[PRP] Oh No He's Hot [Saimwen & Marinel]

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen hated cleaning the kitchens. It was easily his least favorite chore - scrubbing out pots and pans made him occasionally gag, even though it was something he'd been doing his whole life. Something about the vague unfamiliar lumpiness of Weyr food, combined with the idea that hands he hadn't seen had touched this food, caused his throat to tighten up. Tonight, he had been assigned to do it after supper. But he was glad to be suffering through it with Marinel.

His childhood friend was across the room, doing something equally menial. Occasionally, Saimwen would flash him a grin, a bit unsure how to make conversation out of the daily monotony. The clutching had happened just a day before and the Weyr was abuzz with excitement, and it was the first time Saimmy had experienced any of it. He felt as though he were just being pulled along for the ride, and he spent perhaps far too much time deciding how he should react for each step of candidacy. Of course, he always put on a face for posterity - cheery grins, exuberant laughs, smiles and nods when the other candidates exuberantly bet which dragon would come out of what egg and who would impress whom. It was all a bit much.

Saimwen scooped up an armful of heavy, newly-scrubbed pots and carried them over to a storage spot near where Marinel was standing. He gifted another one of those grins like he had a thousand to give away. "Kitchen duty, eugh. We could just call it quits and run back into the countryside," he joked, trying anything to break the awkward silence he was creating completely on his own.

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Mari returned the smile. "Right before the hatching?" He teased, playfully taking and shaking his head at his friend. "Nah. Dolly's going to Impress for sure! And I couldn't miss that." There was no doubt in his mind. What dragon wouldn't want Dolmar? He was great; even if he wasn't the nicest person. Even when he wasn't close to being the nicest person.

"Are you excited?" He asked. "It's our first hatching!" He was nervous, himself. What if he wasn't good enough? ...What if he failed to Impress, and thus fail to impress his brother?  

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen grinned a little, cheeks flushing as Marinel smiled at him. But his fixation on that brother of his - geez. From what little he'd heard, Dolmar hadn't exactly been the nicest to Marinel. Regardless, Saimwen was a bit ashamed to find the bite of jealousy in his mouth, which he desperately tried to swallow. "You could be the one impressing, you know," he said, leaning against the counter and hesitating returning to scrubbing duty. He'd much rather spend the night talking to Mari.

"I guess I'm excited," he said, nervously pulling a bit on his short hair. Saimwen had never really expected himself to rise to this position, to even be in a situation where he could be a dragon rider. It made him nervous. Not that anyone was really watching to see if the trader boy actually became a rider - if he failed to impress, after a while, he'd probably just go back to being a navigator. "What color dragon do you think you'd Impress, if you did?"

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel paused in his drying at Saimwen's words. It almost seemed as if the thought had never occurred to him. "I guess so," he agreed. "Maybe we'll Impress together, you and me!"

He renewed his drying, blinking. "I'd be thrilled with any dragon," he said. "Green, blue, purple!" He shook his head and flashed another smile at Saimwen. "What about you? What color are you hoping for?"  

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen paused at the question, wondering. Well, it would be ideal to have a Brown, he thought. It wouldn't put him at the top of the food chain, but he'd still be with a dragon that was strong and respectable. He wanted to seem strong, to look strong, always, even if he always didn't feel that way. "I think a brown would be good," he said, nodding, confirming the statement with himself. Then he hip-bumped Marinel, shooting him a grin. "I bet you'll impress a Bronze. No doubt about it."

 

[Thaliawen]

A bronze? No. Marinel shook his head. "I think my brother will get the bronze," he said. "I..." looked at guys too much. Wasn't confident enough, or strong enough, or smart enough. "Dolly would make a great leader, I think!" He had the talent for it. "But I'm not right for one."  

[smolderingskies]

Marinel was always putting Dolmar before himself, as though he weren't worthy of the same things as his twin brother. Saimwen had to practically force himself from rolling his eyes at that statement. Sometimes he just wanted to take Mari's face in his hands and yell at him, you are worth it, you ARE! Although that might be perceived as a little violent, and probably somewhat off-putting.

Instead, he just grinned. "Isn't that a bit presumptive? You'll know what you're right for when you get it." Which, of course, wasn't very comforting. But he could see the merits in Marinel impressing a Bronze. Some of which included a confidence boost.

 

[Thaliawen]

Mari hesitated. He thought about that, and nodded. "I suppose," he agreed. "Do you really think I could Impress, then?" Maybe if he asked Dolmar to help him with confidence.

"I think you'll impress a bronze, too," he said. "You'll be the best navigator weyrleader ever!" If indeed there'd ever been one.  

[smolderingskies]

"Weyrleader?" Saimwen's eyes were wide, then he laughed. Did Marinel really think so highly of him? "Then we'll both Impress bronzes and lead together, hmm? A pair of weyrleaders." He wondered if navigation would be a good trait for a weyrleader, anyway. Probably, if it came down to finding Thread falling from the sky.

 

[Thaliawen]

"No bronze would--" Marinel began, before shaking his head. No, no, Dolmar was the one who'd end up weyrleader. He was a leader! But the boy had begun to smile. "You think so?" he asked. Well...

Maybe he could. Maybe he'd Impress a bronze and make his brother proud. "We could make Dolly Weyrsecond or something!" He continued to dry and put mugs away. "I think he'd be happy, then. He'd advise us."