OOC: Esther breaks the very first rule of Weyrlinghood wherein you are suppose to talk to nobody but your dragon for the first week.  Brutal, too sweet, but pleased to find out that Esther can let him go!

3/30/2008
01:20 AM
Logfile from Dragonsfire - Esther.

The major advantage to no longer being a Candidate is that Tejano no longer needs to hide his breaking of the Candidate rules.  So it happens that he managed to get ahold of a very nice flask of some sort of wine, from somewhere, and given the erratic steps that he's taking, it's probably not his first flash of whatever.  The long-haired youth trails along, meandering, but with the purpose of first checking the nearby crevice to the Weyrling barracks. "Not here!" Tejano calls into it, tenor muffled somewhat by stone. "You're not here.  You took him and you up and left and it doesn't even smell like him anymore.  Not even a diaper.  And it didn't work.  The dragons all liked the other ones more. See? I wasn't Searched. Probably," Tejano concludes as he perches outside the crevice, to continue his conversation with it, "Your Sapphireth was in one of those eggs that didn't Hatch. Because you weren't there.  Nevermind fellis in dragons."  Tejano takes another long swig of his wine, and studies the dark opening.

Thera has come outside the Weyrling barracks because she can't sleep. Exhausted and still a little nonplussed by the experience, there are blood stains on her tunic and she needed a moment to pace. It's then that she sees the figure near the crevice and she turns and stares at him for a long moment. Just quietly looking, before she takes a step in that direction which leads to a few more "Tejano?" Concern colours her voice and she goes to him.

"Yes! Yes." Tejano agrees. "It's Tejano. It's not T'jan. Not J'no. Not... T'jano, which sounds just like Tejano, except a little shorter," he puts up two fingers to show /very small/, "Between the T and the Jano."  Tejano nods. "Tejano.  Yes. But. You are someone else now aren't you?" Tejano brightens. "You aren't Esther.  Another man," he touches his chest lightly with those two fingers that had remained stationary in the air showing size, "Has claimed you. I watched. I saw. It was wonderful."  He smiles, beautifically. "But, I cannot offer you a drink, but I can drink for you, so I shall." And he does.

Thera looks like she wants to cry but she can't because Hadamarth and this whole experience won't allow it right now even for all that he's asleep and snoring in her head. "It's not the same.." and she stops "I am Esther, just..." but the realization that maybe she is in fact not is written across her face and so she buries them in her hands "Shells. He didn't wipe away my feelings its just that..." and she'll step closer to this man and the joy she feels mingles with sorrow "He is wonderful. I never thought... and right now he just burped."  She rocks for a moment as that experience was new and then focuses back on the man, expression earnest "He's part of the best thing that has happened to me but that other part is you too!"

"You are... Too kind."  Tejano remains on his rock, gestures briefly to the crevice. "Him. Too. Part of the best thing that ever happened to me."  Tejano touches his chest again. "He'll always be here and maybe one day he'll run away and want to find his father. Like Waebren."  Tejano absently uncorks the flask with evident practice, and he takes another drink. "Congratulations, Esther. I am happy for you. Very happy. All my friends Impress. I should hire myself out as a professional friend, to anyone who wants to Impress a dragon. Nomi. Q'luin. Now you.  And Vyune probably would have, but she wasn't there. So. She blew her chance, didn't she?" Softer words, there. "So I actually came to see you, Esther, but I got sidetracked talking to the hole in the wall there."  Tejano, to his credit, does not slur his words. He should be slurring his words.

Thera is losing a battle and she knows it but is too ovewhelmed with the contentment of the impression to even know how to fight it so just stares at him softly and is quiet. Some habits die hard and she begins to smooth her skirts and twitch but that too quiets. She can hear the dragon sleeping in her head and it still stuns her, how quickly it became a part of her. Finally, she will lay her hand on his arm lightly, asking in a whisper "Why did you come to see me Tejano?"

Tejano startles slightly, and looks rather owlishly at the hand. "Because I told you that I would not leave without saying goodbye. I'll be leaving with Th'deus tomorrow. Oh blast and shards. I called him 'Th'deus'. I've been here too long, see?"  Tejano shakes his head, laughs. "I think when I go back, I'll move to Boll. Wait for Toncho to get the train back together. It's time to be gone from here, see? But Thadd-lad," Tejano says rather deliberately, "Wants me to -- Wants my images to take back some of the dragons and the Candidates who didn't Impress, into the past and we'll be going...Back. To the past. To the jungles and things, there and they'll be raising more dragons and then those dragons," Tejano's voice has taken on a sing-song quality to it, "Will be coming here and fighting Thread with your dragons. Fighting dragon, Esther. A brown.  I'm very proud of you."

