Kinda sorta hiding (open)

[ShadowReine]

There were two people B'can did not want to see right now.

He did not want to see Brylorea.

He most especially did not want to see Inolyn.

Queenriders. Queenriders were the entire source of all of his problems and troubles. He almost wished Apolloth's hide had been blue.

No, he didn't. He could never have been a bluerider. Maybe brown, maybe even bronze, but never blue. And besides, had he been a bluerider, it would be greenriders that would be the source of his troubles.

Let's be blunt here.

Women.

It was all about women. Which was why a tanrider could be found checking the labels on bottles in the Weyr's winecellar, a place he could be pretty sure...almost sure...even close to certain...neither queenrider would ever enter.

"Women," he said, out loud. Guess chirped, as if agreeing. Females.

Females were the source of all troubles.

[yamamoto]

And'l found himself walking futher along away form his weyr, which was usally a direction the bluerider was never really comforntable going, but Nelth seemed to be chasing him out of the door, the blue was quite presestaint on making sure that he socialize with someone. Plus he had some little helpers. On And'l's left shoulder sat his green flit, Leaf who would at any moment she even thought that And'l was about to head back to his weyr without Nelth premission would give him a good nip on the ear, and a painful one at that, but not egough to do any serious damage. Just to get her point across. On his other shoulder was his bronze flit, Topaz. Anyone could tell by looking at him that he had pobably been suckered into his current task. The bronze never really enjoying making And'l doing anything the bluerider did not want to do, but did it anyway becuase it was what Leaf and Nelth had conviced him was best for his pet.

And'l passed by door of the wine seller to here a male voice form inside say, "Women" and the tone that the voice showed did not sound very positive at all in the blueriders opintion. Though he supesected that anyone else would be thinking the extact same thing that he was. So the blue rider peeked around the corner, reconizing B'can yet never really having spoken to the others, his reason for remembering the name was that And'l never ever forgot a pretty face, even if he never said anything to the preson about it. his ability to go unoticed served him well in not being detected so he could choose the moment in which to engage any conversation. It seemed to him the other was having a problem and he had always been a good lisitiner, so maybe this was his chance to socialize some, plus there was nobody else around so that helped.

The bluerider pulled his head back and then walked into the room in his usal quite manner, though there was no hint of nervousness, becuase it was a one on one conversation which he enjoyed immensily. He spoke up though his voice did give away a hint of a hesitant thought simply becuase he was not sure if the other had indulged in the contents of the room and how that could affect how the Tan riders additude would be, "Uhmmm are you ok, B'can." And'l was uncanny in how good he was with names, even if he did not know a person, he knew there name most of the time.

[ShadowReine]

Remembering B'can was generally rather easy. The stocky tanrider was quite distinctive in appearance and there were not that many tanriders at Nyocia.

"I'm fine," he grunted at the bluerider. He did not know the man well, but would be surprised if he knew anything about troubles with women. Troubles with men, maybe...some of the male greenriders could out-cat and out-bitch any woman alive.

But...greenriders were definitely not his issue. "Just contemplating sneaking a bottle up to my weyr for later consumption."

There. That was a reasonable excuse, and if it was assumed he would have somebody to share it with, then so much the better.

Apolloth thought he was being silly. Apolloth thought he should forget Brylorea and her arrogant dragon...

...but Apolloth was only B'can's dragon *not* his mother!

[yamamoto]

And'l mently rolled his eye's at the tan riders statment. He was not stupid, plus the comment he had heard the other rider making as he passed by, clearly told him that the other was difently not fine. Nelth intruppted his rider's thoughts saying, Who are you talking to And'l? The blue was curious sinice he did not feel the usal waves of nervousness coming off of his bonded which usally happened when he was talking to someone. And'l simply responded, A disgrutuled Tan rider. I think he is have problems with female's. Though he seems reluctent to speak of it. The blue's reply showed how he thought of the sitution as funny, being that his rider knew nothing on the subject of the oppisate sex, Well why don't you talk to him and maybe you can help him out. The blue's tone held a hint of sarcasm, becuase he could not remember the last time his bonded had even had a female as a friend.

