[PRP] Everything is Fine

[BlackFireKitsune]

While he wasn’t quite sure how, S’yn had somehow gotten Spade and Diamond to finally fall asleep with Lacey on his bunk. What in all of Pern possessed him to get two baby firelizards at once he really had no idea, just that he’d thought it a good idea at the time before realizing later that no, it was probably not a good idea actually. Too late now though; he liked them both a great deal already and had no desire to give either of them up, and the both of them seemed happy with him and Lacey and Contrarath anyway.

Contrarath.

The blue drew in another wheezing breath from where he lay curled up on one of the ledges in the barracks, his rider snuggled up against his side while Contrarath’s big head rested (mostly) across his lap. S’yn tried not to dwell too much on his dragon’s worsening symptoms - he really did try - but without the extremely effective distraction that were his two new firelizards and without any more lessons or anything to do, it was just him and ‘Rath.

Him and ‘Rath and his rapidly spiraling thoughts and Contrarath’s rattling breath.

Why did this have to happen? Why did this have to happen now, once they’d both gotten a taste for flight, a taste for freedom and fun together and with the rest of their class? Or what was left of it, at any rate. A pang of dread twisted through him at the reminder that they’d lost five already - three of them last month alone - and he stubbornly refused to wonder if Contrarath would be next. They didn’t even have flight lessons or more camping trips to look forward to, if Contrarath’s symptoms continued on as they were or, Faranth forbid, got even worse. They’d be stuck in the Weyr with Contrarath grounded - grounded from flight, from flaming, from anything too tiring - and being stuck like that would undoubtedly only serve to make the both of them feel even worse, at least mentally.

I will be fine, Contrarath assured him stubbornly for the umpteenth time, and grumbled even as he coughed again. I can still fly and flame, I’m not coughing that badly yet.

S’yn petted over his head soothingly, though whether it was to make his dragon or himself feel better, neither really knew. I know you will love, he thought back gently, almost mechanically. For once Contrarath’s confidence did little to make him feel even a bit better.

Contrarath let out a huff that was more of a cough than anything else, and S’yn smoothed one hand over the blue’s headknobs, the other resting on his snout, and they simply sat in contemplative, heavy silence on the ledge.  

[TawnyAngel]

Contrarath sounds pretty bad.

L'ux grimaced slightly as he lifted the now sleeping tiny shape of Freckle into the little sling he'd fashioned for her, he did sound bad and it wasn't something he wanted to think about. He remembered Cochith falling ill, seemed like a lifetime ago now, remembered not knowing if he'd pull through or....

Do you think they'd like company? Cochith shifted slightly, his eyes shifting between dull blue and murky yellow. I only remember because you do but... but we were scared.

Yeah, they had been. L'ux rubbed the back of his neck and only just stopped himself looking over at the pair, he didn't know how to help! But he also didn't want to just pretend like nothing was happening. ********. Well, here he went then!

After a breath in and out L'ux hopped up from his bunk, thrust his hands into his pockets, and made his way over to where S'yn sat with Conrarath's head resting sort of in his lap. "Hey," he flashed a slight smile, and a pack of cards, "fancy a game?" That was a start!

Hello, Cochith flopped down near to his fellow blue and hummed softly, coughing is no fun, right?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

So lost was he in his own thoughts that S’yn nearly missed L’ux’s approach. He caught his words though, and glanced up to offer one of his usual easy, bright smiles. Or at least he gave his best attempt at one; it fell far short, and was more brittle and dull than anything else. “Oh, hey.”

Cards? Did he fancy a game right now?

No. No, he didn’t.

You should play a game anyway, Contrarath pressed, mentally prodding him. He was struggling with his thoughts now that his two new firelizards were sleeping, so a game would be a welcome distraction, he was sure.

Oh. Well, alright then. “Sure, I could go for a game,” S’yn said, pushing past the slight tightness in his throat as he patted Contrarath’s head before the blue shifted it off his lap and onto the ground instead. After a moment S’yn glanced around a bit before aiming a sheepish, wan grin up at L’ux, “Mind if we play on the floor?” While he’d play a game even though he didn’t particularly want to, no amount of coaxing would convince him to stray too far from his dragon at the moment.

