Of weyrling weyrs! In which Caitlyn gets a weyr of her very own!
Nolee, Caitlyn, Nalaieth, Kintryth
In which Caitlyn gets a weyr. ;D
>> Nalaieth spirals lazily a few times, her diaphanous wings casting rays of the afternoon sun and prism-filtering them into patterns on the ground below. Gradually, the tawny queen comes to a rest near the barracks entry, as Nolee scouts over a worn-looking hide. "Heard someone else got the okay to go weyr hunting." She peers past a hopeful looking pair, shaking her head. "Heard it was a girl weyrling, sorry." The boy slinks away, joining his lifemate in a game of kickball instead.
>> Caitlyn fairly bounces up off her cot, her runner's tail nub of a braid snapping over one shoulder as she races towards Nolee and Nalaieth. "That'd be *me*, good queenrider!" the woman blurts loudly, skittering up to a stop before the weyrwoman.
>> Nolee squints intently at her list, then brushes back her blonde hair while she ponders. "I don't see a 'me' on the list," she teases, though with just enough of a hint of obliviousness that she could be serious. "Oh, are you, hm, Kintryth's?" The pause suggests Nala's helping with the name, though she smiles blithely. "If so, c'mon, get him ready to go! There's still some good ones left. Well, relatively good. Kinda good?"
>> Upon Kintryth, Caitlyn is still caught between wondering if poor Nolee could *really* be that oblivious and thinking her 'daftness' is all an elaborate sham - but she beams over at the goldrider anyway, rolling her expressive eyes. "I'd *better* be Kint's, after all this time. Imagine us finding out i'd really Impressed a bronze, and him a giggly little boy." Always mercurial, the ex-smith frowns a bit when imformed of the dwindling choices of weyrs. "I just hope I can get a weyr that allows me to erect a workshop for my jewelry tools and stuff."
>> Kintryth wings in from somewhere beyond the seashore, landing rather close to the assembled humans and gold dragon - being careful not to settle too heavily on his off leg. A chuffing rumble of welcome is given to Nalaieth, and the blue's eyes wheel a fast blue as he echoes his rider's anticipation.
>> Nalaieth waits for Caitlyn to be settled in, then jumps aloft just as Kintryth arrives. She croons an invite for him to come along, or perhaps it is concern for his injury? Or admiration for his flight regardless of it? Whichever it is, Nolee doesn't seem to notice, instead peering at Caitlyn. "A workshop? Oh my. Some of them could be, if they were cleared out? Though--I don't think you could've had bronze. As far as I know, you're a girl." Spoken in a whisper as they fly, just in case Caitlyn weren't aware of it.
>> Nalaieth continues to glide through the afternoon sunlight, finally alighting on the first of option: a wide, inviting ledge with a particularly mossy featurette. "Here's the first one," begins tour guide Nolee. "Feel free to have a good look around! Some of them have hidey spots you can't see unless you really dig around. But watch out for crawlies!"
Mossy Rivulet Weyr(#17521RJ)
A wide swath of study rock creates a strong, inviting ledge. Tendrils of warmed Istan vegetation peek upward through a narrow opening into the weyr proper, making this low cliffside weyr a perfect home for a smaller dragon. The sound of dripping water within can be traced to a rivulet running through the rocks, likely originating with the force of the waterfall, but by this point, merely a faint pinging sound that is truly quite peaceful. A sturdy sleeping couch for rider and dragon has been cut into the southwestern wall, and a few empty frames where portraits or keepsakes once rested still hang from pounded iron left behind in the walls. A curtained-off area allows for some privacy, two broken chairs within nearly lost to the vegetation's embrace. Oh yes, for the ground, the walls, and all surfaces in the weyr have taken advantage of the warm climate and the trickle of water, and are blanketed with a soft carpet of all-encompassing, moist moss.
Caitlyn quirks her head and cranes her neck to get a better view of the mossy weyr from aloft - Kintryth also doing the same to oggle his potential home. "Oh, crawlies?" Cait calls out over the air to Nolee. Once landed, the woman slides from Kint's shoulders, and quickly putters - peering intently about the place. "Hmmm...not too shabby. I really like the trickling water...the peace and quiet." Her index finger gently taps her lower lip as she moves about, unconsciously in time with the gently twitch of Kintryth's tailtip.
Nolee shrugs, uncertainly. "I'm not sure if there -are- any. Just thinking they might go well with the damp. Just think," she sighs, wistful, "You could have your own stream right here at home. And washing dishes would be so easy -- just rinse them off. And the moss is soft for sleeping. Though I oversleep enough already, so that'd be bad for me." Nala twitches her wings: she agrees with that. "What does Kintryth think?"
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth rumbles quite softly, his mindvoice blending in perfectly with the moist trickle of the water, the gloam of mosses. << I am in agreement with my rider in most ways about this weyr - we like it for it's potential. But we also wish to see what else yours can come up with. Mine does not wish to offend yours, of course. >>
Caitlyn turns back quickly to address Nolee, her eyes focused on the other woman. "It has alot of potential, yes...and that quick washing of clothes and dishes sounds really nice..." Again, her eyes wander the smaller weyr, her other thoughts hidden for now.
