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 Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:29 pm
A dark brow inched closer towards her hairline at T'rel's protests, before Lute shook her head, a ghost of a smile trying to play its way across her features. "Yeah. Okay then." She didn't think any less of him for his fear, being Istan-bred herself. Be it shallow fresh water or deep salty sea, Lute was fine with water in all of its forms. Granted, the sea around a coming storm was something she wanted to avoid. She had heard plenty of songs and tales of whole ships full of people and goods being swallowed up by the swelling, angry waves. There was no desire to be in the seas during those times. Mm-nm.
Rumith lifted her head up, pleased with getting thanks, even if her help wasn't entirely necessary. She had wanted to help and she did.
"Oh, fuff. The entire Weyr? I'd hardly call the group out on this excursion the entire Weyr." The woman hauled him up onto Rumith's back. Lute blinked at him from over her shoulder. "That'd be lying, T'rel, and it's not like there's any shame in being afraid of the water. It's a legitimate fear and those who think otherwise, or make fun of you for it aren't people worth paying mind to." She offered him a grin. "And stop pouting. It won't work on me." She then chuckled. "I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Would you prefer to have stayed in the water? Hm?"
Lute paid no mind to the fact that when he wrapped his arms around her waist the water from his sopping wet clothing began to soak into her own. "Yes, fishing." She said before shifting her attention to Neri and her ship. "Well, it certainly looks like a fine little vessel. Seems sturdy and the kids are perfectly at ease in it. Hmm. Will the part the dragons play in this fishing plan be hindered in anyway by having riders upon their back? I won't mind hoping aboard." She paused, glancing back to T'rel over her shoulder. "I think so. If a storm suddenly hits, Zelith and Rumith will be right there. They won't let anything happen to us. If we end up in the water, you can hang on to me until we get fished out, by dragon or by fisher-friend. How about that?"
Hearing Ionan address her, the greenrider turned her head to face the ship and her occupants. "Dragonrider pirates? Well, if my captain wishes it of me!" She said with a hearty chuckle, but paused with a sigh. "Although, burning the boat will make it difficult to get away, don't you think? We need the boat. How else will we haul in all the fishy booty?" She asked with a wink.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:16 pm
Neri nodded encouragingly to Lute's analysis. "See? She says it's fine, so it's fine. Don' worry."
***
Perhaps it was the recent loss of his father and brother that made the boy's comment sting, but Pelias frowned and pulled his hand out of Ionan's hand. "Ionan, no! You should never joke about someone drowning. Never!" He folded his arms. "If we're friends, you shouldn't say mean things about my sister."
Pelias looked up as the other dragonriders began boarding the ship. It seemed like the first woman greenrider and Ionan knew each other, so Pelias turned away. "I'm going to Finbars ship!" he announced with a huff, and hopped over the railings to the young man's ship, where he was already helping Cesa aboard. "Are all weyrpeople this mean?" he grumbled to himself.
Seeing her brother go off in a huff, Neri followed him worriedly. "Pelly?" But as he fled to the other ship, she stopped and sighed, leaning on the side of the ship. "I'm worried about him." she confided in T'rel, who was -as of yet- still the only person she'd told about her family problems. "I do wish he'd agree to come live at the Weyr with me, but after what happened, I'm afraid he has a rather low opinion of dragonriders."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:14 pm
T'rel nodded slowly. "I'll get on," he muttered. "But only for a few candlemarks." He slowly released his hold on Lute's waist, allowing himself to slide down Rumith's silky hide and into the water. He swam to Neri's boat. "You'll have to help me up," he said, holding up his arm to the greenrider. "Hopefully before one of Ionan's water dragons mistakes me for a wherry." He shot a playful smile at Ionan. He figured Pelias leaving suddenly would have upset him.
"Hm," T'rel murmured, watching Pelias go. "it's understandable, what he's feeling." He couldn't imagine the pain the boy was feeling; having lost his father and older brother. He himself had never known his parents--nor did he have siblings of any sort that he knew of. "I'm sure no harm was meant, though," he added, pointedly glancing at Ionan.
The six turn old seemed devasted. His expression all but crumpled as he watched Pelias flee to the next ship. He'd just declared friendship and now--why was he reacting like that? He hadn't said anything wrong, had he? "I wasn't being mean!" He protested. "We're just playing! She's not really gonna drown!" He wiped at his eyes and gave a sniffle. "We're not friends anymore, Pelias!" Not able to comprehend why the older boy had gotten upset with him, or why he would choose to leave instead of play with him, Ionan had decided that Pelias was simply being mean.