Contrarath heaved a gravely sigh, coughed, and grumbled again. As frustrated as he felt, though, he was more than grateful for Cochith’s company. Hello, Cochith, and yes, it is. It’s annoying. I want it to stop. Once again it ate away at him how his body rebelled against him and refused to do what he wanted, even if it was such a small thing still. Why did he have to get sick? He wasn’t supposed to get sick. He heaved another sigh, then looked over at his sibling. How are you? Cochith wasn’t sick, thankfully, and a quick prod through S’yn’s mind reminded him that Cochith had recovered from his own illness months ago. Good, then he shouldn’t get him sick if they stayed too close.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Fine by me," L'ux agreed with an amiable nod and plopped himself down cross-legged opposite S'yn, and if he noticed anything off in the other young man's tone he didn't mention it. "I'm more used to playing on the ground anyway, heh, spent some happy hours tucked away in a corner with some mates back in Telgar when we were meant to be polishing boots or some s**t." All that seemed like a lifetime ago now, it sort of was in a way he supposed.

"Dragon poker?" L'ux suggested as he started to shuffle the pack. "Or we could do rummy, or Igen 'Snake Screw?"

Really annoying, Cochith agreed, echoing Contrarath's grumble but without the cough. You'll shake if off soon though, he continued with a more upbeat warble, you don't let anything tell you what to do, definitely not a cough. I'm alright though thanks! Glad to take a break from practising visualisations, I know it's important but it's so boring!  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Oh, good; if L’ux had wanted to play elsewhere then S’yn would’ve had to disappoint him by telling him never mind, he wasn’t interested after all.

Well, he wasn’t really interested anyway, but that was beside the point.

Which game to play, though… “Not Snake Screw,” he said without hesitation and with a little huff of a laugh -- just a tiny one. “Definitely not, at least not right now.” If they needed to burn the deck he wasn’t about to wake Lacey to do it, not when it had taken him ages to get his two new firelizards to fall asleep. Besides that though… S’yn bit at his bottom lip as he considered. Poker was usually his go-to card game to play - and to cheat at - but he suspected if he were to play it right now his head wouldn’t be in the game at all and he’d just play poorly at best. No, couldn’t have that.

“Rummy?” He asked once he’d made up his mind, and shifted a bit to face L’ux better. It wasn’t his favorite card game by any means, but it was probably the best option for now.

Contrarath couldn’t help but grumble again; ‘really annoying’ was the biggest understatement. ‘You’ll shake it off soon’ he said, but would he? His gut instinct was to argue, as was his wont, but for once he truly wanted to agree. Even if he didn’t want to, though, this illness had already proven it cared not a whit what Contrarath wanted. It still irritated him to no end that he had no choice in the matter.

The blue flexed his claws over the stone beneath his paws and grumbled once more. Of course I don’t let anything tell me what to do, or anyone for that matter. I could go for a flight now if I felt like it, even, he stated stubbornly. In fact, that sounded like a lovely idea, the best he’d had in days! He lifted his head and drew breath, only for another painful, rattling cough to force its way out of his throat. Once it tapered off he took a more shallow, hesitant breath and laid his head back down. No, he didn’t feel like flying today. Perhaps later, or tomorrow.

I’m glad you’re well at least, Cochith. Mmh… visualizations around the Weyr are terribly boring, which is why I like to think of all the places I’ll visit once we graduate instead sometimes. Like the responsible weyrling he absolutely was, of course.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ha!" L'ux grinned at S'yn's reaction to the last suggestion and nodded firmly; "So you've played it! Gets a bit rowdy I guess, and the weyrlingmaster might not like us starting a fire in here I suppose either - rummy it is." After another shuffle of the pack L'ux dealt them both their hands and then gave his own a thoughtful look, not bad but not great for a start!

Oooh, yes! Cochith perked up at the mention of travel and bobbed his head in agreement, this was a much better thing to talk about. L'ux and I have plans for then! We want to see a lot of things, and also go back to Telgar so he can make rude gestures at the people he used to clean for. Anywhere special you and S'yn want to go?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

“‘Course I have, I’ve played pretty much every card game at least once. I do get around, you know,” S’yn said with a slight smile and a small waggle of his eyebrows. It was easier to just shut away his feelings in a box to just not think about them the longer they sat there and the more they talked, which made it easier to smile or joke or flirt. He just needed to stop thinking about the plague; simple enough!