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth reaches out slowly, gradually with honey-tinged tendrils. << We are not offended. We have several options available. >> The mist parts to show clarity, a series of ledges, some in detail, some clouded still. << We will see these. >>
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth adds his mellow klah to your gentle honey, stirring lightly to make an interesting brew of thoughts. << Mine is very excited, and we both want the best weyr for not only my comfort but hers. She is very much wanting to have a place where she can also build a workshop. >>
Nolee gives Nalaieth's eyeridge a scratch as the queen tips her head around, inquisitively trying to see the scroll Nolee's holding -- not that it would do her much good. "Let's move on?" Resecuring the straps, Nolee hardly even fumbles, and manages to hold on to the scroll as well. The pair are aloft, checking behind them to see if Kintryth is following, and they finally weave about and land on a clean, though strangely decorated, ledge.
Scorched and Seared Weyr(#17521RJ)
While many weyrs are messy and in need of alot of work, this one is entirely empty and could probably be made perfect by just a quick sweeping. Nearly perfect, at least. It's a very small weyr, probably only suited to a green or a blue. The ledge is narrow, the couch is low and there is little room for more than a chair, a table and a bed. But perhaps more remarkable than the small size is the huge mural that covers the near wall, a view of Red Butte rising in the landscape, half of it obscurred by section of blackened rock, a dark stain on the side wall left from some sort of horrific fire. The permenant shadow of flame reaches halfway across the ceiling and a few fingers even stretch just outside along the ledge.
Caitlyn chews her lower lips a little, and wanders a bit more around the weyr. Her face shows only a bit of her mixed thoughts. A sudden wide smile of relief, and she nods to the other rider, nearly vaulting up to Kintryth's proffered foreleg, securing herself in the safety straps just a second before the blue flings himself back into the sky, following Nala.
Nolee smiles as Nala settles across this ledge in an effort to suck up the last few rays of the evening sun, then aiming to show Kintryth how it's done. Nolee, meanwhile, is chattering about this one, "So I think M'duk had to clean it. No, he only cleaned ones people lived in. Maybe one of the bad ones, along with the scarred guy. Yeah, they cleaned this one. Maybe the bad one was angry, and he burned it? Or maybe the rider spent too much time admiring the butte?"
Caitlyn is...a closed book. SHe simply walks around a little, looking with not much intent at the...sere weyr. Hooded eyes qive away not much of anything as she listens to Nolee chatter about what might have singed this living place.
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth patters dark raindrops from distant stormclouds. << Mine doesn't feel at home here. She likes the mural, but is still uncomfortable. It is too small for her...her... >> An image of a black box pressing in on Caitlyn, pressing in and in... << It will not do, i'm afraid. >>
Nalaieth lazes her tail over the side of the ledge, dangling it so that the little part that is lumpen from a youthful injury shows, perhaps pointedly, encouraging her young offspring in his own condition, ignorant of the concern of the weyrling inside. "You wanted to burn things, right? A workshop? This one already has burned spots, so you couldn't hurt it much -- except, oh. Nala says you don't like it. Should we move on?"
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth mingles the stormclouds with warm, dry humidity in amber and tawny yellows, enjoying the blending and the resultant hiss of conflicting temperatures. << It could be painted over, >> she encourages dryly, then catapults sand grains onto the ledge, altering it. The sand overtakes the weyr gradually, swallowing it up, a rough, lazy visualization of their next destination of sorts. << Open, we will try open next. Less... >> The box returns, its edges separated to form an open cavern.
Caitlyn cringes a little at Nolee's words, looking as if she's just been found out in some nasty plot to overthrow the Weyrleaders. "I'm *sorry*, ma'am...Kint can be so chattery..." But the woman isn't wasting time. She *does* vault back up to Kintryth this time, a thin film of sweat wiped quickly from her brow.
Nolee shakes her head perkily, not minding at all. "That's all right. Sometimes, they are more to the point than us. We get distracted by being polite, which uses up so much energy." She turns the scroll first one direction, then another, and takes a moment to orient herself before the pair take flight. "I thought it was over here," she mutters, though Nalaieth has different ideas. "How come you remember everything?" she whines, ironically, though they head in the direction the gold selects, soon landing at a sandy relaxing ledge.
Beach Bum Bungalow(#17521RJ)
Snug and simple, this smallish weyr overlooks the bowl but is set high enough in the caldera wall to seem secluded. The ledge is long but shallow, wide open to the blue sky and the breeze but without much depth. The weyr itself mimics this, giving the impression of a far larger space, but not particularly sheltered from the elements. The long yet narrow dragon couch has been filled with sand, apparently the preferred bedding at some point. The wind has managed to whip it around until it covers the floor of the entire weyr, drifts of the fine black grains collecting against one wall.
