[PRP] Life on the Ground Floor (Ty'bar & Valendyr)

[Hattaki]

The man to the right is interested in speaking to you.

The monotone voice cut through the head of the dark haired man that had been absently stroking one of her wings. Ty'bar, to his credit, reacted instantly to her simple statement by lifting his brown eyes to stare straight at the other man. It was a face that he had never seen before, but then he had seen so many recently that it was hard to keep track of them the way his mind usually did. Since he hadn't filed this man's face away before in his mind that meant either he'd truly never met him or that he'd been unconscious when they'd crossed paths. The man was speaking to him, though he couldn't hear it.

Lifting an eyebrow at the man, Ty'bar waved a hand for him to stop and let an internal sigh be his only negative reaction. "I can't hear a word you're saying, you another healer?", he held healers in high regard but they could do him no good with his current predicament. Most of them knew that by now and had left him to his own devices without much of a fuss. He focused on the man's response, he could read lips if he tried incredibly hard and focused all of his energy on it.

This man wanted to know how things were going with him, if there had been any change or if he'd seen any improvement. The expression that pulled at Ty'bar's face moved the thread scars on his face into new positions, magnifying his frown with their silver paths. That seemed to be all the response that the man needed and he took both hands, making a point to show both palms to the muscled rider first, and snapped them on either side of his head.

Ty'bar raised his eyebrows and shook his head with an incredulous look and a shrug. Why was the man doing this?

I can make you react. Ty'bar had less than a second to brace himself before Asilaeth released a bellowing roar directly behind his head.

Her small stature did not affect her vocal capabilities in the least. Loud noises still came through it seemed.

Suddenly white as a sheet and looking as though he would puddle onto the floor at any moment, the healer ran from them as fast as his shaky legs would permit. Ty'bar turned to Asilaeth and gave her a look of amusement, scratching at her eye ridges and letting out a deep peal of laughter for the man's unfortunate reaction.

"You know he could have been sent by the Weyrleader to check on his grounded rider, right?", he continued chuckling as the unperturbed green trilled her sarcastic response that he had been annoying him. "Even you can't deal with everyone that annoys me 'laeth. Don't worry, we'll fly again."

He didn't let her feel the hole deep in his stomach or the feeling that overcame him in the form of the words "I hope."

Masterharper

Sorry for my rusty start. I swear I get better the more I write. XD;;

 

[Masterharper]

Hattaki

I'm assuming he's out side petting his green, or in the mouth of his weyr or something. xD

Valendyr walked along the edge of the Bowl, ducking out of people's ways, and pausing now and then to look at a dragon coming in for a landing, or another taking off. Men and women, riders and weyrfolk alike, were constantly coming and going; he watched curiously as a group of Candidates ran past, jogging raggedly through parts of the Bowl as some sort of workout grou, and moved out of the way when a group of traders toted what looked like a giant rug or rolled up tapestry on the way to the main hall. While he was used to an active life, and the travels of his small caravan, he wasn't used to living in one place for so long... and he also wasn't used to being alone.

Pan was healing, and he was adjusting to his life with S'vor. Everything was changing, and new, and different, and he just.... felt terribly alone. He knew he should try to make new friends; knew that he had a new purpose, and was supposed to be finding some sort of useful craft, but... All he did was take a few remedial lessons with some younger sorts, help out in the kitchens, and try to stay from being n people's way. He was struggling a bit, but that was because he couldn't quite help the guilt that ate away at him. Pan was here and without an arm because of him.

And . . . and. . .

Any moping thought he had immediately turned into fear when a dragon suddenly roared all but next to him. Some healer booked past Val, and the young boy had froze in spot, eyes wide as plates, and color also draining from his face. Crackdust, that was loud! His heart was pounding, and he wasn't sure if he should stay, or run, or hide. He had immediately made to grab one of his throwing daggers, but . . . those had been taken away from him. Probably just as well, really. While he had a little dagger to use when hunting tunnelsnakes, his little arsenal of blades had either been lost during Threadfall, or turned over to the Weyr.

