[Log] If That's What They Want
Who: Ailani, R'dur, Sabi, Sal'ros
When: Day 11, Month 3, Turn 9
Where: Lakeshore, Telgar Weyr
What: Ailani finally tracks R'dur down with an offer he can't refuse.
Telgar Weyr Lake Shore
The vegetation thickens near the lake, becoming a meadow that runs along the edge of a narrow, sandy beach. The sands spill down into a crystal lake to the north, lapping against the crater walls to the north and east. A fence runs northwest-southeast, blocking off the lake from the feeding grounds. The grass has a clean green color and is tender with spring. The first water lilies on the pond are blooming in yellow and white, and pink, yellow, and white wildflowers scatter the field. The white climbs even into the trees, with blowing petals amid the new green leaves. The herb garden, still mostly cut back for the winter, is hemmed about with crocuses. The red shades of sunset cast the meadow into deep, but peaceful shadows.
Contents:
PLAYERS: R'dur Sabi
OTHER: Springy Diving Board
Obvious Exits:
Bowl Lake
On this bright and sunny afternoon, the weyrlings seem to be off the leash of a weyrlingmaster (though surely there's one somewhere nearby - even just for tabs-keeping purposes). There are a trio of pairs by the lake - dragons indulging in some afternoon swimming while their riders are engaged in various activities. One green pairing is a ways away from the shore itself - dragon in the sand at meadow's edge and rider meandering through, pausing every few moments to pluck a wildflower to add to the bouquet growing in her hand. "No, I don't expect that would work. Its too.. too-- predictable. What we have to do is anticipate the unpredictable. Or what he thinks will be the unpredictable. We've got to get inside his head, Ami. That must've been the problem with our last-- right. We stayed in our own heads."
On his way toward the lake, R'dur seems distracted, lost in thought as he heads automatically from the living cavern toward the water. Alidaeth is angling downward from his ledge as well, aiming to meet his rider halfway. The brown, however, is easily distracted, and part of the way down he changes his angle to take him nearer Amalith than R'dur. At that, the man blinks and looks up, finding the dragon, tracing his path toward to the weyrling and then finally turning his own course to intersect.
Ailani heads over from the central bowl.
Ailani has arrived.
"No, I don't suppose that would work either. Maybe the direct approach? But then, that's hardly romantic, is it." A loner since the start of weyrlinghood, Sabi and her lifemate are enjoying the meadow at the edge of the lakeshore - the girl gathering wildflowers and the dragon watching from the edge of the green - lest she trample it all. On this sunny mid-afternoon, the weyrling pairs have been left somewhat to their own divices - at least three other pairs down by water's edge involved in various occupations while the dragons swim. Amalith is fairly oblivious to the approach of the brown, though she does catch sight of the man drawing near and her head turns to croon softly - urgently to Sabi. The girl's lashes flutter a moment as she looks first to her lifemate and then towards the acting Wingleader, and she draws herself up straight from where she was stooped to pluck another bloom to add to the bouquet in her left hand. A salute is snapped and she waits - as per usual for a weyrling - to be released from the greeting gesture by the senior rider.
Automatically, R'dur returns the salute, offering a small smile to Sabi as he comes to a stop nearby. "Good afternoon, Sabi," he greets her. "Amalith." Alidaeth, landing behind his rider, croons as well, stretching his neck out toward the green curiously. "How are you doing today? Amalith looks well."
Sabi's hand drops away from her forehead and flashes a smile to the brownrider, "Afternoon, sir." Where one might expect it to be cold and disheartening, the greeting is cheerful and bright, though there's a hint of a sort of secret gloating to the smile she gives him. Amalith warbles an equally colorful greeting to the pair. "I'm perfectly well, sir, and yourself? Amalith is well. Quite, in fact. Freshly oiled and all." She beams over towards her lifemate a moment before shifting her gaze back over to the brownrider. The green's wedge head tilts slightly as bejewelled eyes take in the brown behind the man.
Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Amalith's mindtouch comes with a burst of sunny yellow-gold with glitters of white and silver intermingling, << Well, hello there! Lovely day, isn't it? >> Her tone is pleasant - in the higher registry of mental voices. Her words have a touch of the rhythmic sing-song to them.
