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Tags: quoroth j'vin dulcieth lyndee log dallianth rsp wendra
Published : 3 months, 3 weeks ago (Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:56:16 PDT)
Searched: dulcieth
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Who: Dallianth, Dulcieth, J'vin, Lyndee, Quoroth, Wendra
What: General chat which gets more... personal
Where: Star Stones, Benden Weyr
When: 12:38pm on day 27, month 11, turn 2
This log is way out of date. It takes place before this one, and explains some of J'vin and Wendra's (re)actions therein.
Star Stones
The largest star stones on Pern: This ledge with its finger rock and eye rock pointing toward the dawn has seen little use for hundreds of years.
Any watchrider on duty here would suffer for it, having nothing but the protection of the eye rock to keep him out of the elements. The view is stunning from here, no doubt, with the Weyr visible from one side and the Benden valley stretching out on the other. There's room here for four dragons or about fifty people without worry of anyone being too near the edge. Winds whip constantly so that, even in the dead of summer, the air is cold and biting at this height.
The Star Stones might not be the most comfortable of places to perch, considering the cold and the exposure to the elements, but Lyndee and Dallianth have been present since the ten minutes of bolting down whatever the greenrider first set eyes on in the caverns for lunch. Sitting cross-legged on the ground with her jacket tugged tightly around her, Lyndee has her eyes on the horizon and her back turned to the watchrider, as does Dallianth, who sits tensed beside her rider.
Dulcieth lands softly, and Wendra unbuckles her straps and slides to the ground, saluting the watchrider. Rather than approach Lyndee off-the-bat, Wendra instead asks Dulcieth to send a greeting to Dallianth to let her know they're there.
Dallianth shifts a little and peers back in the opposite direction to send a high, clear note in greeting to Dulcieth, the movement itself prompting Lyndee to glance over her shoulder too. As her green moves over to make closer room for her sister, Lyndee pushes herself to her feet and raises a hand in a wave. She smiles across at Wendra. "Hey," she calls, raising her voice above the wind.
Dulcieth croons in reply and heads over toward the larger green. Wendra adds her own shouted "Hello!" and follows her dragon. When she's closer she asks in a more normal voice "How are you doing?"
Lyndee
Quite tall for a young woman and somewhat sturdy-looking, Lyndee has the appearance of a person one would have a hard time knocking down. Not particularly thin by any stretch of the imagination, but well-proportioned in regard to her height. Pale gold-blonde hair is cut almost savagely short so as to never need tying back and has a tendency to curl around her face. Light blue - leaning towards grey - eyes are set in a oval-shaped face with soft, almost round features. Generally to be found in trousers and a shirt paired with dependable boots; whatever the day's work requires; nigh-on never a skirt.
Dallianth
Stocky-looking for a green, Dallianth can seem a little heavy-set when on the ground. However, the pale and almost washed-out sage green base-colour of her hide helps to lend her a certain delicate quality that prevents her from being seen as a solid block of dark shadow. Mixed nettle shades begin as mottled areas around her eyes, sweeping down her neck and eventually fading into heath and moor tints that wash across her flanks, down to willow-bound limbs. Pinions of a more intense laurel support smoke-enveloped wingsails.
At 0 turns, 11 months, 19 days old, Dallianth measures 12.822 feet from nose to tail and has a wingpsan of 19.233 feet.
"A bit... strange, really," Lyndee admits, frowning a little. "I've been meaning to ask you... Feel free to tell me to mind my own business though." She blunders on into the question anyway. "Dulcieth... Now that she's 'all grown up' or close to it... Do you feel any different?" she asks, unsettled.
Wendra says, "No problem." She ponders the question, then says "Not really. I'm really nervous about the resupply run, like that I'll drop the firestone when I toss the bag, but I'm not getting any, um, signals from Dulcieth yet."
