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 Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 5:08 pm
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Apparently, Western Weyr had a beach and Soui was completely down for going and seeing it. Having grown up entirely in the Hall, never venturing past Fort Hold even for time away, things like beach or ocean were merely ideas that she had heard about. To actually see the beach and have the sand beneath her bare feet was....intense. Were Soui the type to be emotional and cry she would have, but instead she simply closed her eyes and breathed deep the salty air.
The beach really smelled awful.
With her nose crinkled and shoes in hand, Soui carefully tiptoed towards the edge of the water, her feet stopped mere inches away from where the tide was washing in and out. A ginger dip of a single toe into the surf was met with a strange noise - the water was way colder than she thought it should be - but quickly followed by a hard stomp into the waves. Spray and sand splashed up around her, and Soui took a quick glance about to see if anyone was there.
Apparently satisfied that she had no audience, the healer apprentice gave a loud whoop and dashed into the surf, careful to not go past her knees but just enough that she could kick and splash. A few careful tosses had her shoes land on the shore, and the young teen went back to kicking about the waves in the only way someone who had no idea about the way water worked could.
demon_pachabel here you go! i hope this is okay? if not, please let me fix it!
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:15 pm
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"I just oiled you and now I'm going to have to clean you off again," L'nik had felt more like a stick in the mud in recent months than he ever had before - mostly because it was impossible to let Hessianth do everything the brown desired at any given moment while balancing the focus he wanted to on their lessons. A freshly oiled coat into the sand and salt water was going to have to be scrubbed clean and reapplied to keep both from aggravating what cracked hide was already exposing itself.
He grew like a weed, but he was a beautiful weed that despite some frustrations, L'nik would not have traded for any other dragon.
Well if you'll have to do it again, we may as well make it worth it to redo, yeah? Hessianth suggested, flaring out his wings and trumpeting at the young man. He was rewarded with one rough hand run over his headknobs, causing the brown to practically ooze into his boy's side. It was one of the few things that got him through the long hours of their lessons without trying to stage a revolt to go outside and do whatever he wanted at that time. Or to keep him from making dry jokes to his siblings.
"You sure you want to share the beach?" L'nik had noticed the young woman - a candidate, he guessed if they were this close to the Weyr - running into the surf. For a moment, Hessianth's eyes whirled through every color as he considered his take on this stranger. They were a small stranger, so in that way, not a problem.
With surprising speed for a brown of his size - L'nik had already noticed him starting to outgrow his brown and even a bronze brothers - Hessianth went barreling towards the water with a loud bugle to announce himself...but only when he was already practically upon Soui.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:26 pm
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The water was cold and smelled awful, but it was an experience Soui was determined to enjoy. She kept kicking and splashing, even daring to belly flop when she felt like she might not drown, and was generally having a good time on her own until...
....the bugle.
It was loud, and late, and no sooner had the girl turned than she was greeted with the massive (and beautiful, her brain registered faintly between panic) form of a brown dragon. Likely a dragonet from the size, or at least a slightly older dragonet, why was she worrying about size, it was coming right for her. A shriek escaped Soui's mouth as she dropped herself down, and she pulled her hands over her face in a vain attempt to protect and keep the water out. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Had she wandered into an area she wasn't supposed to be? The rules of the Weyr were still so new and weird to the Hallborn child.
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 5:25 pm
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Gentle! L'nik reminded as Hessianth suddenly reeled to a stop in the water, sending a splash of salt water over both his own snout and the young lady who had suddenly dropped into a defensive position. The brown hopped once, splashing more water about and crooning with some concern as he leaned his face in close, nudging at the girl.
L'nik? She cowers? Though Hessianth didn't say it clearly, there was an obvious flush of concern - not that perhaps he himself had scared Soui, but rather that there was something dangerous and suspicious that wasn't a brown dragon about. L'nik followed after the dragon at a more mild pace, a frown on his face.
"He's safe! You're okay! He won't attack!" she didn't look like any rider or Weyrling he'd seen - and in that, the first warnings of any dragon came out. Hessianth looked back at his chosen, yellow flecking into his eyes as he took the spoken words in consideration, then clacked his jaws together. Then he looked back to Soui. He was what caused this response?
Nonsense!
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:25 pm
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From beneath her fingers, Soui's voice was soft and flecked with salt and water. "I'm not scared of him." It was hard to take serious when she remained crouched, face hidden behind her hands, but her fingers did split a little to allow a pair of brown eyes to peek out at dragonet and rider. "I....I just wasn't sure if I was allowed to be out here or not."
