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 Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:08 am
Kyllae, through sheer willpower, was able to keep her smile away, as she wrung out her hair, fixed her clothes a bit, and stretched. When she turned to look at E'rik though...she broke down. Her face broke into a huge grin, and were she a dragon, her eyes would be a radiant, swirling blue of excitement and pleasure. "That, was, amazing!" she cheered, throwing her arms up and giggling for good measure. And it wasn't a lie. That was one of the most fun things, if not the most fun thing, she'd had the chance to experience in weeks. She was about to dive off of Dara's back...but decided to inform him first. If she dove off and he thought she fell and needed help...well, best she inform him. Accident were less likely to happen when everyone was informed. "Hold still for a minute," she asked him. "I'm gonna get off."
In one fluid motion she had stood up, almost loosing her balance on Dara's soft, wet skin, but recovered almost instantly, and dove off his back, swimming quickly out of range of any of his appendages. She surfaced a little ways away, giving him a little wave to show she was a safe distance. She turned and meandered in E'rik's general direction, enjoying the water even as she reveled in the adrenaline rush from her underwater dragonriding. "You have to try that!" she called out to E'rik as she got a bit closer. "It's quite a rush." She figured she was close enough that she didn't need to yell.
She found a rock underfoot, sticking up just enough that she could stand on it, to get her shoulders out of the water. She went through the motions of wrining out her hair, putting her back in place, fingercombing it etc. Not that it wouldn't get messed up again in the water, but going down with Dara like that tangled it something awful, and she wanted to fix it as best as possible before it got any worse. Having a good appearance was quite important in Kyllae's mind, she didn't want to be mistaken for any servant or drudge. Though with the way candidate chores were, she might as well be one. Remembering her manners, she turned to look at Dara, going so far as to wink at him. "Thanks Dara. That was fun," she called. "I owe ya' one." Although she wasn't terribly sure what she could give a dragon in return...maybe offer to help bathe him sometime, or something? Or maybe, show him where dolphins were, as a part of their little 'project'...but hadn't she already agreed to do that? Recognizing that she was probably overanalyzing this, she dropped that thought. She would mull over it later, maybe with a glass of wine. Everything went well with wine.
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:44 am
E'rik grinned, pleased that his dragon had been able to make someone so happy and that he had been partially responsible, since Dara was his dragon, after all. Kyllae looked far more at home in the water that E'rik guessed he would ever feel, but he certainly didn't begrudge her the joy of it. He had music, and unless he missed his guess Kyllae's need to be in and around water was probably more difficult to indulge than his need for music. As a Candidate and Weyrling he'd had to sneak around to practice for fear he'd be accused of shirking his duties to Dara and the Weyr, and while that was less of a danger for Kyllae, there were no dolphins in the Weyr's lake, and he didn't know if there were any off the coast. She probably missed them.
Being a healthy male, he did enjoy the view when she stood up on Dara's back and prepared to make her dive. Wet clothing was very revealing. But he kept his appreciation of her figure to a grin and once she was in the water with him again he kept his gaze above her shoulders, which wasn't difficult at all, since that's about all of her that was above the water anyway. Besides, there were rules governing what Weyrlings - and Candidates - were and were not allowed to do. Irritating things that they were, he understood that they were there for a reason and didn't break the rules.
"You and Dara seem to be in agreement on that point," he replied to Kyllae. "And I'm always interested in activities that produce a rush. But I'll probably wait for another time. I'd hate to be shown up by a girl." He was joking about the last part. Mostly he didn't care if someone was better at a thing than he, and it was even rarer that the person's gender played any role in how much it bothered him not to be the best.
Daramulath paddled closer to the pair, his damp wings folded along his back.
I don't know if I can fly like this, he confided to E'rik. We may have to walk back to the weyr. Also, tell her I enjoyed it, too.
I'll live, E'rik replied.
"Dara says he enjoyed doing that, too. And you don't owe him anything. It was our pleasure."
E'rik was beginning to wish he could get out of the water. One of the disadvantages to being a slightly built young man was that a person got cold quickly. Certain parts of his anatomy were trying to retreat into his body, and a glance at his purpling fingernails told him he would do well to dry off soon. He wondered if his lips were turning blue. Probably not. He didn't feel that cold.
