Screaming from the room...(Part 2 of 2) (PG-17)

Writers: AJ Kraier, Jane
Date Posted: 6th May 2007

Characters: F'naren, D'val
Description: In the immediate wake of F'naren winning D'val's mating flight, an off-the-cuff remark by the brownrider results in an earful from D'val about how the greenrider feels about mating flights.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 3, day 22 of Turn 4
Rating: PG-17

"_Me._ You know _me._ And what do you want to forget, anyway?"

"Everything... Nothing... It's stupid -- I grew up in a Weyr, I should know better, but..." D'val rolled onto his back, drew the covers up, and hugged himself. "I. _Hate._ This. I hate feeling like a piece of meat -- some free whore to be [censored] and forgotten, and I hate that I enjoy it -- that I actually look forward to it. _That_ is what I want to forget, F'naren. And it isn't always easy."

"Oh."

What could he say? Jh'slaen had better not be feeling like this.

"Yeah, being a greenrider's tricky, I suppose," he muttered finally.
"But," he reached out until his hand touched D'val's skin and then pushed him a little, "you know. Greens win every flight they're in.
That's what they say. Male dragons don't."

D'val shivered at the brownrider's touch. Part of him wanted to lean into it, while another wanted to flee from it. Equally divided, he didn't move. "Lucky you. They also say that when the dragon decides the rider complies. I used to think that was a joke... a cliché...
something to laugh and wink about, but now..." He sniffled and hugged himself tighter.

"Now it just sounds like an excuse for being a sharding tailfork people while doing things you'd never do by the sober light of day and if your dragon hadn't *forced* you into doing it." He turned slightly toward F'naren. "And please don't think I am blaming you. I know this isn't your preference, but do you honestly think this is mine? Do you honestly think it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside knowing that just about every man who has ever... *flown me* was... was...
just along for the ride?"

"Come on, D'val," F'naren said, rolling over and out of the bed.
"Time to get up if you're letting this get to you. Everything seems worse when you're laying down." It was one of his mother's sayings, and he didn't think she ever imagined it being used in quite this setting. "I'm starting to think you're as romantic as Jh'slaen. You want - what? True love from a mating flight? Some bluerider who's never noticed you before to be so thrilled by the flight sex that he declares his everlasting love? You want _him?_ A man who didn't show a blind bit of interest in you until it was about _sex?_" He had managed to find the door and clicked the light switch. "Come on.
Let's get clean and go and wake Jh'slaen up. He'll understand you better than I do and he'll get a good laugh out of Jzeth winning Ayleth's flight _again._"

Shielding his eyes against the light, D'val eased his way into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, the bedding still wrapped around him. "Go talk to him yourself! Just get out and go talk to whoever you sharding want to. I'm done talking," said D'val, pulling the bedding tightly around himself. "And another thing," he spat, "it's not about romance, or finding true love in a mating cavern, F'naren. It's about _respect_ -- about feeling that you are more than just a piece of meat -- a means to an end for the male's rider. But you go, you talk to Jh'slaen all about it. Let him tell you how _wonderful_ mating flights are, F'naren. And hopefully he'll tell you everything you want to hear," he said, his voice softening as the fight drained from him, "beacause I would really hate to see your reaction if he says the same things I just did."

"Suit yourself. Stay here and wallow." F'naren found his clothes and pulled the trousers on, bundling the rest around his boots. "Not everything on Pern is about how _you_ feel, you know that?" There was no point in saying anything more. D'val was so focused on himself he probably wouldn't hear a word that was said to him. "Here," he flicked off the light. "Wallow away."

Outside the brownrider took a deep breath and shook his head. If Jzeth ever flew Ayleth again, he was definitely going to take the 'run screaming from the room' option.

Curling into a fetal position on the bed, D'val cursed under his breath, and said, "If I ever wake up next to him again, I'll be the one to run screaming from the room."

Last updated on the May 6th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Screaming from the room...(Part 2 of 2) (PG-17)