"Neri," he complained, wandering over to her and wrapping arms around her legs. "I don't want to play anymore."
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:09 am
"Great! It'll be fun, I poromise!" she said, extending her arms to him in the water. She held his arm tightly and hauled him aboard. There, she too turned her eyes to the two upset boys. She sighed. "Yeah, well, I hoped this trip would cheer him up a bit. It's the first time he's been on the water since it happened. Don't worry, though. Finbar'll sort him out." she said with a difinitive nod.
"Oh, Ionan. I'm sorry." she said to the crying boy. She knealt down and hugged him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "I'm sure Pelias didn't mean it. He's just.. sad.. recently." she said, not sure how to explain the situation to a six turn old. "He's a little scared of drowning, that's it!" she decided. "So that's why what you said upset him."
((Short, sorry! Sent from phone))
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The_Muffin_Puppy Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:46 am
"Guess we'd better get on the boat." Cesa pointed out as people seemed to be shifting. They really would need to free up Bocaith so that he could chase the fish the right way. L'fir nodded and Cesa released her hold on him and slid down Bocaith's side into the water once again. She was already wet so it hardly made any kind of difference to her. L'fir however seemed less inclined to get wet. He didn't have a particular dislike of water; he just didn't like the idea of being damp whilst on the boat. Bocaith let out a snort which caused a small spray at his rider. He didn't see a problem with being wet at all. He liked the water.
L'fir ignored the want to point out that dragonhide dried a lot faster than fabric did, instead asking the blue if he had any intention of aiding him in getting on the boat. Bocaith made a small grunt-like sound and stretched out one leg. Slipping down L'fir walked across toward Neri's boat. It was not until he was a few steps away he considered that Bocaith was being far too co-operative. Sensing what was in the dragon's mind before he had chance to carry it out L'fir took a step and jumped the remaining distance, just managing to land inside the boat. He looked back at the blue as he disappeared under the water, not that it did anything to hide the triumph radiating from him. He may not have managed to get his rider into the water by moving, but he had managed to fluster him and that was certainly enough.
Cesa had not been as quick to get on a boat and had contently swum about until someone spoke to her. She hadn't been waiting for it, but it seemed rude to refuse help. Taking Finbar's hand Cesa allowed herself to be pulled up onto the boat. Straightening up, Cesa reached behind her and rung out her hair before starting to tie it back in a knot. She didn't really want it getting in her way for the rest of the day and it had a habit of doing so when it got wet. As she did she heard a grumbled sentence, looking for the source she spotted a boy she'd not seen before. Meaning he definitely didn't live at the Weyr. "No, not all of us." She knew that he was most likely talking to himself, but she didn't want one bad experience setting him against Weyrs and the people in them forever.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 1:39 pm
Looking over his shoulder to the other boat, he could see Neri comforting the young weyrbrat. He already felt bad for upsetting at him, not that he would ever admit it. He didn't do anything wrong, after all! Leaning on the mast, he sunk down to the floor. He rested his chin on his knees, but looked up surprised when he heard a voice answer his complaint.
The look on his face when he spotted the soaked Cesa was shock boarding on fear. Obviously he should have known there would be other weyrpeople around that would hear him (besides Finbar, of course, he didn't count). He should have been more careful with what he said. "S-sorry.." he whispered sheepishly, going red.
He wrapped his arms around his knees and sank down behind them until his face was half hidden, although you could still see the tops of his reddening ears.
"I don't know how to deal with kids." he said, feeling like he needed to explain. But even if he did mostly blame himself, he still couldn't help but think that Weyr kids must be badly behaved. When Pelias was that age, he always listened to adults! He still did now... usually. He would never say something like that about someone's family, and when you played, you played the good guys, and didn't talk about drowning people!
But Neri lived in a Weyr, even if she wasn't born there, and she liked it, so it couldn't be all bad. Pelias lifted his head and glanced over at Cesa. "Do you live in the Weyr?" he asked, looking up at her.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:25 pm
Ionan wrapped his arms around Neri, giving a sniffle. "He's afraid of drowning?" he asked with a slight frown. "Why?" he asked. "There's dolphins! Dugan and T'rel told me all about dolphins and Dugan's teaching me to swim and it's not scary, Neri! I wouldn't really have you drown, only that's what pirates do. They steal stuff and they're not nice. But I'm nice, Neri! I am!" To prove his point, he went to the edge of the boat and called over to Pelias.
