DF RP: _Oil and Kisses_
Dragonsfire RP: _ Nomi's Debt _ 11/16/2008 Fort Weyr, mid Spring. Nomi lost at Dice, a lot. Some of the things she owes R'ish were: 3 oilings of Maialeth, a bottle of Benden, a kiss, and a massage. Today Nomi pays off three at once. Tis the day after her turnday and Th'deus not only didn't remember, but didn't get her anything at all. R'ish gave her a very nice blade. So Nomi's teasing the brownrider not only because she genuinely likes the lovely R'ish, but because she's ticked off with her Weyrleader too. Poor R'ish. Nomi abuses her so.
Star Stones and Landing Area
From the high point that contains the star stones, you can see the narrow gash of the Weyr below to the west; mountains with their snow piled high surround you on all sides. The winds howl in your eyes and scour skin and stone alike. The watchful star stones are kept clear from snow and on the flattest stone rests a distance-viewer.
Down the steep path to the south, the landing area is usually full of visiting dragons, sunning. Although it's high, the air chill, yet the dark volcanic rock retains the heat immensely well.
The bowl proper spreads out before you to the west and southwest, and you can peek up and through the mountains to the training area.
You see Sidijith and Maialeth here.
Nomi is here again, gathering up the detritus of last night in the day time when she can see what she is doing. Sidijith is chasing a fluttergy around with her head, trying to avoid inhaling the little thing with her nose, while firelizards sit along her neckridges and groom their freshly oiled hides. Sid lets them because, also freshly oiled, she likes the scrabble of their little claws on her hide. Nomi is packing things in the basket beneath the light spring sunshine.
Th'deus left a while ago.. just after dawn. After R'ish came back from... her hunt. Having found some receptive prey. She returned with a skin of warm Klah and shared a conversation with Thad as Nomi slept. Thad Left and R'ish stayed to watch the rest of the sunrise. Only the full nights activities and lack of sleep seems to have caught up with the Assistant weyrlingmaster before the sun finished it's bringing of the morning. Wrapped up in a thick fur and clutching the now cold Klah in a skin to her chest, R'ish sleeps propped up against the rock wall. Though as Nomi's stirring with the clean up.. R'ish's eyes open a crack to peeeeeek over at her. Blinkblink. "Ugh.. What time is it?"
Nomi wouldn't have missed Maialeth of course, Sidijith is trying to enlist him into helping her herd the flutterby around. "Past noon, R'ish. I didn't mean to wake you." Now, or earlier. Nomi has the hot klah now and drags it out of her padded jacket to offer it over. "Breakfast?" Its just the klah really, Nomi wasn't packing more food up here. "I tried to tempt Maialeth to the beach earlier, the Candidates were helping to oil Sidiji, but he wasn't budging." Nomi was trying to get help on paying off some of her debt. "Feeling... better?"
R'ish nggghs softly as she pushes herself off the rock and further into a sitting position. Still bleery eyed she reaches for the Klah and takes a swig from it. "Thanks.." Though she does cough a little chuckle at Maialeth's refusal to go to the beach. "He probably didn't feel like moving." There's a little sniffle. "YEah.. Alot better.. Sorry I left so abruptly last night though.. I just.. Needed to uhh.. I needed to." She'll pass the skin back to the woman again. "Past noon?" Ngggh
"Mmhmm." Nomi has everything bundled up and straightens, stretching into her short spine and shaking her limbs out. The spring sunshine sets to her hair. "Completely understandable, R'ish. Truly. I hope you found some comfort." Nomi's grin has a predatory edge, "I have to admit I wasn't entirely pleased to see the Weyrleader last night either." Not that she was displeased, either, but... "Maialeth up for an oiling this afternoon? I've booked myself the day off and am doing nothing Weyrwoman till tomorrow."
Both riders of male and female Dragons go through that proddy feeling. Male dragonriders have shorter stints with it more often, while the rider of the female dragon has to deal with it for days unending though less often. "I did.. Find some comfort. yes." She smirks. "Not exactly who I was looking for but no matter that." She will tilt her head up to arch a brow at Nomi and smirk softly. "REally now?" She smirks still as she shrugs and tries to push herself to her feet. "Well.. if he's not.. I certainly am." Ahem.
Nomi bursts into laughter. "C'mon, lets go down to the beach." She takes her basket and some of the blankets over to Sidijith who, like Nomi, is afired with sunshine and streeeetching herself into the spring. Maialeth is nudged at with her muzzle to spread a bit of her own oil on him; she is magnaimous seeing as she is already polished almost to perfection. Nomi tries to get her to stay still so she can tie things on and go back for the rest of the blankets. "You see the Weyrleader this morning at all?" Nomi slips that question in as if its not important in the least.
R'ish just grins at Nomi and her laughter. Stretching slightly as she brushes off her clothes and picks the fur up. "Sounds like a plan." And over to her Brown she goes.. and with the gold Nudging him to get up, and his own rider coming up behind him to give him a booted kick and a loving. "Up, Lazy lump!" The brown grumbles and huffs and lets out a big mouthed yawn. working his mouth and tongue in that sleepy manner as he looks up at the gold, head cocking slightly to the side. The WEyrleader. "YEah.. We had a talk early this morning over some Klah while you were sleeping."
Nomi takes a run at it and then monkey-climbs up Sid's straps, scattering the firelizards. "Nice to know he didn't just disappear. Race yah?" And then she's strapped in and gone, Sid's leap off the edge pretty darn spectacular; its as if they just become the sunlight.
[Travel deleted]
The Beach! (#532J)
This thin strip of cozy sand lines the southwestern rim of the Weyr, leading from the cave-in northward almost to the fence of the feeding pens, where the lake carves out some water for the herdbeasts. Cliff to one side, water to the other, there's no direct Bowl access other than by air or through the lake itself; thus, particularly in colder weather, it's often a good, quiet place to think. In warmer weather, however, relaxing (and drying off) on the beach proves to be a delightful pastime, serenaded by the assorted bugles and splashes of dragonkin revelling in the lake. At the end opposite the herdbeasts, the sand becomes a little grassy, with even a clump here and there. Some interpid weyrfolk have chipped out handholds in the rock, where cliff meets water, angling up and up again above the lake.
