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 Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:43 am
I'dan was a fair Wingleader. He pushed each and every one of his riders just as hard as the next, and was generally a good guy. C'zha would go so far as to call him a friend; they had shared many a drink after wing drills, and had competed against each other in many green flights. The bronze wingrider would freely admit that I'dan was his choice to become the next Weyrleader. But, his Wingsecond.. Ugh! U'rad was a man difficult to get along with. C'zha and Enbrieth both tried their damnedest to be sociable and friendly, but any foray towards conversation with the brownrider left both rider and dragon frustrated.
Such was today. During wing drills, C'zha had jokingly called U'rad out for something and earned himself a tongue lashing for insubordination. He was stunned, to say the least. Wing practice had been cut short after tension between the two riders ran so high it interfered with their drills. C'zha didn't really see the problem, but Enbrieth was embarrassed and awfully dejected.
<< You provoked him. You know how much he hates it when you say things like that, >> Enbrieth insisted for what must have been the fifth or sixth time on their way to the hot springs. C'zha only shook his head this time, grumbling angrily to himself. Well, he shouldn't be so damn uptight, was the bronze rider's response. That earned him an indignant snort from his dragon. << seriously? You know how prickly U'rad is. what did you think was going to happen? >>
"Alright, lets just not talk about it. Lets just wash you off," C'zha said, displaying the level of his frustration by speaking aloud to Enbrieth rather than telepathically. The bronze rumbled with concern, but lowered his leg for his rider to dismount. While C'zha removed most of his clothing and gathered up the soapsand and brushes, the bronze dragon waded into the deepest part of the hot springs and submerged himself, flooding his rider with a crashing wave of contentment. Even C'zha had to smile at that.
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:07 am
. . . .well, shards. Shards, shards, and all things above.
The Springs had been rather empty for the better half of the day, the majority of riders out doing wing practices or Searches, and Yulu finally found it in herself to go and try out the waters. With no one around she didn't have the need to worry about people looking her up and down, not that it would have bothered her that much. She wasn't modest by any standard of the word, she could get naked in front of the best of them without so much batting an eye, but if exposure could be prevented then she was all for trying.
For the better part of her soak Yulu had been all alone, save for maybe a dragon flying overhead and towards its destination, and after a while the girl had even begun to relax in the warmth of the waters. Part of her wondered why she'd waited so long to do this, it's not like she was entirely nude, but she really knew that crowds around her weren't her thing. Yulu had a figure, even if she wanted to hide it.
So when a rider and his dragon, both of whom she did not recognize, came crashing into the waters with the intent to stay a long time. . . Yulu started cursing herself out. It was just her luck to get in this situation, there was no way for her to avoid getting out of the water without having to get up. The most obvious solution would be to stay soaking for as long as possible since the water obscured everything from the neck down where she was at, and from the neck up she could pass as a boy.
Right? Right? . . . right.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:07 am
Spending time with your dragon was possibly the most relaxing thing to do. To just forget about all the goings-on in your life and focus on that deep, unbreakable bond.. It was exactly what C'zha needed. Not to say that he led a difficult, stressful life- oh, no. Hardly! In fact, C'zha did not really have many serious responsibilities. Take care of Enbrieth. Attend Wing Practice. Eat, sleep.. Thaaaaat was about it. So when little things, like a spat with your Wingsecond, happened it was slightly stressful for the bronze rider. He was certainly grateful to be able to retreat into spending some quality time with his dragon. Enbrieth always knew just what to say to make him smile again.
<< You should know.. we aren't alone, >> the bulky bronze noted matter-of-factly, raising only his head to break the surface. He peered across the springs to the shallower part, idly blowing bubbles while his slowly whirling green-blue eyes watched their bathing companion. Well, the boy could hardly be called a companion. He was off bathing by himself, and C'zha did not swing that way. Nope! He liked 'em of the female type, particularly busty and naked. A slim, naked boy wouldn't do much for his happiness.
