[PRP] A long and detailed Discussion [V and Les]

[Nilah44]

Quite a lot had been going on lately in the poor bronzerider's life. With all the greenflights happening and the feasts and drill and threadfall, V'kenti had gotten a bit behind on his work. An arm load of scrolls and papers were deposited onto his desk in Lestenna's weyr as he wondered just since when greenflights had actually caused him to get behind on work. Since Neiveth. Takarath 'reminded' gently. He supposed it had all started then when the green of one of his youngest riders rose. V'kenti remembered seeing G'lin acting strangely and had to ask his female wingsecond what had been going on. Once he discovered that G'lin hadn't exactly had the best experience (or the most, which was probably the most important issue) he had decided to take it into his hands to try and help the poor boy. Well, that had gone mostly according to plan, plus the addition of a certain little western rider.

It had gotten him thinking though, about how protective he had become of his wingriders, of G'lin, and of the younger riders in general. V'kenti wasn't really sure what to make of it but at the same time he already knew what he should do. His work could wait, it would still be there after he was done. The wingleader left his work and his desk in favor for the company of a certain blonde who seemed to be busy at the moment, which the two of them normally were. He'd wait to speak until it got to such a point in which she seemed that she had finished something before bothering her.

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

Lestenna was by now very used to the sounds of V'kenti bustling about in the weyr. Sometimes he worked in his, sometimes in hers. They were both of them busy people, and the sound of him working, the almost-silent, quite rustles of paper, the occasional hum as he thought through something, and even the flashes of movement out of the corner of her eye had come to be...calming to her, rather than distracting. With both of them here and working, it meant all was right in the weyr. At least for the moment.

And he even occasionally greeted her upon his arrival home, actually crossing to exchange a light touch, or even more rarely, a kiss. Such moments made her...almost embarrassed. She was still not fully comfortable with their relationship, though it was leaps and bounds beyond where it had been in the months after Uridith's flight. As much as such gestures rendered her...shy...she had come to enjoy them. And hearing him drop his work, and then continue on, that was what she had anticipated from him.

And so of course, turning to see him looking...more pensive, almost concerned, was not what she had expected. In a breath her heavy brows furrowed, broad lips thinning into a line of worry. A flick of a hand dragged over a few of the weighted objects she kept around her workplace over, careful hands placing them on open scrolls to hold her place in this or that one. A click shut the case of her inkstone—no drips or stains here, please—and then her attention was all on him.

"V'kenti? What's wrong?" She felt no panic from Uridith...so what could it be?

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

The man stood there for a few moments more after she came to a halt in her work. The manner in which she did so pleased him greatly, a work space so nice and neat. "I've been thinking, as I tend to always do, about the recent events." There had been quite a bit going on lately between the last hectic threadfall and then G'lin's Neiveth's flight and a few things in between. "Whether it was G'lin calling me Dad or the way the poor little Western girl clung to me or the last threadfall being so hard as it had or simply biology, I don't know that I'll be able to discern the cause. But..." V'kenti stopped unsure how he should continue.

He wants to explore a new adventure with you. The bronze dragon said calmly, his warm voice privately for Lestenna to hear for this rare occasion.

"I find myself wanting us to not be only weyrmates. What if we had a family? Not now, I don't think we're quite ready for it now. But we could find a child to foster, learn what we need to learn and prepare."

V'kenti found himself pausing, his speech pattern had sped up as he got to his main point. His stomach tightened as his mind sorted through the varied responses he could get. Children, or a family at all for that matter, was something they had never discussed even with as practical as they were. It wasn't something dragon riders had to worry about being unplanned, being able to go between and all. It wasn't even something that V'kenti ever saw in his future, until Takarath became a father and he got to know Lestenna. "We might not have forever." His voice was softer than normal and anyone who knew him would know that he was turning over different scenarios in which he could lose all those he had come to care about and what he could do if it happened. Takarath sent a flood of affection to him to drown out his worries.

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

For V'kenti, this long-winded style of almost beating around the bush was tantamount to rambling. What on all of Pern had gotten him up in arms so much as to set him off rambling? It was a mystery, and it had her ready and prepared, bracing for some horrid news or fear. Her stalwart V'kenti had never been one to quail before duty or struggle with his well-thought-out...thoughts, before, so why now?

Takarath's voice in her head was a surprise. She often heard the bronze, to be sure, or had Uridith relay his thoughts—they after all did live together, and she was as bound to his rider as her gold was the bronze himself—but to be privately addressed thus was more unusual. A new adventure? That sounded...less ominous, but still didn't answer many questions at all. She knew her mate, and what most might call adventures—the sort of time-wasting, rambunctious trysts and gambols most young riders were apt to seek out—were neither of their styles.

Of course, a moment later it was all clear. A family. He wanted...oh. Oh. Through their bond she felt her gold lean her mental weight onto the woman, who outwardly seemed to simply be mulling the thought over, but internally was going a mile a minute. The idea of children was not a repugnant one, especially not with V'kenti. But...it would be taxing. Dangerous. Time consuming as well, and...

His mention of fostering seemed to snap her from her mental rovings, and she found herself nodding. "Fostering, I think, would be best. Time to test the fit, and see if it's more than instinct, perhaps. We make fine mates," That was all too true. They were intensely efficient together, and devoted, and driven. "But who could know how we might parent together." They could, of course, always foster out their own child, or leave them to the creche. Such a fate was not unkind, even if their parenting styles did come out to be suitable and compatible. She had never even considered having children in the past. There was so much else to do, and the Weyr, and all of Pern her gold's wings covered were her children...but. Maybe.

And V'kenti was right. Even if they did live to see the end of thread, the chances of them being in any shape to parent, let alone young enough any more...was zero.

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

This wasn't just a random discussion for him and so he knew that the possibility that she would decline was real. After all, she would be the one that would have to give up the most in this endeavor. Yet, at the same time, he knew he would never resent her if she decided that path wasn't for her...for them. Regardless of decision, V'kenti would always be there alongside Lestenna, so long as she would have him. That was something he hadn't really considered, given how Takarath and Uridith were, that she would think less of him for proposing this into their future. The bronze rider dismissed that thought as soon as it crossed his mind, however, his weyrmate was too practical...too intelligent to throw away what they had.

He watched patiently as she seemed to mull over his words before coming to a conclusion much like his own. The man nodded his agreement. "I don't know what kind of father I would be or how we might work together to raise a child, I agree, but I would like to try, if you were in. And, if you need time, you know that I will give you whatever you need." Whatever was in his power at least. A few emotions passed over his face as he thought: a small hint of relief, the surprise at being relieved, before settling on determination. No matter what, he would do what was needed, what was right. It wasn't in him to do otherwise.

ShinosBee