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 Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:43 am
Time had passed, months had passed in fact. It had all happened in such a blur he'd hardly noticed. Viridith's shoulder just about came up to his chest now, and the green was growing by the day. It wouldn't be long before she was flying, after that it wouldn't be long before they flew together, and then they would learn to go between... But it would be quite a long time before they were allowed to go between whenever and wherever they liked. Up until now, time had seemed to fly. Now it seemed to crawl.
Sighing softly, the towering former fishercrafter sat down by the edge of the northernmost lake and stared out across the shimmering surface. It wasn't the ocean, but for now it was as close as he was going to get.
"Tell me again about the ocean," Viridith demanded, coming up beside her rider with her usual prowling gait, then freezing in place and snapping her head around to look over the water. She liked the sound of the ocean, mostly because Hers spoke of it with such adoration. She wanted to see it and love it too so that it would be their thing, not just his thing. She didn't want him to separate from her when he thought about the endless water.
He was aware of Viridith's reasons for asking again, but only too happy to oblige. He wanted them to be able to share the love of the ocean too; after all if, Viridith didn't like it, then even once they could between alone they wouldn't go there often. "The ocean," K'ro began, his deep voice soft with nostalgia and longing, "the ocean is more vast and more beautiful than anything in this world. The horizon, the sky meeting the water, not a speck of land in sight. It can be the most peaceful place on Pern, or the most violent. The glory and danger of a winter storm; lighting flashing, your heart racing, spray in your face and never knowing which moment could be your last. The summer, when the sun glimmers off the water, makes the spray like jewels. I can imagine us soaring over it all, Viri; the freest creatures alive. Speeding past the gulls. Calling to the ships, and the dolphins. You'll love it, I know you will."
He missed it, missed it more than he'd known you could miss anything. He didn't regret Impressing for even a moment of course, he just wished that the day he could go back there whenever he fancied would come sooner. He could wait, he was a patient man, but that didn't mean he longed for it any less.
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Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:39 am
F'ren fancied a dip in the lake after cleaning out Toulonth's bedding, as well as other things he'd been cleaning up after, he was dusty and smelly and he might as well wash his clothes a little since he was there, of course Toulonth wanted to 'help' as she put it, when in fact she was looking forward to sitting in the sun while F'ren swam.
As he neared he spotted another greenrider, he recognised K'ro after a while of brain wracking to remember his name, he was forced to improve his memory since these were the people he'd be closest to, working with them lesson after lesson drilled the sense of what was needed if Thread came again while he was a rider. "The ocean hmm? ... never been there" he said, somehow managing to keep quiet enough to get close.
"Viridith Good day" said Toulonth, stretching out her wings to soak up the sun
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:38 am
Although he hadn't noticed the other green rider's approach, Viridith's awareness of them kept him from jumping when F'ren spoke. "When we can go between whenever we like, I'll take you to see it if you'd like," K'ro said, sitting up and offering the younger weyrling a smile. "I used to live out on the ocean almost all the time, my uncle is captain of a large fishing ship, we could go sevendays without seeing land if we had to get to a really distant fishing ground." He didn't miss the smell of a lot of men who hadn't been able to bathe for a long time, and who had been doing a lot of heavy work, and he didn't miss the stink of fish guts (on long voyages the catch had to be cleaned and preserved on board), but over all... Well, it had been home.
"Toulonth," Viridith acknowledged the other green with a brief but fairly amiable rumble. "I like the sound of this ocean," she added, addressing both Hers and the other dragon, "we shall go there and see the dolphins and the waves and the endless water."
"Mmmh, yes," K'ro nodded and gave his dragon a pat, "we shall... So where are you from then, F'ren?" he quizzed. Although he had known the other weyrlings for months now, so much of their time had been devoted to caring for their dragons that he still didn't know that much about a lot of their histories.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:33 am
F'ren smiled, he hadn't thought that he could sneak up on a Dragonrider, and he'd been proved right when the other didn't even flinch at his voice "You lived there?!" he said surprised that anyone could live out on the ocean "Sure i'd like to see the ocean, if it's as nice as you make it out to be" he laughed.