So, C'zha paid the boy no mind. instead, he mounted Enbrieth's neck like they were about to fly- but instead, waved a long-handled brush around with gusto. He leaned down, stretching from Enbrieth's neck to soak the bristles on the brush while he up-ended the bag of soapsand, pouring a generous amount over the bronze's shoulders and neck. Then he set to scrubbing. With his legs dipped in the water, C'zha could feel the vibrations through the hot springs given off by Enbrieth's happy rumbling; << Oh, that feels goooood. Mmmmmm, >> the bronze sighed with content and C'zha grinned.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:57 am
If Yulu could have jumped for joy at the clear lack of interest this rider was showing to her, she probably would have. This was the first time in a long time she was glad she looked like a boy to those not paying much attention, knowing good and well she could probably wait this out and leave when the rider had his attentions distracted. With a dragon at his side making demands she was pretty sure it would only be a matter of time before she could slip away. . . but how long was a 'matter of time'? She'd already been in the water for a twentieth of a candlemark, her head feeling a little light, and Yulu was certain she didn't know how much longer she could last.
She'd have to wait it out though, there was no shardin' way she would be getting up to leave. Well, she could always turn around and just show her back as she walked, but that would make him curious right? Also it would be really hard to walk that way for too long, and Yulu was pretty deep in the waters to be waddling back to shore at a snails pace. No, no, she'd wait it out.
. . . or so she thought she could.
It hadn't even been a tenth of a candlemark later that the heat was finally getting the young woman despite how much she tried to deny it, the pain in her head making things in front of her swirl before her vision. She felt hot, unable to cool off, and Yulu's inner Healer started to bark out words of warning. She had to get up and get out, she had to go lay on the cool rock before she passed out and possibly drowned. This was not the time for modesty or pride or whatever it was that had been keeping her from speaking and getting out - this was the time to try and save herself.
Shakily Yulu rose to her feet, well aware that water had long since made her clothing shrink tightly to her frame, but she didn't care. She needed to get out, and to do so she'd have to stand.
"Shard. . . .s. . ."
Or not. Muttering a curse, barely even finishing it, Yulu felt her legs give slight way beneath her as her vision moved from blurry dragon and rider to a patch of clear white. She didn't even feel herself go back into the waters.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:14 am
The bond between a dragon and his rider was an ever-evolving and changing relationship. It was strengthened with all the time they spent together. It was quiet moments like these that helped it grow the most; C'zha and Enbrieth were so totally absorbed in one another that they both completely forgot that they weren't alone.
<< A little farther up.... a little to the right, oh, ohhhh. Right there, >> the bronze was used to having to gently direct his rider to the spots that needed the most attention. The bronze opened his eyes for a moment, just in time to see Yulu try to rise from the waters only to slide back down. His incessant urge to help was awakened. Letting out a deafening trumpet of alarm, Enbrieth was about ready to leap from the deeper part of the pool and leap into the shallows to pluck Yulu from the waters with his claws.
<< C'zha! Now! Go help! That boy fainted, I think- whatever happened, he stood up to get out of the pool and now he's back under the water! Oh, C'zha! Go help!Go make sure he's alright! C'zhaaaa! >> the bronze could not bear to see anyone in distress, nor could he stand by and let his rider sit astride him while someone could use his help! Enbrieth quite nearly bucked his rider off; luckily, C'zha had been with Enbrieth long enough to know not to refuse him. For anything. So, the rider deftly slid down from Enbrieth's neck and made the short swim over to the shallower end.
Well, there was certainly someone passed out underwater. "s**t. Ugh. This is not exactly what I wanted to do," he grumbled, reaching down to pluck the boy from underwater. As soon as C'zha had pulled him up out of the water, he made a surprising observation.
This boy had boobs.