So, feeling defenseless, and unsure whether or not the angry green was going roar at him next, he. . . slowly started to retreat. If he got in trouble this first day as a fosterling, he was certain he'd get thrown out for real.
 

[Hattaki]

Asilaeth nuzzled her rider's shoulder fondly, even if she was used to being the smallest and most insignificant of dragons to everyone else, that didn't for one second mean that she was to Ty'bar. To him she was the world, the dragon that lifted him to heights he had never known before in his life, so colored by despair and darkness as it had been before her egg cracked. She had seen it in him even then, the anxiety and pain, but the little green used herself to fill that hole, spreading her wings wide so that she filled it with every beat her wings made.

Now they were stuck grounded thanks to her own foolish mistake that had wounded them both. For a brief moment her eyes swirled a pale grey that mimicked every moment over the past year that she'd felt his sadness when they were alone. A hand reached up and scratched at the ridge above her right eye and Asilaeth laid her head on Ty'bar's right shoulder calmly, the color in her eyes flashed to a brilliant purple before she closed them.

A feeling ran through the pair, lost in thought and memory as they were and they both opened their eyes to focus on the same child. It wasn't a definable feeling that either got, but it wasn't a happy one either way and it felt more like the boy had been startled. Asilaeth lifted her head and turned to focus on anything else, deciding that it was best if the boy didn't have the full attention of a dragon that might have startled him.

"You alright lad?", Ty'bar always had a different way of approaching things than his usually silent dragon. The rider could sense that walking over and clapping the kid on the back would be a mistake and instead chose words rather than his usual quick actions. He did reach out and place a hand on his dragon though, silently asking her to be his ears if he should miss something.

As always Mine.

"Did this little monster startle you? She's just fine, trust me, Asilaeth isn't nearly as mean as she can sound."

There had been a time when Ty'bar had been young himself and even though he grew up between Weyrs he had been unused to his surroundings so often that it almost became who he was. Sleep had been hard during those times as it was now, when action was restricted and pace forced into something resembling nothing.

Masterharper

Probably outside, the man can't sit still most of the time. Even when he's not supposed to be running around. lol

 

[Masterharper]

Hattaki

Sorry for my stupidly slow replies. x3 And for this short tag!

The boy paused when the man looked over and started speaking. The green dragon seemed to find little interest in him, which was just as well for the young man. It wasn't that he didn't like dragons, he just had never been around so many of different sizes, colors, and names. The Weyr was still a bit over-whelming to him, especially now that he wasn't under his sister's primary care. He had a good relationship with Lazulith -- or at least he thought he did -- but all the other dragons in Western Weyr were a bit more mysterious.

Thankfully, now that whatever had upset the green had left, she didn't seem nearly as angry as she'd sounded. Though Val wasn't sure whether or not he should approach, he did stop his retreat, and offered the man and the dragon a little half-hearted smile. Little monster? This green, this Asilaeth didn't seem all that little to him...though she was smaller than Lazulith. "Oh, uh... Yes. I'm...I'm all right," he finally confessed, trying to look a little more cheerful than he felt. He still wasn't happy that he was now being fostered, or what his place in the Weyr was going to be. He wasn't a Candidate, he wasn't weyrbrat, he was now a fosterling, with a sister who needed time to herself to heal. In other words, he'd been in the way...at least that's how he took the entire arrangement. "Is she... Is she okay then?" He asked curiously, and with just a hint of concern. The green had sounded very upset, and while she wasn't really looking at him, she might not be in a good spot. He wasn't used to all the noises dragons made, and the Weyr dragons were a lot more vocal than Lazulith!  

[Hattaki]

As far as Ty'bar was concerned the boy before him was terrified and he certainly looked the part with the way he had stepped back and the look of, was that concern? Not knowing what Asilaeth had been roaring at gave him no insight into what had been happening and likely he had been simply walking by and missed the entire interaction, save of course for the excessively loud roar. It wasn't his fault for being confused but concern, dragons much larger than Asilaeth made noises much louder on a daily basis just communicating with one another and not to count their riders or any other human. Outside her most recent outburst the little green was one of the quiet ones in the Weyr, always monotone and often not bothered enough by convention or decorum to announce her arrival outside of a flashing wing. Her rider knew that was her wicked side coming out, the secret side of her that enjoyed watching grown men leap out of their boots as high as their muscles might allow.