But then Contrarath wheezed again and the brittle wall he’d built up around those thoughts crumbled right back down again, and the fragile smile on his face followed suit. It just wasn’t fair.

Cards though, right. Cards.

“Yeah, probably not. Maybe outside sometime.” Rummy would do best for now though, he still thought, and accepted the cards L’ux passed him with a soft “thanks” and he promptly began to reorganize them in his hand. Nothing too promising to start with, unfortunately, but he’d done better with worse. He idly tapped the fingers of his free hand against his thigh before picking up from the pile, debating over the card he picked up, then ultimately discarding it. Talking, he should probably try actually talking while playing cards. That was probably a good idea. It’d help keep his mind off of Contrarath’s condition. “How often d’you play Snake Screw? It’s been ages since I last played it, it’s not my usual game of choice.”

The thought of L’ux and Cochith going back to Telgar specifically so L’ux could make rude gestures at people made Contrarath chortle for a brief moment before it devolved into another wheezing, rattling cough. That sounds like an excellent idea. S’yn doesn’t have anyone to make rude gestures at, but he’d like to go back to Bitra eventually and hopefully not get chased out before he’s done visiting.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh yeah?" L'ux waggled his eyebrows back and grinned. "I can imagine that for sure!" L'ux wasn't much into men himself but it wasn't hard to see S'yn's charm! He'd probably made a lot of young women's and or men's lives interesting when he'd passed through their holds....

Shards, Contrarath did sound bad. Cochith had sounded bad too and got betters, but other had sounded bad and....

Yeah, best not think about that.

"Used to do it a lot," L'ux replied, feeling silently grateful when S'yn spoke again, "it was a good laugh, distracted us from the drudgery of being a drudge y'know?" He discarded a card and gave S'yn a lopsided grin. "Plus the cards were usually nicked, so if we had to set fire to them we couldn't sneak 'em back where they belonged so that was a bit of danger. Haven't played it much here though, don't seem to be so popular as poker and that."

When Contrarath started to cough Cochith crooned softly and gave his clutchmate a nuzzle but didn't say anything about it, he didn't think the other blue would much like that. I think L'ux would like to go to Bitra too, at least it feels like a fun place from the image he's got in his head. Maybe we could go together? I don't think any holders could go chasing out two dragons, they're supposed to heed our riders or something right?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

S’yn found it within himself to smirk back at L’ux briefly. “Well of course! Traders always do, you know.” At least until they stop at a Weyr, attend a Hatching and happen to Impress to one of the hatchlings, of course. Dragonriders got around much more than traders though, and S’yn was definitely looking forward to when he and Contrarath could travel as they pleased, which would definitely, absolutely happen sometime. Undoubtedly. It would.

“It is good for a laugh, isn’t it?” Maybe they could play that game later, when he wasn’t enjoying having a moment’s respite from Diamond’s and Spade’s near-boundless noise and energy. But, having never been a drudge S’yn didn’t really know, but he decided against saying so. Knowing where the cards came from made him chuckle and shoot a grin at the other weyrling as he laid down a trio of cards before discarding. “But where’s the fun in possibly having to burn your own deck of cards? Much more fun if it’s somebody else’s.”

Contrarath appreciated Cochith’s empathetic behavior to some degree, but pointedly did not act or comment on it. Definitely not. He absolutely did not shift and settle back down a little closer to his sibling once his coughing fit ended; certainly not. After a few thoughtful moments during which he picked at his rider’s memories, he flexed his claws a bit and turned back to Cochith. It’s a very fun place, full of lots of things to see and do, and plenty of card games to cheat at. S’yn has fond memories of it. Going together was an excellent idea, but too bad Cochith voiced it first. Contrarath hummed and glanced aside again. Perhaps. But I agree, holders shouldn’t chase any of us out anymore, even if S’yn cheats a lot.

“I do not!”

Contrarath had let him and L’ux in on at least that last part of their conversation, and the blue chortled a little. Yes you do.

