[PRP] His Turnover Resolution

[Teiha]

F’rin of blue Yudokhath

It was with no small amount of difficulty that a dapperly-dressed F’rin left his weyrling blue in the weyrbowl in order to head to the dining hall for the Turnover celebration. It was certainly easier than it’d been in the earliest days of their bond, though. Go, F’rin. You cannot neglect the other parts of your life, Yudokhath had said, and so often that the youth had already lost count of how many times. The dragon’s dogged focus on balance had taken him badly aback at first, mistaking it for rejection, but then he realized that every time Yudo mentally pushed him to leave, F’rin could always sense his longing, lingering touch beneath it.

On his way in he spotted Yffengeth, Ay'ril's massive bronze, and drew in a deep breath. He' d hoped his elder brother would be at the celebration, but was uncertain whether or not he would be welcome in the bronzerider's circle. F'rin's little outburst upon Impressing hadn't exactly been a subtle jab at Ay'ril. F'rin had always been a poor winner, but that moment had felt like a special sort of revenge for a lifetime of being rebuffed by a brother whom he’d wished would be his best friend. Biting his lip, he looked over his shoulder for one last sight of his dragon before going inside. He’d try, at least.

As soon as he set foot into the dining hall, a wide grin spread across his face. The fires were roaring, the Harpers' music was already getting rowdy, and there were quite a few pairs on the dance floor. He'd join them long before the night was over, but first... ah, there! The bluerider put his hands in his pockets and moseyed across the room toward another man who was standing facing away from him. Ever so casually, he lifted his elbow and leaned it heavily upon A'myl's head.



A'myl of white Viyanakerth

The taller man was always aggravating in some way, shape or form. The yearly Turnover celebration held no real mystical quality that could make A'myl welcome his particular brand of flapdoodle. He ducked out from under his brother's elbow and shot him a narrow-eyed frown, but said nothing. He just flicked his hair back into place and turned back to the person he’d been talking to.

F'rin stood beside him with a big smile, deftly (if rudely) inserting himself into the conversation, but A'myl didn't particularly mind, for once. He was quickly becoming distracted, leaning a bit to one side and craning his neck in order to catch a glimpse of something past other partygoers.



Ay'ril of bronze Yffengeth

The auburn-haired man was sitting at one of the long tables, attempting to convince a small, wriggling creature to eat her food instead of smear it on his face. He glanced around in hopes of rescue, but the hoped-for source wasn't in sight. A close second was within range, though. He stood up, holstering Ayona snugly in the crook of one arm while waving dramatically with the other. It drew the attention of both of his brothers. A’myl immediately headed over with an uncertain F’rin trailing after in his wake.

Ayona went easily to her uncle as she was handed down, and the three brothers sat in a row, Ay’ril and F’rin both awkwardly avoiding eye contact over A’myl’s head. The blonde weyrling had a kicked-canine look on his face as he stared down at the table, but he knew exactly what he’d done wrong. It’d been an embarrassment for Wingsecond Ay’ril to be publicly insulted by a candidate, and loudly, in the middle of a Hatching. It was largely overlooked in light of the double tragedy and outrage over that Western bronze, but it didn’t change the fact that F’rin had behaved disgracefully.

Ay’ril picked up his cup and swirled it. He had such an urge to say something to F’rin, but.. it wasn’t going to come out kindly. So he took a sip of his drink and focused on his little sunshine.



A'myl of white Viyanakerth

The whiterider seemed to have some special way with Ayona that even her own father lacked, all it took was a greeting hug, a few gently-chiding words, and the toddler settled down in his arms to accept fairly neat little bites of stew and bubbly pie. His smile was for only his niece… until a flash of a particular color came into his peripheral vision. He looked up.



F’rin of blue Yudokhath

The blond had been contemplating making an exit since he’d sat down. He’d seen Ay’ril’s odd half-look before the man summarily dismissed his presence. He glanced aside at A’myl, opening his mouth to excuse himself, but froze when he saw a peculiar softness in the younger brother’s eyes. Ayona was babbling away in her sweetest voice, swinging her spoon with abandon, but A’myl wasn’t looking at her.