Then again, maybe that was the original intent since the rest of the space echoes the feel of a beachside picnic, from a hammock strung diagonally across a corner and what appears to be a bonfire beneath the smoke-hole opening in the opposite corner. A clothesline has been strung from one nail to another for wet bathing suits and towels to dry on, and a mammoth picnic basket complete with a nice set of wooden dishes lays tumbled in the center of the floor amid a scattering of unique and lovely shells. All of that combined with yawning view of typically blue sky and the faintly wafting scent of the nearby sea, and all that's missing is the water. Of course, for those who want a more traditional setup there's a good deal of work ahead instead of the lounging for which this space is clearly designed.
Caitlyn looks *very* relieved to be gone from the too small weyr, and her characteristic ebullience returns. "They know us better than we do...and maybe vice-versa." A soft laugh is carried away by the winds as both dragons wing to the new destination, Kintryth genteel-ly waiting for Nalaieth to happily arrange herself before he too backwings to a rather dainty landing next to her. "Kint has a very very good memory, for a dragon. He often surprises me with things i've already forgotten."
Nolee nods wryly, not altogether enjoying just how much Nalaieth has the upper hand in their relationship. "She's just been a sour citron all day, what with reminding me about all the work I haven't finished while she sprawls out in the sun, hmph." Finished complaining for the moment, she pats Nala affectionately as the gold obligingly re-sprawls. "Sometimes, I think Nala only remembers when she wants to, but at least she's good with names. Well, dragon names, anyway." Looking in, and wistfully at the hammock, she beams. "How do you like this one?"
Caitlyn grins at Nolee, then rolling her eyes at her tales of the gold. "Yes, i'm not too overjoyed at how...manipulating Kintryth can be with certain things." At this point, the blue lifts his chin from his rider's shoulder, and affects an open-mouthed gape, as if smiling from ear-to-ear. Cait breaks out in guffaws, turning around to give her weyrmate an affectionate slap on his jaw. "You great oaf! You know I love you...clod in disguise!" And then Nolee speaks again, and Cait is all sudden attention for the weyr, smiling widely as she surveys it. "It looks very...fun! The previous owner was a real beach-goer, obviously... But oi! That sand whirling around...and it's so shallow."
Dragon> Kintryth bespoke Nalaieth with << Mine is being more open with her observations, now that she cannot hide them from us. Is this the final weyr? She enjoys the atmosphere of it, but she is still trying to think how a tiny forge would fit in here... >>
Nolee has dismounted and now leans against the wall of the weyr, toes wiggling in the sand. "He's smiling, I can see it," she observes, of Kintryth's expression. "You two look like a picture, in a tapestry? Ugh, except, then I'm sure at some time I'd have to clean it." Distasteful. "Clod? I thought his name was --" Nala twitches her tail, and Nolee breaks off, smiling blankly again. "You could get sand in places you never knew about. And sleep in it, too." Remounting, they're off for the next stop.
Caitlyn dusts the sand from her clothes, and scurries aboard her blue's neck, eyes glittering with excitement at how the next prospect might look.
Nalaieth wings through the sky smoothly, delighting in the opportunity to stretch her wings. Soon it is apparent why: their next stop is ample enough outside, but the crowded interior has Nala a little on edge, and once she alights, she lingers near the outside portion where there's more space.
Castoff Collections Weyr(#17521RJ)
One man's cozy is another man's cluttered, and this weyr could rightly be described as either depending on your point of view. The space that could comfortably house a good sized brown or even a bronze and his mate has been reduced until a blue might feel cramped, however, by the previous occupants and their "collections." Near the entrance is a dragon couch, lined with rushes for comfort at one end while the other brims with rocks stacked high. Small chunks glint with metallic flashes; long narrow slivers boast crimson streaks, and black igneous rock lies side by side with fogged rose quartz. From tiny pebbles to a pair of table-sized boulders, it seems the dragon who lived here was obsessed with collecting rocks of all shapes and sizes.
The human portion of the weyr is no less crowded, though only a few of the prettier rocks have found their way this far in. Instead, the walls are lined with deep shelves that are chock full of scrolls and rolled hides. More are haphazardly piled in every corner, some spilling to nearly cover the floor while a few precious bound books can be spotted here and there. It seems that the departure was a recent one as most of the scrolls - everything from records to histories of areas to fiction - seem to be in good shape. Any other useful furniture was raided not long ago; what little dust coats the floor is marked by clean squares where a bed and table likely sat.
If Nala's on edge, then Caitlyn might be thinking twice, too. As Kintryth lands next to the gold, Cait dismounts almost immediately, casting a keen gaze over the weyr habitat.
Nolee chatters away cheerfully, "Well, no sand to get stuck in places here. But this weyr reminds me of three things: work, work, and work." Conspiratorially, she requests, "Don't tell anyone else bossy about it, okay? I'm sure I'd have to read all those scrolls." Cringe.