Lyndee shivers. "Don't," she mutters. "All I can think is 'one mistake and we're dead' or 'one mistake and someone else is dead'. What if I miss when I throw or mess up the image for the jump back." She shivers again and wraps her arms around herself. "And with Dalli throwing all these new... thoughts... around..."
Wendra nods and moves over closer, holding her arm out in case the other greenrider needs to lean on her. In a soothing voice she says "We're going to do just fine, what with our extra practice with Raliah. I bet we'll even show up A'ren's lot once and for all. We've been practicing way more than they have, and we're more prepared."
The blonde tries a smile and pulls Wendra into a quick hug without prior warning. When Lyndee steps back, she nods. "We've done more work than they have," she agrees. "Shouldn't actually hope A'ren gets hurt, but I do hope he gets a fright. You know, take him down a notch or two. Greens are more agile that that bronze of his, too."
Wendra hugs back when she figures out what is happening. She makes a face when Lyndee says it's wrong to wish A'ren hurt, but then smiles wickedly. "More agile even if his bronze is a runt -- sort of matches his stilted personality."
"You gotta wonder what goes on in Vizorth's head for him to have chosen a guy like that," Lyndee remarks. "Bet they have some just charming conversations between them. 'Spose I shouldn't judge the dragon by the rider, but still..." She shrugs. "...Shards, morbid as it is, I keep thinking I should be putting my affairs in order in-case anything happens."
Wendra shakes her head. "I don't think we can get that hurt from resupply -- it's not like we're constantly in the path of thread like the full riders are. Or even like the queen's wing, now that there is one. The biggest danger may being clocked by the firestone sacks the others drop."
"I hope not," Lyndee muses. "Just think I've been ridiculously calm 'til now and everything's choosing the most stupid time to start rattling round my head, you know?" Her eyes flit between the two greens. "What does Dulcieth think of the upcoming event?" she asks.
Wendra's expression is sympathetic. "I know the feeling. It's like the world suddenly decides that now is the time to hit you with all it has." She communes for a moment with Dulcieth, then says "She's excited. For her, fighting thread is what we were meant to do, and even if this is only resupply, she feels like it's what we should be doing."
Lyndee smiles and forces her arms to unwind from the knot they've worked themselves back into again. "Dalli's pretty much the same. Wants to do what we've been trained to do. Prove that we can and shut the boys up, but I think that's a little more my thinking than hers," she laughs.
Wendra goes blank again, then says "J'vin and Quoroth want to join us. Is that ok with you?" The two are a fairly quiet pair who are very much not part of A'ren's gang.
Quoroth wings his way from the southwestern sky.
J'vin hops down from Quoroth's neckridges.
Lyndee nods. "Of course. Let me know if she," and she gestures towards Dallianth, "needs to shift over a bit." Her head tilts and she peers out at the horizon again. "I may be off in a bit... Think it's about time I made a little trip somewhere. Get one thought of out of mind."
J'vin slides down easily from Quoroth's back. "Aw, leaving so soon? I didn't think I was that scary." He's teasing; there's no malice at all in his voice.
Wendra smiles over at J'vin. "Not nearly so scary as some. We were just discussing the upcoming fall. How does Quoroth feel about it? Dallianth and Dulci are excited." In an undertone, she asks Lyndee "Which thought is that?"
"You wish," Lyndee teases, turning to greet J'vin. "You think we'll all go up? To resupply, I mean." She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders. "Haven't been 'home' in a couple of turns," she answers Wendra, voice turning a little cold at the thought. "Wondering whether I should."
J'vin looks out over the view, shading his eyes from the bright sunlight. "He's pretty easygoing about it. I'm surprised. I was actually expecting him to be a lot more nervous or at least a lot more excited. I suppose it's just as well. We don't need both of us with nerves at the same time."
