Besties

Writers: Heather, Iluva
Date Posted: 15th March 2025

Characters: Z'kylo, Lyani
Description: Lyani welcomes the newest greenrider, Z'kylo, to the Wing. They're going to be best friends. Probably.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 28 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: R'kede, N'vanik, M'trel

Z'kylo

Lyani

Striding into the Dining Cavern, Lyani plucked her helmet off and
stuffed it under one arm, while simultaneously pushing her flight
goggles up on top of her hair, creating a headband to push her inky
black locks away from her face.

Her blue eyes surveyed the gathered crowd as she snatched a sandwich
off the service table and then headed for an empty seat nearest
Cyclone Wing's newest greenrider.

"Z'kylo, isn't it? Lyani," she said introducing herself. Plopping her
flight helmet on the table, the greenrider took a generous bite out of
her sandwich and shifted the wad of bread and meet to one cheek. "I'm
your new best friend. Welcome to Cyclone Wing."

Despite repeated warnings about the humidity and heat of this coastal
Weyr, and the giant hat he'd donned for most of yesterday, Z'kylo had
nevertheless burned crimson enough to conceal most of his blush.

"Yeah, erm. Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you." Already feeling a
tightness in his gut over how long his stare was lasting, his hand
extended itself out of sheer politeness.

The web of details mapping out between Lyani's hair, her mouth, her
eyes, her helmet (which had him quickly moving his out of her way),
and the confusing implications behind her words was yet another thing
he'd never quite experienced before. Z'kylo didn't know where to
_look_, and wondered if his plate was best. "So," he cleared his
throat, "do you like flying in Cyclone?"

"I suppose it is as good as any Wing," Lyani said dismissively.
"Although, plenty of other riders in the Weyr seem to look down their
noses at the Wing with a brownrider for Wingleader." She leaned
forward conspiratorially. "I think they're jealous. We have, by far,
the most interesting of the Wingleaders. Who knows, maybe he'll choose
a brownrider Wingsecond. I would be fine with that, as long as he's
good to look at." The greenrider flagged down a passing drudge and
quickly ended up with a fresh cup of fruitjuice on the table in front
of her.

"What about you? What are your thoughts on Cyclone so far?" She
stopped and cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you even from? I should have
asked that first."

"Sapphire Meadows Hold." Z'kylo answered with bland indifference, all
the while his brow was steadily knitting, making an effort to hold
back a great flood of discomfort at her wingsecond remark. Did
literally every rider have to announce that sort of thing out loud?

He would say the next part, "Cyclone seems fine?" like that - as a
question, his face still on holy fire. "I- We- well, Veth and I have
only been flying in a fighting Wing for a couple of months." And
although part of him inwardly winced at how the other greenrider might
react to that, his attention was piqued.

"Why do they look down on us?" Z'kylo asked incredulously. "Are we
really that bad?"

"I'm just pulling your leg about the Wing," Lyani said, taking another
bite of her sandwich. "Who knows what other people say? I'm sure they
think their bronzerider Wingleaders are better. People tend to have a
'bronze is best' attitude. I've been flying in Cyclone for a couple of
months now and we rarely have any injured after each 'fall, so I'd say
we're doing rather well."

She found it weird that he'd answered he was from a Hold. "Also, I
meant, which Weyr are you coming from? You didn't impress here, did
you?"

"Oh. Right." Z'kylo gulped his water, mildly confused at the joke. He
did feel quiet relief that they hadn't transferred into a Wing rife
with ineptitude, but also, distantly, a little panicked that they
might actually be the ones introducing it at some point. Lyani
thankfully didn't seem to notice.

Three things: strange and foreign and... nice. It was nice that Lyani
didn't seem to dwell on the things he was already burning with
embarrasment about. She just jumped right over them, unconcerned, and
Z'kylo was oddly heartened by those three things.

But the other greenrider just found new and unexpected things to
tighten his gut.

"Oh, that." Z'kylo almost groaned aloud, trying and failing to not
think about that. "Veth hatched at Dreams End." He also didn't think
of being 'from' there, either, when barely a turn before he had
actually been home. But she didn't want to hear about that. Still, he
was happy to be the one to consider someone with a pale eyebrow cocked
this time. "So then. What about you? Are you just new to Cyclone, or
the Weyr?"