Boobs means.. not boy. Boobs = girl. C'zha almost dropped the limp girl in his arms. Wait. Was she even breathing? Ohhhh, shards. C'zha couldn't tell. Either she wasn't breathing at all, or she was breathing so faintly it was impossible to tell. Enbrieth had waddled over and was peering over C'zha's shoulder like a worried mother, his eyes predominantly yellow that whirled and swirled at a frenzied pace. << She?! Is she alive? Is she breathing? C'zha, why did she faint? Is she dead? Will she be alri- >>
"Shush! Let me sharding figure out what to do," C'zha snapped at the bronze, who resumed his anxious head-swaying and rumbling. Groaning, C'zha realized that there was only one thing left to do.
Mouth to mouth.
The bronze rider took a deep breath, pinched Yulu's nose shut, and lowered his mouth to hers, slowly exhaling his breath. He repeated this a few times, then sat back up, on hand on her chest to try and gauge if it was rising and falling.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:14 am
It most certainly was rising with each breath, and after a few moments Yulu's body gave off a small spasm as it tried to revive itself. Her arms jerked to her sides as she almost curled inward on herself, her body rolling over so that she was looking away from the rider who'd been standing over her. Yulu had been pretty lucky, swallowing only a little bit of water, but the heat still rushed in her head and made her feel sick. If she had eaten anything before getting into the waters earlier she probably would be throwing it up by now to try and lower her temperature, but seeing as her stomach was empty she could only cough up painful bile.
When she finally gained control of herself, the coughing stopped and replaced by faint trembling, Yulu raised her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes for a better view. She was trying to piece together the bits of what she could recall from the point she stood up to get out and how she ended up on her back and away from the heat. It probably had something to do with the man who loomed over her as well as the dragon with the worried eyes, and Yulu blinked a bit to clear her vision.
" . . . . What . . . .?"
Oh, that's right. She was out of the water now, which meant either she'd floated over by the grace of Faranth...or this person had picked her up and carried here to where she now rested. Considering she never thought herself the type to fly it clearly was the latter option, and beneath the red from the heat of the waters Yulu's face began to flush. Not only had this man seen her wearing clothing that showed she was a girl, but he also touched her.
If she'd been any less of a man Yulu would have screamed and started to cry, clearly mortified, but Yulu was no girl. Instead she merely tried to push herself upwards onto her elbows, trying to act calm and as if her passing out in the springs was the most common occurrence in the world.
"Did you...help me?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:05 am
Oh, Faranth. Oh, thank Faranth. She was alive! She wasn't dead. Her chest was rising and falling, which meant that she was breathing. Oh, thank EVERYTHING that she wasn't dead. Oh, man! C'zha couldn't even begin to fathom how much of a mess he would have on his hands if he was found with a DEAD GIRL IN HIS ARMS. That would have been awkward to explain, not to mention just plain disturbing, and certainly slightly depressing. So, it was a FANTASTIC thing that Yulu was alive and breathing.
Plus, C'zha got a free chance to touch some boobies, and that ALWAYS made a successful day.
But, really, he was overjoyed that Yulu was alive. So was Enbrieth, who had been watching from over C'zha's shoulder like a worried clutch mother. The bronze had actually sighed with relief when Yulu began visibly breathing! << Oh, she's alive! Very good, very good! Ask her if she's thirsty, she probably wants some water. C'zha! Be helpful! >> Enbrieth insisted, prodding his rider in the shoulder with his nose, almost pushing him down on top of the girl. "Shardit, Enbrieth! Relax! She only just started breathing again, I don't want to suffocate the poor girl," the bronze rider growled with an angry glance over his shoulder towards his dragon. Enbrieth backed off, but his eyes remained a slowly-whirling mix of green and yellow that betrayed his concern.
Yulu's awakening and spasmodic-movements had C'zha momentarily worried. But she soon began to try and form words, which led him to assume no lasting mental damage had come from her... experience. Which was good! The Weyr had plenty of dimglow helpers already. Not that he'd ever say that out loud, but, it was true. ANYWAY. C'zha gently placed his hands on Yulu's shoulders, trying to force the girl to lay back down. He smiled warmly, and nodded in response to her question.