Caitlyn is more elated than cramped, however, as she espies this cluttered weyr and what it has to offer. Golden brown eyes light up, and her hand lightly clap together in barely concealed glee. "Oh JAYS...this place is huge! I mean, once i'd clean it out and up, it'd be grand! Not only for Kint, but me AND my workshop..." She looks over her shoulder at Nolee, then at Nalaieth. "Whoever lived here last might just have been my type of person!" A soft, conspiratorial giggle, and Cait nods her head in agreement with the other rider. "Not a word from me, I promise. Jays, *i'll* likely be reading those scrolls after I get this place cleared and set up! If there's anything of import in them, i'll let you know on the sly." My goodness, it sounds as if she's already made up her mind and moving in!
Nolee shivers, then shrugs. "Ugh, well, if someone picks it who'd -like- to do all that reading, then I'd be spared. Which," her own brown eyes glitter brightly, and she smiles, recognizing some potential here. "Would be a wonderful arrangement!" She rubs her hands together with elation as Nala tries to duck her head, twisting her neck to inspect a pile of shiny rock. "Maybe there's something precious in the rock? Or at least it'd be decorative, if, hm, piled differently?"
Caitlyn makes sot, delighted noises to herself as she scampers around, inspecting not only the potential of the weyr, but those *rocks*. "Hm, could be, ma'am! Possibly silver-bearing ore in some of 'em, and at least some ornamental rock in others. Jays! If only I knew where the two that mined these are now... i'd pry their secrets out!" A crass giggle as Cait espies Nala eyeballing those shiny rocks. "Kintryth is wondering what's inside the shiny ones, too. When...err, *if* I pick this weyr - which I think I will - i'll send a sample up to the Smith and Miner Halls for positive identification."
Dragon> Kintryth bespoke Nalaieth with << Mine is a scholarly type. Yours does not like books too much. They just might have something to offer each other. What is yours interested in which might help my rider? >>
Nolee nods as though she understood the technical meaning of Caitlyn's words, her head moving like a bobble-head doll. "You think the rider and the dragon did the mining?" Nolee squints at Nalaieth, who shows no such proclivities. Sighing, she leans against her dragon's neck, giving her a scratch. "I suppose the halls can tell you if they came from Ista, or somewhere else."
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth weaves a dust cloud of amber grain, which fades to reveal warm sandy beaches in dark, glittering sand. << I am interested in this. >> is her deliberate misdirection of his query.
Caitlyn steps back from the sights around her, pursing her lips in thought as she retreats back to Kintryth's presence, scritching his offered eyeridge as she peruses various plans. "Hm, they *could* have, but maybe they got the stuff from exposed mine sites - or maybe the rider paid for them. No matter, they're neat specimens - and once the Halls identify them, i'll either make use of them, or i'll sell them off." Her hands again clap together in glee. "Well, I know how I feel about *this* big jewel, Nolee. Is there another one to try and tempt me?" Cait is all huge grins.
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth is water; relentless, getting in all the cracks. His soulful, gentle rains patter gently on those amber sands, moving into them. << You are also interested, yes. My rider finds yours relaxing, and would enjoy helping her at times... >>
Nolee leans forward a little more to ponder the deposited items that are visible from her perch. "I couldn't say," she earnestly replies. "You've more experience with the craft." That said, she claps also, an echo of Caitlyn's. "Ooh, it'd be nice if you liked this one. Less work for me." Less subtle than her lifemate, perhaps, Nolee reveals her motivations up front, though at the moment she's all concentration on a scroll she'd brought with her. "There are more. The next one's over there," a vague point, and Nala's winging that direction, holding for Kintryth to join before she's off and landing again.
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth casts a light, playful breeze about, though the heavy clouds of her thought remain. << Mine could also give yours this weyr. >> Manipulation is honest, direct, from honey-hued brilliance. << Or this one. >> A stench, a tiny ledge, a view of the ashpits. << But next, we will see this. >> The images are much brighter, in fact, bearing intense swaths of color.
Dubious Painter's Weyr(#17521RJ)
One of this weyr's previous residents must have fancied themselves as quite the artist, if the decor is anything to go by. Every available surface of this spacious weyr has been used as a canvas, from walls to ceiling, starting with the outer weyr and going clear through the sleeping room to the small bathing chamber. Even the dragon's couch shows signs of having been experimented upon, though here at least, the color is dulled by the wear of hide and talon on stone.
The overall effect would be fantastic, would it not be for the fact that the unknown artist has all the skill of a four-turn-old on a sweetener high. Garish splotches of royal purple border splashes of lime green and golden yellow, and that's the dull section. The other clashing colors are far worse. In addition, the painted images are indistinct and difficult to determine. For example, a large hunched brownish *something* on one wall in the sleeping chamber could be a dragon.... or it could be a crude replication of that roast herdbeast dinner from earlier this Sevenday. Who knows?
Still, the ledge is broad enough to accommodate the larger dragons, and there's a nice view of the ocean beyond, though of course the sunset would clash with the colors bordering the opening.