"I'm sorry Pelly! I didn't know you were scared! I wasn't really going to drown her, really! It's a game!" It was a game, and they were only playing. Nothing bad would have happened, really! How was he supposed to explain that? Why didn't the older boy seem to know how to play? He left the side and attached himself again, to Neri.
"I want to play with him, Neri. Can you make him come back? I said sorry...I didn't mean to scare him."
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:35 pm
Cesa smiled as she looked down at the young boy. "It's alright, I've heard far worse in the past." Not everyone liked the Weyr and the way the people inside lived. Some were also very vocal about their dislike and felt the need to spout it everywhere. Mecesa was used to dealing with people. Unlike several riders who had a craft or skill to work on, working in the Weyr was all Cesa had even known, so that was what she used her spare time for. Most of it was spent in the kitchens, but she'd work in the crèche is need be so even small people were familiar to her.
"They can be difficult at times." She said, sitting down next to Pelias. "Personally I just tend to distract them with something when they get a little out of hand." Although at times it was just best to leave them sulk until they got it out of their systems. Cesa's usual tactic was suddenly distracting them by giving them a 'very important' job to do that only they could possibly manage. As far as the children of Ista went it had been bizarre coming back and seeing how big some of them had gotten in her absence.
Pelias' question caused Mecesa's smile to brighten somewhat. "Yep. Born an' bred. Twenty turns experience of looking after riders and weyrbrats." Then of course everything went a little off rail and she'd had to leave, but still she was back now so the answer remained yes. Still she hadn't been doing the same thing at the other Weyr, so she couldn't claim twenty-five turns of experience. Hearing someone call over Cesa turned her head to see Ionan calling over. "I think you're being apologised to."
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The_Muffin_Puppy Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:27 pm
"Sorry." he said again, when she came over to sit with him. "I really wasn't talking about you." he promised.
Pelias folded his legs and lifted his head, coming out of his (quite litteral) shell as he listened earnestly to Cesa's advise. "Yeah.." Pelias agreed. Distracting them sounded like a good idea. He should have distracted Ionan with a different game, or shown him the different parts of the ship. As a youngest child, Pelias never had any experience with little kids, so he really didn't know what to expect from them, except his own experience of what he and his brother were like at that age.
He looked back at Cesa. "So you were born in the Weyr?" he asked, sounding a little dissapointed. "You never lived in a Hold?" He needed to talk to someone who'd lived in a Hold and a Weyr, and could tell him how they compared to one another. But after a minute he looked up, timidly. "But.. you like it there? And you don't have a dragon?"
Neri continued to hug Ionan and patted his back. "I know sweety. I'm sorry too. I was just teasing before. I didn't really care what part I played in your game. Tell Pelly too, I'll be whatever part you want me to. He doesn't have to worry about me."
Pelias looked around at the same time as Cesa. At Ionan's shouted apology, his face went even redder. "Yeah, I guess so." he said, quietly. He didn't really want to go back over to the other boat. There were too many riders on it already, and he didn't really want to face them. Especially not now. "I wasn't scared!" he insisted to Cesa, though.
"Alright, Ionan. I'll try to make him come back." Neri promised.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 7:02 am
"I guessed you weren't." Cesa said with a warm smile, what reason would he have to think badly of her when they had only just met. She couldn't think of anything she'd done that could turn him against her. Cesa remained quiet as Pelias seemed to be thinking, she was content to let him think about her distracting idea. It was a simple enough method, it was when they got a little older and that no longer worked that issues developed. Then more creative methods had to be used.
Cesa's smile faded slightly at Pelias' disappointed tone. It sounded like what he really wanted was to talk to a non-rider who had lived in both Hold and Weyr. Cesa was really the opposite of what he wanted then. "No, I've never lived in a Hold, although I never really imagine it as being that different than working in the lower caverns." Surely the tasks were basically the same, making sure people were fed and looked after. Although there were the smaller holds which sounded more like family groups than the large community that a Weyr was.