Deep down Ty'bar found it amusing himself.

"She's completely fine! Only reason she made that noise was to get a rise out of the healer you saw running by." the scarred rider offered him a cheeky wink and a grin. "Asilaeth isn't too fond of them since they come around so often these days to check my hearing."

Tapping one of his ears he pulled a comically annoyed face for his predicament, "Or rather the lack there of. Did hear the roar though, not much else." It wasn't a secret that he was deaf or that he was grounded for the time being, if not forever, but not everyone he met knew who he was. Having not been raised in the Weyr it meant that some passing faces were unknown to him, even after years of living among them there was always a new face or story to meet and befriend. Though he was young, the boy before him was just that, new.

He is hesitant, your boisterous behavior may be too aggressive. Would you restrain yourself?

Casting a glare at the little green who chose that moment to drop her delicate head onto his right shoulder, the older rider heaved a sigh. "As you can see she's decently well behaved under normal circumstances."

What is 'normal' with you?

Masterharper

Not at all! <3 Just forgive me for my short crappy responses.

 

[Uta]

Hattaki

Late tag. Cause I am awesome.

Valendyr was still getting used to the hustle and bustle of the Weyr -- and all the noises dragons made on a near constant basis. Bugles, roars, trumpets, hums, churrs, purrs, rumbles. It was one thing to have had listened to the noises Lazulith made... but to be around so many dragons, of so many colors, sizes, and temperaments, it just overwhelmed him. He trusted Lazulith implicitly, but being around all the rest? It was one thing to be told that they were harmless, but they were still different, and unknown.

Still, the boy watched as the green dragon dropped her head against the man's shoulder. Now that she wasn't roaring, she certainly didn't look particularly harmless, or even frightening. Her rider didn't seem fussed, and that had him relaxing just a bit more. Knowing that it wasn't him that the green was roaring at made him feel substantially better. "Oh, yes, well, I . . . I wouldn't blame her then." He added, letting a small smile cross his lips.

He didn't like healers or what they represented. On the one hand, he was impressed by their skill and the work they did; on the other hand, having to see one meant something was wrong, or terrible, and awful. They also reminded Val of just how awful a job he did on tending to his sister's wound. He didn't like to think about that, though, and clamped down on the stray thought, and the surge of guilt it sent him in.

"I'm sorry you... can't hear," he felt the words come out of his mouth before he could stop them. He'd never met someone who couldn't hear, and wasn't sure if he was supposed to apologize for that or not. "I hope it. . . you . . .get better soon? I mean, if not, that's okay too!" Ugh. The boy felt like he was digging himself in a hole, and was pretty sure the green dragon was going to roar at him in a minute too.

"I mean. I guess. I. I don't have to bother you 'n her," he nodded to Asilaeth. "I was just... walking." Wow. The more he tried to dig himself out of his socially awkward behavior, the worse it became. This was all going to get back to his sister, and maybe S'vor, and then he'd be kicked out of the Weyr for sure. He never quite knew what to say to the dragonriders, and he avoided the Candidates because they were clearly too cool for the likes of him. Sometimes he was mistaken for one, given his age, and that only made things worse.

Life was just one big complication, and the dark haired boy wasn't making it any easier.  

[Hattaki]

Even though it had taken him a considerable amount of time to get used to the idea that only loud noises might get through to him again, that the sounds of life were now taken from him and even something as simple as listening to the crash of waves was denied him now, Ty’bar was simply happy that worse hadn’t happened on that day. Really it had gotten him down at first, to deny it would be denying something that simply made him as human as any other that suffered after the return of thread. After time he had returned to his “normally” upbeat self and so he wasn’t rightly certain that anyone had to apologize to him for anything, for the reality that he was facing. If the boy hadn’t been so awkward and a bit shy just speaking the words he would have laughed and tried to ease the boy’s presumed fears.