"I did help you. You passed out, and decided to take a little nap... underwater. Well, I didn't really think that was a good idea, so I hoisted you out. No big deal. But, I wouldn't advise sitting up just yet. We can't have you passing out on us again," C'zha explained everything slowly, watching her eyes intently- as if they held some sort of indicator for her overall health.
C'zha wasn't totally against Yulu passing out again. She had nice knockers.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:16 am
As she was pushed back down Yulu was aware of the buzzing in her head, a clear indication she was still overheated and probably needed to get somewhere cool in the near future. It wasn't as bad as it had been before, emptying her stomach helped reduce some of the heat, so it wasn't like she needed to move quickly or else she was in danger. Her chest was still tight, however, and she wearily moved a hand to one of the wraps that decorated her chest. Even in the waters she'd kept herself bound down, though she'd loosened them enough beforehand that they'd given back some of her cleavage, though now they were wet and hot and seemingly restricting her breathing.
"Tight . . . "
She was only half-listening to C'zha, only half looking at the dragon that appeared to be looming near her as well. Yulu was doing her best to run a list of how to treat heat problems through her head, though she seemed to be running into problems here and there as her brain refuse to process any more than feeling sick and wanting to take her top off. It seemed like the desire to breath was outweighing modest now, as she weakly tugged at a strip. It gave slightly, allowing more of her frame to show itself, also allowing Yulu to take a deep breath. Her whole chest seemed to vibrate as color tried to peek its way back into her cheeks.
". . .who are you?"
Along with breathing came more of a sense of awareness, and even though Yulu was laying down she wasn't about to forget her manners and ask the name of the person who saved her.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:15 am
C'zha's eyes nearly popped out of his head. This was a girl. FOR SURE. He wasn't really quite sure how he had made the mistake before; he hadn't had any alcohol yet today, so he couldn't be drunk and stupid.. nor was he blind. Groaning, C'zha debating just leaving the girl right were she was. She was awake and fine, right?
<< Don't you dare just leave her here, >> Enbrieth quietly, but dangerously, warned. C'zha groaned again, sitting back on his heels. What in Faranth's name was he supposed to do with her now? Sure, she might not be the prettiest girl on Pern, but... HEY. What was she doing? What is she doing?! C'zha became worried as she feebly reached for her chest, loosening some.. binding? What?! OHBOY. C'zha's eyes widened even more, if possible, when Yulu released herself from being bound in. Well, not entirely were the wrappings removed, but enough so that C'zha gulped.
She's a candidate, she's a candidate, she's a candidate, he repeated to himself several times over, with Enbrieth growling in a warning tone behind his back. What do you expect, shards?! She's not bad looking, from the neck down! C'zha retaliated to his bronze, earning his a sharp nudge in the shoulder- which nearly toppled him over, right on top of Yulu.
"Alright," C'zha growled under his breath, glaring over his shoulder at his bronze. "Um, yeah. You seem to be pretty hot. I mean, er.. you sat in that hot water a long time," he recovered quickly, rolling his eyes at his own err. "If that's bothering you," he said with a curt gesture to her chest and the wrappings, "I'll give you my shirt. Its bigger than you, so probably pretty baggy. Put it on over your clothes, and then remove.. that. You can probably breath easier, too," he said with a shrug, reaching over his shoulder for his pile of clothes. His shirt was significantly too large for the young woman, and would sufficiently disguise her chest. Which was good for both of them! Yulu didn't want to show it off, nor did C'zha want to keep ogling it.
"I'm C'zha," he quickly supplied his name to her question. "That's my bronze, Enbrieth," the rider added quickly but didn't ask for her name. that could come later, when she wasn't feeling so.. awful.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:08 pm
Yulu was breathing much better after loosening her wraps, her body no longer trembling like it had before. She was still hot, and would probably be that way for a while, but not too hot that she would want to take anything else off. She politely shook her head no to the offer of the man's shirt, it wasn't in her to take someone elses things if she didn't expect to meet them in the same place every again (soaking here was now sworn off), but she did offer a weak smile when he gave his name. He hadn't asked for hers, but she was going to give it anyway. It wouldn't be too hard to gasp it out.
