[PRP] Not The Best Of Times (Cabhan and Rae/Saith)

[stella cinere]

It took a few hours to get the new dragonets fed and oiled before gathering up everything that had been brought to the makeshift hatching grounds and to return to the weyrs. For most of it Cabhan spent keeping busy, loading things onto dragons and the carts that were to be lifted out after the rest of the candidates and riders were taken. He tried to keep his mind busy, filled with thoughts of what had to be done and making sure nothing was left behind. Of course there was the feast to set up as soon as they all arrived and with the chance to help at least get everything ready for the celebration.

It wasn’t until the festival was underway, the new riders had paraded around their new dragonnets that Cabhan had a chance to finally take a seat and sink into his thoughts again. He didn’t impress, there were two bronzes and neither of them had come back with him. Instead the feast was for others and while he was sure some part of him felt some happiness for them he was still bitter at himself. It was gnawing at him from his gut and Cabhan wished anything to make it go away finally, maybe he needed a drink or two to forget.

medigel

 

[medigel]

While the feast was for them, Raelin wasn't much of a party-er. After being paraded by too many faces and names to count (though Saith said she had been making a mental list as best she could), she was more than ready to collapse somewhere quiet and read. On top of that, she couldn't even drink. Thankfully this was only for the day, and they'd get back to business as usual afterwards.

Dropping into the first empty chair she found, Raelin stretched her legs and a wince. Saith padded up and crawled into her lap, she herself a little winded from the whirlwind of activity. So many people to look impressive for. They comforted each other in silence for a bit before she noticed there was a surly boy almost right next to her. And given the situation, she guessed he had to be a sour candidate. Ah.

"Least you get to drink," she lamented, half to herself and half to the air.

stella cinere

 

[stella cinere]

The sharp green eyes glanced over at the intruder that had come into his space, along with a rather new green dragonnet that seemed rather content to curl up in her lap. The corner of his lip almost sneered but there was no reason to she had at least gotten a dragon, even if it was a little green one instead of something of worth like the gold that had hatched out on the sands.

Instead he resorted to giving a snort and leaning back against the chair. “Still better to have a dragon then a drink isn’t it? A drink can only fix the disappointment for a few hours while having a dragon is… well as they say life long endeavor.”

medigel

 

[medigel]

"Fair enough. You still get more time to yourself in the meantime," Raelin countered, not for the sake of arguing whose life was worse, but just for argument's sake. Debating, she would call it. "And sex. I hear sex is fantastic."

Her tone was so dry, it was impossible to tell if she was joking or not.

Yours will come, Saith assured the boy as she closed her eyes, as certain as sunrise. It's always a perfect pair. And then you will forget you ever felt anything less.

stella cinere

 

[stella cinere]

“Sex is a hit and miss, it’s a hit if you find someone great and get to keep them but it sucks when you have no one and your crammed in communal sleeping and can hear more than you want of it at night.” Not that Cabhan knew much about it, his love life and for that matter friendships were so far dismal at best. This was probably one of the few conversations he had that he didn’t feel the need to gag afterwards, yet.

medigel

 

[medigel]

"If they're stupid enough to bring it back to the communal, that's when you have some fun," Raelin told him as a matter of factly, reaching behind her to get a glass of water. It was the only thing she was going to be drinking all day to make up for burning up on the hatching sands. "You know, make your best, loudest rutting herdbeast impression. Helps set the mood for them."

stella cinere

 

[stella cinere]

The comment earned her a deadpan stare that lasted a moment before Cabhan reached for a mug of ale on the table next to him. It only took a minute to down the entire content but it at least would put his mind out of misery later. “I'll have to think about doing that next time, usually I resort to making the situation more uncomfortable by cheering random phrases until they stop, but herdbeast may work better.” He paused thinking about getting a refill before putting the mug back. “How long were you a candidate?”

medigel

 

[medigel]

"I tried that. Some people like it." She shrugged with some vague disgust written on her face. "So: rutting herdbeast."

Raelin drained half her glass, offering the rest mentally to Saith, who declined and rested her head in the woman's lap for now, curled up like a kitten. "I want to say, mm...Since I was fifteen? So, close to seven turns," she told him. "Sort of gave up about four turns in, to be honest. You?"

stella cinere

 

[stella cinere]

His face immediately wrinkled into disgust, Cabhan hadn’t ran into that particular situation yet, but it was not one he intended to deal with any time soon.

He watched as the rider offered the water to the dragonnet who curled up like a rather content creature causing only the familiar ache of failure again. “First one I could participate in, I’ve only been here for one turn and wasn’t able to participate in the last hatching.”

medigel

 

[medigel]

Just one turn? She had had sympathy. Even if it was short lived. Raelin's face wrinkled despite herself.

"You get used to it," she told him, as if that were some comfort. "And you adapt. Pretty sure I didn't get in for that long because I wasn't exactly fantastic at projecting positive thoughts, for instance."

stella cinere

 

[stella cinere]

Cabhan looked at her and then at the green dragon before letting out a sigh and slumping a little more on his stool in a defeated expression. “Great, I don’t think positive thoughts are my greatest strengths.” Which meant he better get used to the idea of not impressing any time soon and a few more feast where he was drowning his sorrows.

Finding another mug of ale passing by he downed the whole contents before slamming it down on the table. “Well, guess I know what to expect next time.”

medigel

 

[medigel]

Raelin fought not to roll her eyes and drank more water. "Listen, Mr. Pouts," she told him, "I went through turns of that, so let me save you some time and trouble: it's not just that at play, alright? The dragon has to fit."

She almost wanted to hit herself for saying that. It was exactly the sort of trite bullshit she had wanted to hit other people for in the past. As a Candidate, she hadn't understood what that really meant, though.

"What, you'd rather Impress to some simpering dragonet who says yes just not to feel lonely? A yes man?" Despite the young man looking already defeated, Raelin couldn't help but add a wry, "Nobody likes a desperate guy anyway. So. Drink the night away or whatever, just don't act like it's the worst thing ever."

stella cinere