Toulonth blinked as she soaked up the rays, enjoying the sunshine regularly "I should like to take Mine to your ocean, what are Dolphins?" she asked, not having heard tell of them before
F'ren sat near Toulonth "Me? i'm a weyrbrat, never been further than the surroundings here" he said, "that will change when we can fly though" he smiled
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:39 am
"Mm," K'ro smiled slightly and nodded, his deep blue eyes going a little distant with nostalgic, "I learned to row a little tiny boat not long after I learned to walk. The older I got, the bigger the boats I worked on, and the longer trips I went out on. I was twelve when I was allowed to become a proper apprentice and go on the really long voyages... Still," he turned his attention back onto F'ren, "there's plenty to be said for being a weyrbrat. Living beside dragons your whole life must have been wonderful. Good practice for Impressing too, I expect? I felt totally lost when Viridith chose me, the few candidate lessons I'd been to just didn't prepare me."
He was getting the hang of it now though; he knew just how to oil her, he was getting the hang of making harnesses in preparation for their first flight together, and most importantly he was learning when the predatory green was actually planning to pounce on something, or someone. Even though he couldn't stop her, it was good to be able to shout a warning to whoever was about to be pinned down by an annoyed green.
"Dolphins are... these," Viridith shared the mental image of the creatures that Her's had shown her, though it became perhaps a little fuzzy due to being second hand. "They swim," she added vaguely, somewhat unsure of the details herself, "and humans can bond to them a little like they can to a dragon... More like they can to a wher though, it's not at all as important as our bonds are."
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:58 am
F'ren said nothing as K'ro told of learning about boats, it wasn't that he wasn't interested, it was just that he had never felt the urge to learn about them, he did nod in places though, and smiled but he DID listen. That was until the talk turned to himself, he coughed and thought about walking away, making some excuse but he knew, now that he was a Dragonrider, he would have to learn to talk about himself a little more "Living here, is nothing like getting your own Dragon, Weyrbred might get to stand until they age out, but we have as much chance as anyone searched, Until lessons i had NO clue what was really involved in taking care of a Dragon" he said "and like the older riders say, there isn't any preparations you can make when you Impress, it's something ... unexplainable i know i couldn't really tell someone what to prepare for if they got chosen"
He too was learning, maybe a little faster than some of the Searched from holds and surroundings, but still, having someone in your mind all of the time was something nothing could have prepared him for. He was glad that Toulonth was such a relaxed Dragon, he knew from Scarath and S'kor how troublesome some of the clutch were.
Toulonth was amazed by what Viridith showed her "i would like to meet these Dolphins" she said, her 'speech' coloured with curiosity "Mine says Whers are Ugly, i don't think Dolphins are though" she commented, both to Viridith and F'ren "no, nothing is like the bond with Ours" she admitted quietly.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:54 am
"I suppose there isn't," K'ro agreed with a nod, running a hand down one of Viridith's skinny forelegs, "even after all they said about the moment of Impressing in lessons, and how much work they said it would be I wasn't ready. Still, I think we're past the hardest bit now, and not all that long until we can fly... Always dreamed of flying, I can't wait to be up in the sky with Viri." Standing right up on the bowsprit (not encouraged) was almost what he imagined flying might be like. Speeding along with the whole world spread out before you... but on dragonback it was below you as well. He remembered that very brief flight with the dragon who had searched him, and couldn't wait to be in the sky again, but this time with his own lifemate. It would be a thousand times better.
"I suppose whers have uses," Viridith gave a mental shrug, "but they are not very nice to look at or talk to. Dumb. Dolphins aren't like that, they're as intelligent as we are... I think. Certainly brighter than a wher. I suppose when I meet a dolphin I'll find out." It would be interesting to meet something do different to herself... She was glad Hers hadn't decided to be a dolphineer. He was Hers. Nobody else had a right to his love.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 4:46 am
F'ren smiled, looking out over the lake "and i can't wait to be up on Toulonth, though i thinks she's is possibly more excited than me to be up there with me on her back." he said leaning back against his Dragon's bulk. he'd never been off the ground before, so he didn't know what to expect. He watched as the warm brezze made tiny waves along the surface of the lake "Hey, how about a swim?" he suggested, the question directed both at K'ro and Toulonth... and of course Viridith.
Toulonth nodded an agreement to Viridith "Yes Whers can keep watch and protect our people when we are asleep and cannot" she said matter of factly "i think some are smarter than we think, after all they can Bond" she mused "Dolphins are as smart as us? then i would surely love to meet one and talk to it", she gave a little trill of pleasure at the thought "A swim Mine? but it is so warm here, you go, i will stay here and soak up the sun" she said, yawning, her tongue curling in her mouth as she exaggerated the yawn on purpose.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 12:37 pm
"A swim sounds perfect," K'ro nodded, climbing to his feet and pulling off his shirt. "I haven't had much time for it recently," he said as he carefully folded the garment and set it on the ground, "I don't begrudge Viridith the time but... It's nice to be able to get back to doing these things all the same." To get back to the things he loved, and to look forward to new things.
