Such Is Life

[wirevix]

Alalbar muttered as he stalked the streets again. The air was warmish, at least, but it was wet with unfallen rain and that drove him nuts. He hated that soggy feeling that pervaded everything, like you just couldn't quite get dry the whole way.

He could have gone inside and avoided it, maybe practiced the weaving that his mother was so certain he would enjoy if he just worked at it enough, but he really didn't want to. The idea was just distasteful. He couldn't help but unfairly associate the craft with being feminine, because his mother did it. He wouldn't have minded baking quite as much, except he couldn't stand the thought of taking instructions from Tibirlyn.

So instead here he was, out in the mushy weather, kicking around on the street. Maybe he would go out and down to the coast. But he didn't really want to. He wished he had some marks so he could at least get something to gnaw on, he wasn't particularly hungry but it would be something to do. Something sweet.

But no, his pockets were very empty. He looked up at the sullen sky and scowled at it, silently blaming it for his troubles. Somebody's pet canine up the street got loose and ran past him, barking, and he scowled at that too before meandering away someplace quieter.

Shards, today is just... lousy. He shook his head. He'd been having a streak of lousy days lately, really, so this was just sort of par for the course now. He kind of hoped his luck would turn, but he doubted it would.

And then it started to drizzle rain proper. Wonderful. Because nothing else would have been fitting. He sighed and turned to head for home at a sluggish pace.

[renscorch]

"Just stay under the cover and you'll be fine. I have to get some stuff, thats' all." W'al calmly stated. It was starting to perform the misty rain, the kind of rain that makes you cold and horrible down to the core. Then his luck was starting to change, what looked to be a young girl heading off, maybe she could point out a few needed places. "Hey young Ms!" He shouted after her. He chased her down.

"Ms, could you help me?" He asked. Then he quickly counted off some of the objects he needed. "I need Hide, Ink, as well as bakery foodstuff. Can you show me the way to a place i can easily get to them?" In truth he could get then right at the Weyr but why run the risk of getting discovered his, Our.... Our plan right off the bat. He corrected himself.

[wirevix]

Alalbar froze when he heard someone shouting. He quickly checked the rest of the street just to make sure, but no--there was no one else they could be calling to. They had to be calling to him. And calling him miss.

He whirled around, immediately infuriated at the man that was calling after him. He wanted to hit him but he knew he was terrible at hitting people so instead he just glared at him.

"I'm not a miss," he snapped, shoulders hunched up angrily. Then he tossed his head slightly. "You can find someone else to show you your stuff. Someone who's actually a girl."

Nothing got him like that, and it just frustrated him all the more because it happened so sharding often. Why did everyone just assume so much based on appearances? It was so irritating!

[renscorch]

W'al was sudden taken aback. That kinda even surpise me as well, it seem to getting harder to tell humans genders from each other. Kerath said. "Sorry, I guess you rather be called an it." He commented dryly. Wow, what explosive power, and 'he' still acted a bit like a girl. Head toss an all. Maybe you should approach this situation with great care? W'al sighed. "I'm sorry for calling you a girl."

"Can you please show me the way?" He asked. He could always command 'him' to help but knowing kids, they would just ditch him the next chance they get. After all he been one.

[wirevix]

His eyes narrowed at the "it" comment. Oohh this guy just really wanted to get on his nerves, didn't he? Well, he would show him. Lead him on a merry path through the Hold and leave him stranded someplace as far out of the way as he could find.

"Sure, whatever, follow me," he said, turning and stalking off down the street. The stalls where he could have bought what he were looking for were just two left turns away from them, but he headed right, leading the rider farther away from them.

He said nothing and just looked irritated all the while, keeping his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance from the rain and the person that he was currently trying to get totally lost within the Hold. He didn't care who the guy was, he just hated him already. The whole it thing had been totally uncalled for, he thought.

[renscorch]

W'al quickly followed, yet something wasn't exactly right. "This isn't work it." He muttered silently to himself. Maybe he will just take a chance with scoldings. He looked around, keep in the surroundings making a personal map in his brain. He been a kid once before as well.

"I hope your not planing anything. The last I need is to get held up for to long...." Then he gave a smirk "You have some one as young as you get blamed for getting a very smart dragon very grumpy." Many times this forces people to think a little before doing anything, to rash.