Wendra nods. "I think that the wings being understaffed will mean we all get a chance -- they need to use their firestone faster. Or at least, that seems to make sense. I suppose I should ask one of the Weyrlingmasters or Weyrleader S'dric or Wingsecond L'dor." She nods to J'vin. "Yes, it's the same with Dulci and me -- the not needing two sets of nerves, that is. Have you and Quoroth done any practising on your own?"
J'vin says, "Oh, we're up almost every chance we get practicing somethingorother. He's even asked if he could try tossing bags of stone to me. I think it's really cute. I'd probably even take him up on it if I wasn't afraid of getting bowled over with every throw."
Lyndee bobs her head. "Makes sense," she repeats. "Hmm. I might go see if I can find the Weyrlingmaster on the way off," she says. "I'll let you know what Adria says, if I find her." The greenrider raises her right hand in a small wave and seems to have decided to take that trip. "I'll catch you both later, probably." She turns and heads for Dallianth, settling herself into place before buckling her straps back up. A quiet note of goodbye for Dulcieth and Quoroth and the stocky-green decides to fall into flight, headed across the bowl.
Lyndee climbs up between Dallianth's neckridges.
Wendra giggles, then says "I'm sorry, the image of you trying to catch the firestone sack thrown by Quoroth was priceless." She watches after Lyndee thoughtfully, then asks "Has Cr'pel had the flight talk with you yet?"
J'vin
J'vin is a young man, no worry or age lines appearing on his face, yet he has the bearing of an adult. His eyes are a warm shade of blue, and his expression is usually one of comfortable geniality. He has curly hair of light brown kissed by glints of gold in the sunlight. At 5'10", his build is well-toned, yet not overly muscular. He wears simple clothes, well-mended and as clean as his current occupation allows. He wears a shoulder knot of black, red, and blue twisted in the simple loop of a Weyrling.
Quoroth
A blanket of navy velvet drapes over the dragon's form, deep and fathomless. He is well-formed, with a lithe body built for speed and sinuous neck and tail. Sprays of palest blue, stars against the night sky, delineate his haunches and shoulders, making the shadows appear deeper and him appear larger than he is. Against the deepness of his hide, his eyes are even more brilliant, jewels which rival even the brightest planets. Inky blue wingsails, so dark as to be almost opaque, unfold into extensions of the night when he unfurls them.
At 0 turns, 11 months, 22 days old, Quoroth measures 14.654 feet from nose to tail and has a wingpsan of 21.981 feet.
J'vin looks aside ruefully. His cheeks are even pink. "Yes, he has. I don't think I've turned that red since my parents caught me in the bubbly pies when I was six. I know why he says things like he does, I suppose. It was just a little bit embarrassing. What about you?"
Wendra nods. "He has. I was a little insulated since I've been in Weyrs for a while. Still, it was... disconcerting, to know that a total stranger might win. I wonder when Dulci will go up -- I think at least one of our clutch may be getting proddy."
J'vin looks over at Dulcieth. "Really? I hadn't noticed -- but then you would know better than I would. Who do you think it is?"
Wendra blushes. "I don't think I should really say; especially since her rider didn't tell me in so many words." She, too, looks at her green. "I don't think she's more glowy than usual. That is, she's not usually glowy at all... Oh shard it, you know what I mean." She gives a hopeful smile.
J'vin nods, not totally convinced. "I think I do. Like I said, it's not something I'm that good at noticing." He hesitates for a long minute before going on. "I know Quoroth and I may not stand much of a chance but when it's Dulcieth's time I'll do everything I can to make sure we're there."
As suddenly as Lyndee did to Wendra before, Wedra gives J'vin a completely unexpected hug. "Thank you. That means a lot to me, and to her. And you'll have a chance, too; she's so small I can't imagine a brown, let alone a bronze, flying her."
J'vin hugs Wendra back just as soon as he realizes what she's done -- which takes a moment, given the look of surprise on his face. "You're very welcome. I... I really hope you're right."
J'vin stares at his dragon in horror. "Quoroth, you don't have to tell her that! Leave me some privacy already!"
