Making New Acquaintances

Writers: Halyonix, Shawna
Date Posted: 21st January 2025

Characters: D'boran, Br'elt
Description: D’boran makes an attempt to be friendly and somehow it works
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 2, day 14 of Turn 12

Br'elt

Sondrith always insisted on a good, proper bath the day after threadfall no matter how tiring the day before had been, and D’boran had just finished scrubbing and polishing the green until she looked-

}:Acceptable,:{ the green finally declared. }:I’m going to go make friends.:{

**You’re what?**

The green didn’t answer, moving over to where a brown had just moved from water to shore. }:Lovely weather, isn’t it?:{ Sondrith said brightly.

Rolling his eyes, D’boran finished packing away the bathing supplies. He was fairly certain he saw the brown’s rider and veered that way. “At least Sondrith has good taste, you’ve a good looking brown there. I don’t think I’ve seen him in the Infirmary yet.”

}: Have you ever considered just saying ‘hello’?:{

"And hopefully he won't be there anytime soon," came the bright reply from Br'elt, who was wiping oil from his hands. "Sondrith's rider, you said? I'm Br'elt, Werreth's rider." He offered his hand to the other man.

}: She's a lovely green, :{ Werreth remarked privately to his rider. The brown dragon puffed out his chest a little. }: Lovely weather indeed, :{ he said to her. }: A good day for flying. :{

"D'boran," the greenrider took the offered hand for a firm handshake. "Hey, don't insult the Infirmary. It's good to stop by even for a checkup," he actually sounded huffy, though the feeling of fond amusement from Sondrith made him reign it in. "Anyway, nice to meet you."

}:It is. The wind is just right. I might go hunting a little later,:{ the green said, having just decided that at that very moment.

}: Would you like company? :{ Werreth asked with hope.

"Nice to meet you too. Are you old soul to Barrier Lake or a recent transfer like me?" Br'elt asked. He didn't expect to feel a punch of attraction to the other man but there was something to him that caught Br'elt's eye. And judging by the way Werreth was acting, he wasn't alone.

Sondrith made a show of taking a moment to consider the question, looking the brown over again before saying, }:Oh, some company might be wonderful. Are you busy?:{

"Transfer," D'boran admitted, "but not so recent. My brother and I wound up here after River Bluff... well, you know, I'm sure." He quickly moved past that, carrying on cheerfully, "But you made a good choice. It's nice being at the newest, fanciest Weyr, isn't it?"

}:Dear,:{ his dragon warned him, }:Your hair is a mess.:{ That prompted him to run his fingers through the damp strands, which just made it stick up a little more, and the green sighed, putting it out of her mind.

"There's a fair number of people here from River Bluff," Br'elt observed conversationally. "Not as many as at Dragonsfall, where I was, but still. I guess when you lose an entire Weyr, everyone's got to find somewhere to go. Me, I really wanted somewhere less cold. Snow was nice for the first ten Turns but now I'd like somewhere with a different climate."

Meanwhile, Werreth mantled his wings. }: Just say the word. I'd love to hunt with you. :{

}:We should before mine tries to make me go back to work.:{ Sondrith shuddered, although it was mostly a show. She liked the Infirmary. Just not quite as much as her rider.

"I don't blame you. I was glad the new Weyr wasn't also the snowy weyr." D'boran suddenly looked back towards his green for a moment before snorting in private amusement and warning Br'elt, "I hope you weren't about to do something productive because Sondrith is attempting to lure away your brown. She is, apparently, bored. I am... boring." He seemed neither surprised nor offended.

Br'elt checked in with Werreth and then chuckled. "Sounds like they want to go hunting. Who am I to stop them? And no, I don't think you're boring. I mean, we've only just met but the conversation's going pretty well from my viewpoint. What do you like to do in your off time?"

}:Oh delightful, your rider gave permission and mine hasn't said no,:{ which was all Sondrith could expect from D'boran.

D'boran actually managed a smile in response. It was a brief expression, there and gone before he looked more intense, "I have been experimenting with various preparations of numbweed. I'm convinced there's a way we could concentrate it better so that-... I suppose technically that's still work. I uh crocheted a couple of firelizard hammocks recently. What about yourself?"

