[ prp ] vim and vinegar (ar'din/iathe + durgs)

[medigel]

Oil making was more intensive than he thought it would be. Ar'din was no stranger to having to crush plant material under Gregor, but close to an hour of collecting, washing, bagging, and crushing nuts could make even his rough hands ache from the efforts. But it, much like gardening, was an almost meditative exercise, or if nothing else could hypnotize him with the structured process. And if there was one thing Ar'din needed and didn't know how much until now, it was a structured process.

He'd made a small mess the first few days, but the tall, scarred man was starting to get used to it. Just as he was starting to get used to the odd looks his way here and there. The candidate that had a gold set on him. The candidate that didn't look like he should have a knife at any point. The candidate that didn't deserve a bronze.

Perched nearby in the sun, Alquemieth snorted and brushed the thought away with a disdainful flick. His eyes were closed, his wings partially spread, enjoying what sunlight was left as well as the light, cold breeze. It was almost winter now: in the mountains, it grew dark much too soon. At least the crushed nuts had to be heated, and the work kept Ar'din warm. Having removed the pits, he scooted the nuts into a woven bag, tied it tight, and handed it to Iathe so she could wash away the remaining pulp.

"Love being a junior rider," he said under his breath as he flexed his hand a few times.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

Iathe accepted the bag without a word, carefully washing it to remove any pulp that remained. This work could be considered mindless, true, but it was a good chance to think about things. Besides, though dull, it was important, and she gave the bag a firm shake to rid it of excess water before placing it with the rest. Ar'din had always seemed like a quiet, hardworking person. Supposedly he had angered Mictecath and Ausrath... but, well, she'd been carefully feeding and oiling Skerath, so she hadn't been present for the scene. He, at least, hadn't been sobbing and cowering during the Hatching... or, as she'd heard, punching eggs in an attempt to free the young dragons within...

"Life at the bottom of the ranks," She muttered, noting how he worked his hands for a moment. "Let's trade spots." Her hands weren't nearly as tired as his would be.

Skerath had found a spot also in the sun, slumbering partially even as she kept her attention on her rider.... and Alquemieth, to some degree. Dragons in their early youth seemed only to eat and sleep, which was understandable considering the amount of growth they had to achieve within a year.

medigel

 

[medigel]

"Is higher than any candidate's," Ar'din finished dryly. And yet.

His reflex was to say he was fine--he was always fine, not okay, not alright, but fine regarding any question asked of him--but Alquemieth intervened. I can feel a stiffness in your fingers, Ar'dinMine. The dragonet found himself flexing his own claws sympathetically.

"Fine," Ar'din said to both him and Iathe, sticking to his customary response as he moved to take her spot. It wasn't passive-aggressive, but he didn't like the idea that someone had noted a weakness, however momentary. He popped his knuckles as if the noise would confirm something and then went back to work. "Better this then sitting in a room for hours reading, I guess."

Alquemieth shifted his position slightly to catch the turn of the sun, tail curling close to his legs. Away from the coterie today, I see, he noted of Skerath, eyes still closed.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

Her lips quirked briefly in a half-smile at as the other half of the mantra was recited. And yet. Still, hard as it was to imagine, they were now considered of higher rank than even Lord Holders. Iathe moved to take his place in turn, satisfied that he was doing as he was told. It only made sense, and she liked to think of herself of a person that always spoke sense. Her lips pursed for a moment at the mention of reading, and even she had to give a nod. "It feels like we're doing something, this way."

Skerath cracked an eye open a crack, its shade a pleasant enough green for now. Astute of you, She responded, too content to give her words the bite that Alquemieth deserved. I'll inform Slidrianth that you missed him. Her amusement colored her words, for Alquemieth wasn't shy when it came to his feelings about some of their family.