Wendra nods fervently. "Given what I've heard some of our clutchmates say, a lot of them won't be showing up for Dalliath, Kitsth, and Dulcieth's flights -- they say they don't want their dragons to fly freaks. I'm afraid that what they don't know is that we wouldn't want them anyway." She glances curiously at Quoroth. "What did he tell her? She wouldn't say."
J'vin looks around suspiciously for anyone who might be listening in, apart from his lifemate-turned-voyeur, and then leans in close. He whispers an explanation in Wendra's ear, even adding a couple of the details that Quoroth was about to spill. Hey, if she already knows, the dragon can't embarrass his rider as badly, right?
J'vin whispers "What the big lug was about to say... please don't tell anyone this..." He explains what Quoroth had observed about his rider's size compared to Wendra, his own compared to Dulcieth, and what the green might or might not think about being flown by a dragon twice as large as she is.
Wendra laughs. "It sounds like he's been studying." Dulcieth fails to look contrite for not telling her rider what she heard, and instead warbles sunnily to the larger blue.
J'vin nods sheepishly. "It's a miracle the whole weyr doesn't know by now. Actually, it's a miracle and an awful lot of extra oilings, but you know what I mean. It's a good thing I know what he likes."
Wendra grins. "I think I do. So, only bribery works to keep him quiet? I think Dulcieth learned the hard way about broadcasting the time A'ren tried to take my hides away, or knock them out of my hands, or whatever. The punishment we drew was enough to make her wary, even if she no longer remembers the details."
J'vin says, "Bribery works best to keep him quiet but there are other things as well. Going out for a good swim or flying on a cold day. A story, sometimes. He likes being told stories. He remembers which ones are his favorites even if he forgets the details." He's still bright red, especially his ears, and asks furtively "You're not upset?"
Wendra shakes her head. "Not at all. I hope you have a lot of fun when it happens. It's good to go into the flights knowing what will happen if you win. Have you been with men, women, or both?"
J'vin lets go of the loose embrace but not Wendra's hand. "Come over here and sit with me. If we're going to talk about this I'd at least like to feel the breeze."
Wendra nods and follows, smiling all the way. She sits with her legs dangling over the ledge, but not in any danger.
J'vin settles down beside her and offers her his hand. The wind on his cheeks means his face will be red no matter what. "It's kind of weird, you know? I get along with women a lot more easily than with men, I notice them a lot sooner, but both of the times I've... slept with someone it's been with another man. Don't get me wrong -- when I think about settling down with someone it's always a girl. When I think about sneaking away from a Gather dance with someone it's usually girl. But I've only slept with boys so far. Is that awful?"
Wendra shakes her head. "Not at all -- you're in a Weyr and you ride blue, after all. There are so many more male greenriders that you're sure to end up with men more than women." Then she pauses. "You came from a Hold, didn't you? And impressed the first time you stood?"
J'vin nods, looking off into the distance. "Is it that obvious? I was one of the last ones Searched and then one of the first to Impress. Quoroth tells me I never had a chance -- he knew he was looking for me the instant he hatched. I'm glad of it."
Wendra smiles. "It's not that it's obvious, just something which would explain why you feel it's wrong. I've had turns of Weyr life, with flights and all they entail, to get used to it." She smiles when he mentions Quoroth. "When she was younger, Dulcieth needed to remind me of that all the time, but it was because I was so uncertain about being a greenrider."
J'vin glances at the greenrider. "You don't need to be uncertain about anything, Wendra. You and Dulcieth are a beautiful pair." Then headds, a little wistfully, "I'd kind of like to find out what it's like to be with a girl sometime. Women seem... I don't know. Softer and warmer. Like it would be gentler."
Wendra nods, her blush faded but her eyes looking straight ahead. "And I should find out what it's like to be with a guy. Given that Geneve is the only girl ever to ride a male dragon, it's rather likely that I'll be ending up mostly with men."