It is a spring sunset. The sky's a clear, gloriously vibrant blue.
R'ish slides down from her lifemate... not even having bothered with strapping herself in. She just /eyes/ the weyrwoman and her gold. "Cheater! I'm lame!" Though she's laughing at least. "That so totally wasn't a fair race!"
Nomi leaps off the slender queen from high enough up that she hits the sand and rolls up to her feet, doing her little annoying snoopy dance. "We won, we won, we won?" It was more of a tie, really, and Nomi forgot to bet on it. She dumps her jacket to the beach beside the brushes and rags and big pot of new oil that's already there from those that got oiled this morning. "New shipment," she says, kicking at the barrel. "Its very nice. I mean, it actually smells good." Sort of like palm oil, coconut and fruit. Nomi shirks her outer tunic and riding pants onto her jacket, leaving her in a short sleeveless shirt and capri-style pants of thinnest sisal. There's already old oil stains on both of them. "Good thing we didn't bet on it then eh?" She'll grab a big brush and drench it with oil. "Any particular place he doesn't like scrubbed at?" Lingering injuries, ticklish places, etc...
R'ish just... watches. "You won.. yeah yeah.. you won." She's smirking, indeed she's smirking. "Very nice." She says as she moves over to the oil.. sniffing of it. And giving a nod of approval. "Indeed. smells similar to the spices I put in the oil I usually use for him." She says. Though R'ish just stops to watch Nomi shed clothing. She can't help it. Though she seems to realize that she's staring and she coughs slightly and shifts her eyes to the side. "Yeah.. good thing.. I might end up owing you favors instead." as for her DRagon.. R'ish shakes her head. "No.. he loves just about all the attention he can get. Though around his belly and around that dark eye he usually needs a good bit of oil."
Nomi gives R'ish a cheeky grin and marches towards the brown: scrub srub scrub, brush, polish, buff, scrub some more. Assorted firelizards help, but it still takes Nomi more than an hour to work her way around, under, and over Maialeth. Sidijith gives helpful advice from the sprawl she takes up in a sunny, sandy wallow. Eventually only Al's head is left and Nomi tries and tempt him to lay it low, lay it close to the oil, and she'll use a nice rough rag to polish carefully around his eyes and 'knobs. Oil covers Nomi, tip to toes, making her glisten; it was quite the work out and Nomi does nothing half-heartedly. Finally she uses her bare hands to rub the last bit of oil down the bridge of his nose, scractching as she goes. Head to head with the brown she mutters friendly things she usually mutters to Sid: big dragon, good dragon, pretty dragon.
In that time R'ish stripped down to her under clothes. Not that much different than Nomi's though. Sleeveless shirt, and short linen drawstring pants. Though instead of doing much of the work herself, though she did help out a bit, she just watches Nomi. It's quite a treat actually. MAialth lowers his head his eyes closing happily as he's rubbed and scratched and scritched and all that. Then there is a Weyrwoman on his nose, and with a playful snort he gives her a light nudge. R'ish? R'ish can't help but laugh. "He says you smell good." R'ish says from her newly adopted position leaning up against one of the boulders in the sand.. arms behind her head as she watches the glistening goldrider oil the brown.
Nomi makes quite a pretty little hood ornament and gives Al one last hard smack - the equivalent of a kiss, really, to tough dragonhide, and pushes herself off him, grinning. "Probably because I smell like him, now." There's oil in her hair, darkening it almost to back, and she's tied it in a natural knot at the nape of her neck. The rest of her is just as oily and she needs sweetsand and a swim, yet she'll stand in the sun awhile long enjoying the warmth. Slender arms are stretched out, hands together, so she cracks her knuckles and grins again. "I could pay off that massage if you want, R'ish? It would have to come with dragon oil."
R'ish smirks as her eyes wonder over Nomi's frame. The oil covering her and her clothes certainly make for an interesting sight. "ohh.. you could.. If you wanted." She can't help it she's drawn in by the oil covered woman in the thin clothing. "That might be a good thin. I'm up for it." Smirk. "So.. you know you also still owe me a kiss, right?"
"Aye R'ish. I remember." Nomi tilts her head down and considers the lounging brownrider. She'll brush at the oily curl just off her forehead and it hardly even moves. "I think I could handle a kiss, too, if you can." She drops to her knees on the beach just offside. "Just a kiss." Nomi's being a little flirt but she doesn't want to be a tease. "Well, and a massage." Nomi's not sure she wants it to be anything more than than, and she's not sure she doesn't want it to be, either. The beach should be safe enough, unlike Tej and Thera, Nomi isn't keen to put on a public display for anyone.
"I'll behave... This time." R'ish says. Her arms still behind her head as she rests against that rock. Though her eyes dance. "I'll even keep my hands where they are... if you want me to." R'ish herself isn't much one for public shows. Well.. at least she doesn't go out of her way for them. Looking up at the Weyrwoman with that little hidden smirk that barely touches her lips, but is obvious in her eyes. "I'm.. pretty sure I can handle it."
Nomi settles herself onto her knees and lifts a hand to brush any stray hair off the brownrider's face. "Okay, no laughing. I've never kissed a woman before." The little woman licks her lips goes in for the kiss; tilt of the head, firm lips tasting of dragon oil, and a touch of cinnamon. It starts out tentative, almost chaste, but Nomi really does not do anything half-heartedly and she'll keep kissing till she does it right, or at least better. R'ish's lower lip is claimed and tasted and with her hand on the back of the brownrider's neck, her thumb rubs lightly along the jawline. The kiss becomes a series of kisses till Nomi has to break off to breathe.
R'ish will indeed do her best to keep her hands behind her head. Though... really, that's very hard to do. As she lifts her head up a bit to return the kiss...es. R'ish.. is quite skilled with the kissing and she moves both with and slightly against Nomi during. Her hands though.. they extract themselves from behind her head, and while never actually touching Nomi... they really really /really/ seem to want to. Hovering a few inches from her as the kiss progresses, it's a wonder she actually keeps them from touching the weyrwoman. And when Nomi breaks off for a breath R'ish is left looking up at the woman. A quirky little smile on her lips and an arched eyebrow. And there /is/ a little bubble of a laugh that escapes but not laughing /at/ the weyrwoman or her kissing ability. "You.. sure you've never done that before?" She asks.. letting her hands fall to her sides as she pushes herself back up again. " That was uhh.." Clearing her throat softly. "Uhh.." Blink.. blink. She gives a quick shake of her head, trying to clear it. " That was very..Nice.. good.. Uhm." She clears her throat again. See.. R'ish does have weaknesses.