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:34 am
Kyllae did miss dolphins. A lot. The best way she could describe it would be taking a Weyrborn person and sticking them in the middle of some far-off hold. Not only a culture shock, but a loss as well. Even someone without a dragon could miss their presence, she was sure. She didn't get to swim as much as she would like either, but she found a lot of excuses or chores that took her close to the water, at least, and she would sacrifice sleep if it meant dawdling for an hour or two in the cataracts on the northern edge of the bowl. Those were fun. A lot of the weyrlings with young dragons went there to bathe their beasts too. Kyllae liked to watch. There wasn't much cuter than a dragonet.
Kyllae was well aware of the rule governing what kind of relationships candidates and weyrlings could indulge in. And why, it was to her advantage. If a boy came on too strong, and she wanted to keep him handy for manipulation, but not drive him away with rejection...why, all she needed was to flout the abstinence bit about being a candidate! It was so easy it was almost a crime.
Kyllae just shrugged at the idea of showing anybody up. Secretly, she enjoyed the fact that she could, but in an effort to make good company, and friendships, she tried to keep modest. It didn't always work, but E'rik was nice enough and engaging enough that she didn't feel the need to assert her presence and capabilities any more than she already had. "You're too kind. But you could easily show me up in any matter of history, music, or anything of the like. I'm just a girl who likes to swim."
Kyllae was well aware of the ability of water to rob heat from the body. It was a frequent problem posed to dolphineers. And being someone who's specialty was in various forms of rescue, Kyllae was hyperaware of the water's temperature, her own, and anyone she was around. E'rik might not be showing many signs of being cold, but even a small one was enough for Kyllae. But calling attention to his being cold was demeaning, and could be taken as a blow to his ego that she had found out he was cold. They didn't want to show weakness, or something? Kyllae never thought much about it, it was fairly irrelevant. But she did want to get out of the water before too long herself. She wasn't bothered by the cold yet. Far from it. But in such tight clothing, being wet and cold hardly left anything to the imagination. She didn't mind that much, privacy hardly being an issue, but...sometimes it was good to make them wonder, just a little.
"What'dya say we take a break and enjoy the sun and the shore? Sun's pretty nice on wet skin, ya know." In heat like this, she knew she would dry quite quickly. It was quite nice. She was developing a fondness for Ista that she hadn't counted on. And while it was nowhere near her love of Southern, she was quite taken with the beauty of the island, of its citrus; and she imagined the Weyr would be beautiful too...if there weren't so many people crammed into it.
She slid off her rock and paddled a little closer to the shore, turning back to look at E'rik and Daramulath. "Come on, it'll be nice."
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:16 pm
E'rik knew what Kyllae was doing. He'd spent most of his adolescence around girls who planned to make their life manipulating others with their words and their wits. They were adept at it, and he had learned to detect when someone was fishing for compliments. Even recognizing what Kyllae was up to, E'rik stepped willingly into her verbal snare. "Just a girl who likes to swim. Of course. Because dolphins talk to just anyone and dragons bring random people back to the Weyr to serve as decoration."
She was right, though. He could probably show Kyllae up when it came to history, and he could certainly show her up musically. Different training for each of them. He knew that, and wasn't bothered that Kyllae was a better swimmer and more at ease in the water. He wasn't even bothered particularly by her diplomatic efforts to get him out of the water. He was able to recognize that for what it was, too, and was willing to go along with that, too. It would be great to get out of the water. Enough was enough.
"You don't have to twist my arm," E'rik agreed, swimming after Kyllae. He swam at a steady pace, pulling himself forward stroke after stroke. He wouldn't be doing triathalons anytime soon, but between training with Kallista at running and training as a Dragonrider. Maybe he could work with Kyllae to complete the trio. The idea made him chuckle as he swam.
After he reached the rock he'd occupied before he pulled himself out of the water with more grace than he'd exhibited at any point while in the water. It wasn't until he was perched on the rock, dripping a puddle, that he realized his shirt was there, being dripped on. He stifled a groan.
What's wrong? Daramulath asked.
My shirt's wet.
It will dry, was Daramulath's dry response. Stay a little longer. This is good for you.
"And you just want to stay in the water a little longer," he said aloud. "I know your game."
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:50 pm
Kyllae laughed. "I like to think I make a nice decoration," she teased, even as she hauled herself up on the shore, laying on her stomach and looking over her shoulder at E'rik. She would have been glad to offer swimming lessons, if only to give her something to do, and to get in better favor with the brownrider. She liked E'rik as a person, but she liked him more as a person and a dragonrider. She made an effort to try and attract the positive attention of as many dragonmen as she could. Being 'in with the right people was just as important as actually trying to succeed yourself. Kyllae aspired to have power at some point in her life, and being on good terms with dragonmen couldn't hurt her goals any.