And'l dismissed Nelth's attempt at a joke, though did think that the idea of talking to the other rider was a good one. Though when he spoke he kept his usall nervousness out of his voice, though by this point there was not any to keep out, "You don't act like you are fine, nobody says the word 'women' with such a hint of vemon in it and not have reason to complain." And'l reviled that he had overheard the other rider, though was remaining as non conforntaitional as possiable, " You can talk to me about it, you know. It usally makes things esaier, when you have a outlet for your thoughts that can actully talk back, instead of just using a bottle that simply drowns them out for the moment." And'l had always been good at giving advice, so he thought that maybe he could help in someway, but he was making it clear that he could not be shrugged off so esaily. Leaf seemed to let out a chirp as though in agreement to what And'l said, though the green always seemed to do that, trying to do anything she could think off to give her pet some measure of confidenice.

[ShadowReine]

B'can shook his head. "It's not their fault. It's not really their fault. I suppose I could blame the dragons."

And'l might not know about the opposite sex, but any mature bluerider should know about the problems dragons and their liaisons could cause.

"And that's what the problem is. I don't know what the heck to do about either of them." Oh, caught in the middle. Perhaps? His tone was not venomous now, it was rueful, a little sad and a lot frustrated.

"I dunno. Maybe things would be easier...no. Dragons are dragons."

He would not have had this problem if he had refused Search, but he could not imagine that, could not envision any turning of his life that did not place him at Apolloth's side. The great tan was, after all, his other half. In some ways his better half...so much more *honest* than any human could really be.

[yamamoto]

A thoughtful look crossed the blue rider's face at this moment. He should have guessed that it was a problem caused by flights, such problems where never in short supply or at least the uncomforntable situtions that they caused. Though surpisingly this was a subject that And'l had no direct expriance, he knew people that it had caused problems with, but had never exprianced. The reason was simply that Nelth had never caught before, not once in the entire 7 turns of his life. The blue always seemed to give up esaily during the flight, again the blueriders train of thought was intruppted by his dragon, Well if you were not so scared of having your madien flight with one of the other riders then I would have no reason to worry then would I? It wasn't simply that And'l was scared, had it been that simple then Nelth would probably have caught already, and just dealt with And'l being mad at him later. Yet the blue had a fear that it would cause his rider to bettewen, sinice his rider always seemed so very afraid whenever he brought up the subject, so the blue just habitually dropped out of flights, having diecded to wait until his And'l could find himself a greenrider for a weyrmate.

And'l agian dismissed the blue's comment by saying, We can talk about that later Nelth, best I not have a panic attack now. I don't think it would do this rider much good to see me like that. And'l knew himself well egough to know what caused him problems and what didn't. When he finally deicided what to say he spoke as though he did have expraince, And'l was a very knowleagdable person so he was esaily able to speak on things he had no expriance with, at least most of the time he was. "Yes I see how that could be a problem, flights being the way they are and all. Yet I don't think blaming the dragons would do any good, they can't help it really. Well I guess what you could do is, just not worry about one of them and focus on the other. Sinice I suspect you speak of some queenriders." The tan seemed to be like bronze in that respect of chasing the larger females, "I would go with whichever you have had the longest time with. The other you could write off as just another flight controled time under the furs. Though if that silution does not work then you could just simply remain friends with both of them and not choose ethier one." Somthing in the blueriders voice gave his inexpriance away, though it was that he still believed that his advice was still just as valid.

[ShadowReine]

B'can shook his head. "It's not...remotely that simple."

The dragons. The dragons made things so complicated, and both women were at times overlapping in his mind. He had spoken to Inolyn only briefly, cordially, trying to hide the fact that his heart turned over when he saw her.

The problem was, it still did the same thing with Brylorea. Could he have managed to fall in love with *both* of them?

"If I could just forget either of them, then would I have a problem?"