"I like kissing," says Nomi as she settles back onto her heels. "I didn't used to." But the Weyrleader likes kissing and Nomi finally got over her 'don't like being touched' hang ups and decided she likes kissing also. There's a wall she builds though, between her dragon and that whom she is kissing, Sidijith does not always behave herself. Again, a lick of the lips, "You still on the fellis R'ish? Not that you don't taste good, by the way. Now roll over." Nomi reaches for a rag not already covered in sand and shakes out her hands again. "Massages I can do." Thad is very tactile, also, and Nomi used to spend a lot of time getting and giving a massage, plus she's trained as a Healer and massage therapy was one of her better lessons.
R'ish grins and nods. "I can tell... That you like it." Though she tilts her head slightly. "Why not? Kissing is quite wonderful. Why wouldn't you like it?" As for the fellis.. R'ish looks down, and away as she sits up to remove her shirt and indeed rolls over onto her stomach. "Uh.. Just a little.." And really it's more than /just/ a little but not nearly as much as she was before.
Nomi brushes hair off the nape of the neck and any sand from her back before settling herself close in to the brownrider's hip. Her little hands are cool, even in the warm sunshine, and she'll start by just starting the blood flowing up her spine in smooth waves. "Kissing? Kissing involves touching and, since Sidijith hatched, I don't actually like touching or being touched that much.... not if I don't know someone I mean. Sometimes Sid... surges? You know, sends emotion through the link, emotions and flavors and thoughts and just general feelings but they can be pretty strong. It can be very disconcerting." Today there is nothing, Sidjith is enjoying wallowing in the sunshine and is not causing Nomi any trouble at all. "Does Maialeth ever do that to people?"
R'ish grunts and lets out a sigh as Nomi starts with the massage. It's nice. "Really? To me.. touching is.. very nice." She shifts a little turning her head on it's side so she can look up at Nomi. "I tend to like it. Even if I don't know someone. Though.. it was different before she hatched?" R'ish asks, curious. R'ish will nod. "Yeah... Sometimes he does that to me.. But.. I don't know. Generally I tend to like them. It was.. really weird at first though. I'll admit that but you get used to it. And.. especially with sex.. it.. I dunno. I enjoy it.. and that goes through the link.. and generally he enjoys that I'm enjoying myself and it just sort of.. I don't know.. It's hard to explain, really."
Nomi hums something as her touch becomes stronger; thumbs to spine, fingers working on the larger back muscles, still in a gentle rythym. Her entire body helps give the massage some depth. "Oh, me too R'ish, very much. But Sidijith has brought people to their knees - that's more scary than sexy. Perhaps that's just because Xanth and her share such a tight bond. It can be so great." Sex with dragons, sex on dragons, just a little bit of an edge and understanding of what the other person wants or what they like most. "Before Sidijith? I'd kissed boys at Boll, and been kissed by them, but I hadn't ever... y'know. Holder's Blood, I was keeping myself for handfasting." Nomi takes her duties seriously, whatever they are. Her touch isn't seductive, or at least it isn't meant to be, but its pretty good and she'll work out knots and kinks in the back before concentrating on the neck muscles and hall-of-winds up into the skull. "Oil?"
R'ish twitches slightly as Nomi's hands work along her back and spine. Wiggling a little, and squirming. Though she makes no sounds of pain. She bites on her lower lip as she closes her eyes. "He.. hasn't actually done that to /other/ people. No." Her voice is rather soft. Almost distant. "I can see how that'd be a little worrying." She listens again. "Ahh.. you were one of those... I never really saw the point of that. The waiting." She never really had to. Oil? "Mmmm Yes please."
The hands stop for awhile as Nomi moves away to fill a dipper with oil and grab some clean towels. She'll lay one across R'ish's lowerback and resettle herself lightly on top of the towel, most of her weight on her knees. "You're alot slimmer than Thad, R'ish, but those are some great shoulders." Its a factual comment on her lean musculature more than any attempt at seduction. One hand traces the markings of long-healed wounds and works along the edge of more recent scarring. "Shards you're lucky, R'ish. You're healing quite well. Does it hurt much?" And then there's the oil, sun-warm and liquified, poured at the top of the spine and left to trickle down and pool into her lower back. Nomi lets it gather for awhile before she starts at the bottom and spreads the oil upwards. "So much softer than dragon hide."
R'ish is a beanpole really. Mostly all muscle. She'll shift slightly under Nomi to make the position more comfortable. "Thank you." Though as Nomi traces along her scars, there's a sudden jumping jerk from R'ish. And a little grunt as she squirms a little. Squeezing her eyes closed a little tighter. She lets out a breath. "Yeah.. I am." The words are a bit of a struggle for her but she's trying. "Yeah.. I guess I am pretty lucky." She says. "A little. But it's getting better." Thread scores are quite nasty things afterall. The oil though.. That does make her jump again... Well jerk a bit. And by the time Nomi's working the oil into her back.. Just about all R'ish can do to that is give a very distracted Grunt.
There's a reason queenriders are often dragonhealers, especially as they get older and don't do all the other work of senior, too. Nomi only nibbles at her lessons but Sidijith is a natural; as the weyrwoman spreads the liquid her dragon slides in around her Rider's dams just as slick and vibrant as the oils. If Maialeth allows it, Sidijith sponges up the ragged edges of pain and dissipates it out throug the links. It is not a numbing of sensation really, more subtle than that, sort of like if pain is fire, Sid banks it to a lower simmer and then slowly cools it all the way to ash. She is like fellis, from the inside out, and she is very careful today, so careful Nomi doesn't notice she is interfering again. The Rider's hands are smooth and strong and now, perched on R'ish, she's got more power to spread the oil and ease the muscles all the way up back and neck and then down those scarred arms. "Do you feel more a Rider now that Thread is falling, R'ish?"
