[PRP] Must you be so Stubborn? (Tsuyat & Soui)

[houllow]

"Don't be sad for me, this is the path I've specifically chosen to walk." Soui's voice was strong yet gentle, and she offered up to Tsuyat one of her more adult smiles. It suited her face and her demeanor, most certainly, but it could be unnerving considering just how young and small she was. "Besides, it's not like I haven't seen things at the Hall that could be compared. My teacher is Pem, remember? I only had nightmares the first few times, but after that I'm sleeping much better." If that was an attempt at a joke it was hard to tell, as her voice stayed steady and her expression gave no signs of it. Likely it was the truth, her nights broken apart in terror that sent her shrieking into the bed of the nearest relative. "And see? Even Yudu knows."

Soui very much loved being spoiled by her twin and by her cousin, yet she understood the pain and frustration he must have felt when it came to dealing with her sudden appearance and everything that came with it. Tsuyat had always been nothing but kind to her, spoiling her and loving her with Yudueth at his side to share the affections.

She would need to learn not to take advantage of this, and to grow from it. Healers were supposed to help, not cause the pain that seemed to be spreading across Tsuyat's face over thoughts of her. Inwardly it made her feel guilty, but she would not let it show. A Healer must always have a good, clear face when dealing with others. "You are protecting me, you know. By fighting Thread together, by leading riders to eradicate the threats? Me, and so many others, are safe because of you - so don't go saying you can't. My mother would box your ears were she to hear those words." Soui grinned a wicked and childish look that suited her more than being serious. "Besides, I saw that look you two gave one another just now. What were you thinking? No secrets, or I'll start keeping a few from the two of you as well."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Closing his eyes against the idea that Soui had witnessed death and pain and lived to have nightmares after the experience, Tsuyat promised himself that he would drill into Pem all the harder for it. Of course it was what she wanted, she had always been extremely mature even as a young child but it was absolutely no call for her to see things so soon. She should have been bandaging things and dealing with burns or wrenched muscles, maybe even broken bones! But life or death situations?

Leave it to Pem to throw her into the fire feet first.

"I'll always respect your wishes, I just wish that it had come about in a different way little cousin." Tsu pinched both of her cheeks for that smile, albeit lightly, and kissed the center of her forehead briefly. "It's my duty and an honor to fight Thread in order to save the people of Pern, that doesn't mean I can't do something special for my favorite cousin. I'll always do everything I can to make sure that you come first because of that. Honestly... Yudueth wouldn't let me do it any other way."

We don't keep secrets from you little twin. Tsuyat simply is debating introducing you to Master A'ral to see you stand for the next hatching as a Candidate. However you are here on a mission of your own, so I'm unsure if it is wise to do so.

Yellow eyes peered down at the small girl from the dragon's large wedged head and he would be remiss to admit that he would love to see her ride a dragon. The master and his green Zinath were fantastic at teaching and protecting their students, but after he saw the aftermath of the last hatching he wasn't entirely certain if he wanted her to stand on those sands. Surely the dragon couldn't remember back to his own hatchling days, but he knew that they were violent in regards to the siblings that had hatched alongside him. Could he really sit idly by and watch Soui be mauled by a hatchling that would toss her aside when it didn't find what it was looking for in her soft eyes and scarred face?

Wrapping his tail around both of his humans, and he certainly thought of them both as his even if Soui was not at all his rider, Yudueth bowed his head to them. to show his own level of worry for their safety and livelihoods. Tsuyat's hand ran across the bridge of his nose gently and the rider looked down at his cousin once more with the eyes of an old man.

"If it's something you'd enjoy trying for I'm sure I could talk to him though, it's everyone's right in the Weyr when they come of age and I know that you're rather close yourself." In an unspoken part of their bond he could already feel the blame that his dragon would place on him should the worst happen and was forced to bear the burden of it regardless.

houllow

 

[houllow]

Soui wrinkled her brow as she processed what her cousin and twin where suggesting. "Me, stand? As a candidate?" She sounded almost incredulous, like such a thought never once occurred to her. "You think someone like me could actually ever Impress?" It wasn't that Soui disliked the idea of being a rider, but her brain almost couldn't comprehend such a thing. Sure she was old enough, or close enough at thirteen turns, but she was certain she was going to be a healer.