"Thank you, C'zha. My name is Yulu, Sr. Apprentice Healer."
It felt odd to be giving her title, almost stupid since she was a healer and had collapsed in hot waters, but it was the proper way to give an introduction nowadays. It sounded even funnier since her tones were weak with recovery, but her name and the harshness of how she spoke came out clear. It was like her throat was grated from always yelling or perhaps an injury as a child, but it would go well with how she carried herself.
"Thank you too, Enbrieth. You both have helped me."
It was only right to thank the dragon too, manners and all that. All Candidates were taught to respect the riders and the rider of a Bronze was no exception - more so someone to respect. Her father had taught this to her as well, not to mention so did the Riders she'd come across in her earlier Turns.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:44 am
C'zha threw his shirt back over his shoulder, letting it fall wherever. Fine. If she didn't want to cover herself up decently, then he wasn't going to be ashamed of staring anymore. He allowed himself a quick glance, his mind quickly taking that image and running with it. Suddenly, there were no wraps of any sort holding the girl down.
<< You are absolutely disgusting. This poor girl just almost died, and you're imaging her topless? >> Enbrieth snorted in disapproval, settling himself back to sit on his haunches. The bronze tucked his wings tightly against his sides, and kept his eyes focused on Yulu rather than his rider. Still a mixture of green and yellow, they had stopped whirling so rapidly since Yulu woke up. Enbrieth rumbled unhappily and reached his neck forward so he could nudge C'zha in the shoulder, rather roughly.
<< Comfort her! She could have died, don't you think she's going to be a bit upset? Or confused? You great, wool-headed wherry, >> Enbrieth sighed mentally, conveying his frustration with C'zha. The rider was a people-person, really! Well, usually. Not when he had some.. girl laying in front of him like this. This whole situation had him a bit flustered, to say the least.
"Nice to meet you, Yulu," he replied slowly. almost cautiously. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances," he forced a laugh, reaching up with a hand to brush the hair out of his eyes then rub the back of his neck nervously. Enbrieth rolled his eyes and shook his head. << You are so suave, >> the bronze teased his rider. The dragon rumbled happily in response to Yulu, meeting her gaze for a moment, but refrained from speaking to her directly. "Enbrieth says you are very welcome. It was hardly like we could just leave you here," C'zha insisted.
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:43 am
"You'd be surprised at what some people will do to others."
Yulu had had enough of laying down, even if she was slightly propped, finally moving her arms again to get herself into a seated position. The movements caused her head to swim and her vision to flicker, still too hot to handle, and a thin hiss of disappointment at the state of her body pressed through her lips. Dark eyes were narrowed as her moving went from a decent pace to almost a stop, Yulu's left hand coming up to rest over her eye. This still wasn't good, but she refused to be beaten.
Any lesser man would have chickened out, but not Yulu. She'd get through this even if it meant she'd have to pass out again before making her way back to her room. That line of thought though didn't sound too appealing, but she'd move on.
"I'm....almost sorry for worrying you, but this sort of was your fault as much as mine."
It took her a while to speak, her chest heaving as she tried to cool. Thankfully her hair was getting dry and allowing some of the heat to leak out that way, but her skin was still red and steaming to the touch.
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 6:17 am
s**t. Did she know? She must know! Why else would she have just said that? C'zha groaned inwardly, hiding the roll of his eyes with a cough, ducking into his elbow to prevent himself from coughing on the girl. s**t. Shitshitshit. She knew he had been eying her. UGH. DAMN. He thought she had been out cold, but somehow she knew that his eyes had been groping her.
