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 Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:27 pm
Sitting on her cot, Kesslan, no, K'lan, now, still didn't know quite how to feel. The blonde wasn't in the mood to celebrate, no matter how relieved she was to have met her dragon. She wasn't in the mood to mourn, either, having shed her emotions on the sands. For once, the introverted girl didn't feel much, not even the rage that filled her lean body when she'd looked to the stands during the hatching.
One hand worrying a wooden egg [she'd received it from Rinfala and M'al shortly after the hatching], the other finally set and splinted to heal at her side, Kess's dark eyes were locked on a brilliant, teal hide, almost meditatively.
Mine, why such dark thoughts? Yours will help you if you let her.
Condoroth's soothing tone swirled through her mind, and Kess let a slight smile touch the corners of her mouth, altering the face that had, otherwise, been expressionless since her impression. She'd avoided the other weyrlings when possible, and had hidden out. She wanted no congratulations despite the dubious honor she'd received. After five standings, Kesslan had impressed. She'd impressed the only surviving dragonet of the last three. She knew it'd been circulating the weyr, along with words of Kyllae, and sorrow over the blue dragonet and his unhatched sibling.
I'm alright, Condoroth.
No, Mine, but you will be. Condoroth promises.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:34 pm
It wouldn't have mattered if Uuni had all of her chores off, she wasn't getting any sort of sleep at all, and she refused to go see a mind healer.
For today, anyway, she'd been basically kicked from her chores. She had promised, of course, to go see someone to help her sleep, to get some sleep, and to come back when she was useful.
Instead, Uuni went off to go see if certain rumors were true. Unlike when Kess had found her before, it took a sharding long time to find the blonde's weyr. It didn't help that she'd been to a few weyr's in her time; none of them had been in this sector and probably for good reason.
When she found her, there was one green dragon watching something and one blonde girl looking back. Uuni didn't bother to knock, or anything of the sort. She'd just come to see if things were true, and if Kess was enjoying being Impressed.
She didn't seem so thrilled. "You look like a grown bronze ran you over, Kess." The humor was doubtful to help, but maybe the light smile that she put on would.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:47 pm
"No, just a baby gold," came the startlingly wry response. Dark eyes moved from the dragon and met Uuni's, a strange sort of smile on her face as she nodded in greeting, clearly welcoming the brunette into her weyr.
Condoroth, for her part, moved inquisitively forward, without hesitation, to peer at Uuni, her eyes a calm, curious blue.
Your feelings are better, Mine. A friend?
"Yeah," Kess answered the dragon aloud, before realizing that Uuni couldn't hear the conversation. Getting to her feet, the blonde ruefully held up her injured arm, shrugging slim shoulders. "Yeah, this is Uuni..." Glancing toward the brunette, she gestured to the green. "This is Condoroth. I guess she's mine, now."
Of course I am Yours, Mine!
The matter-of-fact dragonet bowed her head politely to Uuni, greeting her with a soft croon.
"... You left the sands early, didn't you?" The question was soft, without any sort of accusation. Things had certainly gotten dicey.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:55 pm
It was good to see at least some sort of sarcastic humor still on the girl's lips and spoken as well. She took the invitation and stepped into the weyr and found she was confronted with a rather relaxed-looking green.
Oh man, Condoroth was a rather long name to remember. Still, she moved out a hand and stretched out her fingers to reach the green's nose in greeting. When Kess began to talk again, her hand fell back to her side.
She swallowed - it didn't matter that it wasn't an accusation.
"I did," she answered. The tone of her voice was low and she shifted her gaze somewhere else in the room than Kess.
They went back to the dragon and she waved her fingers this time to finish her greeting. "It's nice to meet you Condoroth." That would be the only time she'd remember the name in all likelihood.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:09 pm
Condoroth butted her head briefly against Uuni, obviously the type of dragon to trust whom Kesslan trusted, and trotted past the girl out of her weyr.
Mine, I am going to play with the others, yes?
Sure.
It was strange, this new mood that'd come over Kesslan. She was acting much more like her inner self now. Typically keeping her desires close to her breast and simply working hard, it seemed, despite her impression, that she was rather disillusioned with everything.
"You know," Kess reached out with her good hand, the left, tucking a few strands of dark hair behind Uuni's ear with a surprising lack of hesitation. "I didn't expect to Impress." It was clear, from the expression on her freckled face, that it had changed her plans a bit.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:15 pm
Bad habits got the best of her when she fell silent and tipped her head just enough to allow Kess more ease to reach her hair.
What was going on here? Wasn't this normally her job?
But her body stayed relaxed, even if she glanced once in the direction the green had went. "I don't think anyone ever expects to Impress, Kess. They want to, but. . . "
She let the words trail of; she knew Kess didn't need to hear them, because she already knew. "What's it like?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:21 pm
"That's not what I meant."
Whatever she was about to say was halted by the question, one which she mulled over for a moment as she found her fingers sliding through dark strands. It felt nice, touching Uuni. A comfort.
"I think..." That strange, wry smile again, "That my impression was quite different than others." In some ways, she felt bad for Condoroth, that she hadn't received an enthused new rider, like some of the others. Kess had been too numb, too angry, to comprehend the sudden melding of their minds and souls.
Mine must not fret. Mine is perfect.
At the caress to her mind, the blonde was reminded that she was never alone, now.
"It's like a joining. Like you were always so completely alone, lost, and suddenly, someone is taking your hand." Protected, loved. Someone who understand her and would never leave her.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:30 pm
Uuni knew what she meant, but she knew the trade and she knew very well how to play dumb. Kess had Impressed and she could not and would not get her into this.