In fact, he started to open his mouth and felt a strong rush of silence overcome him. Her head still resting on his shoulder, Asilaeth’s eye was right on level for him to catch the flash of orange that edged her eyes briefly.

No apologies are needed for things you’ve not had a hand in.[/i] the tiny green dragon’s voice was as flat as could be, no color of emotion working it’s way into her words as she slid them to the child before her for what was the first time in a long time she had reached out to another. This was necessary though, for though she loved her rider he was blunt and that could be tougher on children and those that weren’t exactly prepared for his particular brand of stuffing his foot square into his mouth. Things at the Weyr do get easier to adjust to, it just takes time and patience that are hard to find in new situations. There will always be help for you, if something should seem too overwhelming. Her words were gentle, she all but wrapped them around him in something like a psychic pat to the shoulder, but her own rider wasn’t buying her presumptions.

Did you just... switch into ‘mother mode’? I wasn’t aware you had one of those. Ty’bar poked at his dragon jokingly in private, knowing full well she was not this kind to grown adults when she could load her comments with sass and snark.

“Sorry about her, doesn’t talk too much to others in general and maybe assumes too much when she does..” Ty’bar stared, running both wide hands down the sides of the green’s face until they clamped over her mouth playfully as if he could silence her psychic thoughts that way. Sparks of orange really danced through her blue after the motion, not really irritated but feigning we’ll all the same with an audience. Had they been alone she would have simply tipped him over.

This boy didn’t need startled at all though. Not any further at least.

“She is right though, don’t feel so worried about that, just part of life, taking the unexpected and running with the results!” the rider offered with a chuckle and a thought struck him, “Don’t I feel rude, my name’s Ty’bar and as you’ve heard before, this green sass-monster is Asilaeth. Been here almost ten turns now, but even if I’ve been laid up in the infirmary and stuck grounded I’ve been around enough to know ya must be new here. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

In a relaxed manner he held out a hand to the boy before him, he’d only be a boy for a short time after all and his own father had taught him every man should be acknowledged as such, even if it would be in the future. Of course, his father wasn’t the best of humans, but that was beside the point.

Uta

 

[Uta]

Hattaki

Val hadn't missed the flash of orange in the green dragon's eyes. It was a color he wasn't used to seeing, and was unsure whether or not it had been about to turn into a red color. Red he knew. Orange meant.... was it fear? Irritation? Annoyance maybe? Well, he didn't really blame her. She hadn't much liked the healer, and everything that he'd said probably wouldn't have her feeling kindly to him.

But then, there it was... a voice, a thought, words that weren't his own. The foreign voice wasn't something he physically heard, but it was there all the same. His eyes widened just a bit, as having a dragon speak to him was still new, and entirely unexpected. Thankfully, her words were appreciated, and he gave a dumb nod in response. "That's....That's good that there's so much support here. I mean. My sister, she got... She got cared for pretty well." .... and then the healers ordered him to be fostered, so she had space. Or, he worried, that she was sick of him. He still couldn't help but feel guilty over her sacrifice to save him... and how he hadn't been able to heal her arm enough to save it.

But.

That was neither here, nor there. The healers had been good to her. He wasn't weyrbred, but it was nice knowing that she'd be taken care of, no matter what happened to him. "I'm glad you're getting cared for, too." He added. Whether or not the green or his rider liked it, or appreciated it, it was still a nice idea. "I wouldn't have known about it if... if you hadn't said anything." He added. He wasn't trying to be rude, but he was quite impressed with how the man functioned. He still spoke and acted like there was nothing different about his hearing; in fact, Valendyr was very impressed. The green rider seemed to get along without issue, where Val was still not over any of his grief or pain or guilt. Maybe that was the difference between a nobody and a dragonrider, though....

Ah, but when the man apologized, he gave a shake of his head, and a small, almost flicker of a smile. "No, it's... It was nice. I know dragons don't often talk to others so it was nice of her to do it. And you've got a really good outlook on it. Sometimes it's.... hard to run with setbacks, so it's... It's good you were able." Maybe he'd need to take a page out of this man's book, but another part of Val knew it was easier said than done. Some pain couldn't be run with, or handled; some pain just never went away or eased up.

