Like Old Men {Damien}

[damien]

“Cant concentrate on paperwork.” He admitted quietly, shaking his head. He liked this rider, which was awkward, weird and vaguely amusing for him. Dant’ris never liked anyone as a rule. People tended to be annoying ingrates who wanted something from you, or were loud annoying children who screamed at the sight of cutting open a corpse to feed a dragonet. This man though, it was like they were twins. He found himself relaxing with someone who finally understood.

Oh great, now there is two of you Szyth mind voice was heavily colored with amusement, and he spoke to both riders. Inwardly though he winced a bit though and hoped they would not see each other again. They were too alike for Szyth’s comfort.

Dant’ris did not give pity, but he sympathized a bit. He did not owe a debt to anyone but his dragon now, and he thought fleetingly of Maikoe, the sweet little girl-he was quick to shake that out of his head. No, now was not the time and absently he scratched the fluffy head of the bird beside him, smiling faintly at the coos of pleasure.

“Nothing dramatic, I don’t even follow politics so it’s not as though I really care what’s going on between either. If the fighting gets bad enough I fully plan on leaving anyway. The only reason I’m anywhere is because Szyth needs a dragon healer. They took us for Candidate Master, so I came.” He shrugged. There was nothing else to say about it. He did not believe in their fight, nor would he ever join in it. Candidate master had the specific role of being needed to stay behind-with the candidates. Unless he was specifically asked to fly he wouldn’t have to.

“The moment they start one of their stupid battles though I’m either gone or I’ll stay behind and mock the idiots who get wounded. Hate to admit it though, I need to be in a weyr, or at least close to one. And no one likes a rider who doesn’t live in a weyr. Figure we’ll go about stealing their daughters and eating all their cattle or something.” He snorted a bit eyes flickering to watch the sky for a moment.

“So, this must be a rarity for them. A rebel and a Weyrrider having a ‘normal’ conversation. Should we pretend to stab each other? It might make them believe you. I’ll even close my eyes and let you hit me first.”

[Zirin]

J'degar was different. There were people he liked, people he disliked, and people he wanted to shove off cliffs. It didn't take much to get on the brownrider's good side; he would at least tolerate anyone who proved to be a hard working and reliable wingmate really. He blinked up in mild surprise as the bronze's voice entered his mind. He gave a brief snort of amusement. Perhaps this man should have been his brother, instead of that happy-go-lucky idiot.

"Well if you ever want to live in a failure of a Weyr lead by a bunch of men and women that hold no trust for eachother and can't do their jobs correctly, then Trelis is the place for you. No doubt you'd make a better candidatemaster than that damn woman." Every hatching was the same thing... the candidates taught by the women seemed to do nothing but act like idiots on the sands. The young hopefuls needed someone who would actually teach them. Ah well, he wouldn't wish Trelis on anyone. Especially a clearly sensible man like Dant'ris.

"A rider is a rider, no matter where life has bothered to put each of us," J'degar shrugged, merely reaching out to grab a couple cards and start the game. "If you really want to spend the night unconscious then be my guest and attack. I, for one, would rather grumble and groan about all the things in life that suck." While a good fight would likely be fun, he had no reason to put forth such an effort just yet; perhaps if the man proved to be annoying down the road

[damien]

“Oh I’m sure I would be, but I will have to regretfully decline for now. Pressing matters to attend to and all.’ He drawled out with acidic wit his dark eyes amused even if his face wouldn’t show it. He would not take a position in that weyr, at least not unless it was the only place he had to go. Dant’ris did not take hand outs but if this rebel thing fell through and he had to leave, the only nearest dragon healers WERE at Trellis. He wondered even if they would think about giving them a position and highly doubted it. They would be stuck doing paperwork and other things they could push on him, just to make him feel as though he was important. Ugh, he’d die first.

He raised an eyebrow giving ‘Gar a rather heavy look before he shook his head. “You know, I would never admit this outloud but you would give me a good fight. As much fun as that would be, I haven’t had a bloody nose in ages, it would be better to keep you for a comrade who knows what I’m talking about then someone I want to punch.”