R'ish it's not pain that has R'ish jumping and squirming. Though Maialeth is slumbering quite happily not too far off. He'll pose no barrier to whatever Sidijith does. Though with the remaining pain being dialed down and dissipated R'ish fully relaxes. Though as Nomi's hands continue their work.. The squirming that R'ish does doesn't stop. Though she's fighting to try and remain still. It's not easy.. not easy at all. So Nomi's question goes unanswered for a while until it can finally settle itself in. Then.. "Huh? What? Ugh.. uhm.. A little I suppose. I guess.. YEs." Very.. distracted.
Nomi scrabbles her nails over the shoulders and arms again, drawing hieroglyphics in the oil. Its clear she either doesn't know what she's doing to R'ish, or she doesn't care. Scratching turns to slapping and she'll drum the sides of her hands up and down the spine, shoulders, and arms again. "Iernians, they do this part with nubbed branches. Its very... sharp, but quite nice once you get used to it. Here, let me try this." Nomi picks up one of the softest dragon brushes which is still very wiry, and runs that right down her spine. Then she starts hitting the oiled back with it very very lightly but the bristles are still very sharp. "Good, or no?"
R'ish growls softly as Nomi scrabbles her nails. Pushing her head futher into the sand as she endures it. Oh.. She enjoys it but... Eyes fly open when it turns to slapping though. And R'ish will grunt again.. But this time it's a somewhat relieved and relaxed grunt. That's... much better. "Yeah?" She asks.. "Sounds like it would be, on both accounts." Sharp but nice. Her eyes start to drift shut again. It's when that brush is suddenly run down her spine that R'ish's eyes fly open again and she lets out a sudden strangled little grunting groan. Her back suddenly caving, pulling away from that sudden brush down her spine. O_O Though when Nomi starts hitting lightly with it.. R'ish seems to calm down a bit. Though still she squirms. Good? "Uh.." cough.. "Yeah.. very good." >_<
Nomi lets the brush bite long enough to raise little goosebumps in red all over the lean canvas of the brownrider's back. Then she'll toss it aside and smooth it out again with the palms of her hands and those expert thumbs. Always she works upwards from the lower back and then alternates between all the way up the neck and into the hair or across the shoulders and down the arms. Tension seems to ease out of Nomi as it does into R'ish. Sand has gathered into the oil making her last few sweeps across the back more scratchy than before. Finally Nomi sets to polishing her dry and sand-free with one of the clean towels. She's gone back to humming, to, instead of conversation, her fingers taking up the beat of some familiar childish nursery song. Probabaly I'm a little klah-pot.
R'ish grunts softly. "Do you?" R'ish asks suddenly and even as Nomi's polishing and sand swiping isn't enough for R'ish to carefully rock a bit in order to try and flip herself over without dislodging the Weyrwoman. She'll smile up at the other woman from her back and tilt her head. "Feel more like a rider now that thread is falling?"
Nomi appreciates the view for a moment and then neatly lays the towel across the other Rider's chest. She'll stay where she is though and brush a bit of sand off Ri's forearm. "I feel better now that Fort is coming up to its real fighting strength. Trying to run a weyr, that was a lot of work before Thread was falling. Now I feel like every day we're just playing catch-up, or barely getting by. I go days without even getting on Sidijith and we've not swept a Fall for, shards, turns. I've heard the rumors. That Sidijith is a coward, or that I am." There's those that say they're both infertile, too. At what point do you cut a weyrwoman loose and choose another?
R'ish blinks as she gets a towl. R'ish.. never has had much modesty within the weyr, or where she feels comfortable. Though she'll leave it there as she reaches a hand out for her shirt. She'll nod. "Aye. It'll be good when we are to our full fighting strength. It's good to see the wings full." R'ish agrees on that. "I can imagine that things have only gotten more complicated now. Though hopefully the wingleaders have stepped up more to help with the running of things." Managing is tough as it is, but having to micro manage because your wingleaders aren't stepping up to do their part in the running of the weyr would only make it that much more difficult.
Nomi swings her leg off the brownrider and uses some of the beaches hot sand to rub the excess oil off her own legs and arms. "They are very good, yes. Though it will be good to the have Weyrsecond back on duty, very good, yes. The weyrlings are coming along nicely, R'ish?" Half compliment, half question. "Tell me more about T'jano?" Nomi would help her old friend if she could.
R'ish pouts a little as Nomi gets up. Rolling over on her side, propping her head up on her hand and using the other to hold that Towel in place she nods. "Aye I imagine it will be good to have a weyrsecond back." R'ish says. "They're coming along quite well. Yeah. T'jano is helping quite a bit." She says. "What about him? He seems to be doing a bit better."
Nomi gets most of the oil off and struggles in the soft sand to regain her feet. "Swim?" She offers R'ish her hand, not really caring if she comes along with any clothing at all. "He's still a Weyrling though? Is that the Weyrlingmaster's decision, or the Weyrleaders?" ANd then, because Nomi trusts R'ish to be honest as well, "Do you think he should graduate to full Rider? If so, why. If not, why not?" Nomi is fully open to ideas, she is a blank slate when it comes to Tej and has yet to form her own opinion.
R'ish nods.. "sure!" Swim sounds good! And she reaches up to take Nomi's hand and letting the towel drop she'll follow the woman to the water.. stripping the rest of the way as she goes. It's swimming! "It's not my decision." R'ish says. Though she's talked with MAdri about graduating him And has yet to see where her input has led. "Eventually yes.. I think he should. Because he has the potential to be a very good fighter." She'll say as she wades out into the water. "Though, REally. It's not my place to bring ideas about him to you or.. The weyrleader. I give MAdri my imput and the rest is really her duty. I'd be talking out of turn to bring it up with you without her knowledge or approval." R'ish does try to stick to the chain of command. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it with you.. It's just. Not my place. I'm only the weyrlingmaster's second."
Nomi pauses at the shoreline and nods. "Of course, R'ish. I did not mean to put you on the spot. I will talk to the Weyrlingmaster." Nomi did not intend to try and circumvent the proper chains of command, she is just gathering information as best she can... and she's learning a few things just watching the brownrider. "Okay. Race you to the dock." Nomi runs and dives into the lake with her skivvies still on and, though a fair swimmer, she lacks the length and strength and stamina to make much of a race of it.