Iathe went to work on, her face tightening with concentration even as she crushed the nuts. It was hard work, but necessary. Iathe never minded hard work if it produced a desirable result. "You should soak your hands afterwards, if you haven't been already." The hot water did wonders for aching muscles.

medigel

 

[medigel]

Alquemieth oozed, Assuming you get enough of his time to do so, busy body that he is. I didn't realize you wanted to be more sociable. Anakumath might like his company, but the bronze knew what his cousin was: a tunnelsnake. A handful of them were, in fact, which was equal amounts annoying and distressing when he considered how they would grow in the weyr. But now wasn't the time to dig up those nasty implications; now was the time to relax, and so Alque did. It would take something with sharper barbs than that to rouse him from his comfortable position.

"We are," Ar'din agreed, deadpanning as he worked. "We're handling nutsacks. More nutsacks than anyone else in the weyr at the moment. Truly, I'll need a whole body wash to get their liquids off me and feel clean again."

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

There was a loud snort from the small green, and her eye shuttered closed again without concern. He makes time to socialize everyone. Just like you make time to judge everyone. Her tone was still light and easy, and she snuggled a bit closer into herself with a content rumble. Though a stuffy, judgmental sack of firestone, Alquemieth was no fool. Still, she had little interest in him one way or another. Everything she wanted in life, she had... save for being big enough to fight the hated enemy.

Iathe's lips threatened to quirk again, and she was irritated with herself even as she fought down the smile. "As long as you aren't enjoying it for six more months." She murmured, crushing the nuts until she was satisfied. Then it was a simple matter of removing the pits, carefully bundling the pieces, and offering the tied bag to Ar'din.

medigel

 

[medigel]

He does, doesn't he? Alquemieth said with the faintly cavalier but, yes, judgmental tone he was becoming quickly known for. He hardly saw having standards as a flaw, but apparently he was a black sheep in a flock so content to be accepting all manner of wretchedness, weakness, and limp-wristed welcome mats. He blamed people like Gr'del for allowing them in. And just as you make time to endlessly needle others. For what purpose, one might wonder.

(One could have drawn parallels to his Ar'din, who suffered from the need to be unlikable for a variety of reasons, but he wouldn't do His such a disservice.)

If Ar'din noticed Iathe's attempts to smother her smile, he didn't show it, and continued in a more dramatic drone as he hefted the bag she passed him, imitating the mishmash of nobles he had heard in passing. "Me? Enjoy the dirty work of handling nutsacks and their precious liquids? Perish the thought." The bag went under running water as he picked out small clumps of pulp. "I am as pure as a newborn white's hide, thank you very much. I knew nothing about nuts or their sacks before coming here, and I certainly know nothing about clams and their precious pearls within."

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

Only to bother you, of course. She sneered, stretching her limbs out with a grunt. Another point to fly over your head, I suppose. Don't let it trouble you. Skerath cared little about how her family and others judged her--especially if they weren't able to handle her at her worst.

Ar'din was a man that should have been easy to dislike. But Iathe could remember many a time when he had dragged her away from a brawl just before adults had shown up, or patched up her wounds. "You've handled enough grotesque situations in your time," She snorted, pausing to eye him skeptically as he made his 'defense'. "Oh, please. A man as cultured as you? Spare me. I'm sure you've seen your share of... nuts and pearls."

She focused hard on crushing more nuts, glad she wasn't a person inclined to blush. As a Weyrbrat, she should have been accustomed to sex and people's indifference towards it here... but she'd never quite managed it.

medigel

 

[medigel]

Would that you had the power to do so, Alquemieth replied, one green eye opening. There were faint hints of orange, but then there always were. You might prove useful for something at last, rather than the waste of energy and resources that you are now.

Ar'din "mm'd" noncommittally, distracted by his quick thought to the bronze to tone it down. If one of them needed to make sure they didn't start a fight, then both of them needed to.

If that is enough to incite her, then she is truly weak, Alque said disdainfully. She feeds on insults, if anything. A blight of character.

Okay, cool, how about not ******** saying that anyway. The bronze was usually better about it, but apparently color was a sacred law at High Reaches. Arc didn't personally get the beef it caused and had been distant to the issue up until Impression, but of the two of them, he was the one who was supposed to be antagonistic, thanks. Wasn't Alque supposed to be molding him into a model rider or whatever?

Shouldn't you be focusing on the task at hand? he snapped back.