Apart from some random members of her family going off to do something different, Soui was from a clan of healers. Most everyone was a Healer, both of her parents were healers, and...well. The idea of being something else was new and almost a little overwhelming. Not in a bad way, of course, but in the way where someone was offering you something you'd never had before.

So....perhaps a little bad. Distress colored Soui's face, and she pushed back from her cousin's embrace. "Would being a rider be safer or better for me than being a Healer?"

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

"I don't see why you couldn't stand. You live in the Weyr now, at least for the time being, and everyone living here is given the same opportunity to stand as any other. There are far more now than there used to be, but there are dragon riders that work as healers as well." Tsuyat started, tapping his chin and looking skyward as if attempting to remember a thought that had managed to escape him over the years.

You are half right. It is the right of those born into the Weyr to stand for Candidacy and those that are not must be Searched. However Soui has grown up calling a dragon 'twin' so I do not suppose that she would have many issues facing the hatchlings that come forth. It might still be wise to speak to master A'ral first before leaping to conclusions and scaring her.

The tone of Yudueth's words had his rider realizing that the words were coming for him alone, Soui's face didn't show much reaction aside the worry and distress that had spread over her adorable features when the thought had come up. It was true, he'd certainly wanted to bring it up to the Candidatemaster first and gauge the more experienced man's opinion before he leapt into it and filled her head with false hopes. It didn't seem all that false though, at least not to Tsuyat who had seen the bravery and strength of character that his young cousin had grown into over the turns she'd been alive. Soui made their family proud even though she was so young and her sense of responsibility reminded him so strongly of his aunt and uncle that he wondered where he even came into their family dynamic. Certainly his father was different by comparison to them, but he wasn't much better himself, only taking after his mother by the smallest of margins.

"Honestly Soui, with the return of Thread these past two turns I don't know that anything on Pern is considered 'safe' anymore. Just about anything can get you killed if you're in the wrong place at the right time, so what it comes down to is what you want to do with your life." Reaching out one of his large hands he placed it against the side of her head and ran his thumb down one scar on her cheek gently. "You've seen so much on Pern already and known so much pain both physically and mentally from the sounds of it. With that force of character I know you'd make an amazing rider if you wanted to follow that path and I'll always support you every step of the way no matter the path you choose, because it's your life and your choice. You're brilliant and that'll take you a long way no matter what you choose to do, so don't let anything or anyone hold you back from your choice."

That doesn't mean you won't still hit Pem for getting her so close to death though, right?

"Correct, that does not at all mean I won't still hit Uncle Pem when I see him." Tsuyat nodded his head and cast around as if he'd see him out the corner of an eye. The man was much smarter than that though and likely far too busy to simply be walking around looking at everything on the edges of the Bowl. He would catch up to him sooner or later and while he was certain that he would at least punch him lightly he knew that it was Soui's decision and what really could he do about it? Just as he'd said a moment before, it was her life and no one should hold her back no matter who they were.

houllow

 

[houllow]

There was a pause in her thoughts before Soui looked between her cousin and her twin. "If I were to stand and Impress, that means I'd get to stay here with you." Soui liked that idea quite a bit, even though it could only color on the ends of the distress she was feeling. "I wouldn't have to ever miss you again, or want to see you again. I could see you every day, and make sure that you and Yudu take care of yourselves." Her voice sounded a little more sure, but there was still so much she needed to cover. "At least that way I won't have to worry about you being careless, Tsu, but then..."

Soui trailed off again, biting the edge of her thumb with the top row of her teeth. "If I Impressed, I would have to stop being a healer and I would have to fight Thread." That thought made a cold chill run down her spine, but she knew how important it was. "I could probably help more people as a rider though, than a healer. It'll be Turns before I can even call myself a proper healer, though it would also take Turns to be a rider...."

It was probably ridiculous for her to think so hard on "ifs" and "maybes". Chances are she could stand and die on her first try, or stand for a while and then be pulled out when it looked like she was hopeless. Either way her face went through a whole bunch of emotions in a single go, her mind swirling.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Of course you would get to stay here with us, if you impress you would never have to leave. However you could absolutely continue to be a Healer if you so wished. There are many riders that work as healers when they're on the ground and not fighting Thread.