[wirevix]

He glanced back at him and frowned at the little threat. He supposed he ought to have been far more intimidated but he found a flaw in the man's reasoning.

"Dragons don't eat people. Nice try."

He just continued on his way. Either the man would get bored of following him and go somewhere else, thereby leaving him alone, or else he would follow him and get terribly lost. Either possibility worked fine for Alalbar.

He really would have thought a dragonrider had more important things to do than to come and harass some kid, though. Really, why couldn't he just go get his stuff somewhere else?

He didn't bother to ask, though. He just plodded steadily onwards, stomping through the gathering puddles without bothering to skirt around them. He was already soaked, it didn't really matter.

[renscorch]

"They don't have to eat people to hurt them." He commented back, then chuckle. I would never. Came a retort. "You sure that this is the right way?" He asked again. It didn't seem right. "Hey I just wanted get my stuff, faster you help me the faster I am out of your hair. People can be very predictable sometimes." He really didn't need to get lost, an the moment he is, 'cept for the map Kerath is helping him keep track of. Why is this child so hostel? He enjoys fun, and lively conversations. It simulates the brain.

[wirevix]

"Uhuh. Whatever you say, guy." He just continued to take him across the Hold, farther and farther away from the shops that he wanted. He finally reached a point, in the middle of the street, where he turned and darted off, fully intending to leave the rider in his dust as he ran off through an alleyway, zig-zagging about through the town.

"Hah," he muttered, panting a little, once he was pretty sure he'd lost the man completely. "That's for calling me an it." He shook his head and huffed, catching his breath and starting to meander back down the street. He oriented himself with a few glances about, and then started to head for home once more.

Stupid sharding dragonriders big-headed wherrybrains... he kept up a running list of insults in his head, mostly to occupy himself on the boring walk home.

[renscorch]

W'al Watched amused as the child suddenly took off. "Well, I guess I'll need that map now." He said with a chuckle. He turned and followed the instructions that his friend was rattling off to him. This way and that he quickly wived his way through the streets. He came to slow stop at were he started. "So if it wasn't that way then it must the this way. " He muttered. Well if the child could see him now, he could see that getting them all wet was all for not. In fact it kinda made him chuckle. Well he forced to fly straight now. That annoying, good thing that his flying gear keeps him warm. More so then most other clothing.

[wirevix]

Alalbar saw the man and only snickered faintly. He didn't particularly care that he found his way back, he was just amused that he'd caused him trouble in the first place. That would teach him to insult people while asking them for help.

He just strolled right on past him, completely ignoring him. He was almost home now anyway, then he wouldn't have to worry about anything but drying off and ignoring his family. He was used to doing that.

He was still insulting the dragonrider in his head, of course. He wondered if they were all so annoying.

[renscorch]

W'al watch the child walk right past him as if nothing happen, it kinda wanted to make him box his ears. However fate had a different story. Grey....Yes Grey would be perfect. Came from Kerath. W'al just smiled, "Hey kid. Grey would be the best color for the hide of your new future friend." He then turn down the left guessing that was the right way if the kid led him the other way.

Future Rider huh? W'al asked. Then smiled, how ever with the run around that kid gave him he going to go cool off before sending someone over, that is unless someone already has his eye on him.

[wirevix]

"Huh what?"

That got his attention, but he wasn't about to go chasing after the Rider to see just what he meant. He just stopped and turned around, staring after him and frowning. Gray? Hide of his future friend...?

Does that mean what I think it does? Unfortunately the man was already gone, so he couldn't ask his question aloud. He just stood there and looked dumbfounded, for once, confused. Then he shook his head at himself. He was probably just trying to upset me or something.

[Admin]

Faded red inside a tiny book of butterflies,
I smiled surprised at how when flickered through,
The wings flew by spelled out my name.

It wasn't long after Kerath and W'al left that another dragon, and her rider, appeared into the sky. The yellow dragon dipped and spun towards the grow, trumpeting and trilling a greeting to everyone below as she fell and soared. Once she was lower, she didn't actually land, but skimmed a reasonably safe distance above the building. Kerath said there was somehow he thought was a candidate here. He said that His mistook him for a girl. He said that he was very like a gray dragon; Annith told her rider. Suddenly, she dropped to the ground, cutting off a very feminine in the path.