Well, this was starting to blow. First, he saved her life. Now, he was about to be reprimanded for eye-raping a candidate. BY that candidate. Enbrieth remained silent; but his silence was just what C'zha didn't need. the bronze might as well just start skipping around, trilling happily, singing I-told-you-so in a singsong voice. C'zha shot a glare over his shoulder at his dragon for good measure. By the time he looked back at Yulu, and she was starting to sit up. Faranth, hadn't he already told her not to do that? Grunting, C'zha was just about to reach out with his hands and push her back down when she said something else.
This was as much his fault as it was hers.
What the... SERIOUSLY? How was this his fault? C'zha sat, mouth agape, in a state of utter confusion. "My fault?" He repeated, the unfamiliar words rolling off his tongue and out of his mouth. "Excuse me? My fault?" C'zha shook his head and laughed. "No, I think you're mistaken," he insisted, eying her speculatively. "How is it my fault? You should have gotten out of the hot springs sooner. There. Done. Solved! I had nothing to do with you stubbornly staying in the water," he explained to Yulu very matter-of-factly. "I had nothing to do with it," C'zha insisted again, sitting back with his arms folded across his chest.
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:17 am
One would have expected Yulu to come back with a witty retort, knowing her personality even only at the bare minimum, so when she was silent for a moment or two it was almost out of character. Normally she'd snap back with an insult or two, even defending herself in the process, but no words escaped her lips. Perhaps she was feeling too ill to speak? All the color was washing from her face again, her skin turning pale and her lips turning a little gray. The heat must have been getting to her by now, movements and all, but it was the sudden re-occurrence of pink across her cheeks that indicated what she was really feeling.
Yulu was blushing. Not blushing from the heat but . . . actually blushing.
She turned her face away from C'zha and looked down to her left, her arms slowly moving to come up and rest themselves across her chest. It wasn't a motion of being upset or cross but rather like that of a person trying to hide something on their figure - a motion of reassurance. Perhaps just by her motions C'zha would understand what Yulu was getting across without even using words, her body doing all of this subconsciously.
"I-"
Yulu stopped in her speech, surprised at how her voice sounded to her own ears. It wasn't that low rasp that she'd practiced so well, that had almost been burned into her vocal chords by several different drinks over the Turns, but instead a soft tone that mirrored what she really was. A woman, and one that was embarrassed at that.
"I didn't want. . .people to see me."
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:13 pm
C'zha raised an eyebrow at the girl's silence. He would have expected more from her than nothing. Silence? Pffft. He had expected some witty, or scathing, reply.. but instead, she was tight-lipped. C'zha's eyebrows came together in a confused, dramatic "v", his gaze resting on her. Maybe there was something seriously wrong with her, because she had been deprived of oxygen. Maybe there was some mental damage. Maybe.. Oh, wait. Nope. C'zha was worrying for no reason.
Enbrieth had long since grown bored with the exchange between his rider and the female candidate. The bronze had retreated to soak in the hot waters of the natural springs. << I do hope you're playing nice, >> he called to his rider lazily, his voice like a lazily winding stream on a warm summer's day, with a warm breeze that wraps itself around you and lulls you to sleep. A faint hint of freshly laundered clothes tickled C'zha's nose; he wrinkled it and rubbed the tip. Stop that, he insisted of Enbrieth, casting a wary glance to the bronze.
After returning his attention to Yulu, C'zha was amazed to watch a blush creep into the girl's cheeks. OH, just awesome. NOW he had embarrassed her! C'zha would have groaned if he thought it wouldn't offend or upset her further. Just greeeeat. Now he was embarrassing her. The bronzerider vaguely wondered just what else he could screw up, and a little voice assured him that he could be doing worse. Frowning, the bronzerider started to reach out to Yulu, to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder. But all her mannerisms up until now suggested that she would notreact well. So, his hand stopped short. He pulled it back and combed his fingers through the air, trying to apepar suave. It didn't quite come off as he would have liked.
"Well, you could have just yelled at me to keep my eyes to myself, or something. I probably wouldn't have even noticed you, really.. you looked like a , with the water all the way up to your ears. I wasn't interested in watching a naked boy get out of the springs," he explained to Yulu with a nervous laugh.
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