Even Gentlemen Have Their Quirks (1/2)

Writers: Chelle, Len
Date Posted: 18th July 2011

Characters: E'rae, J'zen
Description: E'rae goes on a dinner date with J'zen
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 27 of Turn 6
Notes: Part 1 of 2

E'rae sat down to the empty table near the corner of the Dining
Cavern. He got himself some wine and he began to drink and
eat bread as he waited for J'zen. The bluerider was trying to think
of things to talk about. E'rae wasn't the most glib person on Pern.

Unlike E'rae, J'zen could think of a million and one things, and that
was only in the first candlemark. It was a confident and beautifully
striking man that walked up to the table E'rae had chosen and sat down
with all his natural grace. "You going to pour me a glass too, m'dear?"

"Ahhh sure, if you'd like." He reached out and grabbed the skin,
filling one of the other glasses. He offered it to J'zen before bringing
his hand back. "There you are."

"Thanks," J'zen said dryly, taking a sip from his glass and capturing
E'rae's hand before it went back to its original place. Holding it
lightly in his own, he asked, "So how was your day?"

"Same as any other day. Get up, take care of Leith, go to wing meetings
and drills, eat, exercise, then come here to eat again. It wasn't bad
though. Yours?"

"Pretty much the same, but I am hoping this evening will go different
than the norm." The greenrider smiled at E'rae. "If you want, I'll
go get our dinners. What'll you have?"

"Ah, baked tubers, herdbeast steak, and green beans will be fine." He
loved a well rounded menu and there was already a basket of rolls on
the table.

The greenrider nodded and left for the food. Soon enough he returned,
laden with their dinners and another bottle of wine. "Thought we
might need it," he said by explanation to the bluerider, before putting
his dinner before him.

"Thank you J'zen. It looks very good." E'rae helped him with the food,
then began to arrange his plate once they were both seated. "Smells
good too."

"Made with my very own hands," he teased E'rae. "Oh, and some dozen
women, as well."

"You don't cook then?" E'rae could dress and fashion almost any sort of
of meat and throw a rough meal together, but he wasn't good at the art.

J'zen wrinkled his nose and shook his head. Being the second youngest
there was never a reason for him to learn to cook. He stirred around
his dinner, which was much lighter than E'rae's.

"I take that as a no." He bit into a piece of his steak and chewed. After
swallowing, the bluerider brought his head back up. "What do you like to
do then?"

"Oh...harrass my sister. Sit on the beach and watch the waves.
Strangely enough...flying sweeps. Playing the gitar..that sort of
thing." He eyed E'rae and laughed. "I probably sound like a complete
bore, sorry!" Stirring his food around, he added, "What do you like
doing?"

"No, you sound normal. Me, I like to hunt, handle hides, go fishing."
His holder accent was mostly gone, but one could see it in his mannerisms
usually.

"Fishing sounds nice." J'zen had never taken up the activity even
though he'd seen plenty of his friends do just that. "Hunting too."
That was something none of his friends did. "How did that come
about?"

"My father was a trapper for the Hold. I followed in his footsteps to help
provide food for everyone. Before I impressed, of course." E'rae remembered
those early days with fondness. There were times he missed Garnet Valley.

"You still hunt?"

"Yeah every other sevenday or so when I have the time. Leith enjoys
getting to go to different places and I don't want to ever get out of practice.
Besides, the same instincts and feelings he has when he catches a feline or
herdbeast, I feel when I snare a wherry or something." He was connected to
his dragon in that way. It had helped during weyrlinghood when others had been
revolted by the hunting and butchering,
E'rae hadn't hesitated.

"Is wherry all you hunt?" J'zen grinned and let his hand wander along E'rae's.

"No. There's wherry, felines, whers, and all the other good things
that run around our great planet without getting threadeaten." He
marveled sometimes
at just how many animals he did find.

J'zen snorted and rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean hunting of the
animal kind, silly."

"Ah well just so you know, I'm a very literal person. Simple Holder
blood and all that." E'rae thought about his question. "Do I have fun
every now and again?
Sure. I haven't had a weyrmate since I've been here. I do have a
daughter, though."

The greenrider bit his lip and looked shy for a moment before asking,
"So you have a girl? How old?"

"She's ten turns old now. Almost growing into a young lady really." He
thought about Werenn for a moment, getting quiet. "My sister fosters her."

"Ah, I've tried hinting around to Jaylene to have a kid but she's not
buying that one. It'd be nice to have a little one to fuss over."
J'zen sat back and daydreamed about that for a moment. He seriously
doubted that his sister would ever have a child, but maybe in time
Jayonne would. A little niece or nephew would be lovely.

"It's hard for riders to foster, but if you had a nonrider family member,
they could easily take on one of the Weyrbrats that need watching over,"
E'rae suggested easily.

"We have our mum, but getting Jaylene to settle for two candlemarks,
let alone two sevendays is like asking a wher to fight Thread." He
shook his head. "I have a bad feeling I'm going to go through life
uncle-less."

"You have plenty of time it seems so don't despair. Shells, you could
end up with a flight baby like I did." He wouldn't trade Werenn for the world,
though he couldn't be a proper father with his duties.

"How potent do you think some of these bronze rides are, anyways?
They'd have to work...really hard..to make me pregnant." J'zen
laughed at that thought.

"You've never been caught out with a female during a goldflight then?"
For some, the feelings were stronger than others. It was known to happen,
especially if there was something already there.

J'zen snorted and laughed. "You don't know me very well. It'd take
the entire flock of golds Rising at the same time...and even then I
doubt I'd be tempted into sleeping with a girl. Maybe playing a game
of chess...but not sleeping. No way, no thank you." He shuddered at the
horrible thought.

"Mmm I'm equal opportunity, so I suppose I don't mind really." He took a
bite out of his steak and nodded to himself.

"Which is why you're on blue and I'm on green." J'zen eyed the man
and chuckled softly. "They're not stupid, those dragons."

"Well no, not really." Finishing up his dessert, he sat back and let his food
settle. "So what say after you're done, we take a walk and you show me your
weyr?"

"Okay."

Last updated on the August 3rd 2011

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Even Gentlemen Have Their Quirks (1/2)