"Different variations of numbweed?" Br'elt echoed, incredulous. He chuckled. "You're really dedicated to your craft then! Most people can't stand working with the standard stuff, even though we couldn't live without it." He wanted to ask about the firelizard hammocks as well because...well...that seemed like a cute thing, even though he didn't have a firelizard.

"Most people just don't have the dedication to really succeed at the healing craft," D'boran said passionately. "I'm sure you understand. I'm sure you're dedicated to... er. What was your craft?"

"Tanner," the brownrider answered. He showed D'boran an intricately tooled leather cuff around his wrist. "I didn't get too far in it before I Impressed but it comes in handy for gifts nowadays for sure. And straps. You have no idea how many people will ask me to mend their straps and I have the hardest time saying no to some of them." The last part was said with a laugh at himself for being such a sucker.

"Oh, that's a useful skill," D'boran sounded impressed, and perhaps a little surprised, and he did take a moment to admire the leather cuffs. "Sondrith throws fits whenever I try to mend her straps instead of getting her a brand new set everytime." he admitted. "Of course everything I know about working with leather I learned in weyrlinghood, and she's a critic."

"Well, if you ever need someone to look over your work," Br'elt offered with a grin. He was doing his best not to cave in and just offer to help but he did want to see D'boran again. "Don't suppose you like going to beaches or sunny spots?"

D'boran looked like he was considering it, then said seriously, "First I'd need to know your opinions on patching green straps with undyed leather. Sondrith is already a harsh critic of my work. Uh, sunny spots are great? Beach sand is terrible for the dragonhide. Very drying, you know and - uh. Why?"

This brought a chuckle from Br'elt. "Okay, I'm saving your first question for last but," he answered and then he went into detail for D'boran pretty quickly. "And you only do dyed leather on undyed leather _carefully_ for the aesthetic. Else it looks like you don't know what you're doing."

"Or it looks like you just made do with the material at hand. Sondrith didn't approve, but I don't think Thread cares if she matches," D'boran looked legitimately baffled at his green's worry about aesthetics. "But maybe you could give me some tips some time." He wouldn't mind using the excuse to invite the other man over.

"Thread sure doesn't but dragons sometimes do!" Br'elt said with a laugh. "Someone once told me that their dragon -- can't remember what color but anyway -- absolutely refused to fight in mismatched straps and claimed that the color coordination gave them the confidence boost they needed for Threadfall."

D'boran's brows furrowed suspiciously, and in a dry tone he said, "Are you sure you didn't hear that directly from Sondrith? Was this a set up? Has she bribed you to teach me the error of my fashion ways?"

The brownrider laughed. "On Werreth's shell, nope. This was back at my old Weyr. I'm guessing Sondrith is a bit of the same way then?"

"Oh yes, she's very vain." A more fair man might have pointed out that D'boran's opinion was likely skewed by his lack of interest in his own appearance. "She threatened not to perform in drills until I replaced the patchwork set. It was quite a tantrum. Although she didn't care as much about it during actual 'fall."

"Hey, Werreth, don't you get any ideas over there!" Br'elt called jokingly at his dragon.

}: What? Ideas? Ideas about what? :{ Werreth asked, thoroughly confused because he had been engrossed with Sondrith and what ideas was his rider talking about?

"Useless dragon," Br'elt remarked with a loving green. "He's over there flirting like a ham and not paying attention. Oops, sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said that." He looked sheepish for a moment, then rubbed the back of his neck. "He hasn't stopped talking to Sondrith since we landed."

D'boran jerked his head to give Sondrith a suspicious look, trying to recall the conversation he'd been frankly ignoring through skill of long practice. He sighed, "I'm certain she was encouraging it. She's a shameless flirt, but you can't fault his taste, she's one of the prettiest greens in the Weyr," this time the bias was firmly in the direction of his dragon.

The green flicked her tail like a contented cat, }:He's a nice handsome brown, don't you think? His rider is alright, too.:{

"I recommend either separating them, or just walking away and ignoring them. Are you hungry? I was considering an early dinner... "

More time with the greenrider? Well, Br'elt wasn't going to pass _that_ up! "I could always eat," he said with a big grin and a pat of his stomach. "Lead on."

Last updated on the January 30th 2025

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Making New Acquaintances