Proud Papa

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 9th October 2015

Characters: D'kere, Talwynn
Description: D'kere and Talwynn celebrate his and Kenirath's first hatching as sire.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 7 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Genna/Lissath, E'naer

Feasts were one of the few exceptions to Talwynn's antisocial
tendencies. For Lissath's first, because it was so important to
D'kere, she wanted to make a good showing and look nice beside him. A
trip to the stores and she'd picked out a knee-length dress,
conservatively cut, in a soft grey fabric. Not something she'd have
been caught in Turns ago, but dresses were so much easier to put on
now than a tunic and pants. The only accessory she wore with it were
long gloves of the same material, to cover the scarring on the bad
hand.

The Dining Cavern felt more crowded than usual and she knocked into a
couple people as she wound her way through, looking for D'kere.

>From the corner of his eye D'kere caught a flash of grey and then he
had to do a double take. Talwynn. His blue eyes trailed from her face,
to the nicely cut bodice of her grey dress, and then down to the skirt
that swished enticingly above her shapely calves as she walked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get back with you on that later." D'kere said
absently to the man he was talking to before he turned and began
weaving through the crowd.

"Tal." He smiled as he finally reached her.

She gave him a shy smile when she saw him. "Hey. I wanted to dress up
nice for the hatching. Since it's yours and all." Her good hand
plucked at the skirt.

"You look..." He trailed off, at a loss for words to describe Talwynn
in that moment. "Don't take these off... I'd like to have that honor
myself." D'kere skimmed a finger along the silky material of the long
gloves that she wore.

Her shy smile melted into one of genuine pleasure. "So that trip to
the Weaver's was worth every quarter mark then?"

"Oh yes." His eyes roved over her one last time before he extended his
hand, palm facing up. "Dance with me?"

"Sure," she said, taking his hand. "As long as it's not to a fast one I
can't keep up with." But so far the music wasn't too energetic yet.

"Nothing like that. I want to hold you close." D'kere flashed his
handsome smile at her as he led her out onto the dance floor. There
would be many women to dance with that night out of necessity, since
his dragon was the proud papa, but Talwynn's was the only dance that
really mattered.

She let him lead her, concentrating at first at keeping her balance.
"So how do you feel, proud papa?"

D'kere chuckled at Talwynn's choice of words, "_Exactly_ as I imagine
a true proud papa feels. I used to shake my head when I heard men
getting all mushy talking about their kids being born but after that
Hatching.... It makes a little more sense."

"Kenirath did some great work. You ever wanted to be one yourself, or
not really?"

"Honestly, I'd never given it much thought before today. After seeing
Kenirath's and Lissath's dragonets hatch.... It's definitely made me
think more about fatherhood." D'kere hadn't ever really had much luck
with women in the past, so thinking about being a dad had been low on
is list. "What about you? Ever considered someone calling you 'mom?'"

"I haven't before. I bet I'd be terrible." She was short-tempered,
impatient, traits that wouldn't be good for a long-suffering nice
mother, she thought. She was nothing like hers. "You look good being a
dad. Maybe you could be a flight papa and see your kid now and then.
Or are the weyrlings enough?"

D'kere chuckled and reached up to stroke a stray strand of hair away
from Talwynn's face, "You would be a fine mother. After all,
dragonriders have a little bit of an advantage in that area since our
children spend more time with their foster parents than they do with
us."

"That's very true. Means not as much worry." She turned her cheek into
his hand affectionately. "It never seemed important before."

"Maybe it's just something we let happen naturally then?" He
suggested, his voice tender.

"That makes sense. We have time after all, and other things that are
important. You and the weyrlings... Me and getting back into work."

"I am still holding on to hope that we'll find a Weyrlingmaster." he said.

"There's an awful lot of work on you right now," she said with
sympathy. He and E'naer were doing everything. "Is there really no
bronzerider with the skills to work with the young, or just no one
who's stepping up?"

D'kere shook his head, "No one has shown any interest whatsoever. You
would think teaching the future dragonriders of Pern would be a little
higher on peoples' priority lists but it's not."

She winced. "I'm sorry. I guess some men aren't as tough as you."

That made D'kere smile, as he'd never considered himself an especially
tough sort of guy. "What I am thinking, is that on my next Restday,
you and me go fishing at our spot."

"Sounds perfect. You, me, the water, the fish, and nobody to bother
us." It appealed to her isolationism.

"Then it's a date." The music about the swelled to a stop, and D'kere
reluctantly released Talwynn, but not before pressing a quick kiss to
her lips. "I'd better get back to Genna and the obligatory
congratulations. I'll come find you for another dance in a few
minutes?"

"That would be great. And don't get too worn out, because I have plans
for you for tonight."

D'kere's teeth flashed into a charming smile, "Oh, I wouldn't miss it."

Last updated on the October 13th 2015

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Proud Papa