"Good job, An, love. Kerath failed to mention that he was cute;" P'nay said, giving her a pat on the neck and laughing as he swung a leg over her neck to slip onto the ground. With a few years of practice of falling through the air, it was easy for him to land close to Alalbar. Straightening up, he peered down at what seemed to be just a very short, feminine teenager. About the best way he could tell that was he looked to be around sixteen turns and didn't have a chest. "You sure he's acceptable;" he asked, turning his head to look back up at the lithe dragon and put his hands on his hips. He'd trust his own dragon over Kerath.

I'm trying to decide. She was peering down at Alalbar like her rider had been, and, after his question, she lowered her head to be right above the possible candidate. Carefully, she sniffed at him. She liked him, but that didn't mean he was a good candidate. He had to have that feeling about him that meant that there was likely to be a dragon about him. It was that thing that only a dragon could sense, and only some dragons at that. And it was very distracting that P'nay was busy appraising the young male's more attractive features. Why did her rider do that with nearly everyone?

Six months went by the summer lost,
Obsessively the letters dropped into my life,
The same soft blood smooth flowing hand.

[wirevix]

After dealing with one strange and rude dragon rider, the last thing Alalbar had expected was to be nearly fallen upon by another. He had turned to stare up at the dragon in the air, looking somewhat fascinated by the Yellow overhead--and then he jumped nearly out of his skin when the creature landed so close.

He backed away slightly when P'nay jumped down close to him, looking highly uncertain. And then the man was talking about him, without talking to him. How annoying was that! But at least he used "he." That placated the annoyed and nervous Alalbar somewhat.

"Acceptable?" he demanded, scowling as he peered at the Rider. "Acceptable for what? Huh?"

When the dragon lowered her head to sniff him he jumped again, startled, never really expecting to be so close to one. "Uhhh..." He blinked quickly up at the Yellow, uncertain. "Hi?" Much as he insisted not to've been afraid of a dragon before, they still were big, and that was enough to make him slightly nervous when he was face to face with one.

[Admin]

Your captivating eyes,
The clever way they smile stops him in his tracks,
And add your pretty face you keep him in his place.

"I think Anny can explain, if it's anything you need to know;" P'nay replied to the boy's insistent questions. He gave him a grin in response to his scowl, totally unperturbed by his prickly, irritated demeanor. Definitely a bit like a gray, but a very grumpy gray at that. He hadn't met that many grays, or spent that much time with any. They were fairly rare. Despite not seeming to care about the boy's growling temperament, he couldn't help but be amused when he was surprised and put off by Annith's sudden obvious presence. It wasn't like the boy needed to be worried; she didn't hurt people.

Hello; she replied to his questioning greeting. She liked everyone and didn't tend to care about the fact dragons generally tended not to talk to other people. It wasn't like he had a dragon who would be bothered by it, yet . . . She gave him another sniff, trying to tell. Searching wasn't her job; that was what blues tended to do. They were just good at it. Though Queens and Kings we good at finding those for Queen eggs; it wasn't hard to tell that though. She was just a yellow though; she was good at soothing disagreements and hurt heads and hearts. She was good at being a friend . . .

They've broken the mold,
More precious than gold,
When you're standing there the world disappears.

[wirevix]

"...Anny..." Well, was that the dragon? He guessed so, there really wasn't anyone else around that the guy could be talking about. And he really did not expect the Yellow to reply--he jumped when she spoke to him directly, looking uncertain.

"...Well uh..." He stood there awhile, not sure of what he ought to do one way or another. The dragon was definitely very interesting, but he doubted asking a whole lot of questions would be welcome, whatever the Rider said. He knew he wouldn't want to answer a whole bunch of questions about himself that some kid asked. But then, he wasn't swooping down on people in the first place, so he had some right to ask, he decided.

"Why're you guys all following me around and stuff now?" he finally asked, looking both uncertain and grumpy. "I mean the first guy just wanted to buy stuff but he tossed off some weird parting shot and why're you both staring at me like that? It's creepy you know!"

Well, he sort of ended up shouting instead of asking questions there. The worst that could happen was that they would take offense and leave, though. And while he would probably never figure out why they were following him around in the first place--even though he knew in his head just what they seemed to be implying, he wasn't sure why they were skirting around and refusing to answer if it was true--at least he would be able to go and get dry clothes.

[Admin]

The dawn is breaking,
A light shining through,
You're barely waking.