Even freshly bathed, wet hair braided to keep it out of her face, Ailani's fingers are still ink-stained, and she seems to carry a fine coating of dust along with her. She's muttering to herself as she wanders absently toward the lake - 'nag,' and 'be quiet' feature heavily in the vague monologue. Voices shake her out of her not-so-internal discourse, and she waves toward riders and dragons alike. "Hmm, busy today."
Any subtext to Sabi's greeting eludes R'dur, who only offers her another small smile and a nod. "Good to hear. We're well, too, both of us. Alidaeth was just wanting a bath, but... Well." He glances over his shoulder at the brown, who's inspecting Amalith with the same curiousity she displays. That gesture, though, allows the man the opportunity to stop another approaching figure, and he lifts a hand to greet Ailani as well. "Weyrwoman."
Alidaeth> Amalith senses that Alidaeth's voice is warm and tropical, brassy with curiousity. << Hello, Amalith. It is, finally--it's getting warmer again. I wish it was hot like Ista, though. Have you been there? It's very different. >>
Its almost like being a child's wound up toy. Sabi's hand snaps to salute again as the Weyrwoman approaches, "Afternoon, ma'am." Is offered in polite greeting and her manner falls much milder, eyes going to the bouquet held in her left hand. "Glad to hear it, sir. Sorry to have distracted him." The dragon is, apparently, not nearly so sorry as she stretches her neck gracefully outward towards the brown to get a closer look at the beast.
Ailani nearly looks over her shoulder at R'dur's greeting; though she stops herself from doing so, the intent is clear, and the resulting smile is somewhat sheepish. "Ah, R'dur, hi. I've been... well, looking for you, but who knew that there was so much... *stuff*. Well, evening, anyway - and," a pause, long enough to return Sabi's salute. "Afternoon to you as well."
Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Amalith's mind brings shower of bright blues now, mixing with the yellows to create rich greens. << Yes! We've been there! We went traveling around to find the /best/ hot springs. And Ista does not have any! But their ocean is /like/ a hot spring all the time if you find the warm spots. The black sand is so funny though! >> 'Cheerful' is the kind way to put her babble.
R'dur shrugs slightly, offering Sabi a crooked smile. "Oh, well. We're not in any hurry--Brijana is still working, and I was going to wait on her, anyway, and..." He trails off with a shrug. Behind him, Alidaeth arches his neck, wings flaring to strike a better pose for Amalith; R'dur ignores the dragon with the ease only turns of practice have given him. He turns again when Ailani offers her greetings, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh. Um." He fumbles and doesn't say anything else.
Sabi's brown gaze flips between Weyrwoman and acting Wingleader and smiles pleasantly, "Don't mind me. I'm not even here, really, ma'am, sir." And she gives a nod to both before turning away from the pair to continue her collection of flowers. Amalith, in the meantime, turns her head this way and that as she looks the brown over, rumbling softly.
Alidaeth> I bespoke Amalith with << I like Ista, quite a lot. The snow is okay, but... >> He snorts. << My rider doesn't like the heat. He calls it oppressive. We should go sometime ourselves and enjoy it--he can stay here by himself. >>
A brief, somewhat amused glance takes in both dragons, then Ailani's shooting an apologetic smile to Sabi. "I'll just be a moment," the young goldrider offers to the weyrling, then turns that same smile on R'dur. "You look... er. Well. I think I probably had that same look not all that long ago. But I wanted to talk to you about Thunderbolt." Pause. "The wing." As if just naming it isn't enough.
"To hear some people tell it, I usually have this look," R'dur notes, dryly self-mocking. He manages a hesitant smile for Ailani, though, as he regards her, reining in some of his visible uncomfortableness, at least. He settles for a tight grip on the hem of his shirt, gaze expectant.
"I... oh," Ailani replies first, momentarily taken aback, but that expectant look has her getting to the point fairly quickly. "I've talked with T'bay some, after... what happened, and he was rather concerned that the wing stay in good hands. After that, I can't really blame him - even if he hadn't stepped down, I... well." She stops, reigning herself in, and takes a breath. "That's not the point. The *point* is... T'bay recommended that you stay on as full Wingleader, and after talking to a few of the wingriders, I think that's a good idea. So, would you? Accept the knot full time, I mean."