F’rin leaned to follow his brother’s gaze, then his eyes shot to Ay’ril for confirmation. The aubrun-haired brother looked back, equally surprised. Their feud was forgotten for the moment. This was not normal for A’myl.



A'myl of white Viyanakerth

A’myl was only vaguely aware of the excited gestures his brothers were making at each other behind his back. He’d been thinking about this for a long time, keeping it quietly to himself to avoid annoying interference from well-meaning friends, and idiots like F’rin. He’d wondered if today would be the right moment. It was certainly… traditional. As was A’myl.

Then, his mind was made up. He placed Ayona firmly in F’rin’s arms, ignoring the blond’s astonished exclamation, and went to greet her with a light bow.

He straightened, smiling as he held out his hand.

“Fela. Care to dance?”

medigel

A’myl very loudly demanded this. I hope you don’t mind! Yes, as I think you suspected, it was Fela he was looking at in the art. I have a feeling this is gonna either be awesome for everyone involved, or is going to end in merciless flames of Forever Alone. XD;;

 

[medigel]

Fela thought about drinking just to make Soph anxious. It always worked. Then she actually considered it. Just a little social lubrication and what not. Perhaps after she could go find L'ex, assuming he'd actually turned up, and wheel him about like a tour guide and the crowd a host of animals from which he could learn factoids. And here we see the wild young couple, the fresh flush on their cheeks a sign--

She blinked when someone spoke to her. "What? Oh!" she said in a very Sophrosunth way, then flapping her hand at seemingly nothing. (You are turning into ME, damn it, not the other way around! Stop laughing!) "A'myl, hey~ I'd absolutely love a dance," Fela said with her usual grin, curtsying to humor the formality he had displayed. "You've already given your first to Ayoma, though, right? I wouldn't stand for stealing that from her."

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

“I would have, but the little lady’s father always gets the honor of her first dance.” A’myl chuckled. “You know it as well as I do—never come between Ay’ril and his Ayo.”

Vee’s mental presence seemed to crowd in suddenly, the white’s excitement almost a palpable vibration. He’d been busily socializing out in the bowl, not expecting his rider to move quite so quickly. You started without me! he scolded. He couldn’t sound angry, though. The dragon had been waiting for a moment like this since… well, almost since he’d hatched. And it seemed, perhaps, that his rider hadn’t needed his helpful meddling after all.

“I guess we’ll just have to settle for each others’ first dance.” A’myl grinned and reached for Fela’s hand, intending to lead her onto the dance floor. The current song was a brisk gitar and flute duet, good for moderately fast movements.

medigel

 

[medigel]

"True. Fiiiiine," she said with a long-suffering sigh, offering her hand even as he reached for it. "I will bear the burden if I must."

Although not a formal dancer, Fela was used to dancing both with and without a partner. She had been precocious and flirty even when young; truly she had been either a terror or a toleration among most of the boys in the creche when she tried to mimic her older sisters and their graceful movements, dragging them or a friendly girl hither and thither for practice when Feasts loomed.

So it was that she was comfortable with whatever skill A'myl had, though he was a Harper: of course he knew how to stay on beat! But if he didn't show he was willing to lead, Fela would be happy to do so.

"How is the family anyway?" she asked. "Farin, specifically. Soph was helping do the play by play at the Hatching, so I know things got a bit dicey."

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

“He made it through without a scratch, thankfully. Yudokhath seems to be a good influence on him, but unfortunately he couldn’t stop Farin before he put his foot in it again with Ay’ril. They’re…” He glanced back at the table, where F’rin was bouncing a squealing Ayona on his knee and trying not to quail under the ominous stare of her auburn-haired father two seats away. That was the position they were defaulting to when they weren’t stealing wide-eyed glances at A’myl and his dance partner, at any rate. “It’ll probably be a while before they can speak civilly to each other again.”