R'ish glances back over her shoulder to look back at Nomi. "You didn't.. I just don't want to over step my bounds, is all." She flashes another grin as Nomi challenges a race. She dives in herself.. And While R'ish is still injured She's gotten much better. And She pushes herself. So.. In the end. R'ish will likely be the winner of their little race.
--
Star Stones and Landing Area
From the high point that contains the star stones, you can see the narrow gash of the Weyr below to the west; mountains with their snow piled high surround you on all sides. The winds howl in your eyes and scour skin and stone alike. The watchful star stones are kept clear from snow and on the flattest stone rests a distance-viewer.
Down the steep path to the south, the landing area is usually full of visiting dragons, sunning. Although it's high, the air chill, yet the dark volcanic rock retains the heat immensely well.
The bowl proper spreads out before you to the west and southwest, and you can peek up and through the mountains to the training area.
You see Sidijith and Maialeth here.
Nomi is here again, gathering up the detritus of last night in the day time when she can see what she is doing. Sidijith is chasing a fluttergy around with her head, trying to avoid inhaling the little thing with her nose, while firelizards sit along her neckridges and groom their freshly oiled hides. Sid lets them because, also freshly oiled, she likes the scrabble of their little claws on her hide. Nomi is packing things in the basket beneath the light spring sunshine.
Th'deus left a while ago.. just after dawn. After R'ish came back from... her hunt. Having found some receptive prey. She returned with a skin of warm Klah and shared a conversation with Thad as Nomi slept. Thad Left and R'ish stayed to watch the rest of the sunrise. Only the full nights activities and lack of sleep seems to have caught up with the Assistant weyrlingmaster before the sun finished it's bringing of the morning. Wrapped up in a thick fur and clutching the now cold Klah in a skin to her chest, R'ish sleeps propped up against the rock wall. Though as Nomi's stirring with the clean up.. R'ish's eyes open a crack to peeeeeek over at her. Blinkblink. "Ugh.. What time is it?"
Nomi wouldn't have missed Maialeth of course, Sidijith is trying to enlist him into helping her herd the flutterby around. "Past noon, R'ish. I didn't mean to wake you." Now, or earlier. Nomi has the hot klah now and drags it out of her padded jacket to offer it over. "Breakfast?" Its just the klah really, Nomi wasn't packing more food up here. "I tried to tempt Maialeth to the beach earlier, the Candidates were helping to oil Sidiji, but he wasn't budging." Nomi was trying to get help on paying off some of her debt. "Feeling... better?"
R'ish nggghs softly as she pushes herself off the rock and further into a sitting position. Still bleery eyed she reaches for the Klah and takes a swig from it. "Thanks.." Though she does cough a little chuckle at Maialeth's refusal to go to the beach. "He probably didn't feel like moving." There's a little sniffle. "YEah.. Alot better.. Sorry I left so abruptly last night though.. I just.. Needed to uhh.. I needed to." She'll pass the skin back to the woman again. "Past noon?" Ngggh
"Mmhmm." Nomi has everything bundled up and straightens, stretching into her short spine and shaking her limbs out. The spring sunshine sets to her hair. "Completely understandable, R'ish. Truly. I hope you found some comfort." Nomi's grin has a predatory edge, "I have to admit I wasn't entirely pleased to see the Weyrleader last night either." Not that she was displeased, either, but... "Maialeth up for an oiling this afternoon? I've booked myself the day off and am doing nothing Weyrwoman till tomorrow."
Both riders of male and female Dragons go through that proddy feeling. Male dragonriders have shorter stints with it more often, while the rider of the female dragon has to deal with it for days unending though less often. "I did.. Find some comfort. yes." She smirks. "Not exactly who I was looking for but no matter that." She will tilt her head up to arch a brow at Nomi and smirk softly. "REally now?" She smirks still as she shrugs and tries to push herself to her feet. "Well.. if he's not.. I certainly am." Ahem.
Nomi bursts into laughter. "C'mon, lets go down to the beach." She takes her basket and some of the blankets over to Sidijith who, like Nomi, is afired with sunshine and streeeetching herself into the spring. Maialeth is nudged at with her muzzle to spread a bit of her own oil on him; she is magnaimous seeing as she is already polished almost to perfection. Nomi tries to get her to stay still so she can tie things on and go back for the rest of the blankets. "You see the Weyrleader this morning at all?" Nomi slips that question in as if its not important in the least.
R'ish just grins at Nomi and her laughter. Stretching slightly as she brushes off her clothes and picks the fur up. "Sounds like a plan." And over to her Brown she goes.. and with the gold Nudging him to get up, and his own rider coming up behind him to give him a booted kick and a loving. "Up, Lazy lump!" The brown grumbles and huffs and lets out a big mouthed yawn. working his mouth and tongue in that sleepy manner as he looks up at the gold, head cocking slightly to the side. The WEyrleader. "YEah.. We had a talk early this morning over some Klah while you were sleeping."
Nomi takes a run at it and then monkey-climbs up Sid's straps, scattering the firelizards. "Nice to know he didn't just disappear. Race yah?" And then she's strapped in and gone, Sid's leap off the edge pretty darn spectacular; its as if they just become the sunlight.
[Travel deleted]
The Beach! (#532J)
This thin strip of cozy sand lines the southwestern rim of the Weyr, leading from the cave-in northward almost to the fence of the feeding pens, where the lake carves out some water for the herdbeasts. Cliff to one side, water to the other, there's no direct Bowl access other than by air or through the lake itself; thus, particularly in colder weather, it's often a good, quiet place to think. In warmer weather, however, relaxing (and drying off) on the beach proves to be a delightful pastime, serenaded by the assorted bugles and splashes of dragonkin revelling in the lake. At the end opposite the herdbeasts, the sand becomes a little grassy, with even a clump here and there. Some interpid weyrfolk have chipped out handholds in the rock, where cliff meets water, angling up and up again above the lake.
It is a spring sunset. The sky's a clear, gloriously vibrant blue.
R'ish slides down from her lifemate... not even having bothered with strapping herself in. She just /eyes/ the weyrwoman and her gold. "Cheater! I'm lame!" Though she's laughing at least. "That so totally wasn't a fair race!"