Blueriders could be so...naive sometimes. Although this one was far more naive than he would have thought any rider would be.

Maybe he was just...maybe things were different when your primary partners were men. Men did deal with things in a different way. B'can was starting to think this bluerider could absolutely not help him.

Maybe what he...he did not know what he needed. Gah.

Women.

[yamamoto]

And'l was about to reply when he stopped himself and thought for a moment. He realized when the tan rider spoke that he had made his usal mistake of thinking that everyone thought things in such clear cut and dry terms. Somthings made people think in a illogical manner, whiched seemed to be what was happening here. This one would probably require a differnt kind of thinking, which was one that And'l usally kept to himself having never needed to think about it in such a way, "Well yes that would be a problem, it seems like that you would need to resolve it though." It seemed obvious that the blue rider was a little stumped which was a uncommon thing with him.

Nelth chimed in trying to help And'l Maybe he should just talk to them. The blue rider agreed with his dragon, it was obvious that he really did want to help the other rider so he tried to see if maybe a differnt idea would seem good, "Well if you can't just forget about both of them then maybe you should talk to them. In the end you are going to have to choose, if you want to stay with one of them. The sooner you do it the better, becuase if you wait to long then you will just become more emtionally confused and it will make your choice harder at that point. Yet I can promise you that drinking will not help you at all. It just serves to fog your mind." This time the bluerider spoke with quite abit more athourity in his voice, though it didn't sound like he was telling B'can what to do, he was just trying to help. He hated to think that he had not been able to help B'can reslove his problem.

(RL: This conversation is going to have to take a differnt turn soon, I am really bad at talking about this kind of stuff in real life. So my muse is no good at talking about this kind of stuff, at least to a point that is. )

[ShadowReine]

B'can shook his head. "I wasn't actually planning on getting drunk. I promise."

He recognized that the bluerider was going to be no help. In fact, it seemed that the man was getting less and less comfortable. Maybe the rumor that blueriders were prudes was true of at least some of them.

"It's for when I have visitors." Maybe what he needed to do was take a *different* woman up to his Weyr. That way he could straighten out, he hoped, hormones from feelings. He wondered if Shador was available. She was not a woman who formed ties with her lovers, any of them.

"So. I don't think we've actually really properly met. I'm B'can, of tan Apolloth." That would be the tan who was as long as a small bronze...and fancied himself in every way equal to a bronze.

Of course, ambition, if tempered, was not a bad thing in the larger males. Or their riders.

[yamamoto]

And'l was gald when the topic of the coversation began to take a differt turn. Though he still thought that the Tan rider was only making it worse for himself by bringing another person into the picture. Though it really didn't matter, some people just have to get burn before they learned that fire is hot. That is what the bluerider assumed was the case her, becuase he himself would never have done anything like that. He was a very prudish person and could never think of sleeping with more than one person. It was the main reason that flights bothered him in the way they did. Nelth intrejected saying I can cure you of that really fast. It is probably not as bad as you think. The blue riders features betrayed his sense of fear, and gave away that he was having two conversations at once. Though most dragonriders probably did that quite often.

Nelth now you know how much I don't like that, please don't scare me with such things For a second he had thought the blue was beening serious, and was going to go through with it. The blue spoke to his rider using the comfornting tone that he normally used, and he sounded apoligetic as well Don't worry And'l. I promise I would never do anything to hurt you, like I have always said. You take your time with that. As And'l's attention came to again to that of the rider he was speaking to, the time bettewen the other person words and And'l's responds was really only about 5 seconds, but it was egough to notice, "My name is And'l, rider of blue Nelth." And'l had impressed at a young age, so Nelth was older than most of the dragons who's riders where the same age as And'l. He introduced his flit's next by pointing at them as he said there names, "This big guy here is Topaz, and the little beauty on my left shoulder, is Leaf." The two flit's themselves where the same age as Nelth, becuase they had been born in the same turn.