The young girl stayed squatting for a moment, before letting herself move to a standing position. Slowly her hands were removed from her face, and she used her palm to push away a few strands of wayward hair brought by the water. "I heard the bugle so I assumed that maybe this was a private area? I've never been to a Weyr before, so I don't know all the rules and I was worried I was breaking one." It was a little ridiculous to think portions of a beach could actually belong to someone and therefore be roped off, but it was always better safe and than sorry, and Soui didn't appreciate being ignorant on even the slightest of things. "Is this area open to everyone, or is it just for riders and their dragons?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:13 pm
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Soui gave an audible sigh of relief as she brushed more hair behind her ears, smiling at the rider and his dragon. They seemed friendly enough, if not young, and the young man's words of last hatching had her attention. "No, I'm originally from Healer Hall, and was brought here after the hatching, to help tend the wounded." The teen paused. "Well, help my uncle that is. He was the one brought here and I mostly begged to tag along."
Watching the dragon run into the surf, Soui couldn't stop the soft chuckle that escaped her mouth. "I'm not scared of dragons, and I've seen injuries like those in the infirmary back at the hall. I mean, I'm sure it's different when you are the one on the sands, running from a dragonet." She paused. "Also, aren't dragonets not really capable of understanding what they've done before they Impress? I've heard that before Impression happens there isn't a level of clarity that prevents them from hurting others, but..." Talking about dragons with her cousin and her tw - Yudueth helped fill in some gaps of her knowledge, but for most everything else she was basically blank. It was a hole she would need to fill if she intended on staying in the Weyr longer.
"Also, why not out here alone? Because of Thread?" There wasn't any cover, that was for certain, but Soui had thought to check and see if Thread was expected for the day. Her topic jump was not really intended, but perhaps it was for the best.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:24 pm
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"Knowing that a dragonet can do something, and watching one actively start mauling and take pleasure in it is very different. The death by Suwayeth felt more like a confused hatchling. Illiandanth......I felt like he delayed impressing because he was enjoying himself," he admitted. Hessianth paused in his splashing to snort and clack his jaws at the young man. He doesn't deserve even an ounce of your thoughts, myL'nik! he reminded, shaking out his body and stretching his wings.
"Not all hatchlings behave the same and their understanding of why they're doing something can vary. That's why I keep.." he paused and Hessianth again huffed, "kept my arm's length rule. Never let a hatchling that isn't clearly yours come closer than it will take to get out of their way or throw your arms up to protect yourself." L'nik rolled up the sleeves of his tunic to show Soui the bites on his arms. Clearly, not from any ravaging like D'mar and G'ryl had, but enough that a baby got too playful, or wanted to test our their teeth.
Pleased that his chosen was changing the topic, Hessianth resumed his splashing, swiping at the waves as they ebbed in and out.
Soui's question had a simple answer; "Not Thread - if anything, water is usually safer in that case. But sometimes water is unforgiving and can try to sweep you away if you go out too far." For a leisurely walk through the water with one's shoes off, it likely wasn't a problem.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:26 pm
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L'nik, for his part, seemed completely unbothered by Soui's interest in his bites. At least, he didn't see the harm in her looking until she suddenly seemed bothered by it herself, causing both him and Hessianth to look towards her curiously. The brown crooned at her curiously for a moment before resuming his play once his rider started to move towards her.
She certainly moved quickly at least.
"Would you like to look? I'm not offended that you're interested as a healer," L'nik assured, offering his arm out again. They weren't the most interesting of scars he had, but one wasn't really a candidate if they didn't have a bruise or a small scratch from a Hatchling. Well, that wasn't true, but he wouldn't correct the thought.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:39 pm
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Once again the young girl's eyes lit up, and once again her hands were on the man's arms, inspecting every inch of his scars. "The treatment on these was so good, to leave behind such faint impressions. That, or the initial wound wasn't that deep." Her words were spoken aloud, mostly for hersef or for the new companion if he wanted to add in to it. "How old are these? The scars on my face are almost ten turns old so they're pretty worn and faded, but these..."
With one hand still on his arm, Soui used the other to trace the marks on her face with a fingertip. "Granted, one of these is from a burn so the type of injury is completely different, but - " She looked down at his arm again, and then back up towards him. A bright smile spread across her face as her cheeks flushed with enjoyment. "Thank you for letting me look at these! I know it must be really weird for someone to thank you for showing your scars, but it sort of gives me confidence that one day I can help others with their wounds so they aren't so bad. Not everyone can handle walking around with a massive mark on their face."
