Questions (1/2)

Writers: Iluva, Steel
Date Posted: 19th August 2026

Characters: R'zen, X'rion
Description: R'zen seeks answers from another rider
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 12 of Turn 13
Notes: Follows ‘Loser Gets Dessert’

The day had started warmer than yesterday, at least, with a fresh coat of snow that Ibranth had promptly pushed off his ledge before he and R’zen had gone off to class. Now free of drills and training, however, R’zen gave Ibranth’s neck a pat as they surveyed the Weyrbowl from aloft. “Find Angualdith.” he told his blue. Up here, on his dragon’s back, he felt as though he could do anything.

}:Where are you?:{ Ibranth readily not quite demanded of the brown.

Angualdith took his time answering, his tone at once mildly suspicious and more than a little smug: }:Why do you want to know?:{ As he said it, however, X’rion was quick to remind him of his manners, and then, it seemed, he had a decision to make.

}:Down here,:{ he said, finally.

The glitter of snow on the Rim was thickly peppered with sun-seeking bodies, some jewel-toned, others earthen. The dark form of the brown was at the far end closest to the Weyr gardens. Intent on staying there, too. Sprawled comfortably, an equally dark shade of green nestled against his side, he tilted his head just enough to look up at the blue with one half-lidded eye.

Ibranth folded his wings and _dropped_, R'zen's exuberant yell following the bluepair down. His wings snapped open just at the height to break his fall, and with one mighty flap the blue landed lightly next to Angualdith. }:Found you.:{ he said, smugly. }:Now. Mine seeks Yours. Where?:{

R'zen slid off Ibranth’s back, still smirking. “That was awesome, Ibranth. We're getting _good_.”

Angualdith snorted but didn’t seem particularly disturbed as one long limb neatly scooted out of the way. On his other side Khailoth stirred, her eyes half-opening to regard the newest addition with a calm, tired whirl, before closing again and tucking her head under her wing.

Checking via their link, Angualdith looked over the cascade of ledges to one not too far down. }:He's in our weyr.:{ He told Ibranth as he sent him the image. X'rion rushed to throw his riding gear onto the hooks studding the wall and finish dressing, trying not to laugh at the way his dragon privately shrieked, }:Do not let him on my couch!:{

Ibranth obligingly dipped his shoulder for R'zen to clamber back aboard, flicked his wings, and was off again without a single word further.

Only a few moments later the blue was alighted on the indicated ledge, and R'zen peered at it before dismounting. “Hello?” He called.

}:I want to go inside.:{ Ibranth said, and entered.

“Well, well, well.” When X'rion appeared, it was with a shit-eating grin and a lackadaisical lean against the doorway into the inner weyr. After a busy afternoon he'd only just returned from the baths, his damp hair so askew it gave the distinct impression that putting a comb to it might break the bristles. The smell of klah piped out slowly behind him as he looked over the pair.

Angualdith was going to be far less pleased at the current sight of things. For the moment, though, X’rion could only grin. “I don't remember ordering a blue or his rider, so this is a nice surprise.”

Ibranth ignored the other rider as he made his way over to the dragon-couch, sniffing it twice before snorting and settling onto the dragon-couch, stretching out his forelegs. }:Oh, this is a very comfortable couch, Mine.:{ he told R’zen, and laid his head down with every evidence of belonging right where he was.

R’zen glowered at the older rider, though the tips of his ears had started to turn red again in unaccustomed _embarrassment_. “_You_ didn’t order anything!” He flared. “I decided to come here all on my own!”

X’rion sighed, except his voice brimmed with the same amusement and mirth as his amber eyes. “How flattering. Not all this way just to yell at me, I hope?” _He_ was quietly delighted. But Ang was going to be volcanically pissed. Best to deal with the dragon half of the pair first. “Ibranth, bud, it's good to see you again. But you probably shouldn’t lie th--”

The air outside shifted, and as if from a puff of smoke, Angualdith was there. His great wings held wide. Standing at his full gargantuan height, the brightness outside vanished. In the dark only the crazed whirl of his eyes showed where his head was pointing. }:Get. Out.:{

Again, X'rion sighed.

Ibranth yawned again. }:There's plenty of room. You just have to settle on the side.:{ he told the brown.

R'zen tensed, just slightly. “Ibranth. Move over.” He said aloud, for the other pair's benefit.

This was the worst surprise possible, and the worst part of all was that he _knew_ deep in his bones that this would happen. X'rion had just let this upstart make himself at home on _his_ couch. Betrayal. That was the taste of this. Bitter and stupid. Angualdith growled at Ibranth and his comfiness, outrage replacing all thoughts of his green cuddle pal. }:No. It is _my_ couch. If you want to stay here, it will be on the ledge.:{

**He's just testing boundaries. He's a baby, remember?** X'rion hoped his brown would relent a little, enough to go down to a simmer. Pointing to his disheveled head to indicate the conversation, he made a quick face at R'zen.

}:He is big and old enough to know words, isn't he?:{ Angualdith's tail whipped the cold afternoon outside. }:Or did he hatch malformed in the head?:{

**Relax.** “Ibranth, would you like it if you came home to someone on your couch?” X'rion asked more patiently than his brown was currently (or ever) capable of.

