Why the Long Face? [Ezra]

[Fel]

Soon liked guard duty. Well, that was a bit of an understatement. He loved guard duty. The chance to watch the people below, the wonder of the scenery around Fort Weyr... it was simply splendid! Even if the mountains were lower than in Telgar, even if there were no glaciers to reflect the light like looming, distant crystals, it was all absolutely marvelous.

Of course, nothing was reflecting much in the current torrential downpour, but the rain that soaked his clothes did little to dampen his spirits. It was near the height of summer, and he was plenty warm; what could he possibly have to complain about? A faint worry that Kagurath might catch cold nagged at him, but he assured himself that she would be just fine.

He leaned back against Kagurath to take a small slice of bread out of an oiled leather bag tucked beneath her wing. His dark blonde hair was plastered to his head, and the rain streaming down his face quickly dampened the bread, but he thought it still tasted just fine. Not as good as klah, but that was more difficult to keep safely out of the rain. He supposed that was one small misfortune.

"What's with that expression?" he asked E'tin, grinning as he looked over at the other rider on watch. He actually wasn't sure if the other man was unhappy about guard duty, unhappy about the rain, or simply not the smiling type. "Just look at this place, it's magnificent! How can you not feel joy looking at it?" Or maybe he did feel joy but wasn't currently showing it. Soon couldn't really tell.

[Ezra]

E'tin huffed, the water plastering his pale hair to the sides of his face, which he shoved aside with a disgruntled noise. Guard duty was nothing he minded per say, but the rain plastering his hair in his face however, this annoyed the man. Sireth snickered in his head and he offered her a glare that might have made a person not familiar with him wish to vacate but not this irritatingly cheerful green. She had long since gotten used to her rider's nasty grump face. She knew there was a nicer face under the grump mask.

" Shut it, you spindly brat. I did not ask for your input." He replied scathingly, though the words lacked the bite to match the bark the tone conveyed, as it did not reach his eyes. As if his dragon needling him was not enough, now his watch partner was trying to chat, and good grief, how could he be so.. cheerful right now? Did he like being soaked or something? " What expression? This is the face I always wear." he replied to Soon, folding his arms over his chest and Sireth chortled in amusement and decided to stir the pot a bit, because her Rider needed to socialize more she decided and she would know best right?

" Don't mind E'tin, he always looks like someone flung shite in his face. He would not know a good view if it bit him on the arse." Sireth said and E'tin turned like someone slapped him and glared at his dragon. " I do not, you spindly brat!" He hissed in reply and Sireth grinned as a dragon could and buffeted one of her wings, enough that she could shade her rider. " There you grouchy bastard. Now, play nice." She replied, clearly proud of herself.

" Ugh... please ignore Sireth, she has no idea what she is talking about." He added, looking at Soon then out over the view of where they were. " Its nice and quiet up here, often I prefer duty here, no one else but you and the view." He added, and Sireth made a pleased sound and he turned to glare at her again. Irritating green menace, this dragon!

[Fel]

"... Spindly?" Soon asked with a raised eyebrow. He rather prided himself on his physique, and even if he hadn't quite gotten back to his former level of muscle after his injury—not yet, at least—he hardly thought he qualified as spindly. Tall, sure, but that didn't mean he was all bone. "And perhaps it's an expression you always wear, I'm not particularly inclined to call your honesty into question, but it's still not a very happy one. And come now, there's plenty to be happy about right now!"

After all, Threadfall had gone reasonably well this time. Perhaps even very well given the unusual circumstances and... blue Thread. The weather was tolerable, and despite the rain the view was absolutely lovely.

He watched as the greenrider and his dragon briefly bickered.

Perhaps that's the source of his ire, then: that he and his dragon don't get along. I do feel for him if that's the case. I can't imagine ever not getting along with you.

It is a possibility, Kagurath admitted sadly. She didn't like the idea any more than her rider did. It wasn't right, having a partner—another half of your soul—who disliked you.

"She did agree with what you said before though, that you always look like that," Soon pointed out. "So I can't really believe that she doesn't know what she's talking about unless you also don't. In which case... cheer up! Look how wonderful this place is! And your dragon seems absolutely splendid to me."

[Ezra]

Sireth was proud of herself, and it seemed this rider was not phased by E'tin's sour demenour.. she liked this other rider already. But she also did not want to push her rider too much, she had gotten her barbs in for the fun of it, now just to get him to not be grumpy, that was the challenge. " I am not the glorious bronze, brown or even blue he wanted but I am what he needed, even if he did not like me at first." She replied, and curled her tail behind her rider in an affectionate gesture. This caused E'tin to actually crack a hint of a smile. " Spindly brat has become somewhat of an affectionate nickname for Sireth, if you will. When she hatched, she was very spindly. Despite what it may seem, Sireth is a great green menace.. but she is my great green menace." E'tin added, slapping his hand a few times against his dragon's side.

Pausing for a moment and with no sense of shame or decorum, he pulled his shirt off and wroung it out a bit before throwing it back on. Was it a somewhat pointless exercise? Yes, but did he care? No. " My father would have been disappointed in me. I impressed a female color, which.. isnt what a man should be riding." E'tin tried to explain, though the more he explained this lately, the more he started to think that it was not something that made that much sense in the long run. Thread did not care what you rode and Fort seemed less.. rigid than others about color and hierarchy and traditions. He still firmly thought that traditions deserved to be recognized and followed but his eyes were starting to open to the real possibilities that change was not always a bad thing and dragons know what they needed and where they best fit.

He was at the point of acceptance and even somewhat affectionate towards his green, as she had proven herself very capable in Threadfall and in their wing and he could not deny those facts. But at he gazed at the gorgeous brown his watch partner had, he felt a slight envy curling within him for a moment. But a mere moment, because Sireth, as if she was fully listening to his thoughts, bumped his back lightly with her tail.

" Don't tell her that though, the praise will go right to her head." E'tin replied, a chuckle escaping him for a moment before he shoved a bit of jerky into his mouth, followed by a piece of his own bread roll.

[Fel]

"Menace," Soon repeated, growing more and more baffled by the moment. Perhaps she was like E'lain then, who was a danger to everyone around him most of the time... or at the very least, a danger to their dignity and sanity.

He watched as E'tin appeared to attempt to dry out his shirt despite still being rained on. Truly baffling... though at least the other rider possessed some admirable muscles.

The comment about female dragons, however, raised an objection from Kagurath. I am female though, and Soon is no less a man for it.

"I'm sure he meant no insult," Soon said placatingly. "And I don't think he meant a dragon like you in any case. You don't rise."

Oh. No, I don't, do I?