But that was neither here nor there. When the man reached out a hand, Valendyr reached out and gave the hand a shake. He tried not to hesitate, but he wasn't used to such formality or greeting; he really was a nobody, especially here at the Weyr. But that didn't mean he didn't know his manners, and he certainly didn't need word of rudeness getting back to his sister or S'vor. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Valendyr...and uh...pretty new to this place." He'd been there long enough to know where he could go and where he couldn't; but he'd spent so much of his time with his sister while she recuperated he was only now really getting out there on his own.  

[Hattaki]

Gently and carefully, Asilaeth tilted her head back and forth as she regarded the boy before her, listening to what he had to say and the way in which he spoke, as if he were a mix of afraid and afraid of bothering them still as he'd mentioned before. Clearly her words hadn't gotten entirely through to him, but then she could blame her rider for that, who was currently trying his very hardest to focus on the boy's mouth and read what it was that he was saying, though she relayed the bits she believed he would miss. Some parts of speech just didn't move the lips appropriately she'd found as she'd watched him try to get a handle on living without his hearing.

"Oh, something happened to your sister? What ha..." The words were cut off from his mouth as Asilaeth slithered her tail forward and covered his mouth with it, the look in her eyes not changing from their typical green even once during the motion.

Please forgive him, tact is not a skill he possesses in his life. Whether it's you or your sister, I'm glad that you've come to Western Weyr for care, everyone here has been brilliant to those who most need it. No emotion, simply deadpan as she delivered it to the boy, ignoring Ty'bar's hands trying to pry the tail from covering his mouth. As with many things, he is simply broken. But that came before he lost his hearing.

Rolling his eyes a bit at his dragon, the rider finally managed to drag her tail from over his mouth and cast her a glare before shaking his head a bit. "Trust me, Asilaeth doesn't talk often and that's probably for the best for everyone." Even he could sense the hesitation, or at least noticed the pauses in Valendyr's speech, almost making him feel as though he were missing something if he hadn't started speaking once more. "Setbacks are a part of life, you lose one thing, you adapt another way! Lose your hearing, you just learn to read lips. Course it helps to have a dragon that fills in the gaps when you're first learning how." With that he laughed brightly.

"Its good to meet you Valendyr and that you and your sister came here so she could get taken care of, whatever it is that ails. Were you both Searched as Candidates together for the clutches right as Thread first fell?" Never in his life had he been able to accurately guess another's age, especially not those younger than him, but it would make sense for how they got to Western if they were of Searching age at least. "I know it takes a while to get your bearings about you in new places, I shifted Weyrs a few times as a child and even as an adult after I met sass-pants here. If you ever need any help, we're always on the ground floor." With that he gave him a wide grin and a wink, never let it be said that Ty'bar was anything if not jovial, even if inside was an anxious wreck.

Uta

An eternity later, omg I'm so sorry!

 

[Uta]

Valendyr was still surprised to have the green speak so easily to him. While his sister’s blue had spoken to him rarely, it was never as freely as this green. And even S’vor’s dragon, while quite friendly, she didn’t talk to him all that much, either. It was strange hearing without using his ears, but it was a delight, too. He knew not all dragons spoke to people--nevermind that it seemed Asilaeth might do so a bit more due to her rider’s loss of hearing.

The fact that Ty’bar couldn’t hear at all still surprised him. He never thought about what might happen if a rider lost his hearing, and hadn’t met any deaf individuals. Part of the young boy wondered if he might speak differently to better help him read his lips, but he also wasn’t sure how to ask. Still, Val did understand the other riders curiosity about his sister; it didn’t go without notice that he wanted to know what happened.

Even if Val hadn’t wished to discuss, as Ty’bar continued to ask about him--assumed he was a Candidate and had been Searched--Val felt his anxiety begin to build. Already, this rider seemed to think much of him, when in reality, he was hardly a Candidate at all. While, on the one hand, he knew Ty’bar was trying to be friendly, another part of Valendyr chafed at the brusqueness of it all.