Caitlyn chuckles darkly at Nolee's 'less for me,' winking saucily at the goldrider, then heaving herself astride Kintryth's neck, ordering him up to follow his dam to the next weyr. Beneath her, Kintryth gives a similar deep rumble of humor.
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth rumbles dark hints of draconic laughter, his old klah spiced thoughts weaving with honey amber for a moment. << I *see*. But of course, you know there is no need for any antipathy... >>
Nalaieth lands on this ledge, proud and beaming, her draconic face hinting at a smile, what with her eyeridges raised and her prancing about on the ledge. "She likes this one," Nolee explains. "She says she likes the colors, but I think there's got to be something wrong with her eyes."
Kintryth backwings, and lands easily on the large ledge - his curious eyes already taking in the garish sight as he stuffs his neck and head indoors. Laughingly ordering him back to make room, Caitlyn gawks at the ahm... paintings all over the place. "Good gracious, someone got pretty over-enthusiastic in here!"
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth melds the gelatinous mass of amber into the spices, absorbing them, becoming one with them, holding them in a burble of her own rumbled low laughter. << They could help each other, >> she playfully returns. << What does yours need? Mine is... >> a pause, << It is difficult to determine her talents >> is tactfully delivered.
Nolee remains mounted, and draws a nail file from her pack to pick at some insidious sand grains from a previous weyr, and prattles on happily. "They did, but it could be painted over. I'd think painting's less work than all that clearing in the other place, though I'm not trying to change your mind if you liked it." A headshake, firm: nopenope, she wants the help all right. "And it's big."
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth hums in the peace of one attuned to sky and water - smooth ocean meeting placid sky, with amber sanded beach touching between. << Oh, mine isn't looking for specific help, yet. Perhaps she might need a little...mmm...leveridge at later points when hoping to secure digging rights to areas. Or more tools or supplies for her craftings. >> Another soft rumble of concealed delight from the canny blue. << Mine does like yours, though they are quite different in many ways. >>
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth flutters, a grain of sand carried by the breeze, until it vanished behind a misty curtain. << We will consider it. Should she help of her own volition, she may indeed curry favor. >> The delight is absorbed, likewise, by the vaporous cloud. << Mine has fondness for yours also. Yes, very different, they are. >>
Caitlyn nods back to Nolee as she paces quickly around the weyr, noting it's inner size, as well as the more-than generous ledge proportions. "That's definitely true, Nolee. Don't let anyone know, but I really don't care for intensive physical labor. I'm just pretty good at getting it done, when necessary." There, a little secret of hers shared back with the non-bookish goldrider. Oblivious to the little wheelings and dealings of not only Kintryth, but Nalaieth behind her, Cait bobs her head thoughtfully and then swings back to mount up on the blue's neck once more. "You know, I *love* the big size of this weyr and ledge...AND the view it gives. If I could just move those rocks up here after sorting them out properly - and maybe even sorting and reading those scrolls, too..."
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth mentally bobs his head in a slight gesture, his manner quite distinguished - that of a courtly gentleman. << There, you see. Mine can help yours with organizing and clearing of the other weyr she covets, while also earning that which her labor has brought to her. We are both better off. >>
Nolee blinks, then nods. "I don't like it either. But sometimes, it has to be done." She attempts that noble sacrifice face, which might be effective if she'd ever been spotted actually doing any work. Nolee smiles warmly back to Caitlyn, enjoying the moment of girlish secret-sharing, and her expression is genuine. "You'd still want to help with the other one?" Her brown eyes bug, and her smile grows even wider. "Jays, I'd love that. Say, are you ready for the last one?"
Caitlyn grins widely, waggling her brows at the other woman, nodding a very obvious 'yes.' "Any physical work that has to do with pretty rock and gems isn't work to me, but a labor of love. You have a deal, m'dear queenrider." The smith offers her hand to Nolee to seal the private deal. "Ready and willing!"
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth acknowledges Kintryth's head-bob with a mirthful dip of amber waves, parting the thick clouds that conceal her innermost thoughts for a brief second, a sharing glimpse with her multifaceted son. << We are. >> Which of them is more smug, untellable.
Nalaieth flutters her wings, the tawny queen's gesture of invitation, and after Nolee shakes on the deal, rather eagerly, she is rapidly airborne, a taunt for the younger dragon to test his prowess. "Our last stop is kinda small, but I thought I'd show you anyway. It has some shiny rocks." It takes a moment, Nolee seemingly arguing with Nala about which direction it might be, but after the human consults the scroll, they're off again on a righted course. "Don't have to brag about it," she mumbles to Nala.