As a Harper, A’myl was more likely to be found playing the violin or singing with the band than participating in a dance, but he’d been trained in all of the usual dances. And, as per his usual approach to things, he’d learned them to perfection. Book-perfection, that is. Every move of his feet, every gesture of his hands would be correct, and though he’d execute the dance with practiced agility and elegance (and look good while doing it), there would be no deviation from the ordered steps. But there was no doubt he was more than willing to lead, beginning their entrance with a quick two-handed grip on Fela's waist, lifting her just off the floor to sweep her around and gently set her in place. Then they were off.

medigel

 

[medigel]

Her sigh was lost in the music, but a frown briefly creased her brow. As nosy as she was, Fela never did get the whole picture as to why the brothers didn’t click. Not that she didn’t understand sibling hierarchies and politics - she had two older sisters and a younger brother herself, which probably had molded her more than she knew as a middle child - but it seemed a bit harsh to treat Farinalgo that way, mouth off or not. When she managed to catch his and Ay’ril’s eyes during a turn, she waved her free hand and grinned. Maybe later she could descend upon them and tidy things up.

For now, she enjoyed the dance. A’myl had the technique as he always did, and the sweep made her laugh, but there was a something lacking. Fela had to think about it a few moments more before it struck her, as she was spun to the length of their stretched arms and pulled back in. “Relax,” she said as they moved back to a neutral state. “Seriously, you won the contest for Best Dancer or whatever Harpers got. I’m swoonin’~ Well, tryin’ to swoon. Can’t exactly swoon when yer partner’s got a stiff back.”

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

F’rin and Ay’ril waved back to Fela with matching big, toothy smiles on both of their faces. Their grins were so alike that they almost appeared to be twins but for their differing outfits and hair. As Fela’s back turned to them for a moment midway through the next turn, F’rin reached over and slapped excitedly at his brother’s arm, unable to help himself. This was going to be a good Turnover. Things seemed to be going well for their little brother, and it was allowing F’rin at least a small bit of amnesty with Ay’ril.

At her comment about his dancing, A’myl looked at Fela with a tilt of his head and a little scrunch to his nose and brows. He pictured Farin as relaxed as he usually was on the dance floor, his tall, limber body bobbing and swaying like a bowl of jelly. It just looked stupid and lazy. A’myl was a bit perplexed by the implied request, but attempted to loosen his posture a bit for her. It made him feel somehow dirty, knowing he wasn’t doing his best. It was actually making him less relaxed in the steps, now that he had to focus on forcing his muscles not to move the way they’d been trained. If it pleased her, though…

medigel

 

[medigel]

Aw, now he was getting self-conscious. It was adorable.

"A'myl, honey, you ever do somethin' just for fun?" Fela asked him with a laugh in her voice. "You don't gotta hardball it every time, y'know. Sometimes you gotta add your flair." She bumped him with her hip to accent the word, which would throw them both off beat, and boy did she not care. "Get lost in the music and all that. All the best harpers do."

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

“Well, I—” And then he stumbled aside, thanks to Fela’s little maneuver.

Her hip check resulted in the oddest sensation, one part vexation at being struck and one part warm, effervescent stirring somewhere in his chest. He planted his feet to keep from tripping over other dancers, nibbling his lip before he turned to face Fela again. Fortunately for him, Farin was too far away to see the gleam that had entered his eyes in that moment. He couldn’t help but smile, even though his words were a touch crestfallen. “Honestly, Fela… I’m not sure I have this ‘flair’ you speak of.”

medigel

 

[medigel]

"You do," Fela said with confidence. "Just gotta let go of the hoity-toity parts. Un-teacher yerself."

That is to say, relax, Soph added in an attempt to clarify. He was relieved to see she was starting to enjoy herself, even if Fela kept fussing throughout, and kept his presence to a minimum.

Letting go of A'myl's hand, she demonstrated by dancing on her own, careful enough not to smack someone else but beyond that carefree. The harpers had drummed up a mid-song solo for one of their wind instruments, and she tried to mimic the tune's airy quality by falling back on her memories of her sister Emielle, the dancer among the girls.

But screw going on her toes. Not in those shoes!

"You gotta feeeeeel the music," she said as she twirled dramatically. Hopefully he didn't notice her nearly teetering to one side doing so.

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

It was going so well! Out in the bowl, Vee stood up on his hind legs. Feeeeeeeeeeel the music! he trilled. To demonstrate, he swayed back in forth while flaring his wings open and closed and snaking his slender neck in sinuous waves timed to the sounds of the Harpers’ song. It would certainly look bizarre to anyone who saw, but sharditall, that little white was going to help!