“Well yeah but not a lot.”

Mhmm.

S’yn pursed his lips and engaged in a brief staring contest with his dragon that lasted all of four and a half seconds before he huffed out a laugh and turned back to L’ux. “Can you believe him? Talking so bad about me. Dragons, right?” Insufferable, slandering, wonderful dragons.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Always fancied being a trader," L'ux grinned, only half paying attention to his cards right now because that hadn't really been the point of him coming over. "I mean," he gestured expansively, "open road, friends in every hold, every day different than the last! Being a trader was my second choice of life, right after dragonrider." His father never had turned up out of the blue for him on the back of a bronze but that didn't matter anymore, he still sort of wondered who he was - or had been if he was dead - but he didn't feel like he needed him now he had his place here at the Weyr with Cochith.

"Burning other people's stuff's always better," he continued with a cackle, "especially posh bastards who think they're better than you are, or just annoying gits you know?"

Ohhh, cheat? Surely he wouldn't do that! Cochith bugled his amusement and his mind radiated the same at S'yn's insistence of his innocence.

"Ha!" L'ux grinned at S'yn and winked at Contrarath. "Right, right! I bet those extra cards got up your sleeve all by themselves right? You're a man of honour who wouldn't never go marking a deck or nothing like that."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

S’yn couldn’t help but grin at L’ux’s description of the life he himself had led before Impressing Contrarath, and he nodded his head as he discarded again. It was difficult not to pay attention to his cards; he’d spent so many turns playing and cheating at card games that it was second nature to pay attention to them when he played no matter what was going on. “Yeah, being a trader is fantastic. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s not a rider, it was great to get to travel and see a lot of places and meet a lot of people.” And cheat them at games too, but that was besides the point and one he didn’t mention.

“Oh, absolutely,” S’yn agreed with feeling, aiming another grin at L’ux and not even realizing how much his thoughts had drifted away from Contrarath’s illness. “Even better if it’s both at once, some posh b*****d that’s also an annoying git. Those ones never know when to shut up. I’d almost rather burn their cards or whatever right in front of their faces just to see what they’d do about it. Almost.” Arson wasn’t something he played with though, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun to think about sometimes.

Certainly not, he never cheats, Contrarath agreed staunchly, though his unwavering confidence was at odds with his obvious amusement. S’yn cheated all the time.

S’yn stuck his tongue out at his dragon like the mature, no-nonsense adult that he most definitely was, then aimed another grin and a wink at his friend. “That’s it exactly! No idea how those cards got there. Nope, I never mark decks or count cards or try to get Lacey to peep for me, never. I’d never do something like that,” he finished, making a note to see how many cards he could hide up his sleeve during the course of their game and see if L’ux ever noticed. Did he want to make a show of each one, or try to do it as discreetly as possible? Hmm.  

[TawnyAngel]

"We'll get to do plenty of that once we graduate," L'ux grinned as he rearranged his cards in his hand and scratched his jaw. "I mean, there's no thread for more than ten turns right? Do they really think we're just going to spend all day drilling, or errand running or whatever? If we just wanted to take off, what would they do about it? Yell at us?" L'ux snorted at that idea, it didn't exactly hold a lot of fear. "It sure is nice being valuable, right?" he gave S'yn a wink. "Much more valuable than any of those posh bastards."

Anyone who accused him of cheating would have to be very stupid, or just unfairly out to get him? Cochith suggested coyly, very much enjoying the jest and glad that it seemed to have distracted Contrarath even for a short while.

"Ha, right?" L'ux laughed. "Pillar of virtue you are... but out of interest, if you had tried to get her to do it - which you didn't - would she have been any good at it?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Once they graduated… right. S’yn’s good mood dipped a bit at that reminder - because would Contrarath survive the plague and graduate in the end? - but he did his best to shove it back out of his mind. L’ux was providing an excellent distraction so far and he tried his hardest to hold onto that with both hands. “You’re right, that’s very true,” S’yn agreed, stubbornly focusing on traveling and definitely not anything negative that may or may not happen in the future. “We’ll have plenty of time to travel wherever we want to go, and do all the things we’ll want to do then, right?” He asked, aiming for a confident grin that fell quite short.

