[PRP] Choices and Decisions [U'zan/Phryana]

[ShinosBee]

Another day, another magnificent chance to shine!

Balizarth had carried U'zan through drills and wing practice with the same stunning colors as he had ever done—in truth U'zan probably could have nodded off in his straps and none would have been the wiser, not that he ever would do so!—and once more they had been able to serve as a beacon of hope for the rest of the Weyr. Hope that they too might one day be half as good, half as capable and clever, half as... well, anything, really, as him. The man was always happy to be the star he knew he was, and though his tastes ran towards the more indulgent aspects of life, that did not mean he was not proud of the work he did for the Weyr, and for Pern. The two aspects went hand in hand in his mind, and it was the one that allowed the other, after all. He'd found his balance in the system a long, long time ago, and there was very little at all remaining in his mind to be solved or puzzled out about his life, or the path it was on.

And currently that path led him back to his weyr. His kingdom, his castle, where he could shed his valiant champion threadfighter persona and slip into the easy, relaxed face he wore throughout the long evenings that he spent in the company of some very fine fellows. Not to mention with one particularly fine companion he was now returning to; a gorgeous, amusing woman who would soon be in his arms again, the gem he'd found after the last hatching and so winsomely attracted into adorning his nest with her presence. Most turns his weyr door had been something of a revolving one, with different consorts and partners every few weeks or months as their whims pushed them togetehr and pulled them apart again (and he'd never been the sort to cling, Faranth forbid—clinging was for lesser men who couldn't fill their beds with the ease he could!), but not of late. No, she'd not been his only bedmate in the last six months, but she had been a constant one, and one he'd enjoyed most thoroughly enough to allow her a permanent presence in his domain.

As Balizarth bore him on broad wings up over the lip of the ledge he spotted her, leaping from his mind to the living world it seemed to sit upon the edge, those long and lovely legs swinging to and fro from beneath some flattering green dress she'd selected. He noticed the quality of the gown—nice enough, but not one of the fancier things he'd bought just to see her face light up—before he noticed the look on her face, but once he did he felt a small bit of surprise. It was not a look he'd seen her wear before, not once in all their protracted time together. A pensive face, an unhappy face...

The great bronze huffed between his legs, scoffing at his rider's apparent concern. She was only a candidate after all, not even a green in comparison to the great bronze U'zan would be, if they were dragons themselves. Not worth his time when it was spent unhappily, better suited to amuse him than to bother worrying over. All those thoughts and impressions flooded from the dragon to his rider in the few seconds it took the beast to backwing and land, making only a polite allowance for space so as not to shove or unduly blast the woman with the wind of his wings. Still, it was towards her that U'zan turned and angled himself when his feet were back on solid stone, one hand absently tugging loose the dragon's straps with the mindless practice of decades as he sought out any remaining hint of the face he'd thought he'd seen on her face. If something was bothering her, dull and bothersome as it might be to deal with, he supposed he would rather have a happy, smiling companion than a sour one.

...He had heard of firelizards hatching on a beach somewhere recently where the candidates had been relaxing. Perhaps she'd meant to impress one and been left out? He could think of little else that might have chased the smile from her lips, and it would be a simple enough trouble to set to rights.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

Phryana gave a start at the telltale beat of massive wings, her frown vanishing in an instant even as she rose to her feet. She didn't hesitate to sweep into a curtsy for the enormous bronze dragon, for she knew it would have been easy to buffet her. "U'zan," She called, ignoring the rasp of her voice, and her scarred face was alight with joy at the sight of him. Phryana leaned forward to kiss his cheek, smiling as though she'd been waiting all day for this moment. "I've missed you. How were drills?"

It was impossible not to be aware of Balizarth, but so far, she and the dragon seemed content to ignore one another's presence. As long as his rider continued to enjoy her affections, her position remained secure.

As far as previous lovers went, there was little to complain about with U'zan. He was sexist and chauvinistic, but never forceful or demanding. Never once had he raised a hand against her, and though that was a small standard to meet, it was still noteworthy. He was handsome, too, though Phryana cared little about such things these days. "Come inside," She urged as though it wasn't his weyr, tugging gently by the wrist. "I'll pour you some wine."

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

By the time he'd finished removing the bronze's straps, turning the behemoth loose to do as he liked—so very likely to attend to his sister, or find an empty height to watch the Weyr from—Phryana had gotten to her feet, executing a delightfully lovely curtsy (though really she didn't need to, why, this was almost as much her home now as it was his own!) and moving forward to pepper his cheeks with kisses. She certainly looked happy now, far happier than she'd looked a moment ago... And a moment later her words seemed to confirm the small spark of a thought he'd had.

"I missed you too, my golden-hearted beauty! I could not help but find my mind wandering to you all day... but thankfully, and of course, I could fly drills in my sleep, ha ha! A wonderful day, now at least..." His own smile ticked up into a wide, proud grin as he snaked an arm, strong but light around her waist and tugged her briefly into a swooping kiss. He let her lead him by the wrist, casually tossing the bundled straps onto the hook posted for them at the edge of the ledge as they passed into the main of the cavern, taking no little pleasure in how much more at ease she seemed now that she was not alone. That made as much sense as feeling left out from impressing firelizards to him—really, who wouldn't feel lonely, bereft, desolate after experiencing even a single evening in his presence? His world was so glittering, so alive and vibrant with wonder... and he'd gone and dragged her into it, thrown her into the deep end, and then gone and left her to keep her own head above the whipped up white-water!

As she made for the wine (because of course he kept a rack of the best vintages in his weyr) he loosed from her side, curving towards another cupboard and plucking down two finely engraved goblets (because of course he had his own custom-made cutlery and dishes and cups on hand). He held them out, one and then the next for her to fill, then passed one off for her to sip or set aside as she liked, his powder-blue eyes, as bright and sparkling as a weyrbrat's upon sighting an unwatched bubbly pie, sliding along her as she moved. She really was a lovely thing... and she should be happy. She seemed happy now... Hmm.

"And you, my lady weyr-woman? Lessons again today? How did you pass the hours while I was gone?" A pet might do her good, he mused to himself. A pet, or perhaps a child... Something to fill her time and make her smile when he was away, yes.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

Her full lips curled into a pleased smile, one hand ghosting briefly up the sides of his face to grip ever so slightly at the roots of his hair for that kiss--and then they were inside, wiggling from his grip just long enough to pick a nice bottle of Benden wine. She poured with the air of practice, expertly twisting her wrist so as to not let any of it spill or dribble down the sides before filling her own. The only sign that she was aware of his gaze was the occasional, mischievous smile that pulled at her lips now and again, and once she'd set the bottle aside, she was more than content to pick up her goblet.

"I hope I've not been terribly distracting," She murmured, peering at him over the rim through long, dark lashes. "But yes, lessons. I... was honored to be able to assist the Junior Weyrwoman with bathing and oiling her dragon." Phryana paused as though thinking, her lips parted slightly. "Anakumath," She added as if pleased to remember, beaming ever so slightly. Never mind the fact that it had been a complete accident; the dragonrider who requested her didn't end up showing, and she had been about to leave if not for the gold's insistence that her time should not be wasted. How funny. Of all the creatures in the world, and one of High Reaches' most valued thought she was worth the effort.

"All and all, a good way... to make up for your absence." Phryana chuckled to herself before taking a small sip. U'zan did have a stock of truly wonderful wines.

ShinosBee