"I understand," R'dur agrees slowly, worriedly; his brows furrow as Ailani continues, however, expoundinging on T'bay's wishes. "I... But I--but I--I'm not..." he falters for an answer. "He really said that?" the man asks weakly.
Nodding encouragingly, her own job-related insecurities forgotten, at least for the moment, Ailani says, "He really said that - so did the riders I spoke to. I should've asked a while ago, but - well, hidework, and everything else, but everything I heard was really positive. And," she adds, musing, "you've been doing it already, and after something as hard as losing a rider, too. But really, I think what T'bay's recommendation is probably the most important."
Though she may not be 'really there', the weyrling's gives the poor imitation of someone paying attention to flowers (there are now weeds in her bouquet in addition to the blooms). The occasional glance over her shoulder and the fact that she never moves so far away from the pair of riders as to not be able to hear what's being said might tip them off to the fact that she's evesdropping.
R'dur looks pale, not at all reassured by Ailani's words. One hand reaches out to Alidaeth's smooth hide for support as he stares at the goldrider. "They really said..." he begins slower, frowning. He bites his lower lip, looking uncertain. "I--I guess if they... If that's what they really want--and T'bay--and you--" he gives in.
"Excellent," Ailani cheers R'dur, unconcerned with whether Sabi's listening or not - if it's a secret, it's unlikely to last long anyway. "That's what all of us really want - I'm sure you'll be really great. And... well, I haven't been at this long, I know," she says, forehead wrinkling, "but if you need anything from me... just let me know."
From afar, to R'dur and Sabi, Ailani needs to scoot out in a moment, herself, expecting a phone call from mom that I'm sure will take a while. :)
Now, the brownrider's skin is tinged with green: R'dur doesn't look so well. Even Alidaeth's enthusiastic crooned encouragements only draw a distracted half-smile, mostly-grimace from him. "Oh. Right. Thank you. I mean... Really, thank you, ma'am," he tells Ailani after a moment. "I'll--I'll do my best. Thank you so much, ma'am."
Concern clouds Ailani's brow as she glances between brown and rider, but she answers the newly minted Wingleader's half-smile with one of her own. "I mean it - any time, whatever you need. But for now," she adds, that smile gone rueful, "I have another meeting with the headwoman. Congratulations, Wingleader." She tries another smile R'dur's way, then waves to Sabi and Amalith again before turning back toward the bowl.
Ailani heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering lake.
Ailani has left.
Amalith croons after the Weyrwoman cheerfully, distracting her attention from Alidaeth. Sabi, for her part, turns and begins to meander back towards the newly knotted man. "Congratulations are in order, are they, sir?"
R'dur still doesn't look terribly comfortable, but after a moment, he tears his eyes away from watching Ailani walk away to glance back at Sabi. "I... think?" he says, more question than answer.
"Well, if you're not sure then I oughtn't bother, I suppose." Sabi replies, moving towards the rider. "I expect you'll ensure I'm not to be in your wing. But here, have some flowers to give to your weyrmate. Goodness knows I don't need them. Ami and I have been raiding the flower patch every day for blooms."
R'dur hesitates. "I... No, I won't," R'dur protests after a moment, brows knitting. "Why would you think that? I don't... I don't understand?" No move yet, to accept the flowers; he simply peers curiously at the approaching woman.
Sal'ros heads over from the central bowl.
Sal'ros has arrived.
Solath lumbers in from the central bowl.
Solath has arrived.
"Becaues you hate me." Sabi replies as cheerfully as she's spoken just about everything else. "You said so before the hatching. But its okay, because not everyone does. I'm sure someone will want me in their wing - if only to look at when they get bored." She flashes a smile and makes a move with her bouquet of wildflowers in gesture to hand it towards the man. "Go on, your weyrmate will like them --- or give them to your daughter. She might like them too." The greenriding weyrling is currently standing in the meadow in front of R'dur. Amalith is where vegetation meets sand so as not to crush the flora all about. She's eying Alidaeth interestedly in the way that 'big dragons' do. She can be grown up, see?
