The Shadow Days We Leave Behind... Hopefully

Writers: Aaron, Halyonix
Date Posted: 8th April 2024

Characters: D'ren, Y'rim
Description: A welcomed quiet conversation
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 5, day 15 of Turn 11

Notes:

D'ren had agreed to eat lunch with the Wing today. Both the dining
cavern and the table itself were already loud when he arrived and he
chose to sit at the quieter end of the table.

It didn't look like he would be sitting alone though. Even though his
expression said that he was happy to see his Wing, his body language
said that he was definitely ready to be in a quieter space but social
obligations said otherwise about totally escaping. Y'rim gave D'ren a
small smile as neared. "Is this seat taken?" he asked.

D'ren shook his head. "Feel free." From what he'd seen, Y'rim seemed
to be a quieter sort so D'ren didn't mind sitting next to him.

With a soft exhalation of relief, Y'rim sat. He shot D'ren a tight
smile, the kind that was grateful for the moment but also offered
sympathy for their shared plight of being in a loud space as
introverts. "How are you today?" he asked politely even as he began to
eat.

"I'm doing well," D'ren said automatically. "How are you?"

"Glad that practice is over for the day," Y'rim answered. "That new
maneuver we were trying, where Quiroanth has to cover an overlap on
Surikith -- we're still getting used to that. I keep thinking we're
supposed to duck left but it's right so I keep giving her the wrong
coordinates and then we're out of place for the next flame." Y'rim
sighed, disappointed in himself. "Oh, we'll get it. I just want to
relax for the rest of the day though."

"Do you think you'll be able to memorize it for drills tomorrow?"
D'ren took a bite of his food.

"Maybe?" Y'rim said uncertainly.

He poked at his food and sighed, adding, "It's just been a rather
large adjustment, coming here. Everyone is pleasant, all dragonriders
are! Mostly. But learning the landmarks and the drills and the names
of everyone...it's..a lot."

"Yes, well . . . there's a lot of adjustment with moving." D'ren felt
like he'd been drifting on the wind the last few Turns.

"It issss," Y'rim echoed emphatically. "And just...oh, never mind, you
understand. You know. You moved here too, right? From which Weyr?"

"Dragonsfall. I . . . ended up there after River Bluff." His eyes grew shadowed.

Y'rim did not miss that expression but there was something that took
precedence. "River Bluff? Me too! I...oh, how did I forget you were
there?" he said, kicking himself internally for being so
absent-minded. "I...oh, you know, I'll just be honest. I was in a bad
place after the earthquake and my weyrmate was an absolute asshole
and..." Y'rim fell quiet. He poked at his food for a moment and then
said softly, "I should have just left after the earthquake like you
did. Nothing ever went right after that."

"I . . . wasn't very social." D'ren shrugged. "And we were in
different Wings." He knew that because he didn't recognize Y'rim
either. "River Bluff was supposed to be a new start for me. That
didn't turn out so well."

That got him a sympathetic smile from Y'rim. "Funny how that happens,"
the greenrider complained. "Change in latitudes, change in attitudes,
and all that, and yet it's the change you _didn't_ want to happen." He
let out a long sigh and stabbed at his food. "Well, we're here now and
hopefully here is better than there."

"It's good that the Weyr is growing and so much construction has been
done, but . . . I miss the days when it was more rugged," D'ren said.
"The work kept me busy."

There was something to be said about the power of distraction and how
it helped the mind heal. Y'rim pushed at his food while he considered
that. "Maybe...a new project is what you need?" he quietly suggested.

"Probably. Though I wouldn't know where to start." It wasn't as if he
had all that much free time between his duties and caring for Menanth,
but those things were mostly routine. It had been good to put in work
and see real progress in the Weyr construction, even if it was in a
small way.

"What did you do?" Y'rim asked. "Working on the Weyr."

"Just about everything I could." D'ren shrugged a shoulder. "Menanth
and I made deliveries, moved equipment, carried stone down from the
weyrs . . . We weren't here during the early phases, although I wanted
to be. They didn't need harper-trained riders." It was maybe the only
time D'ren had regretted his craft.

That caught Y'rim's attention. "You're a harper? What specialty? Oh,
or did you have one? I should ask that first. I always assume and I
shouldn't. It's a bad habit."

"I wasn't there long enough to pick a specialty," D'ren told him. "I
was Searched from Harper Hall as an apprentice. I like writing music,
so I might have gone into composing."

"I wish my craft were something so interesting," Y'rim said. He
wrinkled his nose. "I'm farmercraft. I mean, it's not as glorious as
a harper or anything but..."

}: Don't you dare put yourself down! :{ Quiroanth said sharply, ever
to her rider's rescue.

Y'rim exhaled and smiled. Caught. "I like growing things. I've never
tried writing music though. Is it...fun?"

"It can be fun. Or it can be extremely frustrating." D'ren smiled.
"I've heard that working with plants can be calming. Is that why you
like growing things?"

Surprisingly, Y'rim shook his head. "Oh, no, I started as a farmer
because my father expected me to do it. Small hold, not many crafts,
son follows in the father's footsteps, you've heard this story," he
explained. He pushed his food, then forced himself to nibble on a bit,
and then went on to say, "But eventually some of it grew on me." He
paused, chuckled softly, and said, "I guess pun intended? I enjoy
parts of it now. Green things make me happy."

"That's the important part, doing something that makes you happy."
D'ren took a bite.

"I suppose it is," Y'rim quietly agreed. He smiled softly, poked at
his food again, and said, "Thank you."

D'ren blinked. "For what?"

The greenrider tilted his head towards the raucous Wing nearby. "For a
nice conversation instead of having to deal with that," he said.

The bronzerider chuckled. "Well, in that case, thank you too."

Last updated on the April 11th 2024

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The Shadow Days We Leave Behind... Hopefully