His rider did notice a slight wavering in Fela’s form as she twirled, but he actually found it fetching. She was lovely, as always, but he also recognized the move for what it was and was touched by the fact that she was untrained, but clearly giving him her best. So he’d have to—well, do his best… at doing his worst?

The airy solo ended and the stronger, upbeat notes of the chorus began again, as if prompting him to start moving. Instinctively, he channeled his dragon, adapting Vee’s movements to his own body. He swayed, alternately lifting his elbows in the air, bringing his fists trailing up past his face with each side-to-side motion. Matching the more energetic style of the music, there was a bit of power behind the moves, likely making them look just a tad dramatic. His ears felt warm and were no doubt turning a definite pink, but he managed to finish it off with something he’d seen Farin do often: an honest-to-goodness shimmy.

The beginnings of a shriek were heard nearby, but instantly cut off. A’myl wasn’t going to give F’rin the satisfaction of looking over, but if he had, he’d have seen that Ay’ril’s palm was now firmly clamped over the blond’s mouth. For the moment, he was trying not to be entirely embarrassed at his own ridiculous behavior, awaiting Fela’s evaluation with flushed ears and one eye squinched, almost as if he were in pain.

medigel

 

[medigel]

Courteously, she didn't laugh, only slowed down to enjoy his counter-dancing. Fela understood this was hard for him, and while sometimes she enjoyed ribbing others a little too much, she recognized this wasn't the time to make the poor man more uncomfortable. She did, however, grin from ear to ear when A'myl broke out the shimmy, and she simply had to mimic his movements. Dance partners needed to be in sync, after all, especially with the song ending, and she wanted to show solidarity that yes, this was okay. Only with the applause did she finally let her laugh bubble out as she moved to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I knew you had the moves," she said as she stepped back, arms crossing, as if she were taking stock of him for the first time. If Fela had heard the shriek, she wasn't reacting to it. (Yet.) "Didn' hurt that much, did it?"

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

The end of the song brought a massive sense of relief to A’myl, and though he didn’t show it, he felt like he was sagging over like a wilted flower. He’d honestly expected her to laugh at his sincere attempt, and had been braced to make a polite but shamed exit from the dance floor, and probably the feast itself. Perhaps the vogue-ish series of poses his “moves” amounted to weren’t up to snuff in this (very new!) situation, but the spontaneous shimmy had definitely been a good idea. It took him a few moments to realize she’d joined in that last, her delighted laughter ringing clear in his ears afterward. Those already distinctly rose-colored ears went a few shades deeper when she leaned in and her lips touched his cheek, eliciting a startled blink.

While his rider was effectively stunned for the next few moments, Vee threw his head back and galloped in a circle, warbling a silly dragon song to expend the burst of mental energy for the both of them. It was enough for A’myl to recover, pressing his lips together to temper the exhilarated grin that had begun to spread across his face. “Less than I expected, admittedly.” This was certainly not the way he’d planned things to go, but still… it was going surprisingly well.

medigel

Ngl, I legit girly-squealed @ the sweetness of her response. F’rin is over there making bricks. Where did this come from? And why didn’t little bro ask for his help three days ago? That dance battle could have been epic.

 

[medigel]

"Atta boy~"

A'myl was saved the teasing about his new coloration; Soph, however, became the receptacle instead, which he took with his usual good graces.

"So, one n' done?" Fela asked, still smiling, curious to see where his courage lied. "I think I heard one've yer brothers shriekin' back there."

Teiha

;7; <3333

 

[Teiha]

“Just one? Are you that eager to be rid of me?” he half-chuckled.

He looked over at his brothers’ table, knowing said shrieker would be ludicrously excited after what’d just taken place. Yes, F’rin’s eyes were practically as large and round as dinner plates. He was also hastily waving his palms in a cheerful no motion. The blond knew well what A’myl’s intent had been and obviously wished him to continue with it. A’myl was grateful that the distraction would be kept to a minimum. Hopefully his efforts thus far had not been in vain.

Turning back to Fela, he reached for her hand. “Frankly, Fela… Farin’s not the one who came here to see you tonight.”

medigel