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 Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:24 pm
Mine, I want a bath.
J'nes looked up from the shirt he was mending and glanced over his shoulder at his dragon. "So what else is new?" he asked good-naturedly.
Hatteth was not amused. I am dusty and have cobwebs on my snout. I need a bath to clean them off. You must come scrub.
"You wouldn't have cobwebs on you if you hasn't tried to clean them out of the corners," the rider said, but he set his work aside and stood up.
I would not have had to if you had done it instead, the brown retorted, but he didn't press the issue further, since His was coming now.
J'nes only paused long enough to grab a long-handled scrubbing brush before climbing on his dragon's bare neck. It was only a short flight to the nearest lake, and in minutes the dragon was diving into the water, while his rider waited by the shore until Hatteth had decided he was thoroughly wet.
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:33 pm
It is time for a bath, mine. Must you wear that? Though at first Hyweth's tone had been gentle and persuasive, the last question had been indigant. Mine, if you wish to be seen with me, you must do better. They may judge me on your appearance. The crimson paused to notice J'len shaking her head. How about that nice dress, mine? You will look quite nice in it. They had this conversation quite often. Hyweth tended to want J'len to dress her best, no matter what they were doing. Casual didn't seem to be in the crimson's vocabulary.
"If you want me to scrub, I won't be wearing gather finery," J'len said, shaking her head at the dragon. "Well then, if you're in such a hurry, Hyweth, let us be going." She climbed onto her dragon's back after stretching. She'd been writing a fair copy of an old song for her harper friend, T'rel to copy down.
"Nearest lake then, love."
It was a short flight. Hyweth had landed only briefly to allow her rider onto the shore before carefully walking into the water. Though she made a show of it; and fussed at the tempature (why couldn't the sun warm the lake?), she quite happily took off swimming, oblivious to Hatteth's presence.
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:14 pm
Hatteth barely noticed when another dragon entered the water. It was a big lake, there was plenty of room, and at the moment he was more concerned with getting clean than anything else. He dove down into the water, spinning slowly just for the feel of water coursing along his sides.
J'nes, on the other hand, did notice the other dragon entering. A Crimson, it looked like, though he couldn't remember her name. A moment later he spotted her rider standing on the shore of the lake, and her face at least was familiar. He looked at her musingly for a few moments before he thought he placed a name to her. He had nothing better t do until Hatteth came up, so he strolled over to the other rider.
"Good morning," he said. "J'len, is it?" He'd seen her occasionally at meals, but never exchanged more than polite words. "How're you this morning?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:30 pm
Hyweth seemed to at last notice Hatteth. Instead of approaching the brown, however, she seemed to want to wait for him to come to her. She spread out her wings, water was flung up above her as she did so. She certainly knew how to put on a show, didn't she? The crimson didn't seem to notice that her chosen audience had left. She gave an angry snort, causing her rider to laugh.
Mine, I am not pleased with you. I will not speak to you, now.
"Good morning J'nes," J'len said, eyes twinkling merrily as she looked from her dragon to the brownrider. "I'm well. Hyweth insisted on bathing this morning. How about you? I haven't seen you or Hatteth here during Hyweth's bathing times bfore. She's all in a huff."
Mine! I am not in a huff!
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:37 pm
Hatteth was underwater when Hyweth put on her showy display, so it was only when he came up for air that he noticed the crimson nearby. Hello, he said simply, before ducking his head under the water and shaking it from side to side. He thought he still felt cobwebs on his snout.
"I'm also doing well," J'nes answered. "And really? You've never seen Hatteth bathing?" he asked in mock surprise, his eyebrows rising to accent his tone. "That's quite a feat, considering how much he does it. He's very big on cleanliness. I swear I spend half my time with my skin wrinkled from scrubbing either him or our weyr."
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:55 pm
Hello, Hyweth responded, before using her tail to splash him. That'd show him! Ignoring her. He hadn't even mentioned how lovely she was with the sun gleaming on her wet hide. Honestly, these males! Do you wish to swim with me? the crimson asked more pleasantly. We shall bathe and get clean together.
J'len covered her mouth with a hand to hide her laughter. "He and Hyweth will get along well, then," she said. "She's the same way. Does Hatteth pick out your clothes, too? She tried insisting I wear my best dress to the lake this morning."
You should have, Mine. Now you have met a man, and you look terrible. How will you ever find a mate?
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 6:02 pm
Hatteth didn't see the motion of the tail, but he felt sudden splash against his neck. He looked up suspiciously, but the crimson was already talking nicely, as if she'd done nothing. Perhaps she hadn't; he couldn't prove she did. But the offer was certainly nice. I would be glad to, he answered, raising his head to get a good look at her. Hywith, he thought her name was. Being clean is very important. Mine would never keep our weyr nearly clean enough if I didn't remind him to keep it so.
J'nes didn't bother to hide his chuckle. "Hatteth couldn't care less about my clothes, as long as they're clean." He gestured to his own clothes, which were neat and clean, though clearly long-worn and mended more than once. "But I'm the one who cares about clothes, considering I sew them. I'm a Weavercrafter," he explained.
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 7:51 pm
Maybe this brown could redeem himself, then. The crimson's eyes whirled green with amusement. He hadn't commented that she had splashed him. Being clean is extremely important, the crimson agreed. I often have mine bring me here several times a day. I do not like being dirty. I like looking my best. She studied Hatteth and swam closer.