When J'vin asks his question, it's just friendly curiosity; there's no ulterior motive audible. "Are you going to save your first time for her maiden flight? I've heard of people doing that."
Wendra sighs. "I don't know. I get the idea that I shouldn't, since flights are supposed to be more desperate than under normal circumstances. But I don't feel comfortable asking anyone, really. Most of the boys in the class have made it clear that they consider me as freakish as my dragon. Weyrleader S'dric is, well, a Weyrleader. Wingsecond L'dor is sweet on journeyman Andoran, and I don't know if asking him would upset the Journeyman. Cr'pel?" She shudders. "No way."
J'vin shudders in sympathy. "I agree with that. If we were the last two people alive on Pern and I was so desperate for sex that brick walls were starting to look attractive I don't think I'd want Cr'pel. He'd sooner beat people up with his privates than pleasure them."
Wendra nods, drawing her knees to her chin. "I think if there was a choice between A'ren and Cr'pel, I'd just as soon no one catch Dulci."
J'vin reaches an arm around Wendra's shoulders and draws her gently to lean against him. "I'll make sure Quoroth is there. I'll make sure I'm there. I'll do everything I can to keep that from happening. I promise."
Wendra leans, then suddenly sits up. "Does that mean you might also be willing to be with me before she rises?"
J'vin's eyes go so far up that they disappear into his hairline. "Um... Wendra, tell me I heard that right? I -- I mean, are you really...?" His boy-ness takes over and he's left fumbling for even a single coherent sentence.
[DTU] To Dulcieth, Quoroth projects, << My rider can be so silly sometimes. Of course he would be willing. He likes her. >>
Wendra amends quickly, "Well, if you don't mind that I'm a greenrider. And you don't mind my being forward. I think you heard it right. If you don't mind. I'll understand if you wouldn't rather."
[DTU] To Quoroth, Dulcieth projects, << Mine likes yours, too. We should have thought of this sooner. >>
J'vin finally gets his rebellious tongue under control. "Don't mind? Don't mind me, Wendra. It's just that of all of the things I could imagine you asking, that was the very last." He laces his fingers through hers. "I want to. I want to a lot. I like you. I'm afraid I might hurt you." After a second's hesitation, he replies with a question of his own: "Does it bother you that the man you've asked to be your first is pretty inexperienced himself?"
Wendra shakes her head. "We can both fumble through it together. I'm glad you said yes; it makes things so much more friendly."
J'vin smiles. It's a shaky smile but it's honest and it's real. "It does. That's how I want it to be. Um... okay. Do you know when you'd want to do this? And where? And can I ask you for a favor?"
Wendra smiles shyly in return. "The sooner the better -- I've heard smaller dragons are apt to rise earlier. Either of our weyrs would work, I think. Mine's a bit small, and I think Quoroth would just fit on the ledge. Yours might be better, come to that. And what's the favor?"
J'vin blurts out, "Please stay the night. The guys I was with snuck out and went back to their rooms after we'd done it a couple times. It was really lonely waking up the next morning." Wistfully, he finishes "I think it would be nice to find out what it's like to be able to snuggle someone afterward and wake up together."
Wendra ahs and nods. "Of course. That seems rather cold of them. I wonder if that's how flight aftermaths go as well. I hope not."
J'vin says, "Well, it would have been kind of bad if they'd been caught in my room in the morning, but yeah, it was sort of lonely." He's starting to run out of words and is just holding Wendra instead, an arm around her shoulders and a hand over hers. "If Quoroth wins, I promise I'll stay the night. Or the day, if that's when she rises. Heck, I'll stay the day and the night. Okay?"
Wendra brightens and nods. "Okay! You've got a deal." She seems more at ease now that she has her answer.
J'vin hugs Wendra again and then gently disentangles himself. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a few things I want to take care of. Can I have Quoroth bespeak Dulcieth in a little while?"
Wendra nods! "Of course! I'll be waiting." |