Nomi leaps off the slender queen from high enough up that she hits the sand and rolls up to her feet, doing her little annoying snoopy dance. "We won, we won, we won?" It was more of a tie, really, and Nomi forgot to bet on it. She dumps her jacket to the beach beside the brushes and rags and big pot of new oil that's already there from those that got oiled this morning. "New shipment," she says, kicking at the barrel. "Its very nice. I mean, it actually smells good." Sort of like palm oil, coconut and fruit. Nomi shirks her outer tunic and riding pants onto her jacket, leaving her in a short sleeveless shirt and capri-style pants of thinnest sisal. There's already old oil stains on both of them. "Good thing we didn't bet on it then eh?" She'll grab a big brush and drench it with oil. "Any particular place he doesn't like scrubbed at?" Lingering injuries, ticklish places, etc...
R'ish just... watches. "You won.. yeah yeah.. you won." She's smirking, indeed she's smirking. "Very nice." She says as she moves over to the oil.. sniffing of it. And giving a nod of approval. "Indeed. smells similar to the spices I put in the oil I usually use for him." She says. Though R'ish just stops to watch Nomi shed clothing. She can't help it. Though she seems to realize that she's staring and she coughs slightly and shifts her eyes to the side. "Yeah.. good thing.. I might end up owing you favors instead." as for her DRagon.. R'ish shakes her head. "No.. he loves just about all the attention he can get. Though around his belly and around that dark eye he usually needs a good bit of oil."
Nomi gives R'ish a cheeky grin and marches towards the brown: scrub srub scrub, brush, polish, buff, scrub some more. Assorted firelizards help, but it still takes Nomi more than an hour to work her way around, under, and over Maialeth. Sidijith gives helpful advice from the sprawl she takes up in a sunny, sandy wallow. Eventually only Al's head is left and Nomi tries and tempt him to lay it low, lay it close to the oil, and she'll use a nice rough rag to polish carefully around his eyes and 'knobs. Oil covers Nomi, tip to toes, making her glisten; it was quite the work out and Nomi does nothing half-heartedly. Finally she uses her bare hands to rub the last bit of oil down the bridge of his nose, scractching as she goes. Head to head with the brown she mutters friendly things she usually mutters to Sid: big dragon, good dragon, pretty dragon.
In that time R'ish stripped down to her under clothes. Not that much different than Nomi's though. Sleeveless shirt, and short linen drawstring pants. Though instead of doing much of the work herself, though she did help out a bit, she just watches Nomi. It's quite a treat actually. MAialth lowers his head his eyes closing happily as he's rubbed and scratched and scritched and all that. Then there is a Weyrwoman on his nose, and with a playful snort he gives her a light nudge. R'ish? R'ish can't help but laugh. "He says you smell good." R'ish says from her newly adopted position leaning up against one of the boulders in the sand.. arms behind her head as she watches the glistening goldrider oil the brown.
Nomi makes quite a pretty little hood ornament and gives Al one last hard smack - the equivalent of a kiss, really, to tough dragonhide, and pushes herself off him, grinning. "Probably because I smell like him, now." There's oil in her hair, darkening it almost to back, and she's tied it in a natural knot at the nape of her neck. The rest of her is just as oily and she needs sweetsand and a swim, yet she'll stand in the sun awhile long enjoying the warmth. Slender arms are stretched out, hands together, so she cracks her knuckles and grins again. "I could pay off that massage if you want, R'ish? It would have to come with dragon oil."
R'ish smirks as her eyes wonder over Nomi's frame. The oil covering her and her clothes certainly make for an interesting sight. "ohh.. you could.. If you wanted." She can't help it she's drawn in by the oil covered woman in the thin clothing. "That might be a good thin. I'm up for it." Smirk. "So.. you know you also still owe me a kiss, right?"
"Aye R'ish. I remember." Nomi tilts her head down and considers the lounging brownrider. She'll brush at the oily curl just off her forehead and it hardly even moves. "I think I could handle a kiss, too, if you can." She drops to her knees on the beach just offside. "Just a kiss." Nomi's being a little flirt but she doesn't want to be a tease. "Well, and a massage." Nomi's not sure she wants it to be anything more than than, and she's not sure she doesn't want it to be, either. The beach should be safe enough, unlike Tej and Thera, Nomi isn't keen to put on a public display for anyone.
"I'll behave... This time." R'ish says. Her arms still behind her head as she rests against that rock. Though her eyes dance. "I'll even keep my hands where they are... if you want me to." R'ish herself isn't much one for public shows. Well.. at least she doesn't go out of her way for them. Looking up at the Weyrwoman with that little hidden smirk that barely touches her lips, but is obvious in her eyes. "I'm.. pretty sure I can handle it."
Nomi settles herself onto her knees and lifts a hand to brush any stray hair off the brownrider's face. "Okay, no laughing. I've never kissed a woman before." The little woman licks her lips goes in for the kiss; tilt of the head, firm lips tasting of dragon oil, and a touch of cinnamon. It starts out tentative, almost chaste, but Nomi really does not do anything half-heartedly and she'll keep kissing till she does it right, or at least better. R'ish's lower lip is claimed and tasted and with her hand on the back of the brownrider's neck, her thumb rubs lightly along the jawline. The kiss becomes a series of kisses till Nomi has to break off to breathe.
R'ish will indeed do her best to keep her hands behind her head. Though... really, that's very hard to do. As she lifts her head up a bit to return the kiss...es. R'ish.. is quite skilled with the kissing and she moves both with and slightly against Nomi during. Her hands though.. they extract themselves from behind her head, and while never actually touching Nomi... they really really /really/ seem to want to. Hovering a few inches from her as the kiss progresses, it's a wonder she actually keeps them from touching the weyrwoman. And when Nomi breaks off for a breath R'ish is left looking up at the woman. A quirky little smile on her lips and an arched eyebrow. And there /is/ a little bubble of a laugh that escapes but not laughing /at/ the weyrwoman or her kissing ability. "You.. sure you've never done that before?" She asks.. letting her hands fall to her sides as she pushes herself back up again. " That was uhh.." Clearing her throat softly. "Uhh.." Blink.. blink. She gives a quick shake of her head, trying to clear it. " That was very..Nice.. good.. Uhm." She clears her throat again. See.. R'ish does have weaknesses.
