Some Kid

Writers: Duskdog, Sia
Date Posted: 10th October 2024

Characters: T'lonas, E'kirim
Description: With the next hatching upcoming, T’lonas interviews Ekirim
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 27 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: K’aur, Mirima, Reima, Irrim

T'lonas

T’lonas couldn’t deny having a bit of a soft spot for Ekirim ever since their initial meeting. He liked to think that he had helped the young man decide to give candidacy a shot; whether that was true or not didn’t really matter -- what mattered is that Ekirim had chosen, and he was still here.

“Good morning!” he greeted brightly when Ekirim reported to his office as instructed. “Come in, sit down! Would you like a sweet?”

He held out the small bowl of hard candies that he kept on his desk next to the little crocheted dragons.

Some older teens might have rolled their eyes at this entire experience. The exuberance. The little candies and crocheted dragons. But Ekirim smiled widely and took both an offered candy and the green dragon from T'lonas' desk. Not to keep, of course, but something for his hands to idly play with as they talked. Her little wings could flap and her stubby little legs moved.

"Good morning, sir." Ekirim said just as brightly. "What can I do for you?"

“I just want to talk. With eggs on the Sands now, I’d like to make sure that anyone who might be putting themselves out there to Impress is in the right frame of mind for it. For the safety and happiness of themselves and their possible future dragons. I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to stay and give it another shot, honestly. Not everyone does. How are you feeling about possibly becoming a dragonrider now?”

"Well, I'm still not too keen on the dying in Threadfall bit." Ekirim said honestly, "And any way I shorten my name seems bad. But if the dragons think I can, why not give it a go? I'm more worried about my sisters, really. K'aur is overbearing on a good day. He's been …incorrigible? Thus far." He glanced up at T'lonas to see if he'd used the word right, then beamed. It felt like he was checking the dictionary every time he spent time with J'ler and his friends.

T’lonas chuckled. “He is exactly that, yes. Has he been discouraging you from this?”

"Pff, nah. He doesn't think of me much." Ekirim said with more mirth than he probably should. "K'aur had big dreams when he accepted Search, so now that there's a gold egg he's putting all those dreams on my sisters. Having three of them hasn't spread it out at all, either."

“That’s… not good,” T’lonas replied with a little frown. “I’m going to note that down so that I can make certain they have the support they need. It’s good of you to notice what’s going on, though, and bring it to my attention. It’s unfortunate, but there are probably a lot of girls feeling unwelcome pressure right now. Sometimes it’s overt, sometimes it’s… less so. He hasn’t been pushing you to Impress bronze, though?”

"At least Miri. Reima and Irrim aren't candidates yet." Ekirim said, then shook his head. "Nah, I've been off the hook. He tried it a little early on, but I doubled down on wanting a little green. Not that it really matters," Ekirim said hastily despite the little crocheted green he was playing with, "But I know my chances. Why get set on the one or two bronzes when there's almost forty eggs?"

T’lonas chuckled. “Nothing wrong with hoping, but yes, it’s a good idea to keep your thoughts open to any dragon. I’ve seen boys get their heart set on one thing -- bronze in particular -- and it causes them so much heartache. And unnecessary hiccups in their early bonding and training. Once upon a time, I was hoping for a blue, myself. But I was only twelve, and really didn’t have any solid idea of what I actually wanted in life yet. Domorth chose that for me.”

He jotted down a couple of notes.

“You’re a practical young man, and that attitude will serve you well with any color… or no dragon at all,” T’lonas continued. “_If_ you were to get a bronze or brown, do you think you would be comfortable with leadership someday? Maybe even sooner than someday, especially with a gold in class. Eyes would be on you, too, by association if nothing else.”

Ekirim blinked. He hadn't really thought about it, and it showed in his questioning tone. "I guess? I mean I'll do whatever is asked of me. If I got to lead groups or whatever in Weyrling Training, sure, but I don't think the Wings are going to want some kid in leadership, even if I know a goldrider."

“That’s true -- but yes, I meant in Weyrling Training. Some other weyrlings would naturally look to you as a leader, and you’d be under scrutiny by the rest of the Weyr regardless of whether you’re in the Wings yet or not. They’ll be looking at potential, forming opinions -- that sort of thing. What do you think?”

"I guess?" Ekirim said with a shrug. "A bronze isn't going to change the rest of me. I don't pay much attention to what other people think, y'know? If someone sees something there, sure, but I'm not going to bend over backward to prove anyone right or wrong." That had always been K'aur's schtick, anyway.

“I think that’s the best way to be. People will think what they think regardless of what you do sometimes.” He made a note. If Ekirim could see it -- which he could not -- he might have been able to make out a smiley face. “Now. Do you feel like your lessons have prepared you for the Hatching? You have some under your belt now, but Dolphin Cove recently had some injuries at a Hatching, so we’d like to make sure that you feel comfortable and prepared, and that you remember the rules.”

"I think I've been doing fine." Ekirim said, "Hatchings are a lot. I don't really know what I'm supposed to be looking for, and it's a little different each time. Like, I know not to get too close or get in the way. It's like being around any big baby animal, except this might be the one I'm _actually_ supposed to touch. And babies are unpredictable. They don't know how to use their legs yet."

“That is the most important part, yes. Stay alert, stay aware, stay out of the way unless they come to you. I trust you not to try to throw yourself in front of a dragon. I’ve… seen it happen, and the results can be awful for all involved. Best case scenario, you’ve just greatly distressed a baby dragon, and that is not okay. It’s a good way to get yourself banned from candidacy forever.”

His face, which had crumpled into a sad frown during that speech, abruptly brightened again.

“But as I said,” he continued. “I trust you not to do that. If they want you to touch them, they’ll tell you. And if they tell you, then they’re yours. I can’t recall a time when a hatchling spoke to someone who wasn’t their own. That’s their only focus at that point, after all. So… do you have any questions for me? Anything at all that you’re unsure of, or would like clarified? Or just any feelings you’d like to share? I do hope you know me by now. I’m open, I don’t judge.”

"I don't think so. I think I'm doing good so far. If there's nothing else?" Ekirim set the green dragon back on the desk with the rest and went to stand.

“That’s all I had. Please, if you do think of something you need to ask, or are just feeling worried or jittery about any of it, do come speak to myself to K’yne or M’thos. Even if you think it’s only something small! Until then, have a wonderful day, Ekirim.”

Last updated on the October 11th 2024

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Some Kid