Gleaming Darkness Weyr(#17521RJ)
It's dark in here, very dark - and not just from the strange angles of the ledge and weyr that prevent outside light from filtering in but from the rock of the weyr itself. The regular stone gray, craggy and rough, is shot with swaths and veins of shiny black igneous rock, smooth as glass and dark as night. What light exists here bounces across the glossy obsidian that gleams across the floor and climbs in reflective marbling up the walls. The smooth, slick streams make for slippery walking and a few old mats have been left by the weyr's former occupant, lending traction to the highly traveled paths between the wide striated ledge and the sleeping alcove at the back of the shady weyr.
Kintryth chuffs very softly for no obvious reason, though his features are of the typically draconic inscrutable variety, and taking the challenge of his dam, snaps wings open with a haste not formerly seen before by anyone - including his rider. With incredible speed, the blue is whirled up by those treacherous Istan aircurrents, mastering them as efficiently as an experienced, small green. Cait squawks in surprise, fear, and finally elation as Kint shows to both dam and humans just what elegance and fearful precision he's capable of in the air. And in his quick, but smooth landing - cobaltine, glassy blue talons scoring the ledge as he alights, then settles.
Playfully, Nalaieth weaves a rapid path around tight corners, something a creature of her size can only manage through utter familiarity with her surroundings. As they near the ledge she slows, making a dainty lady's landing, and dips her head briefly, a gesture this time of admiration of her offspring's skill and strength, though her rider has to hold on as the neck of her mount rapidly sinks and she's pitched forward. "Warn me!" she hollers to deaf ears. Recovering, Nolee slips to the ground to be a few paces away from tricksy Nala. "Jays, he was moving fast!"
Caitlyn grabs dramatically at her chest, then rolling expressive eyes down at Kintryth. "You nearly gave me a heart seizure, you loopy blue! Yeesh!" ANd then Cait is wincing a little, looking over warily at Nolee. "Uh...ma'am, he did that of his own accord... Uhm...hope you don't... report me to Lirit or the others. It's not his usual way..."
Kintryth croons softly to the gold, taking in the praise, but also giving credit where credit is due - admiring the maneuvers of the large gold through the close environment.
Dragon> Kintryth bespoke Nalaieth with << Some day, I hope to approach Eleketh's ability to maneuver in the air, and to have your grace. >>
"You haven't been bad yet, have you?" squints Nolee. She seems to be pondering Caitlyn's query, though it was Nalaieth herself who instigated the merry showing-off. Her brows draw closer together as she weighs her options, and she chews her lip in a brief moment of indecision. Making her choice, she nods. "I won't tell, cause you offered to help me and you didn't have to do that." The returning croon from Nala is twofold: one layer of appreciation, one hinting that the relationship they'd been encouraging is revealing its benefits already.
Nalaieth> I bespoke Kintryth with << Eleketh is fast, >> she admits. << And agile. >> Wistful mist parting billows in sun-touched puffs of pleasure at the praise. << You will, with practice. You have determination. >> An admirable quality.
Caitlyn is still holding her breath, and quickly shakes her head at Nolee's query. "Not once, ma'am. Kint is a careful dragon, and i'm old enough to be concerned about...things, too. But he *obviously* has a whole other dimension to his personality..." She sighs in relief as Nolee makes her decision, and beams over at the other woman. "Thanks, Nolee. I think you and I might give each other the type of help we don't necessarily want others knowing of more often." Then Cait suddenly blushes, and blurts: "I didn't mean that badly! Just that we have trust in each other to do things for one another that might raise brows... Oh JAYS!" she raises hands to the air, then lets them fall to her thighs. "I hope you know what I really mean, ma'am." And down Cait slides from the blue neck, to observe the obsidian weyr with deep interest.
Nolee nods agreeably. "Well, that's especially good since he isn't always in trouble. So no one will expect it of him." Nalaieth, sunning herself on the edge of the ledge, is given a sidelong glance. "She's like that too. All sweet like a canine pup, then all tooth like--like her." Great analogy, Nolee. The young woman takes a few steps closer to the former smith, peering at her with interest, blinking as she considers the ramifications. "I wouldn't be ashamed if people knew about -that- kind of help. Just not the other kind. You know, the kind with work attached." Her brows furrow. "But it's kinda dark in here. And slippery. And I haven't ever kissed a girl before. But you meant the other kind, right?"
Caitlyn is being careful on the slippery, smooth obsidian, nodding at Nolee's observations as she makes her way back out of the weyr. "It's too dark and dangerous in there. Imagine if i'd drop something, and glass shards got everywhere..." She stops short, now somewhat confused by which kind of help and work Nolee is talking about revealing or not... And then the smith simply stops dead in her tracks, blinking rather owlishly at her senior. Flabberghasted. You know. Mouth open and all. "Uh...uh..." She doesn't appear disgusted in the least. Just... surprised.
Nolee looks at Caitlyn in her best effort at what she thinks is 'comfortingly.' "It's okay if that is what you meant. I don't mind. I asked Cynara if she wanted me to kiss her once, just to see what it was like, but she didn't." Nolee walks around Caitlyn, leaving her to catch flies, while she studies the ground's indents. "It'd be nice for someone who likes to be alone, or who finds Ista way too hot. You know, if I could have picked my own place, I might pick the scrolls-crowded one. Even if it was dirty. I like to collect things. Just not scrolls. Or rocks, so much." Returning to the face-side, she peers. "Are you okay?"
