sort of mood he was in; he was simply transparent that way. If he was in pain, he'd try to hide it, but he'd ultimately fail. In that sense he was more of a stubborn young woman than a proper man.

But Wrynri followed, despite whatever appearance it would exude. He nearly forgot to measure this action at all on the scale which he measured everything else. Whether it was masculine or feminine to follow based on curiosity after injury, it didn't cross his mind right away. He was simply following for a change.

Even after their bleak first impressions, Wrynri was already starting to consider both Frino and Rethalt was friends. He hadn't quite communicated with anyone this much since that kid he talked to back when he first got here. That kid pretty much did everything in his power to make Wrynri dislike him, despite the effort that he made to try and kindle and friendship out of nothing. It's been getting so hard to make any friends. No one seemed to be genuine and everyone seemed suspicious of him one way or another. Likely it was all in his head, but his head dictated that moodiness that rose within whenever it suspected another of suspecting him. No one wanted to make friendship with a total jackass, especially for no rhyme or reason. These two were still far from being entrusted with his secret. Wrynri didn't think he'd end up telling anyone in the weyr about it unless it was vital.

So he followed, all the way until they reached Rethalt's room. Wrynri paused at the entrance and watched his injured comrade lie upon his cot, possibly to ease any throbbing from that injury he received. He didn't utter a word as he leaned on the door frame. If Frino followed, he would have cast him a glance of uncertainty. Then, after a long pause, the kid finally spoke up with a tone that was unmistakably that of concern. "Do you want me to fetch a Healer? Mom used to tell me it was a bad idea to end up falling to sleep if you've got a concussion. Not that...well, you might have a concussion or anything. I'm no Healer, but I'll get one if you want."

Though he sounded sincere, he leaned on the door frame in a classic pose of a moody teen. Hunched forward slightly, hands in his pockets, and a hung head peering curiously in Rethalt's direction. In all honesty. he was put off by this setback to their tour, but he wasn't going to start blaming the boy, even in jest. Something told him he wouldn't handle it right.

[theknightwhosaysni]

"'Sokay." Frino answered indifferently. Justifying himself a moment later, Frino went on carefully, "I mean, that sounded like it hurt. I can't blame you for being startled." Besides, it really had sounded painful. Frino didn't envy Rethalt one tiny bit.

"Hey now, no knocking the kittens," he warned with a grin, "I rather like 'em, myself." He'd meant it as a joke to meet Rethalt's joke about feeling like a kitten, but whether it went over that way or not remained to be seen. Not that Frino minded waiting or anything.

He listened patiently as Rethalt went on about the tour. "I don't mind waiting, but continuing might be fun, if you're feeling up to it, that is." Frino wasn't exactly trying to be insulting, but he had a feeling that it could come across that way. He hoped it didn't, though, and once Rethalt set off, Frino followed, perfectly happy to do nothing but follow the other boy, who seemed to have a set destination in mind.

That destination made itself apparent as the boy turned into his room in the Candidate Barracks, settling down on his bed. Well, this wasn't much of a tour, but at least he now knew where the Candidate Barracks were, which was what his destination had been since he'd been left by Y'gran.

Fetch a healer? That sounded like a good idea, and Frino nodded his head at Wrynri's words, "That does sound reasonable." He paused a moment, then continued, "I mean, I've heard the same thing, and it is possible that you might have a concussion. And a Healer might be helpful even if you don't have a concussion." Frino glanced at Rethalt, then at Wrynri, and back again.