Of course the young man's scars might not exactly have been the most faded in the world, they could have actually been rather ugly, but Soui had her own opinion on the different levels of 'bad' and 'good'. Seeing as she'd gotten a chance to look over so many people with different marks on their bodies, who was to say if she was right or wrong?
"I really love the markings your dragon has, by the way. He's absolutely beautiful, and I bet he's going to be huge when he's grown." Soui had turned her gaze towards the brown at sea. "Imagine, seeing that design on a massive body. The dragons of Pern are sort of like works of art, in that every one of them has a way of taking your breath away with one glance."
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:48 pm
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"The oldest ones," L'nik gestured to the most faded of the scars on his arm, "Are about six turns old. The baby wasn't trying to maim, she just wanted to play," he explained, "So she didn't bite to rend. These," he motioned to some that were peppered through the lighter scars, "Are only about three turns. That little one probably wouldn't have hurt me too badly if I hadn't been covering my face, but better safe than sorry." It was funny to think he'd had the handful of run ins that he had.
Which ones were they? I'll go tell them off! Hessianth's possessive nature made him snap his teeth as he came over to look at the scars on his rider's arm as well. He hadn't particularly cared about them, and a wave of reassurance from L'nik was all it took to push the idea out of mind.
Soui's compliments didn't go missed by the brown who cheeped appreciatively, seeming to puff his little chest out and spreading his wings out to give her a better look. His inflating ego pushed at L'nik's connection with him and he smugly nudged at the dragon. "I agree, but I'm also very biased. I waited a long time for him," not as long as some did - like Loreleth's rider, who had considered himself aged out and dragonless for the rest of his life - but six turns was a long time when he'd been dreaming for it his whole life. "He's already keeping up with his bronze brothers - and outgrowing one of them. Hessianth here is going to be huge."
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:01 pm
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Soui clapped her hands happily at the display, giving a fanciful bow as a way of saying thank you. "I am honored for this showing of your markings. I bet when you were a baby you were downright adorable, and once you've reached your full size the Weyr will be hard pressed to find another brown who can match you for looks." The smile on her face stayed as she pointed first to the dragon's face, then her own. "And it looks like we match a little, in terms of facial markings, though yours are far more interesting and beautiful." She touched her face, the smile faltering just the faintest. "Markings don't really look pretty on humans."
That train of thought needed to end before it could properly begin, and so Soui cleared her throat. "Sorry for being rude, I've just remembered we've been talking this whole time and I never bothered to introduce myself or ask your names." The healer took a step back from the pair and bowed again, an introduction she'd been taught to do by her family. "My name is Soui, from the Healer Hall. I am an apprentice, and am pleased to make your acquaintances." With a sweep to the dragon, she bowed again. "Well met, Hessianth, and....?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:12 pm
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Hessianth did a turn, simply basking in the attention. Oh yes, this was the life! He honked, then mimicked the bow, but only slightly, with a sweeping gesture of his wings. As the young girl spoke, he seemed to listen attentively, though L'nik could tell his attention had gone elsewhere. That was only partially about him now.
"My mother has a birthmark across her face," L'nik gestured with his hand, splatting it onto his face to show about the size of it, "it's really dark and obvious, but I don't think it looks bad on her, just like yours don't look bad on you...though the circumstances to get them likely weren't ideal." He wasn't sure he wanted to know how a girl so young got burns like that on her face.
Soui's introduction was answered with a bow in turn from the brownrider. "L'nik of Brown Hessianth, I apologize for not introducing myself sooner, Miss Soui."
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:30 pm
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"No harm, no foul. You were the one trying to assure me that your dragon wasn't angry, and that it was okay to swim here. If anything I was the one in the wrong, or are the manners here in the Weyr more relaxed? It's going to be hard to learn all the rules for here." Soui didn't have problems learning or retaining things, it was just....she didn't particularly want to have to learn new things. Not if she was going to be sent home at any time, anyway. "Also, no need to be so formal with me. You're the rider, right? If anything, I should be the one speaking formally to you. My parents always told me that riders are the saviors of Pern, and as a healer it is my job to make sure they can fly."
The teen took a couple of steps back towards the water, letting the surf splash up against her legs. She'd need a shower after all this, the salt was sure to itch and make her clothes stink, but for now she'd enjoy the waves and the breeze. "So you are one of the ones from the last hatching? I didn't think it'd been so long ago that the dragonets are already this big. Time goes by too quickly when you're not looking."
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