"He's right, please don't look so frightened by the idea Soui, if you don't feel up to it you don't have to stand as a candidate. I just thought that we could see if the option sounded good to you." Tsuyat put a large hand on the side of her head and kissed her forehead gently. The rider supported her in every way and just wanted to see her happy at the end of the day. The fact that it would keep them closer if she stayed and stood as a Candidate was just one perk of it, but keeping her away from the death she might see in holds across Pern was another.

When the option had been given to him so many years ago himself he had to waffle with his choices of either becoming a rider or a journeyman massage crafter. It had been hard but he knew that whatever Soui chose to do she would excel at it and he and his bronze dragon would be there to support her every step of the way.

houllow

 

[houllow]

"It...doesn't sound bad, but I don't really know. I mean, our family sort of expects all of us to be healers. Uncle more or less broke the mold like he did, and then...." Soui trailed off, wondering just if she should think on it. She did have quite a while to ponder, as she'd been told dragons don't clutch quite as often as a firelizard would, and so she didn't need to give him an answer right away. "I think I will try and think on it more, because you suggested it and I think you're an amazing rider. Plus," The teen turned to look at Yudu. "If I could have a dragon that could be friends with Yudu, that would make me really happy."

Being a rider like Tsuyat was certainly appealing if she stopped her doubts to consider it, and Soui would have liked to think more when the dark green flitter from before suddenly popped out. Tied in her claws was a small note, which she dropped into Soui's upturned palm.

A frown crossed the small teen's face as she read the notice, and she looked to her cousin. "Pem says it's time for me to come back and study. I'm not here on vacation, he says, and I'm certainly not here to spend time with you as I please." Soui paused and winced. "Those...those are his words, not mine." Why exactly Pem didn't like Tsuyat was beyond Soui, but his message was clear - she needed to go back to the infirmary sooner rather than later. "I really should go, but....but I can still see you around, right? We can really meet more than before, right?"

Before Tsuyat could really answer, the green gave a bugle of warning. She wasn't going to tolerate tardiness, and Soui wasn't sure she wanted to risk the green going back and telling Pem anything. So she turned on her heels and looked to walk off. "Promise me, okay?"

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

"Don't worry, you wouldn't be the first one to choose a different path, even if it's exclusive to my father and myself. I know what Pem and the rest of our family thinks of the two of us as well, but with how special you are to everyone I sincerely doubt that they would treat you like the embarrassments that they treat us. You've got a much better work ethic than my father and I do." Tsuyat offered to her, smiling at her next statement despite himself and swallowing the slight rise that came with remembering how little their family thought of him. "It's rather nice, but I could be biased about it for obvious reasons."

Gesturing up to the delicate bronze dragon, he received a nudge from Yudueth for the way his thoughts had turned, a gentle love spread through him that originated within the twin hearts of the bronze. No matter what he thought of himself or his family thought of him, his dragon reminded him constantly that he was a hardworking wingsecond that cared deeply and took care of all those around him.

Lest you forget. Yudeth stated and bowed his head to the small teen before him.

Waving a hand at Soui's word for word from his uncle, Tsu sighed a bit, "Oh don't worry, I know he's never liked me. It's more because of my dad than because of who I am... I think. Go and study with him, Yudueth and I are always around here in the Weyr, if you ever can't find us just know we're either fighting thread or I'm buried under paperwork. I promise you'll see more of us now, you're in Western Weyr now after all!"

We will always be here for you Soui, whether your uncle likes us or not, please know that. Whenever you need us, just call and we'll be there. The bronze gave a hum to her as she turned to leave and pushed his head against Tsuyat's chest, directing his next words towards his rider alone. I don't care what Pem or any of the rest of your family says, they don't know you well enough to even judge you, because they don't know how hard you work to protect them.

Kissing the large bronze head and scratching at the skin around his ridges, Tsu sent a gentle request to his dragon to watch after Soui for the night as he went to go and finish up the paperwork that he'd neglected when he sought her out, a nap might not have been a bad idea either given the pain still in his shoulder. A rumble was all he received as he headed back to his weyr, bronze wings stretching out to catch air, intending to spend the evening watching after his twin, an action brought on by the concern of three hearts for her safety and well being.

houllow

Fin ~