"To the Weyr," she nodded, taking a swig from her cup. "I came from
Far Island. I had gotten myself into a rather sticky relationship
issue there." She raised her dark eyebrows to show what a disaster
_that_ had been. "And decided a change of scenery was for the better.
I loved the beach too much to go to any other kind of Weyr, though.
What about you? Why didn't you stay at Dreams End?"

There had been the feeble hope that that question would wait for a
later conversation. Their second. or third, maybe, not out in the
open. It didn't help that it already felt like she could see right
through him, or like his entire being were see through, that is.

"It's personal, but it... was the same for me." He had half a mind to
invite her to lean in and start reading the shame off his insides,
resisting the urge to fidget with his knots. "Dreams End had a lot of
that 'bronze is best' attitude, but that wasn't really it. I'm
just...I didn't _think_." Z'kylo made a vague gesture to himself. "It
wasn't the place for me." Not like this. Not with this part of him
permanently on display.

Lyani sensed, not that Z'kylo made it difficult, that the topic was
perhaps more personal than he wanted it to be. "Well, at least you're
here now. I've met a lot of fun people since I've been here. If fun is
what you're looking for. There's also some quiet places along the
beach, if that's more your speed. Dolphin Cove has a bit of
everything."

Whether they shared close definitions of 'fun' was entirely
irrelevant. It was just a relief she didn't press for more. A tight
coil released in his chest and he cast eyes across the dining hall,
but the nebulous mass of faces just translated into a covert, itchy
fear, one lingering thought threatening to burst into a hundred. His
gaze finally retracted back to Lyani with a sheepish grin.

"I'm just really glad to be somewhere that isn't Dreams End. And fun
people..." Z'kylo trailed off, clumsily weighing the words in his
mouth like they made an unnamed flavor. "I'm not opposed to fun." He
hastily clarified, especially _if_ this place could be something new.
But he
wasn't sure he'd be able to identify it if it sat down across from
him. "Is there anyone particularly unfun you think I ought know
about?"

"The Weyrleader has a nasty reputation, but I've never actually spoken
to the man, so don't take my word on that." Lyani flippantly tossed
her hand about as she said it. "Everyone I've met, so far, has been...
really nice, actually." She thought about M'trel. Oh yes, he had been
_very_ nice. "I'm clearly the _most fun_ person you could know, but
there are others. I could introduce you to some of the others in
Cyclone Wing, as well. Get to know them outside of drills."

"Well, yes, that's been made quite clear." Z'kylo answered
immediately, and redly to the 'fun' remark. He forced an exhale by
trying to force himself to think. It would-- hopefully-- be easier to
talk with their wingmates when their lives couldn't be immediately
imperiled by him. Less evaluative, less restrictive. And at the very
least these blue-eyes offering to show him weren't as frightening as
the last time-- Lyani was a woman, an apparently rather sweet,
unbridled woman. He pulled her pleasing web of details back. It would
be fine. Nothing but fun ever probably happened around those types in
a Weyr.

"It's just-- well, are you sure you don't mind?"

Lyani's attention had momentarily drifted as a little squabble broke
out across the Dining Cavern involving a bluerider and two other men.
"Don't mind what?" she clarified, her eyes drifting back to Z'kylo.

"Oh, uh just if I excuse myself in a moment," Z'kylo answered instead.
"Veth's waiting for me outside."

She was not. Like Lyani, his dragon was somewhere at the center of
this chaotic, animalistic world and probably enjoying the attentions
of an older brown, if he let himself consider the unnerving sensations
as more than that. Then came the unnerving realization that the other
greenrider wasn't just offering to be his newest best friend, but
potentially to take him deeper into that world with all the other fun,
unbridled people.

His hands found his helmet, too flustered to think of anything else.
"You're sure, though? About showing me around?" He almost felt like
her kid brother in some way. "I'd love to return the favor sometime."

Lyani's smile was easy. If she sensed Z'kylo's discomfort and attempt
to flee, none of it showed on her face. "Of course I'm sure. Whenever
you have free time let me know."

"Yep. Alright. Sounds good." Z'kylo said quickly. His smile wasn't quite as effortless, and if he sensed her amusement or nonchalance of the situation, it only registered for a moment, and by then he'd already stood and taken an awkward half-step away. "Enjoy your day and, uh, thanks Lyani."

Faranth have mercy.

Last updated on the March 19th 2025

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