And surprisingly a look swept over his face, it was entirely animal, a wolf like grin as he watched him. “I might take you up on that later though, you might just help me sleep.”

Oh great. It would figure besides me we find the one person in the world who he feels comfortable with, and who he –wants- to punch him in the face. Do you know how many nights I am going to spend having to listen to how wonderful you are and how much he misses you and how terribly he wants to break your jaw? Pftt, humans Szyth spoke for the brown dragon and his rider alone his voice colored heavily with amusement. Sadly though he wasn’t entirely joking.

He took his own cards eying the game set up to make sure it was one he knew, and well, before he laid his first card down waiting for Gar’s turn. “We should though come back dirty, they’ll want to know where you were, where I was. Could say you met a rebel, killed him with your bare teeth and buried him some where.” A rough chuckle.

Szyth peered at the humans with mock disgust.

How disturbingly imaginative, perhaps we should go elsewhere my dragon friend He lifted up a paw to awkwardly ‘pat’ the brown with sympathy. Finally someone who understood him!

[Zirin]

J'degar gave a quick snort, his only acknowledgement of amusement. Clearly the man felt the same way about Trelis as J'degar himself did. He only wished he'd realized sooner that the damn place hadn't been worth losing everything for. Ah well, the past was the part; it couldn't be changed.
　
"It doesn't need admitting. It's clearly obvious on its own," J'degar replied with his own droll comment. He didn't doubt the man could throw a mean punch, but he knew as well as Dant'ris probably did that the rain would work in Gar's advantage. The brownrider was't bogged down by pain like Danno was. Of course, J'degar mused, the man could be playing up the pain.. but he seemed the proud sort, the type who wouldn't fall to such underhanded and easily anticipated tactics.
　
"I think we would both sleep the better for it," J'degar gave a feral grin. Knocking the man out cold would not only relieve the remaining stress he had, but it would almost garantee he wouldn't wake up dead in the morning. Nothing said quiet companion like an unconscious body! As Szyth spoke to them, J'degar subconsciously rubbed his jaw, quite sure that he wasn't fond of the idea of a broken jaw.
　
"How romantic..." J'degar groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose at the very notion of being missed or considered wonderful. He didn't call the brnze or Dant'ris out on the idea though. If some crazy rebel bronzer decided to feel any sort of fondness for him, well it was none of his business just yet; something better left ignored.
　
"Oh Weyrwoman! I swear there was ten of the bastards! All big brutish men! It was tough but I took them all out, ripped their tongues from their throats and ate them for breakfast." He gave a mock voice, his expression almost amused as he spoke, adding a sing song quality to his otherwise incredibly deep voice. It was short lived however, and the moment he finished his expression dropped back into his regular grumpy frown. "Wouldn't be the first rider to come back with some bullshit tale about running into you folks."
　
I suppose you are right, there are better places to weather out the storm. The brown paused and shook his head, mildly amused himself. I don't know wether to be pleased or not that I'm not the only one listening to his thoughts now.
　
J'degar remained quiet for a moment as he contemplated the card game, though his thoughts strayed back t Dant'ris as Syphraelth mentioned leaving. Alone with a rider who might think he's wonderful? Well, that had to be nipped in the bud before anything started, just in case.
　
"So tell me Dant'ris. Wife? Kids? Weyrmate?"

[damien]

Danno cast a glance at the man as he rubbed his nose wondering what he was saying. He had heard part of what Szyth had said but since it wasn’t directed at him it was very like trying to listen to a conversation a few rooms away. He could hear it, he just couldn’t quite grasp many of the words. Knowing Szyth he doesn’t want to know what was said and he brushed it off as not important for now.

He snorted out a noise of amusement at the others play. “You forgot ripping their throats out with your bare fingers, that’s heroic isn’t it?” He didn’t point out that it was also quite very possible. You did not show your entire hand when you were playing such a game after all.