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth is scented with new klah and cinnamon, rain and thunders. <>
Nalaieth> Kintryth senses that Nalaieth breezes boredly, tiny rings of mist circling tidepools and hissing away as they meld with the water and aim to absorb the rain. << Mine is easily confused. >>
Caitlyn blinks once again, the motion slow. And slowly, she comes back to her senses, managing not to color at her cheeks - looking at Nolee. "Yeah, i'm fine. I uh...didn't think we were talking about kissing each other - or girls kissing each other." She draws in a deep, steadying breath, and then goes on more slowly and evenly. "I never had anything against boys with boys, or girls with girls. Personal preference." A booted toe draws patterns in the not-sand. "I once kissed another woman - a Miner. It was kinda nice, but it didn't make me all hot and bothered... but it was nice. Uhhmm. Yeah. I like privacy, but I want to be around people when I choose to be, too. This weyr is too much of the first." She moves to Kintryth's side, vapidly stroking the blue's hide. "What do you collect?"
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth sounds calmer now, those familiar pitter-patter of raindrops feeding dry earth once again. << Mine is well. Just surprised at yours. Mine is not easily confused, but yours has done an admirable job of doing that. I congratulate her. >> His words are all honesty, with not a trace of tongue-in-cheek.
Nolee, wide-eyed, blinks bovinishly. "Sure we were. You brought it up." After that, Nolee shrugs. "It's all right - I won't tell if it makes you embarrassed. Or even if it doesn't." Bright smile. "I didn't either. It's silly to worry too much about, especially if you agree to stand for a clutch. Then you could even wake up by your enemy. If you had any enemies." A squint, momentary self-confusion, then back to the smile. "You did? Jays, I'll have to catch up." Like a contest! Only different. "But I can't kiss you, cause that'd be 2 for you, and only 1 for me." Math, wow! "I guess I don't collect notches." A giggle. "K'ylon's weyr has a collection in it. You should see it! Dozens! As for me, I like glass things. Like floats."
Caitlyn is *still* floored by these circumstances, staring a little at Nolee while nodding her head like a sunstruck wherry. "But I..." A sot sigh, and she lets the matter drop. Probably better that way. "Yes, one girl, when I was 18 Turns." And then suddenly Cait goes rather blushy and shy. "Well... *if* you want to try it out, I don't have any objections, Nolee. It'd be our secret." A soft hint of a crass giggle. "You'd just have to find another gal to make your second one. Oh really? I like glass too - just not as much as rocks."
Nolee nods, "I like some rocks, just not as many as there were in that weyr. My pop makes glass floats, so I have heaps of flawed ones." She leans closer, to see if Caitlyn looks any differently now that this information is known, though her squint doesn't scrye anything apparent. She considers, her finger resting on her own chin as she does so. Little gears whirl in her head, working this out. "Okay." Before Caitlyn can change her mind, she leans over and attempts to peck Caitlyn on the cheek, then blinks at her. She fails to turn into a newt, or in fact, fails to transform at all, so she sighs, perhaps disappointed. "That wasn't very good. Does it count as half a one?"
Caitlyn simply watches Nolee with a deep curiosity, now that her confusion is ebbing. And is once again re-ignited by the peck... on the *cheek*. "Ohh...uhmmm. Uh, Nolee. What I meant by a kiss - and what I *think* Cynara meant - is a kiss on the lips." She's delicate in how she utters this, in case Nolee should freak out.
Dragon> Nalaieth senses that Kintryth mentally warbles, so as not to scare either human. << And again. Yours is very good at this confusion-giving. I will consult you is I ever need to know how to confuse someone, since you are hers. >>
Nolee tilts her head, then nods. "I knew that." While likely trying to cover for a lack of awareness, perhaps she is sincere and didn't want to freak Caitlyn out. "You wouldn't mind, really? This isn't a condition of getting your weyr or anything."
Nalaieth> I bespoke Kintryth with << Humans can be very strange, >> burbles the gold, a very gentle rumbling alto through the ever-present mist. << Mine more than most. I would try to share her ways, if you asked. If I understood them. >>
Caitlyn is *now* blushing, having been out-maneuvered and...out-confused? by Nolee. "Oh goodness, no! Of course it's not a condition of anything, m...Nolee. Just call it a token of friendship." The smith smiles slowly, like the sun emerging from behind a fog. A fog of confusion, to be sure.
Dragon> Kintryth bespoke Nalaieth with << If I need help, I will be sure to speak to you about it. Thank you. >>
"Okay. Just so long as you know that." Nolee smiles brightly, reassured by her companion's comments, and takes a half a step closer, and manages to not laugh even a nervous giggle as she lines her lips up with Caitlyn's, aiming to press hers against them.
