Phased Out
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Shawna, Sia
Date Posted: 4th February 2025
Characters: Aleriand, N'tan
Description: N'tan picks up Aleriand for their regular dragonpoker game
Location: Printer Hall
Date: month 5, day 2 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: J'ine
Just because a certain bronze dragon wasn't making himself at home anymore at the Printer Hall didn't mean that the Hall itself was bereft of them entirely. The bookmobile service was running smoothly and becoming a significant piece of the Hall's income, and the few dragonriders that volunteered were more than happy to take payment in borrowed or purchased books. The brown dragon that landed in the courtyard _could_ have been one of those, if it wasn't for the late candlemark or the quick appearance of the Hallmaster and the container of snacks he carried, his tribute to the dragonpoker game and payment for the person assigned to pick him up.
"Evening, Bastiath." Aleriand said to the brown, absently reaching out to scritch exactly where Bastiath liked. Then, to N'tan, trying not to sound as curious as he was and failing, "Was J'ine not available this month?"
Bastiath leaned into the skritches hard enough that he had to shuffle a little to keep his balance. N’tan sighed but didn’t bother scolding him. He didn’t dismount, instead reaching down to take the container of snacks and stowing that away before reaching down to help haul the Hallmaster himself up on the brown.
“J’ine is going to find a poker game that’s better for his schedule,” N’tan said with a careful blandness. “That seemed like the best solution for everyone.”
"Oh. I see." Aleriand said. He stopped the scratches to take N'tan's hand and pulled himself up clumsily, groaning with the effort. "I guess we can start earlier now, if I'm the only one that travels." He said with equal blandness. "I didn't know I was the favorite." These folks were J'ine's friends originally, after all; he'd been at Dolphin Cove since he was a teenager, and Aleriand only knew them in passing at turn's end and gathers and whatever other party the bronzerider had brought him along. He'd only gotten closer to them when the Harper Hall had moved to the Weyr, and even then it was with J'ine in tow. Aleriand had assumed the friends J'ine had brought with him would disappear when the relationship did.
“Really you didn’t? J’ine is an ass,” N’tan said bluntly before checking that the other man had strapped himself in (as if it were his first time on a dragon). “We can discuss rearranging the schedule if you want once everyone gets here. I’m hosting tonight. You’ve been volunteered to help me set up… because I was volunteered to pick you up.”
Aleriand cleared his throat to stop from laughing. "He is, isn't he?" He asked mildly. "Happy to help set up. Did you lose a bet or draw the shortest stick?"
“Thought it would be a good idea for you to get to the game first in case J’ine… forgot he was finding another game. You'd have been stuck setting up no matter who hosted. I volunteered to host.” He directed Bastiath to take off without any real warning, quickly taking them back to Dolphin Cove.
"J'ine and I could-" Aleriand's protest was cut off by Bastiath's leap into the air, and the wind took away anything else. It would have been a lie, anyway. J'ine had claimed that he mixed up the schedule before and the awkward dragonpoker game had turned into an even worse fight. N'tan was right. It was probably for the best.
Aleriand's grip on the straps tightened as Bastiath hopped /between/.
Last updated on the February 11th 2025