"I like kissing," says Nomi as she settles back onto her heels. "I didn't used to." But the Weyrleader likes kissing and Nomi finally got over her 'don't like being touched' hang ups and decided she likes kissing also. There's a wall she builds though, between her dragon and that whom she is kissing, Sidijith does not always behave herself. Again, a lick of the lips, "You still on the fellis R'ish? Not that you don't taste good, by the way. Now roll over." Nomi reaches for a rag not already covered in sand and shakes out her hands again. "Massages I can do." Thad is very tactile, also, and Nomi used to spend a lot of time getting and giving a massage, plus she's trained as a Healer and massage therapy was one of her better lessons.
R'ish grins and nods. "I can tell... That you like it." Though she tilts her head slightly. "Why not? Kissing is quite wonderful. Why wouldn't you like it?" As for the fellis.. R'ish looks down, and away as she sits up to remove her shirt and indeed rolls over onto her stomach. "Uh.. Just a little.." And really it's more than /just/ a little but not nearly as much as she was before.
Nomi brushes hair off the nape of the neck and any sand from her back before settling herself close in to the brownrider's hip. Her little hands are cool, even in the warm sunshine, and she'll start by just starting the blood flowing up her spine in smooth waves. "Kissing? Kissing involves touching and, since Sidijith hatched, I don't actually like touching or being touched that much.... not if I don't know someone I mean. Sometimes Sid... surges? You know, sends emotion through the link, emotions and flavors and thoughts and just general feelings but they can be pretty strong. It can be very disconcerting." Today there is nothing, Sidjith is enjoying wallowing in the sunshine and is not causing Nomi any trouble at all. "Does Maialeth ever do that to people?"
R'ish grunts and lets out a sigh as Nomi starts with the massage. It's nice. "Really? To me.. touching is.. very nice." She shifts a little turning her head on it's side so she can look up at Nomi. "I tend to like it. Even if I don't know someone. Though.. it was different before she hatched?" R'ish asks, curious. R'ish will nod. "Yeah... Sometimes he does that to me.. But.. I don't know. Generally I tend to like them. It was.. really weird at first though. I'll admit that but you get used to it. And.. especially with sex.. it.. I dunno. I enjoy it.. and that goes through the link.. and generally he enjoys that I'm enjoying myself and it just sort of.. I don't know.. It's hard to explain, really."
Nomi hums something as her touch becomes stronger; thumbs to spine, fingers working on the larger back muscles, still in a gentle rythym. Her entire body helps give the massage some depth. "Oh, me too R'ish, very much. But Sidijith has brought people to their knees - that's more scary than sexy. Perhaps that's just because Xanth and her share such a tight bond. It can be so great." Sex with dragons, sex on dragons, just a little bit of an edge and understanding of what the other person wants or what they like most. "Before Sidijith? I'd kissed boys at Boll, and been kissed by them, but I hadn't ever... y'know. Holder's Blood, I was keeping myself for handfasting." Nomi takes her duties seriously, whatever they are. Her touch isn't seductive, or at least it isn't meant to be, but its pretty good and she'll work out knots and kinks in the back before concentrating on the neck muscles and hall-of-winds up into the skull. "Oil?"
R'ish twitches slightly as Nomi's hands work along her back and spine. Wiggling a little, and squirming. Though she makes no sounds of pain. She bites on her lower lip as she closes her eyes. "He.. hasn't actually done that to /other/ people. No." Her voice is rather soft. Almost distant. "I can see how that'd be a little worrying." She listens again. "Ahh.. you were one of those... I never really saw the point of that. The waiting." She never really had to. Oil? "Mmmm Yes please."
The hands stop for awhile as Nomi moves away to fill a dipper with oil and grab some clean towels. She'll lay one across R'ish's lowerback and resettle herself lightly on top of the towel, most of her weight on her knees. "You're alot slimmer than Thad, R'ish, but those are some great shoulders." Its a factual comment on her lean musculature more than any attempt at seduction. One hand traces the markings of long-healed wounds and works along the edge of more recent scarring. "Shards you're lucky, R'ish. You're healing quite well. Does it hurt much?" And then there's the oil, sun-warm and liquified, poured at the top of the spine and left to trickle down and pool into her lower back. Nomi lets it gather for awhile before she starts at the bottom and spreads the oil upwards. "So much softer than dragon hide."
R'ish is a beanpole really. Mostly all muscle. She'll shift slightly under Nomi to make the position more comfortable. "Thank you." Though as Nomi traces along her scars, there's a sudden jumping jerk from R'ish. And a little grunt as she squirms a little. Squeezing her eyes closed a little tighter. She lets out a breath. "Yeah.. I am." The words are a bit of a struggle for her but she's trying. "Yeah.. I guess I am pretty lucky." She says. "A little. But it's getting better." Thread scores are quite nasty things afterall. The oil though.. That does make her jump again... Well jerk a bit. And by the time Nomi's working the oil into her back.. Just about all R'ish can do to that is give a very distracted Grunt.
There's a reason queenriders are often dragonhealers, especially as they get older and don't do all the other work of senior, too. Nomi only nibbles at her lessons but Sidijith is a natural; as the weyrwoman spreads the liquid her dragon slides in around her Rider's dams just as slick and vibrant as the oils. If Maialeth allows it, Sidijith sponges up the ragged edges of pain and dissipates it out throug the links. It is not a numbing of sensation really, more subtle than that, sort of like if pain is fire, Sid banks it to a lower simmer and then slowly cools it all the way to ash. She is like fellis, from the inside out, and she is very careful today, so careful Nomi doesn't notice she is interfering again. The Rider's hands are smooth and strong and now, perched on R'ish, she's got more power to spread the oil and ease the muscles all the way up back and neck and then down those scarred arms. "Do you feel more a Rider now that Thread is falling, R'ish?"
R'ish it's not pain that has R'ish jumping and squirming. Though Maialeth is slumbering quite happily not too far off. He'll pose no barrier to whatever Sidijith does. Though with the remaining pain being dialed down and dissipated R'ish fully relaxes. Though as Nomi's hands continue their work.. The squirming that R'ish does doesn't stop. Though she's fighting to try and remain still. It's not easy.. not easy at all. So Nomi's question goes unanswered for a while until it can finally settle itself in. Then.. "Huh? What? Ugh.. uhm.. A little I suppose. I guess.. YEs." Very.. distracted.