The look briefly on Esther's face says she wants to hit him again, only Thera can't. Her hand presses hard for a moment against his skin and her eyes squeeze shut. Then she lets the hand drop to her side and steps backwards. "Thank you, he's wonderful. He really is and he'll like you."  She'll swallow hard and nod again, taking another step backwards and her voice will be soft "Alright, thank you for telling me". Her breath breaks in a ragged sound as she speaks "Please be happy Tej. I need you to be. I want you to be. But I can't make you. I can't even try right now. Keep safe. I wanted that plan of ours, I really did, I still do." Her head swings to the entrance of the Weyrling Barracks and then she looks back at him, intently - this man that gave her so much "I can't give that to you right now, but come back maybe, if you want to?"  She'll let that question hang there.

"Of course you can't. Dragons choose.  They don't much care about humans' bargains or deals or what-not.  It's been a grand adventure." Tejano slides off that rock and stands, swaying just /slightly/, before he raises his study to her once more. "You're beautiful, Esther. You're where you should be. You've a home now.  Become a dragonhealer. I'm a Trader. I'm not a SeaCrafter; took the pirates to prove that. I'm not a healer, but I can pretend pretty well.  I'm not a--" He cuts that off, and Tejano just looks toward the lake. Yo pops out of *between* then, pale form that drops to Tejano's shoulder like a rock, and curls her tail around his neck, rubbing her head against his cheek with such adament attention that he has to corral her muzzle with a hand.  "But it was fun, watching.  And I'll.  I'll be a good trader, Esther. It's a fine profession. Lots of travel.  Meet new people." White flashes in a brief smile as those pale eyes turn toward her, visible even in the night.  "Maybe it's too late to tell you, but I'd like to tell you:  I love you.  He'll love you. Take care of you.   You'll do fine, Esther. Weyrling. Dragonrider." Tejano deliberately switches the flask from one hand to the other and salutes the woman.  "Clear skies."

Thera's face grows tight and hard, incredibly angry but there's an undercurrent of joy running through her voice "You're an idiot Tejano Barlord. A truly stupid man. If you love me then come back to me. Should have said it before you.. you.. trundlebug"  She'll shake her head "I love you too, and that might work and it might not, but it works for me know, and that's what I want. And we can wait with that... Two years in the future remember that promise. I'm going to hold you to it and then we'll see."

"Can't much see myself as a weyr drudge, Esther, just sweeping and cleaning and taking care of babies. Not much of a father to look up to, that."  Tejano takes another sip of the flask, then dribbles a bit onto a palm for Yo, should she want any (she doesn't).  "We'll see what happens in two turns. In two turns..." He shakes his head. "So much changes.  All the time. Time changes everything." He stumbles slightly, but catches himself, "I went and chatted with those three eggs, before Thadd took them. I think they're really dead. They wouldn't hatch for me, anyway."  He begins to walk away, then swings around to look at her again. "Told you it'd be good luck for you to leave that mark on the floor. Or did you erase it, finally, when I wasn't looking?"

"Then go find what you want to be Tejano. I don't care what you are, but you do and I don't think you're going to be happy until then. Be a trader. Be a drudge. Be a dammed pirate. But find it. Time will move and I'll be here. I already know that Hadamarth wants me to be happy, and I will be happy whether you are or not." Thera will walk to the entrance before turning back and looking at him "I didn't erase it. You did."

Tejano remains still, listening to her words, and he'll lose his balance just slightly on Thera's last phrase.  The flask is lifted, as if it might be shield, and then it is lowered again.  Tejano's pale regard studies her for a long, long moment, before he nods. "Aye then, Esther." Gentle tenor, "You go and be happy.  Remember me. Once upon a time, there was this young man.  And there was a runner."  Tejano turns to head into the darkness of the bowl. "Any good story has a runner. Put a sword into the story too, Esther.  The man rode the runner and there was sword and maybe ruffians.  Yes. Holdless ne'er-do-goods, along the road and maybe a rescue.  You can rescue this time, Esther. I'll do it next time."  His voice fades, then, as does the image dissolve into the night.

Thera will lean against the entrance and cross her arms across her chest as she stares into the night, speaking softly to her head "I don't want happy ever after. I just want him. Yes and definately you too. Forever you."

End of log.