Do you like them? Hyweth asked suddenly. Spinners? She moved closer, seemingly pleased with herself. I like watching spinners. They spin the prettiest things. I do not like their things when they get all dusty. It upsets me, because they are no longer pretty.
"I was a Harper before I was searched," J'len said with a smile. "So your Hatteth isn't quite so picky as Hyweth is."
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 8:10 pm
J'nes smiled and shrugged. "Not as picks about clothes, no. But entirely to picky about cleanliness. And you should hear him go on about--"
Hatteth narrowed his eyes and lashed his tail unhappily, inadvertently spraying water over the riders standing on the shore. I do not like the spinners, he answered with a hint of a growl in his mind-voice. They make the webs that dirty up the corners with dust and bits of bugs. Then they are annoying to clean up because the cobwebs stick to things when Mine or I try to clear them away. He eyed Hyweth slightly suspiciously and asked, If you like being clean so much, how can you like the spinners and their dirty cobwebs?
"...gossamer spinners," J'nes concluded, a bit late. He started to shake the water off himself, then realized there was little point. "And there he goes about them and the cobwebs they leave behind. If your Hyweth said something favorable about them, get ready for an argument."
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 8:44 pm
Hyweth truly was a coward. And having upset her new friend, she seemed genuinely apologetic. I am sorry, the crimson said quickly. She did so like to argue, but Hatteth was a new friend. She didn't want to lose him. You are right. Spinners make messes. I like them only when they spin their sticky things. They are pretty in the sunlight. But you are right. We should not like them.
"Oh dear," J'len said, glancing at J'nes apologetically. "She does so like spinners. I try to clear them out of the weyr, and she gets all upset." She shook her head. "I hope they don't argue too much. She's been acting strangely for the last sevenday."
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 2:49 pm
Hatteth looked dubiously at Hyweth. It seemed suspicious that she would change her mind so easily. But after a moment, he gave a discontented snort and let the subject be. I would like to get back to swimming now. I need to get thoroughly rinsed so that Mine can start scrubbing, he said, and dove back into the water. After a moment, he leaped up just high enough to make a big splash when he came down, then started leaping in and out as he swam, like a dolphin.
"Acting strangely? How so? Is she sick?" J'nes asked, growing concerned. "I know that dragons don't usually get sick, but Atypics often are when young. Are they still prone to illness when adult?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:43 pm
Hyweth seemed pleased at the suggestion to go back to swimming. She splashed him playfully. Shall we play? the crimson asked, eyes whirling a happy green as she splashed him once more. You splashed me first, she added defensively.
"Not that kind of strangely," J'len shook her head. No, Hyweth had been more agreeable lately; though she had also been more easily angered than usual. Hyweth hated becoming angry. She tended to cover her anger up with other emotions. "But yes, they're more likely to be sickly even as adults. Though Hyweth doesn't like me to say. She doesn't like me to admit it. She worries that I think she's weaker than other dragons. I think she's going to rise soon."
Hyweth looked to her rider, and then to J'nes. She moved closer to shore, and then attempted to hide herself under the water. The water was shallow where she stood, so the attempt was in vain. The crimson gently curled her tail around her rider, and equally as gently, started to nudge her closer to the water. Once satisified, she removed her tail, and gave her another nudge, less gently. J'len was going to fall into the lake.
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:59 pm
In response to the invitation and being splashed, Hatteth ducked under the water, then leaped upward and belly-flopped into the water near Hyweth so that she would be caught by the splash from him jumping up as well as from landing. He looked at her to see her reaction, a bit of playful challenge in his eyes.
J'nes nodded at the information about Atypics, then nodded again at her explanation about Hyweth. "Oh, strange-proddy, then. That's one thing I never have to look out for with a male dragon," he added with a chuckle.
He wasn't oblivious to the fact that a large mound of red hide was trying to hide in water that wouldn't cover a green. Nor did he fail to notice that J'len started to move closer to the water, and a red tail was suspiciously present. He was starting to wonder what the dragon was up to when the other rider started to tip over. "Woah!" he said and he lunged forward to grab at her hand.
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:15 pm
"Lucky," J'len grinned. "Hyweth rises around five times a turn. She's never clutched, though. She's not a fighting crimson." She had been so caught up in their exchange that she hadn't noticed Hyweth until the crimson's tail had wrapped around her. What was Hyweth up to? Poor J'len, the crimson rider hadn't been able to realize her dragon's plan in time to keep her balance. She gratefully took J'nes' hand. "Thank you," she said, stepping away from the edge of the shore.
She didn't seem to realize she was still holding his hand as she did so.
Hyweth had been covered completely with the splash Hatteth created, but instead of being upset about it, seemed amused. She plunged her tail under the water, and then brought it back up, splashing the brown. There, Mine. I have helped you. You have found a potential mate.
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:27 pm
"You're welcome," J'nes said as he helped her get farther away from the shore. He absentmindedly kept hold of her hand while he looked back at the dragons. "I don't know what your dragon was up to, but she seemed intent on getting you wet." Then as the splashing continued, he threw up his free arm arm to try shielding his face from a large amount of water flying their way. "Though at this rate, nobody within a dragonlength of them will be dry for very long."
Hatteth turned his head in an attempt to keep the splashed water out of his eyes, which were whirling a happy blue. Then he threw open his wings, and since they were partly submerged at the time, that threw a scattering of heavy drops in every direction.
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