Nomi scrabbles her nails over the shoulders and arms again, drawing hieroglyphics in the oil. Its clear she either doesn't know what she's doing to R'ish, or she doesn't care. Scratching turns to slapping and she'll drum the sides of her hands up and down the spine, shoulders, and arms again. "Iernians, they do this part with nubbed branches. Its very... sharp, but quite nice once you get used to it. Here, let me try this." Nomi picks up one of the softest dragon brushes which is still very wiry, and runs that right down her spine. Then she starts hitting the oiled back with it very very lightly but the bristles are still very sharp. "Good, or no?"
R'ish growls softly as Nomi scrabbles her nails. Pushing her head futher into the sand as she endures it. Oh.. She enjoys it but... Eyes fly open when it turns to slapping though. And R'ish will grunt again.. But this time it's a somewhat relieved and relaxed grunt. That's... much better. "Yeah?" She asks.. "Sounds like it would be, on both accounts." Sharp but nice. Her eyes start to drift shut again. It's when that brush is suddenly run down her spine that R'ish's eyes fly open again and she lets out a sudden strangled little grunting groan. Her back suddenly caving, pulling away from that sudden brush down her spine. O_O Though when Nomi starts hitting lightly with it.. R'ish seems to calm down a bit. Though still she squirms. Good? "Uh.." cough.. "Yeah.. very good." >_<
Nomi lets the brush bite long enough to raise little goosebumps in red all over the lean canvas of the brownrider's back. Then she'll toss it aside and smooth it out again with the palms of her hands and those expert thumbs. Always she works upwards from the lower back and then alternates between all the way up the neck and into the hair or across the shoulders and down the arms. Tension seems to ease out of Nomi as it does into R'ish. Sand has gathered into the oil making her last few sweeps across the back more scratchy than before. Finally Nomi sets to polishing her dry and sand-free with one of the clean towels. She's gone back to humming, to, instead of conversation, her fingers taking up the beat of some familiar childish nursery song. Probabaly I'm a little klah-pot.
R'ish grunts softly. "Do you?" R'ish asks suddenly and even as Nomi's polishing and sand swiping isn't enough for R'ish to carefully rock a bit in order to try and flip herself over without dislodging the Weyrwoman. She'll smile up at the other woman from her back and tilt her head. "Feel more like a rider now that thread is falling?"
Nomi appreciates the view for a moment and then neatly lays the towel across the other Rider's chest. She'll stay where she is though and brush a bit of sand off Ri's forearm. "I feel better now that Fort is coming up to its real fighting strength. Trying to run a weyr, that was a lot of work before Thread was falling. Now I feel like every day we're just playing catch-up, or barely getting by. I go days without even getting on Sidijith and we've not swept a Fall for, shards, turns. I've heard the rumors. That Sidijith is a coward, or that I am." There's those that say they're both infertile, too. At what point do you cut a weyrwoman loose and choose another?
R'ish blinks as she gets a towl. R'ish.. never has had much modesty within the weyr, or where she feels comfortable. Though she'll leave it there as she reaches a hand out for her shirt. She'll nod. "Aye. It'll be good when we are to our full fighting strength. It's good to see the wings full." R'ish agrees on that. "I can imagine that things have only gotten more complicated now. Though hopefully the wingleaders have stepped up more to help with the running of things." Managing is tough as it is, but having to micro manage because your wingleaders aren't stepping up to do their part in the running of the weyr would only make it that much more difficult.
Nomi swings her leg off the brownrider and uses some of the beaches hot sand to rub the excess oil off her own legs and arms. "They are very good, yes. Though it will be good to the have Weyrsecond back on duty, very good, yes. The weyrlings are coming along nicely, R'ish?" Half compliment, half question. "Tell me more about T'jano?" Nomi would help her old friend if she could.
R'ish pouts a little as Nomi gets up. Rolling over on her side, propping her head up on her hand and using the other to hold that Towel in place she nods. "Aye I imagine it will be good to have a weyrsecond back." R'ish says. "They're coming along quite well. Yeah. T'jano is helping quite a bit." She says. "What about him? He seems to be doing a bit better."
Nomi gets most of the oil off and struggles in the soft sand to regain her feet. "Swim?" She offers R'ish her hand, not really caring if she comes along with any clothing at all. "He's still a Weyrling though? Is that the Weyrlingmaster's decision, or the Weyrleaders?" ANd then, because Nomi trusts R'ish to be honest as well, "Do you think he should graduate to full Rider? If so, why. If not, why not?" Nomi is fully open to ideas, she is a blank slate when it comes to Tej and has yet to form her own opinion.
R'ish nods.. "sure!" Swim sounds good! And she reaches up to take Nomi's hand and letting the towel drop she'll follow the woman to the water.. stripping the rest of the way as she goes. It's swimming! "It's not my decision." R'ish says. Though she's talked with MAdri about graduating him And has yet to see where her input has led. "Eventually yes.. I think he should. Because he has the potential to be a very good fighter." She'll say as she wades out into the water. "Though, REally. It's not my place to bring ideas about him to you or.. The weyrleader. I give MAdri my imput and the rest is really her duty. I'd be talking out of turn to bring it up with you without her knowledge or approval." R'ish does try to stick to the chain of command. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it with you.. It's just. Not my place. I'm only the weyrlingmaster's second."
Nomi pauses at the shoreline and nods. "Of course, R'ish. I did not mean to put you on the spot. I will talk to the Weyrlingmaster." Nomi did not intend to try and circumvent the proper chains of command, she is just gathering information as best she can... and she's learning a few things just watching the brownrider. "Okay. Race you to the dock." Nomi runs and dives into the lake with her skivvies still on and, though a fair swimmer, she lacks the length and strength and stamina to make much of a race of it.
R'ish glances back over her shoulder to look back at Nomi. "You didn't.. I just don't want to over step my bounds, is all." She flashes another grin as Nomi challenges a race. She dives in herself.. And While R'ish is still injured She's gotten much better. And She pushes herself. So.. In the end. R'ish will likely be the winner of their little race.
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