In the same way that Kess found comfort, Uuni felt the same ease at the gentle pull at her scalp that came with sliding fingers. She took in a deep, pleased breath and closed her eyes for a little while.
The words, though, caused her to open her eyes and look at Kess. She recognized that; not those words, but something similar to them and she recognized that feeling. There was confusion on her features for a little while before she shrugged it off in light of a smile.
"It does sound wonderful." Her eyes dropped to the curve of Kess's shoulders. Part of her mind was screaming stop, and the other just wanted to stay. She needed this comfort, right?
Ugh. Why was she even bothering pretending? "Don't take it too far, Kess," she warned with an unnaturally stern voice.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:53 pm
A noise, low in Kess's throat, and that hand in Uuni's hair moved it's way down, her strong palm pressing against the older woman's lower back to bring her closer, until they touched. Toe-to-toe, the blonde smiled, just slightly, her lips brushing the brunette's ear as she spoke, softly.
"Relax. I'm told I'm very trustworthy."
She was also slightly out of commission, with a broken arm, spirit, and a dragon that needed near-constant tending. Kess was looking at a turn and a half of hand-holding and long stares. Goodie.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:02 pm
Uuni, however, did not find her ownself trustworthy as she closed her eyes at the chill that had started to drift along her skin and the subtle sound that came with breath so close to her ear.
She rocked her shoulders back and tried to relieve the tension that was starting.
She felt guilty for this. "Kess, I'm serious," she repeated as though she didn't believe her. Not that she didn't trust Kess to stop, but she didn't trust herself to not cast caution to the wind and end in disaster.
How much and how little did it take for a dragon to panic and go between? And what was Condo-whatever thinking right now? Goodness knew what was going through Kess's mind.
"Promise me you won't," she started again, her weak voice strengthening a little as her hands found the girl's shoulders and she was ready to push away at a moments notice. "Promise."
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:09 pm
"I promise." That, quiet against Uuni's neck, and the blonde stepped back, quickly, putting them both a little off balance as she strode to her bunk, grabbing up an overshirt to hide a somewhat skimpy under tunic.
Struggling just slightly to get into it, with her broken arm and all, was a bit of a tension reliever, to offset the flash of tan, flat stomach that peeked out as her shirt rode up. Quietly adjusting her clothing, she tossed Uuni that wry, quick grin she'd been using lately, and raised her brows innocently.
"A cup of klah, then?"
It was definitely good to know that Uuni wanted to, at least.
Condor, quite on cue, poked her muzzle back into the weyr, eyes still a happy blue. There was nothing wrong with Hers being affectionate with friends! Condoroth rather liked being touched, herself.
Condoronth knows where the klah is, Mine!
Good job, Condoronth! Would you like to lead us there?
If possible, the green looked even happier, letting out a trill at the praise, and began to trot ahead, glancing back occasionally to be sure she was being followed.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:19 pm
It had been quite a while since she'd felt more at ease with someone stepping away from her, but such was the case this time. It took her a little while to relax, but Kess used that time to get on a better shirt. Uuni used it to run her fingers along her neck where she was sure she could still feel Kess's breath lingering.
When Kess asked if she wanted a cup of klah, her first instict was to agree whole-heartedly. Like many others, she loved klah and wouldn't mind going to get some. However, it had the very distinct taste of 'dating' and it tasted a bit like bile on her tongue. How did she explain to Kess that really didn't, she really wasn't. . . oh shards.
"Yeah, let's go get a cup of klah." As soon as she'd said it, she caught sight of the green.
When she saw the dragon head out, she cast a glance to Kess and quickly realized that they were both to follow. With a smile, she turned and did just that.
"You had me a little nervous back there," she said with a grin back towards the newly Impressed woman.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:29 pm
"Nervous?" Kess's slow drawl was thoroughly amused as they walked at a leisurely pace, her dark eyes on her brilliantly colored dragonet.
I think it's this way! No this way! Alright, almost there, Mine!
Her quite talkative, brilliantly colored dragonet.
"... And why might that be?" It didn't take them too long to reach the kitchens, the blonde finding herself a nice iced tea, rather than the klah and watching Uuni get her beverage. The second they'd entered the crowded area, she was more on edge, and stepped close to murmur to the brunette.
"Outside, please?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:35 pm
Uuni offered her best 'annoyed' look, but it only came out as an amused smile. "You know why," she answered with just as much tease in her voice as Kess might have had in hers.
Uuni didn't like tea, so she definitely went with the klah. Honestly, she needed a bit of the kick. The lack of sleep was slowly starting to dawn on her. Tonight, she was sure, she'd be able to sleep well.
"Outside?" she cast Kess a slightly confused glance, but she noted the difference. "Outside, then." With a shrug, she let herself be led to wherever Kess willed and then found a nice place to lean.
"It still gets to you, huh?" But, of course it would; it had only been a couple of days. "It will get better." She made a face and then added, "I think."
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:14 pm
"I suppose I do, although nervous wasn't quite the response I was aiming for." Kess's cool humor ended quite suddenly as she choked a bit on her beverage, sitting on a rock near the lake they'd finally arrived at. She was reminded quick rapidly that she now shared everything with another.
What is wet, Mine...? The lake? Oh, yes! The water. Can I go in?
"Yeah, Condor, go on in, stay in the shallow part." A smile for the trilling dragonet and Kess shot Uuni a grin. "At least she's the cheerful sort."
A bit of her good mood faded and she frowned slightly, brows creasing. "Yeah... I suppose it does." She remembered the sight of that blue disappearing. Dreamed of it every night. It'd been hard to explain to Condoroth, the only dragon to miss it. "I hope so. I've been avoiding the mindhealer."
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