I Have To Make This Work

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 9th February 2006

Characters: R'mer, R'alt
Description: Reymer realizes he must come to terms with Weyr life if he is ever going to be at home
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 1 of Turn 3

"Don't look so nervous, Rey! You need to relax. Loosen up a bit." Rialt gave him a friendly grin. "It's just a birthing-day party."

Reymer leaned over and whispered to his friend. "But I don't know him."

"Neither do I. But hey! It's a Weyr. And the more people at the party, the more fun it is, trust me. I usually don't know half the people who come to _my_ birthing-day parties."

The younger candidate wasn't sure. "But I don't have a gift..."

"Neither do I! Only close friends bring material gifts. But _we_ get to grace him with our presence."

"All right," Reymer sighed, following the older boy through the door into the bluerider's weyr.

The party seemed to already be in full swing. The weyr was alive with music, dancing, laughing, and men and lovely ladies mingling. The ale seemed to be flowing from the right side of the room, so that's where Rialt lead Reymer first.

Reymer took the mug offered. He'd some experience drinking at least. Not much, but at a couple nights with his uncle... He took a long sip, not wanting to think of home. It hurt too much to think of home. "Shards, this is good."

"The Weyr has some of the best ales," the older Candidate grinned before taking a long swig from his own mug. "And it's always good to find reasons to take advantage of such good fortune. C'mon, let's go over there..."

Reymer followed his friend silently. Shards, there were so many _people_! And all of them unknown to him. He recognized maybe _one_
from the weyrling barracks, and one... Oh shards, that was the boy he walked into the bathing chamber to find him in the lap of another boy. The candidate's face burned crimson anew as he remembered his shock and horror. He had felt lost and out of place... much as he was feeling now.

"A lot of people, I know," Rialt said, twisting his body in an amazingly limber way to avoid a dancing couple.

"I didn't know this many people could fit in one room," Reymer said. It was obvious the other boy couldn't hear him over the commotion. A stumbling rider ran straight into the candidate, spilling half Reymer's ale right down his shirt.

"Shards, I'm sorry," the rider laughed, throwing a friendly arm over Reymer's shoulders. His face was so close to the boy he could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Why don't you and me go in the back room and we can get you out of that shirt. And maybe your pants too."

The look in the rider's eyes told Reymer it wasn't just to get him _dry_. "No, really, I'm fine," the candidate quickly assured him and ducked out from under the rider's arm and he hurried as fast as possible after the one person he knew. **Shards, what kind of party _is_ this!**

"Oh, shards - Sorry, Rey! I lost you for a moment there." Once Reymer was close enough, Rialt grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "It's pretty chaotic in here."

"Rialt! I should've known _you'd_ be here," a feminine voice called from behind them.

He turned, and his grin grew wider. "Well hello there, sweetheart. You know me so well - me and my weakness for a sharding good time."

"Oh, do I ever," she grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and a leg around his hips. "Lucky for you, I'm weak for a sharding good time as well."

Reymer looked away quickly. Shards, was that _all_ these people ever thought about?

Rialt glanced over the young woman's shoulder at Reymer. "This is Vesra, Reymer." His grin was slow as he wrapped his hands around her slender hips to help steady her against him. "Vesra, this is Reymer. Be nice to him."

"Why, does Reymer have a weakness for good times too?" she asked as she nipped at Rialt's neck playfully. The greenrider didn't even look at Reymer, which was fine by him. He was trying to look anywhere but at her too.

"I said _be nice_," he growled softly in her ear, his fingers squeezing her hips. Shards...that felt so good. But he knew this was making his young friend uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable, actually, so he began pulling her away from him. "Listen, sweet, I've got some things to do, but come find me later if you're not otherwise occupied, hmm?"

She gave the candidate a little pout. "Are you sure _you_ won't be otherwise occupied?"

"When _you're_ here? Certainly not," he winked before catching her lips in a brief, but thorough kiss. "Now go on and have fun," he grinned with a light slap to her rump.

Reymer watched out of the corner of his eye as Rialt's friendly greenrider friend slipped into the lap of another man. Obviously she would have no trouble whatsoever finding her kind of 'fun' around here.

"Sorry, Rey." He grinned slightly, running a hand through his hair. "Women in the Weyr usually don't have any desire to leash their emotions."

"And the _men_ do?" Reymer muttered as he caught sight of the lap-sitting male candidate at it again. He drained what was left of his ale in one long gulp. "I'm out. I'll go get another."

Rialt followed him, draining the last of his mug as he went. Shards, he just wanted him to have a good time. But maybe it was too much to expect so soon...

Reymer filled his mug and drank it down in one long gulp after another -
his mind working the whole time. **I don't belong here... But I have to! I have to belong here! If I don't make this work, how can I take care of my family? But do I really want to bring my sisters to _this_**

He wiped the foam off his mouth with the back of his hand and filled the mug again. Again he started pounding the ale back. He needed time to think... **But if I don't bring them here what chance to we have? We could die out on that sharding farm. Was that so much worse that this?** The idea of his sister Imrie dancing around from man to man like that woman of Rialt's... **Shards... How can I bring them to _this_? How can I leave them to rot on that farm? I have to find a way to make this work I have to. I _have_ to!**

Reymer turned back to his friend, and filled his mug one more time. "So,"he finally said. "What are we supposed to do at these things? Just drink or is there more fun to be had?" He would make this work... He had to ...

Rialt looked him over carefully after he refilled his own mug. "Well, what kind of fun are you looking for?" He wasn't so sure what to show Reymer, especially considering his reaction to Vesra. And shards - she was scortching _tame_ compared to everything else.

"I don't know. I'll follow you." He gulped down a few more sips of ale. It was starting to make his head fuzzy, but he was glad. Maybe it would make it easier...

Last updated on the February 9th 2006

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I Have To Make This Work