I Read What?!

So our next section of Dragonflight is F'lar's point of view. Because that's exactly what I want to read after the rape of the only character that I actually give two shits about: events from the rapist's point of view.

It's not like Lessa might have a perspective on these events at all. It's not like she just woke up after having sex for the first time ever, with a man that she had no intention of sleeping with prior to being overcome by the psychic element of the mating flight, something that she had no warning about...

Nope, let's ignore that so F'lar can bask in his smug triumph.

Fuck you, F'lar.



So as mentioned, we get F'lar's perspective now. Everything feels different. F'lar permitted himself a satisfied grin at the previous day's tumultuous events. Something might have gone wrong.

Yeah, someone might have been raped. Oh wait.

F'lar wonders how exactly it was that he and K'net had gotten called back just in time. Of course, I'd imagine Lessa might be less happy about this now. But then, it's hard to say. None of her mating flight options were remotely tolerable, after all.

That's how awful this set up is. Everyone but Lessa knew she was going to be having sex during the course of the mating flight. And sure, there were some candidates that she liked more than others. But not having sex at all clearly wasn't an option. Nor was warning her, so at least she'd have some idea of what was happening.

He and Mnementh exchange some words, this gist of which being that the "Red Star" is "at the top of the Eye Rock." This is apparently a sign that Threadful is closer than anyone wants.

Honestly, at this point, I'm starting to cheer for the thread to destroy basically everything except Lessa, Ramoth, and maybe Lytol. Lytol's been pretty useful so far. I have nothing against him. But the rest of these assholes can rot.

Oh, check this bit out:

"Sounds of vigorous splashing interrupted F'lar's reflections. He grinned again as he realized it was the girl bathing. She certainly cleaned up pretty, and undressed ... He stretched with leisurely recollection, reviewing what his reception from that quarter might be. She ought to have no complaints at all. What a flight! He chuckled softly."

...no complaints? NO COMPLAINTS? HOW ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T WARN HER YOU FUCKWAD?!?!

And I love how he doesn't even bother to think of her by name. Fuck you, F'lar.

Mnementh earns my liking though by "enigmatically" cautioning F'lar to watch his step with Lessa.

"Lessa, is it? thought F'lar back to his dragon."

Yes, that's her NAME.

The only thing surprising about all of this is that your dragon is a much better person than you are, F'lar. I regret the fact that dragons go between forever when their riders die. Because I really really want you dead.

Let's see more of F'lar's amazing self-awareness in action:

"He was always surprised to see how slight she was, an incongruous physical vessel for such strength of mind. Her newly washed hair framed her narrow face with a dark cloud. There was no hint in her composed eyes of the dragon-roused passion they had experienced together yesterday. There was no friendliness about her at all. No warmth. Was this what Mnementh meant? What was the matter with the girl?"

YOU RAPED HER.

He seems to think this was R'gul's fault for green handling of her. But really? This is something you should have told her before she ever fucking signed onto this job. "Hey, just so you know, we take part in the mating flights too. We have sex when they do."

You could have said this ANYTIME.

Apparently the Lords have come to protest, something that F'lar attributes to Lessa and K'net. Yep, that's it. It's not the fact that the Weyrs have been parasites, taking tithes of food and people without contributing anything for more than two centuries.

Did K'net and Lessa provoke the Lords? Sure. But this tension is a lot fucking older than either of them. And I'll remind us all: Lessa did this because she was told that the Weyr was going to starve. NO ONE bothered to tell her that there were other steps being taken to ensure food. No one fucking tells her anything.

Then there's a confrontation between R'gul and F'lar that would have been satisfying if either men weren't manipulative rapists. R'gul blusters and then F'lar cuts him off, grinning, telling him the days of placating the Lords are over.

You know, F'lar, you're awfully smug for a man who is only leader because he raped the right woman. It's not like this is any reflection of your ability. Hell, you're not even the one who really even seduced Lessa. Mnementh caught Ramoth. That's how this happened. It has nothing to do with you.

He is happy to night that Lessa is slightly flushed after the confrontation. "She was not completely in command of her emotions, after all."

Fuck you, F'lar. I hope she castrates you. You can still lead while a eunuch, can't you?

F'lar is self-congratulatory as more of the dragonriders enter, as they're walking taller and their "air of defeat and frustration was replaced by tense excitement"

So anyway, there are four Lords at the gate: Telgar, Nabol, Fort and Keroon. They brought an excess of a thousand armed men. F'nor's boredom when he reports annoys F'lar, because he's a fucking hypocrite.

This pisses off even some of R'gul's cronies. One starts to suggest using flames against them, but F'lar cuts in, stating that the dragonriders are sworn to protect.

Which you haven't done for literal centuries, F'lar. CENTURIES.

Basically, F'lar's idea seems to be to intimidate the Lords' followers with the dragons. But he does make an admittedly good point: if the Lords are here, then who is guarding their Holds. Lessa is the first to get what he means and she takes some glee in explaining it:

"'The Lords have left their Holds unprotected,' she said. 'They appear not to have considered that dragons can move between in seconds. T'sum, if I am not mistaken, has gone to assemble sufficient hostages from the unguarded Holds to insure that the Lords respect the sanctity ofthe Weyr.'

...our heroes, ladies and gentlemen.

F'lar, by the way, is not all that happy about the glee with which she explains this, but he can fuck himself.

He notes that he would have to "watch this slim girl very carefully and very respectfully."

Well, it might help if you don't rape her.

Anyway, he sends Lessa out to greet the hostages, though her obvious glee makes him quick to warn her and then he tries to send Mnementh after her to keep an eye on her, like she's a fucking child.

Mnementh continues to earn my love though by pointing out that supervising Lessa would be a wasted effort. "Hadn't Lessa shown more wit than anyone else in the Weyr?"

Is there any way at all we can get rid of F'lar and keep Mnementh? Asking for a friend.

Apparently Lessa is having fun though, as we've learned, she's taken the holder women to see some of the green dragons feed. The women are definitely not enjoying it as much.

"The woman was diabolically clever, F'lar thought privately, careful not to let Mnementh sense his concern. That bronze clown was as besotted with the rider as he was with the queen. What kind of fascination did the Weyrwoman have for a bronze dragon."

I love how the fact that Mnementh actually respects Lessa as a person is some kind of sign of being "besotted". Fuck you, F'lar.

Also, I hypocritically really love Lessa's glee in this section. The entire Weyr is basically villain protagonists here, in my opinion. But her enjoyment is contagious. Why oh why couldn't we get this section from her perspective instead?

We end this section with F'lar and company about to leave to confront the Lords.

"Mnementh asked him if they should pick up the Weyrwoman.

'She doesn't belong in this,' F'lar said sharply, wondering why under the double moons the bronze had made such a suggestion. Mnementh replied that he thought Lessa would like to be there.'"

God, why is your fucking dragon a better love interest than you are?

Also, why DOESN'T she belong in this again? Didn't you basically accuse her of causing this? Isn't she supposed to be in charge of things like provisioning and such? Isn't she the fucking reason you're in command at all?

Also, like Mnementh said, maybe she'd enjoy it. It'd be the least you could fucking do. Fuck you, F'lar.

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Part 2:2 | Table of Contents | Part 2:4