“Ibranth. _Move_.” R'zen ordered, sensing some of the tension, as well as the words sent to his blue. His gaze caught X'rion's for a moment, before it dropped away again.

Ibranth’s eyes blinked open in surprise-- but R'zen's order was iron. Beset on both sides, the blue grumbled, but shifted so that he was on one side rather than sprawled in the center. }:I do not want to be outside on the ledge.:{ he responded to both Angualdith and his rider. Another blink, and he tucked his paws neatly underneath him, folded his wings primly.

}:See? There is room for both of us, Mine.:{

“That's not the point, Ibranth.” R'zen responded. “Move over more.” Ibranth huffed, but obeyed.

Angualdith scrambled onto his couch with an irate growl, the sound skittering along the walls and through the inner quarters. He was about to be triumphant when he realized there wasn't _quite_ enough room to turn around and clumsily bumped the ceiling, the flail of his long tail almost hitting their riders.

}:Ugh. IBRANTH!:{ He backed out onto the ledge while X’rion covered his mouth and hastily averted his gaze. After a long, tense moment of deliberation, Angualdith realized he'd been left with no other choice, apparently, but to turn and back his rump into the spot with little care about where his limbs went or what they stepped on.

Once he plopped himself down, settling in, Angualdith was further displeased to find his head almost knocking the blue's as he tried to maneuver himself in such a way that they weren't _touching_. This was not right. Not right at all. But he was on his couch. That was what mattered.

}:Do you know what ‘no’ means, Ibranth?:{ he huffed, wearily.

“Well, now that that’s over…” Still chuckling, X’rion shrugged away from the wall and disappeared back inside. “What brings you my way, then?”

}:’No’ means I must compromise.:{ Ibranth grumbled, and held himself away from Angualdith while simultaneously refusing to give up any more couch. His tail flicked-- unintentionally bapping the brown before he snorted and flicked it swiftly the other direction. }:There is enough room. I am not touching you.:{

R’zen slanted a look at his dragon. **Behave**, he thought firmly, and then followed X’rion in, head held high, refusing to cede to his nerves. Tch, he wasn’t nervous at all. “I… have questions.” he said stiffly.

Angualdith's irritation was plain in yet another deep growl. }:No, it doesn't,:{ he said in a testy, know-it-all tone without elaboration, and he kicked a hind leg almost reflexively against the other dragon's the moment Ibranth’s tail touched him. }:Do you know what ‘almost’ means?:{

“Oh yeah?” X'rion asked over his shoulder.

If Angualdith was obsessive about his space, his rider lived in a state of unselfconscious ease, the belongings mostly in their places but some clearly hadn’t quite made it back. Loitering like many teenage belongings did. One of which was a plate on the living area's low table, which got picked up and brought to the kitchenette as he went to grab his mug. X’rion himself opted for leathers most of the time, only now he was at home, dressed in slouchy pants and a short-sleeved shirt, and clearly operated with comfort in mind. “Questions about what? Oh-- klah?” he offered, holding up said mug.

Ibranth snorted in offense, head jerking up at the kick, wings mantling up-- and accidentally smacking Angualdith, just a little bit. }:Don’t kick me!:{ he objected. }:I already made room for you!:{

R’zen faltered, for a moment, then jerked his head in a short nod. “Sure.” He said, a little awkwardly. “... It was sharding _cold_ up there, even in my leathers.” he added, head turning to take in X’rion’s space, before he slanted another glance at the brown rider. “Me and Ibranth have our own place now too.”

}:HEY! It’s _my_ couch! I’m _letting_ you be here!:{ Angualdith reminded him hotly, shaking his head after taking a wing dead in the face. }:Ibranth,:{ he cautioned, his voice lowering now into a growl, too. }:We are ‘almost’ touching. When it stops being ‘almost’, I’m going to use my teeth.:{

X’rion’s brows raised in an expression of approval. “All moved in? I hope you didn't come to me for decorating tips.” He started pouring another mug of klah and paused. “How do you take it, R’zen? I know I have sugar, but I dunno about anything else.”

}:And I’m not touching you!:{ Ibranth protested, with another indignant snort. }:If you nip me, I will nip you!:{

“No. My weyr is awesome how it is.” R’zen said with utter certainty. A pause, and then he shook his head. “Plain klah is fine!” he hastened to add. “I, uh… yeah. Questions.”

}:If you nip me, I will bite you,:{ Angualdith told him simply, menacingly, unequivocally. His head slid down on his forepaws with an aggrieved grumble, angling his head toward the wall so he didn't have to look at him.

“You sure you don't want to put pepper in it? I might have some.” X'rion handed R'zen a mug, grinning that same shit-eating, dimple-defining grin as before. “Sorry. Bad joke.” He turned more serious then, leaning back against the counter. Ankles crossed as he sipped from his mug. “Go ahead.”

Ibranth grumbled subvocally, and pointedly closed his own eyes. He too was Done.

R’zen couldn’t help the surprised laugh that slipped free. “You _remembered_ that?” he asked X’rion, smirk returning-- if slyly.

And then he sobered, and flopped down into one of the chairs without waiting for an invitation. “... You called me cute.”

Last updated on the October 28th 2026

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Questions (1/2)