At least the thought of them getting yelled at for going wherever they wanted whenever they wanted made him snort, helping to bring him back to safer mental and emotional territory. “Right, yelling at us would accomplish so much,” he scoffed, shifting a little to lean against Contrarath’s shoulder and smirked. “It is nice being valuable, isn’t it?”

No, they’d have to be both, clearly, Contrarath said, and then just barely managed to suppress an amused snort of his own lest he have another coughing fit. It didn’t stop him from radiating his amusement, however.

S’yn, for his part, groaned and fell back to sprawl dramatically over Contrarath’s shoulder and one of his arms. “Shells and shards, no, she’s terrible at it, though I can’t ever be mad at her for it because she’s always so proud of herself for telling me that people are holding cards. Sometimes she’ll even tell me that there are things on the cards and oh, Faranth,” he trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose. A moment or two later he straightened back up and threw another smirk at L’ux. “If I tried to have her help me cheat, of course, which I definitely don’t and never have, especially since I absolutely didn’t try to teach her how to help me cheat. But to answer your question, no: she’d be absolutely terrible at it.”  

[TawnyAngel]

Oof, maybe talking about the future hadn't been the best idea? Too late now though.

"Exactly," L'ux grinned and nodded, managing the make the expression bright a lot better than S'yn had. Luckily there was other stuff to move onto very quickly, stuff that wasn't a tomorrow that S'yn and Contrarath might not get to see; fek, this plague was just so... Yeah.

"And exactly again," he gave another nod, along with a smirk this time, "we could get away with pretty much anything probably. If we wanted to just up and move to Ista or something, for the weather and that, who'd stop us just going and lying on the beach? I mean, not that I want to bugger off completely," L'ux scratched his jaw thoughtfully as he drew another card, "got a lot of friends here and all, but if we do break the rules to muck about and have fun now and again I can't see it really hurting us... Well except we might never get to privilege of being wingleaders but who wants that?" L'ux pulled a face as he concluded; "Paperwork," with disgust.

Paragon of virtue, just like L'ux, Cochith agreed cheerfully even as he rumbled agreement with his rider's thoughts on sticking completely to the rules; he didn't mind them on the whole, just so long as they were what he wanted to do anyway that was.

"Ha!" L'ux snort-laughed. "If you had, which you've not, that would be hilarious! Bless her tiny tail for trying - or that'd what I'd said if she had, which she hasn't." Maybe he'd have more luck with his little one? It was worth a go, definitely. Not that he'd use it to cheat of course!  

[BlackFireKitsune]

S’yn nodded along too, gratefully and immediately taking hold of the more positive turn of conversation in an iron grip lest it twist his thoughts back into something depressing or morbid again. “That’s a fantastic idea!” Not that weyr leadership would agree on abrupt long trips or moves without notice, probably, but whatever. “I haven’t been to the beach in ages, that’d be an awesome trip. Humm, I don’t know if I’d want to move either,” he mused aloud, brows furrowing in thought as he picked up a new card, rearranged his hand a bit, then discarded again. Traveling and adventure were things he was always up for, as well as moving, but Contrarath wanted to stay near his siblings, even if he’d never tell them so.

“Paperwork,” he echoed with feeling and a slightly exaggerated shudder. “Paperwork and following the rules and being responsible. No, I’d never want to be a wingleader either.”

Contrarath snorted his amusement rather than agree with his clutchmate aloud, and then promptly wheezed a bit. At least this time he recovered fairly quickly and without any of that dreadful coughing.

While his blue’s brief struggles made him wince, he took heart that they weren’t too bad and he aimed another grin over at L’ux. “It’s never hilarious at the time - if I actually did it, which I don’t - but after the fact it is. Or would be,” he amended with a slight chuckle, his grin shifting to a fond, lop-sided smile. “Lacey’s not the brightest, that’s for sure, but she tries her hardest at least. And who knows? Maybe someday she’ll actually be helpful at cards!”

If you used her to cheat, of course, Contrarath chimed in smugly.

“Right, of course, if I did, which I definitely wouldn’t,” S’yn added with another chuckle.