He had been distracted since Szyth had mentioned he was leaving and the question caught him off guard. A short laugh, more of a gruff humph, escapes him before he speaks. “Really? Do I look the type to enjoy the noise of children, let alone any related to me?” His face softened a bit though as he remembers Maikoe and he casts a look at the fluffy eyas near by.

“I had a daughter.” He admitted. “She wasn’t of my blood though. But no, no weyrmate, no wife no need for either. Unlike most men I don’t have the need to go forth and find someone and populate the world with squalling little things. I’m quite content with Szyth and I wouldn’t change that.” He gave him a look.

“Why do you ask, what about you? Only fair to answer after all.”

[Zirin]

"There are certainly more pleasant ways to kill someone," J'degar chuckled. Without a doubt he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight unless he knocked the man out cold. A shame, he had been looking forward to a bit of shut eye, but perhaps it was for the best. He was rather fond of his throat after all and he didn't doubt that this man would be able to pull off such a thing. It was a mildly disturbing notion but hey, who was J'degar to judge; after all, he had quite the knowledge in how to kill someone from the inside out.
　
"If we want to go for gruesome there's always the option of gutting. Poor saps, that would be a hell of a way to go." He spoke with a straight face. Sure, he himself had never done such things. He knew how to kill a man, and he had needed to before in the past, but J'degar prefered to give his enemies a clean death. He had seen some more brutal duels in his time though.
　
"I suppose the answer should have been obvious, given your charming personality." J'degar gave a hearty, if short, bout of laughter. He didn't even know how he himself drew the attention of women sometimes, and with what he'd seen of Dant'ris, the man wasn't exactly approachable. The answer though, had J'degar biting his tongue to keep from asking about what happened to this daughter. He doubted the tale would be cheery after all.
　
"Curiosity." He gave a shrug of his shoulders and moved the cards around in his hand before finishing up his turn. Of course, Dant'ris didn't need to know that it was Szyth's words that had prompted the question. "I guess that's fair. Have son from my first mate," and there was a pause as he winced from the memory of the woman he loved. Yet there was a hint of pride as he thought of his son. "I.. have a step-daughter of sorts from my second mate but we grew apart." It was hard to stay compassionate when you spent all day ordering around your weyrmate after she impressed. Things were confusing between them, to say the least. Weyrmates probably wasn't the right term for them anymore.
　
"I think you've got the right idea; the heartache isn't worth it."

[damien]

Danno listened as the other explained, shortly, about his personal life. He didn’t want to know more, didn’t need to know more. The man was gruff and all around just grumpy and not personable, his relationships had to be short or awkward to deal with. He said nothing about them though only nodded his head before he laid his first card down waiting for Gar’s attack next.

He was looking forward to a hopefully boring night of card games, drinking himself to a stupor and passing out cold to wake up to stiff joints when he felt something intrude on his mind. He stopped, automatically putting his next card down, muttering some sort of insult along the lines of ‘you can play better than this’ and his eyes began to glaze over.

He couldn’t shake himself free of the mental hold, at least not until Szyth let him free and by then the noise of what the dragon had done was audible to even them. He visibly winced as he heard a rock fall, not far away, cascading down the hills tumbling to land half in the water and smack into others.
Szyth who had been trying to find a comfortable place for both of the dragons to lay, stopped, one foot held up, his back foot only resting on one toe as peered helplessly down at the mess he had made.

He didn’t have to say anything. Dripping wet he turned his head to stare sadly at the brown. Oops.

“Wonderful.” Danno muttered eyes dragging towards the cave entrance, where he could see a few pebbles and rocks from the fall. “Well could be worse I suppose, could have been on top of us. But he just alerted every predator on this entire damn rock that we are here.” Not that an animal predator would happily run towards such a noise, jaws dripping slather. They were more apt to run away. But he was thinking two legged predators.

“Who’s turn is it?” He eyed the cards giving him a look that spoke volumes.