[ShadowReine]

B'can nodded. "Guess and Stare are around somewhere." As if she had somehow heard her name, his green popped out of between, landed on his shoulder, and proceeded to regard Topaz...in a way that gave away which of the mentioned firelizards she was.

Starestarestare.

"And is your dragon giving you a hard time?" Apolloth certainly did. "Sometimes I think they think that's part of their job. At least, Apolloth certainly does. Stare, don't you start flirting with that bronze."

Stare, of course, completely ignored her perch. After all, he was only a source of meatrolls.

[yamamoto]

And'l laughed a little at the antics of the little green that seemed to stare at them. Leaf though did not seem happy about it and gave the other green a angry chirp. Topaz's tail snaked around behind And'l's neck and wrapped with that of the green, as the bronze chirped at her. The bronze was letting Leaf know that she was still his weyrmate and he would not betray her. Though it was obvious with the way he seemed to perch taller and prouder that he was enjoying the attention of the other green. A lot. He was typical as any other bronze, always a show off.

And'l nodded his head as he admited, "Yep you would be correct in saying. Nelth typically does it, talking about flights and trying to get me to socialize. I somtimes get the filling that he thinks he is my father, and mother." Nelth somtimes babied his rider and seemed to act motherly towards him. Though it was in a differnt way then what a female dragon probably would have. Yet at the same time he was always giving his rider advice, so in away Nelth was acting like his father, and And'l always though it was funny, "Yet I would never change him acting like that for all of Pern. If he didn't I would probably be hidding in a room somwhere at this moment instead of standing here talking to you."

[ShadowReine]

B'can grinned. "I have noticed that while there are many shy Candidates and some shy weyrlings, there are no shy riders."

Dragons tended not to let their riders be so shy it was unhealthy. "Dragons seem to want to make us better, don't they." Apolloth wanted him to be Weyrleader.

Faranth, no. He didn't need to bring any *more* women into his complicated life. Sometimes...no. He did not regret having accepted Search, and he had known, had accepted, that tangled love lives were what riders had. That was the way of things. Oddly, this bluerider seemed to be in denial on the matter.

"Apolloth wants me to be a better rider, work harder, learn more. And I need a bit of pushing, so...it works out."

[yamamoto]

And'l thought about this statment for a moment. He had never really noticed before, but now that he thought about that was ture. He was probably one of the most shy riders, though even his shyness did not make him completely anti-social. Nelth would not allow it, not for one single second. "Yeah Nelth is always doing that for me. If you ever see a rider being carried around by the back of thier shirt, that is probably me." He said this with a small laugh. Nelth did not let his rider make excuses. If the bluerider was being anti-social, then the blue would take somewhere and help him be social. If there was a greenrider And'l liked, then the rider knew that his dragon would make sure the other person found out, even if he had to tell the other rider's dragon to pass on the message. Though Nelth had yet to do this, And'l knew when that time came that the blue would do just that.

"He yet to let me make excuses, so I can defiently say that our dragons strengthen us in one way or another. Yet at the same time I know that he would never put me into a sitution that I could not handle." A rider could not lie to there dragon about that one. You could tell another person that you could not handle somthing even though you can, but your dragon always knew better. "Always take's care of me, and has yet to throw me too the canines, so to speak. He is always near by to help me." And'l knew that all dragon where like that. Always taking care of there riders. Nelth was always wacthing over And'l form nearbye when he put him into a social sitution, and if the blue could not be nearbye, then And'l's two flit's would stay with there pet while the blue gave him emotional and verbal encorugement.

[ShadowReine]

B'can laughed a bit. "Apolloth has never done that, although he has certainly informed me that he knows what is best for me. Vociferously and on numerous occasions."

He reached up to scritch Stare on the chest. The green crooned a little.

"Sometimes, he's even right. They do seem to have a certain wisdom to them." Of course, B'can knew, Apolloth stole thoughts out of his mind all the time. If the big tan could not remember somebody's name, he saw nothing wrong with taking the knowledge from B'can's memories. Who knew what else he found rummaging around in there.

But he was B'can's dragon, and, thus, allowed.