P'nay didn't seem fazed at all when the boy started yelling about him and someone he supposed had to be W'al, though the comment about it being creepy did dig at him. Was he creepy? Should he go? he worried; things tended to dig at him like that. However, his brain and his natural response was utterly confident. "It's hard not to stare at a pretty face like yours." For some reason, his voice could pull of making it seem pretty sharding sincere. Reaching out gently with one hand, he lifted the boy's chin to look into his eyes, which were unwavering but also searching.

Mine, you aren't suppose to flirt with the candidates; Annith chided him. His eyes unfocused, though he didn't shift at all other otherwise. Their ensuing conversation was lightning fast anyway.
So, you've decide then?
Yes.
You want to tell him?
No. I don't think he's used to dragons.
Holders. He had better soon. I'll do it.

"So, beautiful, how would you like to be a candidate? I can't say you'll never see another dragonrider but I think we'll stop stalking you if you;" he asked the boy, eyes suddenly focusing again. It was only moments after his previous comment. Behind him, his dragon lifted her head and sighed. Hers had better not get attached to this one, who was too young and too 'not supposed to be involved romantically' to be good for him. Well, he did flirt with far to many people; she doubted there would be much harm done, feeling optimistic. Smiling draconically, she continued to watch the new candidate.

Even the best fall down sometimes,
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme,
Out of the doubt that fills my mind.

[wirevix]

The "pretty" comment just floored Alalbar. Yeah, people had called him pretty before--but that was people who thought he was a girl. His mother would call him pretty but she refused to refer to him as a guy so it was just insulting to him. But here was someone who actually called him a he, and was also calling him pretty. He didn't really know what to think about that. And then he was staring into the man's eyes and realized it was because the Rider had lifted his chin up. He blinked once, uncertainly.

He didn't get a chance to decide what he thought of that, or even understand what had just happened, because then he was being asked a question that was way too important to be asked while he was dripping and standing out on the street like this.

But he had to make a decision. The idea of being left there on the street, while the fascinating dragon and the confusing Rider flew away and he would be there forever after that, stuck in this Hold, with his family that he didn't want to deal with.

What kind of choice was that? Well, there was no way he was going to go back home after this. Unless it was all some cruel joke, but if it was he was going to be kicking shins, dragon or no dragon.

"You're serious? I want to be one. A candidate," he said, waiting to see how the other would respond, steeling himself in case he was going to start laughing.

[Admin]

So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all yellow.

P'nay waited patiently for the boy to be able to force out a reply. He wasn't that surprised when the answer came in a form of a few clipped sentences that corrected each other. He smiled in amusement. There were few who didn't want to be a candidate and few who had any sort of capacity that would keep them from fulfilling the wish to respond 'yes' to the call. "Why would I not be being serious? Every dragon and rider is on the lookout for candidates;" he asked, curious as to why the boy would doubt him. Riders, or more dragons, didn't joke about searching.

As Annith shifted nervously behind him, he quickly let go of his hold on the boy's face so he could look back at the dragon. She was getting anxious because she was blocking a rather large amount of the road and a lot of people were staring at her. He gave her a loving pat, the touch conveyed a silent promise that they would be leaving soon. "Anyway, in case you haven't guessed, I am being serious, so go on and fetch your things. Oh, and, kid, what's your name?" Reclining against his dragon, P'nay hardly seemed to care about the answer, though he subtly continued his watching. He was just keeping his usual 'very calm and cool' act about him.

I am Annith and Mine is P'nay; the yellow told the candidate as well, beaming her cheerful dragon smile at him. She lowered her head a little again to give him a less obstructive sniff. Yes, yes, he would definitely do. Even though she was a little nervous, since she wasn't exactly used to sitting on the ground, surrounded by a bunch of people, she felt happy that she had found the candidate.

I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
Cause you were all yellow.

[wirevix]

Alalbar couldn't help but grin when the other replied. No joke, no trick--he couldn't believe a chance like this had come for him, of all people. He nodded rapidly.

He couldn't even wait to respond properly when asked his name--when he was told to get his things, he was off like a shot, just calling back over his shoulder, "My name's Alalbar!"

He charged into his home, startling his mother, but didn't listen to her questions as he went and gathered up all his things into a travel sack. Not much, just some clothes and a few items he would like to keep.

It would be amazing--a new life, away from anyone who knew him from before, away from his parents. His mother tried to question him as to where he was going, once he'd emerged again, now dressed in dry clothes. He finally deigned to answer her with one foot out the door--

"I'm going to be a dragonrider!"