R'dur takes a step back from Sabi, his grey-blue eyes widening at her words. "I--I never said that," he says, sounding horrified. At least his shock over his sudden promotion has faded. "When did I say that? I don't remember ever saying that." Dumbly, he reaches out to take the flowers, still gawking at her. Alidaeth seems highly amused, chuffing happily behind his rider and sharing a look with Amalith.
The watch dragon was likely heard bellowing from the heights, and perhaps that's the only warning there is that there's a stranger about. Though the said stranger has made a distinctive appearance, the dragon winking in from between above the meadow and lake. Another dragon follows mere seconds afterwards, the two in formation for a quick instant before they seperate, the smaller of the two heading for the bowl. The larger of the two is about the size of a small bronze, so it's difficult to say what colour the hide is until the dragon circles the area a few times, descending with each loop around the lake. Eventually, it is clear that the dragon is brown and that he's intending to land. Not too far away from green Amalith does brown Solath choose his landing sight, air snapping under his wings as the dragon does his thing.
"I was talking to you about-- uuuum," The girl pauses to search her memory, "My blanket being stolen, I think, and you said that you hated me." So he didn't exactly say that he did but saying 'I can see why they hate you!' is really not far off. "And I cried and left. But, like I said, its not important. Because not everyone does." Her smile seems to glow a bit. "People may not like me at Telgar, but they like me other places. I think maybe its just Telgari's who don't know my true worth." Sabi releases the flowers into his hand and then her attention is drawn by the arriving dragon. She squints at the brown and his rider. Amalith is quick to warble her greeting to the pair and the greenriding weyrling's mouth just breaks into a wide grin.
Finding flowers thrust into his hands, R'dur accepts them without looking, even as Alidaeth bends his head down to inspect them. "Oh. Oh," he says guiltily, glancing away from the girl. "I'm sorry." That seems to be all he knows to say--he's certainly not answering her latter claims. The new arrival goes entirely overlooked.
A fluid motion brings the rider down amongst the flowers in which his brown managed to crush on landing, sending vtols and bugs with colourful wings fluttering, even some springing out of the way of his feet as he lands. Casually the rider crans his attention towards the pair not so far off as Solath greets Amalith back with his own croon - even if may sound dreary in comparison to her own. Though before he can may them much attention, the rider works at removing an item from the saddle back at Solath's sides. The item he pulls out is bulky, obviously a a large rectangle, and wrapped in brown paper. Eventually with item in hand the rider starts walking towards the other too with this smooth and suave air to his stride.
Sabi raises a hand to greet the newcomer, "Salarios!" She calls, her tone equally as cheerful as that of her dragon. "Welcome to Telgar! I see you got your wings!" She grins, and then glances back to R'dur a moment. "See? Friends. People like me." There's a soft little beam for being able to say that honestly. Nevermind that they're the misfits too. "So are you going to give them to your weyrmate or your daughter?" She inquires of the Wingleader, nodding to the flowers.
"I--" R'dur glances down at the flowers in his hand blankly, as though just realizing they were there. "Um. Bri, I guess. Brijana. Since I'm going to see her soon. Oh, look. There she is now. I have to go. Good day, Sabi. Um. Telgar's duties." The last in passing Sal'ros, as the disconcerted wingleader (!) flees across the bowl toward a person who, from this distance, may or may not be Brijana. Alidaeth, rumbling with amusement, just turns and shuffles out to the lake, sliding into the water.
Sal'ros lifts a free hand as he saunters closer, "Hey Sabs," he calls back once in range where he doesn't have to strain his voice for her to hear him. He glances briefly at the company she keeps, though doesn't do much else than that for the moment. Once closer to the woman he nods with a shrug of his shoulder, "Yeah. They decided they'd actually teach me how to between with him.. so now I can get lost when they tell me to.." he smirks, shuffling the item under his arm, tucking it closer against his frame. He watches R'dur leave with a satisfied smirk, nodding though to the other man's formalities.