Kyllae didn't mind the fact that, academically speaking, E'rik was probably better than her at just about everything. She knew a bit of math, could draw up maps etc. since that was part of dolphineering, mapping currents and whatnot, and she could read somewhat, but she just didn't have a whole lot of interest in the other things. Other people could play the music she danced to. Other people could recite stories and songs, and she would listen. She didn't feel compelled to know them herself.
Kyllae chuckled a little at Dara and E'rik. They went well together. Dara was so passive and calm, it was almost hard to believe he was the same species as Haanyath. Go figure that the one person she had come here really knowing on a personal basis turned out to have the grumpiest dragon on Pern. Oh well, she would make do with what she had, and work towards getting more.
The sun really was nice on her back. Her skin was starting to dry, but knew that it would take her hair quite a while. She would have to towel it off when she got inside. She wiggled the toes, digging them into the dirt and sighing. Today had turned out much better than planned. Radiant, really. Marvelous. Stupendous. She ticked through a few words before finally settling for all of them. Why try to limit the day with jus a single word? Today could have all of them.
She was aware rather suddenly that she actually was a tad hungry. Her water antics and the excitement had stifled her appetite until now. What time was it? She glanced up at the sky. It had to be around mid afternoon, and she'd forgone lunch! How terrible. Maybe she could filch something from the kitchens.
"Any chance you're hungry?" she called over to E'rik, offering an apologetic smile.
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:25 am
E'rik shook his head briskly. His hair had grown back from the lice outbreak, when he'd shaved his head down to a spiky fuzz, and it was long enough to have something to shake and to be spiky and standout-ish when wet. He was conscious that he looked better with his hair spiky than flat to his skull, and was vain enough to leave it that way after swimming. It wasn't really that he was making an effort to impress Kyllae as that he simply liked to look his best. It was probably left over from being a Harper and feeling the need to make a good impression on an audience.
"You make a very nice decoration," he said agreeably. He couldn't resist adding teasingly, "Particularly when wet."
Dara sidled closer to the rocks so that his head was level with his human. His eyes were still green and happy, and as he rested his chin on the rock he huffed happily. The wind his breath created smelled awful, as did the breath of all carnivorous creatures. He'd never raelly grown accustomed to that scent. E'rik actually did groan then and covered his nose.
"Dara! I love you, but your breath is fetid and I'm afraid I'm going to have to put you on a meat-free diet." He turned to look at Kyllae, making a face, and said, "I apologize for my dragon's breath. And I appreciate the offer, but I think he just killed any semblance of an appetite I might've had."
Sorry, Dara said, but he didn't sound particularly apologetic. It was his opinion that E'rik should appreciate everything about him, including his breath. That's how he felt about E'rik, after all.
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:58 pm
Kyllae found E'rik entertaining, and filed him under the 'good company' category. However, it would be silly to hang around when she had other things to attend to. At this point in time, her stomach. Besides, the brownrider probably had other things to do as well, it would be rude of her to expect him to lavish her with any more of his time.
She laughed, and made a show of fanning herself with her hand. "In that case, when we meet again, we'll have to go for another swim," she teased. "Maybe next time, I'll have a dragon of my own." She stood up, brushing herself off and wringing her hair out, before offering E'rik a departing wave. Kyllae liked to think there was a dragon for everyone, if they were just patient enough to be there when their dragon hatched. When her dragon hatched, she fully intended to be around for it.
She picked up her shirt, the one she'd discarded earlier, and slung it over her shoulder. She would bother putting it back on later. She gathered up the rest of her things, humming softly to herself. Now she would go get some food, and everything would be perfect!
She winked at Dara, and accompanied the gesture with a litle finger wiggle of a wave. "Don't let E'rik tease get to you too much Dara. He just does it because he loves you," Kyllae added. She wasn't terribly serious, seeing as Dara didn't seem the type to be bothered by such mundane teasing, but still it was obvious E'rik and his dragon were, well...dragon and rider. That bond they had...was so enviable, it was painful. Excruciating. It simply solidified her already steely determination to impress. It wasn't a question of 'if' to Kyllae, so much as 'when'.
So, finished with her things, and content with her goodbyes, she marched off, towards the Weyr, to the food, and to her next adventure.
}~{Poor Kyllae. The next time she encounters E'rik is when she's sick on the sands xD}~{
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