And then he was gone up the street, racing back to where he'd left the dragonman and his yellow dragon, gasping a bit from his urgent excitement as he reached him, clutching his travel bag tightly in hand.

"I'm ready to go now."

[Admin]

Tonight, I'll hold your soft, soft hand,
I'll hold your hand and take you to a wonderland,
Where we our dreams can fly freely.

P'nay smiled as he watched the boy run off, barely catching his name ('Alalbar', apparently). He fondly remembered being searched himself - kissing his pretty friend of the day, the sudden arrival of a blue, his horrible attempt to escape. It had been a bit of a fright at first but he'd been happy to go to the Weyr. How else would he have met his one and old Annith? Waiting, he continued to lean against his dragon and looked up towards the sky, where the dragonriders ruled over all these holdfolk. For a moment, he just enjoyed being in the company of his dragon, feeling her support.

And then Alalbar was back, telling him that he was ready to go in between gasps. "Alrightie then;" the yellowrider said. Annith knelt. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed the riding straps that wrapped around her slender chest and was up on her back. "Step up on her leg and take my hand;" he told the boy, leaning an uncannily far distance from his perch on her back with his arm extended. As soon as he'd gotten the new candidate aboard his dragon, he set about strapping him in. He didn't need the riding straps himself. Once he was sure that Alalbar couldn't fall, they were off.

Our dreams and fantasies will one day come,
Will one day come,
Oh flying freedom.

[wirevix]

Alalbar felt a sort of faint unsettled feeling somewhere in his stomach when it occurred to him that he would really be riding on the dragon's back. But P'nay clearly didn't think anything of it, and people did it all the time and you didn't hear about them all falling off, so... and he wasn't going to let a little nervousness stop him anyway!

He did as he was told, stepping up onto the dragon's leg as instructed and taking hold of the dragonrider's hand. Once he was strapped in he just held on tight to his bag with one hand and the straps with the other.

The take-off made him yip just softly, huddling closer to the Rider on instinct, clutching tighter to his bag as they rose. But still, it wasn't terrifying--dizzying, yes, and he'd never been in the air before like this so it was a bit nerve-wracking, but he'd been up high before and it never bothered him too awful much.

In fact, once he got over his initial disorientation and surprise, he grinned a little, enjoying the wind and more open air above the city streets.

[Admin]

I can't be held responsible for blown behavior,
I lost all contact with my only savior,
No-one locked me out because I failed to phone up,
I can't bear to live forever like a loner.

P'nay stifled the urge to chuckled as Alalbar shrunk up against him and rested a reassuring hand on one of the boy's hips to steady his position on Annith. The intimate contact made him have to stifle the urge to wish something of it as well. He repeated one of his favorite mantras - you are not supposed to flirt with the candidates; you are not supposed to flirt with the candidates. Normally he wasn't quite so idiotic about it but the feminine boy was so cute! Mine, you are hopeless; Annith cut into his thoughts in the nicest possible way. She was graceful, rising into the air. It was what a dragon did.

They rose up and up. To keep from moving too steeply after her initial take off to clear the buildings, the yellow spiraled in wide loops. It gave a spectacular aerial view of the hold. Soon, though, the people below them looked like tiny insects and they were high above it all. Clearly in his mind, focusing on only it, P'nay envisioned the waterfall by Dalibor's hatching sands, fixing the way it looked for Annith to see as well. "We're going between, Alalbar;" he warned the new candidate, and then they were in darkness. All he could think about was that he should have told the boy to put on a coat.

It's easy to be sad: when you lack a partner,
But how would I react to a broken heart now,
It ain't really true rock and roll unless I'm,
Hanging onto you and when I hold it next time.

[wirevix]

Alalbar gasped as they made their way high up above the Hold, looking down on it from above. It looked nicer that way, the faint glimmer of light off of the wet streets and puddles, the rows and grids of buildings and alleys forming a pattern when seen from overhead.

He lost a bit of the tenseness he'd had as he watched, mumbling a soft "Wow." And then he was informed they'd be going through between. That was a slightly unnerving thought. But dragonriders did it all the time, so he was determined not to fuss over it.

He just held his breath, and shuddered when the sheer cold of the empty space hit him. For the few moments that they were within, he drew up upon himself from the frigid temperature. He knew they would be out again within moments.