Ar'din nearly tossed the crushed nuts into the collection pile to the point of scattering them. "Ask me about pearls in six months and maybe you'll see," he said as he dusted his hands.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

Alquemieth, I'm crushed. Skerath easily rolled onto her belly and stood, facing the bronze with open amusement. I'll remember that when I'm saving your shiny hide from the Thread you're too slow to dodge.

It was her dragonet's movement and sudden pleasure that made Iathe narrow her eyes, pausing momentarily to glower at the green. Stop goading him. She growled, and Skerath stretched her wings before settling on her haunches.

Why? He's a stuffy fool. The sooner he wakes up to reality, the stronger he'll be. She shot back.

Because you're trying to stir the pot. Whether we like it or not, he's going to outrank you. I know you don't care, but if we're stuck on watch duty because you've run your mouth... Her hands clenched for a moment, and she completely missed what Ar'din was saying for a moment. Pearls? Oh. "Classy." She muttered.

Skerath remained as she was, her tail coiling about her feet. The day I'm of use to you is the day that I have erred... or, our goals have aligned.

medigel

 

[medigel]

Perish the thought that you might for once rise to the task for something more noteworthy than expelling your anger. He might have eye rolled if dragons could. Faranth knows the rest of them pity you as it is, if they aren't simply disgusted--

"That's enough."

Ar'din hadn't raised his voice since he first entered the weyr a month before the Hatching, and he might have surprised himself if he wasn't in the moment, in his sudden swell of emotion. It was uncharacteristic, and he hated that he couldn't clamp it down harder, but tending to one body of feelings had been hard enough; adding the bronze's stronger brand to it had made the pot boil over. That, and...Ar'din had heard words just like that before aimed at him. So he dumped the entire pot into the sink before it caused a bigger mess, unbothered by the burns on his hands.

Alque froze, inwardly cowed for a moment by the command but refusing to look phased on the outside. It was also not usual for the bronze to get caught up in his own posturing, not so openly and honestly anyway. Had their frustrations fed one another? Or...was it somehow his fault? He would buck at the idea normally, but when it came to His...

Ar'din didn't clarify. Instead, he made to start cleaning up his part of the station, ready to leave, a muscle in his jaw twitching.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

A surge of feelings rose in the back of Iathe's mind--anticipation, as though readying one's self for a fight. Then Ar'din suddenly spoke out loudly enough that Iathe whipped around to focus on him, unconsciously readying herself for--what? She made a wordless sound of alarm and annoyance both as hot water gushed over his hands, striding over quickly. "Stop," She snapped, knowing just as well as he did that he'd need those burns treated.

"Just hold on a second, okay?" Iathe moderated her tone with visible effort. Skerath had undoubtedly riled up Alquemieth, so it was up to her to make it right again. "Where are you in such a hurry to be?"

Skerath watched the humans now, her eyes whirling with a touch of irritated orange now. Still, she wisely held her tongue.

medigel

 

[medigel]

Away, he wanted to say, but his jaw tensed instead.

Alquemieth closed his eyes once more and attempted to divide the solid mass of anger that was forming inside his rider. In truth, he was surprised to find it there at all; startled, even, though he wouldn’t dare show it in front of that lowlife. It was probably not something a young dragonet should have been responsible for, but Alque was learning that Ar’din was used to being...

Leashed, Arc provided scornfully.

Obseved, the bronze countered. But here? Partners. Equals. Together.

Ar’din could feel the frustration at himself for suddenly striking out simmer within the noise inside. Maybe that was why he had always stayed behind himself when he could: people were just Noise. Alque has been one of the few who could cut through that. It also meant his words could also cut through Ar’din as well. It was all the worse that they had to learn this in public.

Alquemieth asked, Can you explain later?

Ar’din grunted.

Thank you.

The mental conversation was blisteringly fast. His grunt could have been just a response to Iathe, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and sigh through his nose harshly before adding more to it.

“Remembered some bad clams,” he dead panned, absently checking the reddening patches on his hands like they belonged to some other patient he was tending to. Idiot. But nothing severe. “Thought I was gonna vomit. All clear.”

Tsunake