He supposed if anyone had a right to feel bitter it was Ty’bar, though, and right now, the rider seemed anything but. Pandyr also had a right to feel bitter, and maybe she did; and yet, Valendyr couldn’t help but feel bitter, too. Or maybe it was guilt. Guilt over surviving while the rest of his family died; guilt over being the case of his sister’s lost arm. He swallowed hard, his gaze drifting down as he tried to think of what to say.

“I suppose you’d know,” he finally confessed. “I used to think I was adaptable but…” He let his words hang. He was still a young man, though he felt more like a boy than anything. He was struggling to find his place at Western Weyr--no family, no friends, a sister who was healing, and no real or rank. Just a boy adrift. “I uh. I’m not a Candidate,” he confessed, giving a hard swallow. He wasn’t sure why it was hard to admit that, but it was; maybe it was because he felt even more out of place? Or wondered what the Weyrfolk might think? “My sister. Er. Well. She was a blue rider, and an entertainer in our troupe, and I did tricks, and… Well, Thread came back, and… Well you see, I was on her blue, and she was behind me, but then it all came and my parents and siblings and the rest of them--” He swallowed again, finding it strange to talk about, espeially to a stranger. And yet, it was also almost liberating.

“Well, anyway. She’s here, she lost an arm pushing me out of the way. I tried to heal it but I guess I didn’t do so good a job. We’re here now, though, and I’m just… around.” He glanced back up at Ty’bar and Asilaeth, unsure if he should have said anything at all. It was too late now, though. Better he find out now than from bumping into Pandyr at the infirmary. He wasn’t a Candidate, nor was he Searched to be one. He was just a boy, out of place. “Sorry--guess I’m talkin’ too much.”

”Hattaki”

I am the woooorst. Forgive my slowness!

 

[Hattaki]

More than a little accustomed to tragic stories that had begun to crop up with alarming regularity all through the Weyr, all across Pern in fact, it still didn't make it much easier to hear the situation that had brought them to Western. There were many stories like that all across the continents now, families torn apart, others sacrificing themselves for siblings or children, parents or friends. It was the reason why he'd fought Thread that first terrible day, but now he wasn't able to anymore with the loss of his hearing, having lost the trust of wing and weyrleader in his capabilities.

Rightly so it seemed.

"Thread doesn't discriminate like we wish it would, does it?" Ty'bar added quietly, for once just a bit more reserved in the face of the boy's pain that Asilaeth had helped to convey. Of course he'd seen it all across the lad's face, but his words certainly held a solid weight that just landed in his stomach. He himself had suffered that day, the threadscore scars obvious on his face, neck and chest still to the day, really the man was simply happy that his green hadn't taken any damage other than blunt trauma that had healed. He hadn't missed that Valendyr had used past tense when talking about his sister's blue dragon but he wasn't at all going to push after that sort of story. If she still had her dragon or if she was now dragon-less, that was none of his business, but he could hope for the more positive of those choices.

"Ya don't ever have to apologize for talking, 'specially about your own life and your sister." Really he wanted nothing more than to put a hand on the boy's shoulder and let him know that life could indeed get better, but he remembered how worse it could get at the same time. He was living proof that it could get a lot worse before it got any better. Whatever better was.

Better is what we all hope for, but one can make their own life 'better' if they wish, with hard work. Asilaeth offered to Ty'bar alone. We made ours better when we came here after all. Though the boy before them wouldn't have heard that bit, she received a pat to the cheek all the same as she turned her gently swirling eyes towards Valendyr, her voice still monotone. Please don't give up hope or make yourself small. You're safe here.

While she had been wounded and fallen here in Western, it was a thousand times better than how her rider had been treated in High Reaches where she'd hatched and that she would always remember. It might have been many turns since that time but she would never forget the depression that had befallen them both and feeling out of place even when everything was a hierarchy that should have covered that. Asilaeth didn't wish to see such a thing happen to anyone.

A wave of amusement came from Hers and if a dragon could roll their multifaceted eyes she would have. Mothering instincts indeed. Maybe it was why she chose the biggest man-child on the sands at the time.

"Do you want to be a Candidate?" Ty'bar spoke after a moment's quiet, curiosity in his voice.

Uta