Letting out a small sound and making a face Mecesa thought about how to answer him. She should have bought Yimira; she'd lived in both Hold and Weyr and didn't have a dragon. "I do have a dragon, but I was never a candidate. I never really wanted to be a rider so I didn't join the candidates when I was old enough. I was happy just working in the kitchens; that was where my friends were." Of course she loved Yodith, but she doubted that was what Pelias wanted to hear. It sounded more like the boy wanted reassurance that there was life in the Weyr besides that of a dragonrider.
"I'm sure you weren't." Cesa didn't much mind whether he was or not. Fear was a perfectly natural part of life, but she knew what young people could be like in their need for the fearless image.
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The_Muffin_Puppy Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:39 pm
(Thali behind a mask!}
As hopeful as Ionan had been for Pelias to forgive him, when he realized the older boy was not going to loudly declare that he was going to return to Neri's ship and play with him again, his face crumpled. He stomped one booted foot and crossed his arms. He stuck out his lower lip, looking up at Neri. Surely she would make Pelias see reason! He'd done the nice thing! The right thing! He'd apologized. Iona would be proud of him.
Why wasn't Pelias accepting his apology and coming to play again? That wasn't how it was supposed to go. Ionan had been taught better than that by candidates and various dragonriders who volunteered with the Weyr's creche. When someone apologized, it was best to say they were forgiven. It was best to say sorry, even when you weren't really sorry. Especially when you'd gone and hidden things certain candidates might have needed later in the evening. Ionan knew that from experience.
So what reason did Pelias have for not accepting Ionan's apology? The six turn old could only think of one. He rubbed at his eyes stubbornly, and turned a teary glare on Neri. "Why doesn't he like me?" he demanded. "You tell him, Neri. He's mean. I said sorry! I did. And he didn't say sorry back!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:33 am
"Hmm.." Pelias went quiet, comtemplating all she had said. Although she was a rider, it was comforting to know there were some people in the Weyr who chose not to be candidates.
"They're not that different?" he asked. He lifted his shoulders unsurely as he looked down at his feet. "I don't know, they seem pretty different to me. I can't imagine not living in a Hold. And it's not like I'm going 'cause I'm being Searched, like Neri.. I can't do anything except fish. I don't know what I'd do in the Weyr." And that was the real problem. He was afraid that if wasn't going to the Weyr as a candidate, he would just be a useless burden on Neri and everyone else. He didn't want to leave his home, but he didn't really want to stay, either. Not after what happened. And he didn't want to go to Tillek to stay at the Fishcraft Hall.
Pelias got to his feet and brushed his hands off on his shirt. He looked at Cesa with a shy smile. "But, well, you're nice, so I guess Weyrs can't be all bad." he concluded.
He turned around and peeked out from behind the mast. He wanted to apologize too, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He stepped out and waved to the other ship. "Ionan, hey!" he put on a smile, and gestured the boy over excitedly. It was the closest he was going to get to apologising. "Come over here! I'll show you how to sail the ship."
Neri smiled, seeing Pelias come back out from hiding. She bent down to talk to Ionan. "I think he is saying sorry." Neri told him. "In his own way. So can you forgive him, for me?"
Meanwhile, with all the riders now safely on the boat, Bayeth was getting eager to try her luck at this new game. Neri, are you ready yet? she asked her sharply, while turning a sweet voice to the other dragons. Shall we try it? she prompted them. Yet, impatient, Bayeth ducked her head under the water, and dove down, with or without them. Spotting a dense clump of fish some distance away, she pulled her wings through the water and surged towards them. Yet, just as she was getting close, the clump dissolved, scattering away from her. Running out of momentum, she resurfaced, with a bewildered hmph. This is more difficult than it seems. she said, privately casting a quick glare at Neri, who was laughing.
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The_Muffin_Puppy Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:31 pm
"Not from what I've gathered. I mean some candidates say it's different because they come from minor Holds so the number of people is new." Some of the values were different to, but to be honest the one most people had an issue with Cesa was pretty sure she should leave for Neri to discuss with him. Cesa smiled as the boy voiced his fears of not knowing what to do in the Weyr. "People in the Weyr do eat fish. You'd probably get some kind of basic chore, like most others your age, but if you wanted to fish then they're not likely to have any problem with that." Ista was right on the shore so if Pelias wanted to go off and fish then Mecesa could see no reason they'd stop him. Enough of the weyrbrats went fishing on their days off as it was.
