Just Good Guys

Writers: Devin, Duskdog
Date Posted: 5th March 2024

Characters: G'zan, K'mai
Description: G'zan and K'mai catch up over lunch
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Sabia

G'zan

K'mai

"Hey G'zan!" K'mai clapped the big greenrider on the back before
sliding into the seat next to him in the dining hall. "How's your day
going?"

G'zan looked up. "Hey hey, it's my favorite guy!" he said, somewhat
muffled, as his mouth was still full of herdbeast. Anyone who hung
around the greenrider long enough knew that "my favorite guy" was
often whatever familiar person he happened to be talking to at the
moment. He took a second to finish chewing and swallowing before
continuing. "Day's great, it's always great -- drills are done, it's
pretty nice out, I've still got half a plate of lunch to shove down my
gullet... doesn't get much better than that! How about you? Any
excitement?"

"I failed to charm a new transfer, but it happens." K'mai laughed and
then took a bite of his roast.

"Plenty of fish in the sea," G'zan replied, nodding sympathetically.
"Or maybe this is just one of the ones you've gotta reel in
slow-like." He pantomimed casting a line and then gently reeling it
back in.

"How's _your_ fishing been lately?" K'mai asked with a chuckle.

"Good enough! I cast a pretty wide net, though. Caught myself a nice
bluerider from Barrier Lake the other day. Said he was visiting
somebody, but I don't know how much visiting he actually got around
to. Whoops." G'zan grinned, then paused to take another bite of his
meal and get that down. "I oughtta go visiting other places more,
myself. It's like a whole new pond. And I wouldn't mind having more
friends, even if it don't go any further than that. Start inviting
people over. Some cross-Weyr dragon poker nights or something would be
swell. Or a big beach party! Get a big bonfire going, roast up a big
fat porcine or two, let the folks with harper-fingers do their
harper-things..." He twiddled his fingers as if playing an instrument,
and playing it _poorly_, because he'd never played one in his life and
had no idea where the hands and fingers were even supposed to go on
the imaginary instrument that he was probably misremembering anyway.
"Sorry," he said with a laugh, "I think I kinda strayed off the
conversation there. It's a good idea though, huh?"

"I know people from all over." K'mai had since the Weyrs started
reopening, with riders transferring in and out, but moreso now with
the River Bluff refugees scattered all over the South. "I could help
introduce you."

"Yeah? That'd be great, actually. I mean, I know _some_ folks at other
places 'cause sometimes you just cross paths, y'know, but I've been
here at Dragonsfall since I Impressed. You never know somebody as good
as you get to know them when you fly with 'em for a while, but I don't
think it's possible to ever run out of people you _want_ to know. It's
a big world full of fun people. Introduce me to the funnest ones!"

"Sure!" K'mai grinned. "And Hatchings are a great chance to meet
people. We should go next time another Weyr has one."

"Oh yeah! Hatchings are the best -- I like to pick out a random
candidate who looks scared and cheer for that one. Or one of the
holdbreds who don't have any family there. 'Course, we wouldn't know
that at another Weyr 'cause we won't get a chance to see those kids
before the Hatching like we do here sometimes, but still, we can cheer
for a random kid. Or latch onto the kid of whatever rider's nearest to
us in the Stands and seems like they're cheering for somebody special.
And then at the feast go make a big deal outta them and watch their
faces light up like a glow when they say their dragon's name. I'm
probably never gonna have any of my own, so may as well adopt somebody
else's for a night."

He squinted at K'mai. "You've got one, don'tcha? Or am I remembering wrong?"

K'mai grinned and nodded. "Sabia. She's growing so fast!"

"They do, or so I hear. Next time you blink, she'll have a dragon of
her own maybe, huh?"

"Maybe! A strong, pretty green just like her mother." He smiled fondly
at the idea of his daughter Impressing.

"Green girls are best girls," G'zan said with a resolute nod. "There's
no Threadfighting without greens! No offense to you blueboys, or
anything, but I guess I'm kinda biased. It's all worth it, ain't it?
I'd fight Thread every day if that was what it cost to have Panghuth."

"Yeah, worth it." Though a little shadow passed over K'mai's mind at
the thought of Sabia fighting Thread.

"If I hadn't've Impressed, I'd probably be dead in a ditch somewhere,
I guess," G'zan said, though he didn't sound particularly upset at the
thought. Just matter-of-fact -- or perhaps even vaguely amused. "Or
ate up by Thread. I think maybe being Holdless is a lot less fun than
it used to be now that there's Thread."

If he took the time to think about it (which he almost never did) and
reflect on things (which he definitely did not), he would come to the
conclusion that being Holdless was never actually _fun_. But it was
the life he knew, and he'd had his good times -- more than most,
probably, since he'd learned to find joy in places and things that
many would not.

"I don't think I'd trade how I grew up for anything else, even if I
could," he continued. "But still, weyrkids are super lucky. This is
the best place in the whole world! Huh, kinda makes me wanna have a
kid."

"Too bad riders can't foster. Though you could maybe join the
Weyrlingstaff." K'mai gave him a teasing smile. Being Holdless . . .
the thought made him want to shudder.

"Ha! That might be fun. But I doubt they'd want a guy like me. I'm a
bad influence. Blahblah 'irresponsible', blahblah 'lack of focus', or
something like that?" G'zan laughed. "Maybe I better just stick to
'adopting' candidates at Hatching time, like I said. Everybody oughtta
have somebody cheering for them, you know?"

"Yes." K'mai's smile turned warm. "You know, you might be a bad
influence, but you have a good heart."

G'zan lit up like a glowbasket. "Aww, thanks! That means a lot,
especially coming from a good guy like you. We oughtta toast
ourselves. Any reason's a good reason to drink, but some are better
than others." He held up his mug of beer. "To us: good guys!"

K'mai grinned and clinked his mug against G'zan's. "To the good guys!"

Last updated on the March 9th 2024

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Just Good Guys