Caitlyn is nods, then is still, letting Nolee take the initiative in this, her eyes half-lidding, letting her mouth go slightly lax in anticipation of the kiss. Her eyes glint with curiosity, and with a hint of merriment.
Nolee's lips are gentle, no stranger to contact though the current recipient be of the fairer, and therefore, unapproached gender. The kiss she offers is tender, lasting just long enough for her to experience 'what it feels like.' Pulling back, she smiles through a slight pink flush. "Your face is so soft. Like, without any prickles. M'yr always has prickles, and C'len too."
Caitlyn blinks eyelids open, not remembering having closed them, and nods in slight bewilderment at Nolee's observation. "Yeah, I remember now that's what I told the Miner girl. I'm used to scritchy hints of stubble, and a different feel in men." A soft giggle touches her own slightly flushed face. "You kiss sweetly. Thank you."
Caitlyn blinks eyelids open, not remembering having closed them, and nods in slight bewilderment at Nolee's observation. "Yeah, I remember now that's what I told the Miner girl. I'm used to scritchy hints of stubble, and a different feel in men." A soft giggle touches her own slightly flushed face. "You kiss sweetly. Thank you."
Nolee giggles softly, and takes a step back, her chin dipping for a moment. "That's very true! Scritchy. That's a good word for it." Managing a little smile, it soon turns into a silly grin. "Thanks! That wasn't even unpleasant at all. And now I've got one, so I'm only one behind you. Er, still." Beaming, she looks about at the way the afternoon sun glints off of the obsidian. "This'd be beautiful under glowlight, don't you think? If it weren't creepy."
Caitlyn grins right back, nodding to her companion, her eyes once more sweeping the obsidian weyr. "It's not creepy to me, but I can understand why you'd think so. Just too dark for my tastes. But yeah, the glows would make such a lovely glinting on the glass." Her arm raises, to sweep a broad gesture over the scene. "Not all rock is pretty, but obsidian certainly is." And she quiets for a moment, thinking hard. "Pardon my total switch of...conversations, but I remembered something. Who should I talk to about wanting to become a wingsecond?"
Nolee scoots back toward Nalaieth, who extends a foreleg for the girl to perch on. "The stuff with the blue in it is pretty, too. I'd like to make something out of it, but I can't figure out how. Or with shells, either. I always break them." Climbing back aboard, she fastens her straps while she thinks. "As a weyrling, or once you're tapped? In the weyrling wing, ask your weyrlingmasters if you can try it. In a regular wing, it's up to the wingleader who taps you. But if you wanted some tips on being picked for that duty, you could ask Vallrano? He might have some ideas, being the Weyrleader and all. Oh-- did you pick a weyr?"
Caitlyn follows Nolee back to the dragons, mouting up on Kintryth's neck, securing herself for the small flight back to the Barracks. "Blue stuff? Turquoise - a soft greeny-blue, or maybe Lapis, which is a deep, royal blue. Are those what you're thinking of? I can work with you to make stuff from rock and shells and glass, you know. I like working with all of them." A quick, bright smile. "Oh, once i'm tapped. I don't have enough patience with others to be a decent teacher. Ask who? Oh...Weyrleader V'lano. Okay. And yes, I have. As long as I can have all the rocks and scrolls I want from that one other weyr, i'll very happily take the painted one with the wonderful view! Of course, i'll do the grunt work moving the rock and stuff..." A sly wink and a giggle.
Nolee blinks, startled to hear that there's more than one name that accompanies types of blue rock. "Yeah, those. All of those," she nods, agreeably. "Ohh, you would?" The expression that crosses her face is that of a much younger girl, sealing a BFF pact with a new friend. "Jays, people aren't usually that nice to me. You'd be welcome to come to my weyr sometimes if you want. I've got a slateboard. And a bath. Not that you need a bath. Just that it's a nice change from the bathing caverns." That's given with utter innocence, as there's no trace of her words having another meaning to the invite other than 'party at my place!' "The painted one it is! We could even help with the moving things. It might not be as bad with help."
Caitlyn chuckles, part of her person still managing some innocence, too - having interpreted Nolee's offer purely as that of a friend to a friend, and nothing more. "Aw, that's so nice of you, Nolee... And why wouldn't people want to be nice to you? You're a nice person, from what I know of you. And i'm grateful to find another crafter-type person who's also a rider... We should have some fun, for sure!"
Nolee laughs happily, for a moment freed of the pressures and expectations of daily life to enjoy some girl-time. "We should! I've always wanted to learn more about crafts, but haven't been very good at many of them. I can weave really good baskets, though! Cynara taught me. I can also knit! I could knit you something light, if you wanted sometime. In return for your helping me. And because I like to knit." Nala flutters her wings, and Nolee laughs again. "You can start moving in right away, you know. Especially since yours is mostly clean."
Caitlyn is suddenly a young teen again, too - happily tossing away the cap of mature woman and Crafter for a moment to be more lighthearted - and share with a new-found friend.