"Well I'm glad I could reassure you of that." Mecesa said as the lad got up. As he went to go and reconcile with Ionan Cesa climbed her feet and looked around the boat now she was alone again. Boring there, it seems. A thoughtful voice slipped into Cesa's mind as she looked out across the water. Yodith was still lying on her ledge with Teller lounging on her, apparently having now decided it was worth checking on her rider. I was just having a rather interesting conversation, I'll have you know. Cesa replied to the dragon's evaluation. She detected that actually the green had become bored on her own and was seeing whether it was worth her putting in an appearance. Listening I was. That you help him is good.
On her ledge Yodith stood and stretched. Without her rider around the tiny dragon had grown bored rather quickly. Watching hers' thoughts and experiences weren't as fun when she wasn't nearby. In her stretching the green managed to wake her even smaller green companion who clung to her side while chattering angrily. Visit ours shall we? Yodith looked back at the firelizard as she climbed up her side to settle between her shoulders. Teller let out a happy chirp at the idea, yet remained stationary. Launching herself off her ledge Yodith rose in the air before blinking between and reappearing above the boats. Yodith called out to her rider with a pleased croon as she hovered above her, whilst Teller darted down to chatter a hello.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:20 pm
Ionan looked doubtful when Neri told him that Pelias was apologizing--that hadn't been an apology! To a six turn old, knowing little of the world outside the Weyr other than what he'd been taught by Harpers, he felt that the only proper apology was when someone said 'sorry'. He gave Neri a small nod. "How do I get over there?" he asked. He wasn't a strong swimmer yet. He was still taking lessons from Dugan, his older sister's friend.
He had some trouble climbing over the railings of Neri's ship and climbing to Finbar's. "I'm sorry I scared you, Pelly," he said as he reached him. "I didn't mean to. You shoulda told me you were scared of drowning. Cuz Neri says she was only playing and I was only playing too--you don't have to be sad." Only then did he seem to notice Cesa, and moved to hug her. "Cesa! Cesa! Did you see? I climbed here all by myself! I was very brave!" He raised his arms in hopes the former kitchen worker would pick him up. "Tell me a story, Cesa? About pirates and boats and me and dragons?" He glanced at Pelias before sticking his tongue out at the older boy. That was what he got for not apologizing properly! "And Pelias can listen too, Cesa? Cuz we're friends again."
The six turn old was silent for a long moment. He studied Pelias, and then glanced back towards Neri's ship. "Why don't you want to play there, Pelly? I could 'duce you to T'rel and Lute and everyone! They're nice! T'rel was Weyrleader a whole bunch of turns ago! He's old! He let me brush his hair and I found a white one!"
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The_Muffin_Puppy Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:21 pm
Looking up and waving Cesa smiled as her dear Yodith appeared in the air. The small green seemed content to hover for a moment as a smaller and darker green appeared in front of her rider's eyes and commanded her attention. Cesa reached up to allow the firelizard to land in her hands and Teller was quick to oblige. She chattered away excitedly about everything she had seen that day. She had caught a fish, people had been talking and Yodith had been lounging. That was really all that Cesa could capture from the excitable firelizard's thoughts before she leapt out of her bonded's hands and darted off to see what else was on the boat.
Having decided that her Cesa's attention had been away from her too long Yodith positioned herself off to the side of the boat and snapped her wings shut. The dragon plummeted through the air in a way oddly reminiscent of her rider. However Yodith was going in headfirst and Cesa had not. The same as the woman the dragon disappeared beneath the waves with not much of a splash at all. Cesa looked over the side of the boat to spot her dragon and was rather surprised when she appeared directly beneath her. Yodith rested her forelegs on the side of the boat just to keep steady and pushed her head against Cesa until a hug was given. Sometimes there were benefits to a dragon being so small. The fact that Yodith could nuzzle her face again Cesa's seemed one of them.
Hearing her name Cesa turned her head and smiled at Ionan. Breaking away from the hug with her dragon and scooped the small boy up in her arms. Shifting him she rested the boy on her hip, it was a well practiced motion by now and Cesa certainly had enough hip to support him. "You're always brave, Ionan." She purposely left out mentioning if she had seen him, because she hadn't. She didn't want the boy to get upset by that, so complementing his bravery seemed a much better idea. "That's a lot to get into one story, but I think I can manage that." Turning her eyes to follow Ionan's and look at Pelias. "Pelias can certainly listen too if he wants." She wasn't going to tell the older boy he couldn't, but wasn't planning on making him either.
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