"...I will stay here too," Viridith said after a short pause, "the sun is good. Another time." She did quite want to swim with her lifemate but... but... she couldn't always have his time. He needed to spend time with others... A little time. Not too much.
Smiling, K'ro turned to look up into the lanky green's swirling eyes. "Thank you." He would have been quite happy for her to come swimming too, but her second reason for deciding not to was a huge step for her. She really was growing up.
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Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:03 am
F'ren smiled and admired K'ro as he pulled off his shirt, "i try to get out here as much as i can, swimming is ... fun" he said, with a slight chuckle. "I agree though Toulonth is my heart but sometimes we need our..alone time" he said with a slight cheeky smirk.
Toulonth spread her wings even further out, stretching the membranes to soak up the sunshine Don't gt burnt Mine, Linnaeth told me about that time you got Burned, before i found you she warned, stretching her body out like some big dog, her claws raking the sand beneath her as she retracted them.
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 4:11 am
At the younger weyrling's comment, K'ro gave a deep chuckle. "Well, that's true." It wouldn't be too long before they were actually allowed to do that kind of thing again... F'ren looked young though, really quite young; he wasn't sure how many turns the other green rider had, but it couldn't be more than sixteen. Still, he supposed that the difference in turns between riders didn't matter all that much once their dragons were fully mature and started to rise and chase...
Humm. Viridith's nature was probably going to make that an interesting experience. Perhaps he should warn all the blue and brown riders he knew once she was close to that age; he had a feeling that his sharp green wouldn't take kindly to being caught by a male she didn't want.
Still, no sense thinking too much on that for now, it would be a couple more months before his lifemate was old enough to rise for the first time. Setting thoughts about that and what it might mean for some hapless dragon rider pair, K'ro kicked off his trousers and folded them with his shirt.
Now clad only in his underwear, he waded into the water. "It's good to be able to be more... separate," he said after a moment, turning back to F'ren as he recalled their topic of conversation. "I think as we and they mature we'll have times when we can be quite distant as well as times when we can't really tell ourselves apart. When our girls start to rise, for example. I'm glad that my preferences go both ways, otherwise I think I'd find the idea of flights a bit unpleasant. That's us holders for you," the powerfully muscled man grinned at his companion, "stiff and hidebound... Back at home, I wouldn't have just admitted to liking men as well as women unless I'd been asked directly."
People could get really nasty about that sort of thing, but thanks to his really very masculine appearance he'd never been challenged about his sexuality. He would never have lied if he'd been asked, but that didn't mean he was unaware of what the consequences of telling the truth could have been, it just meant that he preferred them to lying.
Back on the shore, Viridith gave a soft hiss of displeasure. "Males," she explained to the other green, "when we start to rise... They had better not think they can have me just because they want me. It will be my choice, or they will suffer. What of you? Have you thought about what it will be like?" She hadn't until her lifemate had. She should have done. She should have started thinking by now, deciding which male was worthy of catching her... Well, she would just have to start now, she couldn't begin sooner after all.
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:50 am
F'ren stretched as he removed his shirt, as much as he joked about it, he'd never really had much alone time, usually it was either with Toulonth or one of the other weyrlings. Not that he minded though, because when he was on his own, in the days before Toulonth his mind hadn't been a very nice place to be. He frowned a little, sadly, as he remembered the Crimson and her rider. I am here now Mine, we are together, it was sad but it has passed now, look how the sun shines, and warms us, the sky is ours F'ren turned to look at his dragon, a small tear shining in his eye "i know Toulonth, sometimes i wish i could forget that as easily as i do most other things though" he laughed.
F'ren stared at the older Weyrling, "When....when they rise... oh yes!" he sad, trying to over his initial slight confusion and embrassment "I agree, sometimes we can chose, they do say that dragons sometimes are influenced by our preferences, but i dont know....." he trailed "Really? it's just another part of life here really, although us 'free and easy' types dont tend to get the bigger dragons, but i dont care, my Toulonth is wonderful and i wouldn't change her for anything" he said at K'ro's mention of stiff, hidebound holders "i guess that's why some Holders don't like us much here at the Weyr but it's nothing to be ashamed of K'ro it just makes us more....flexible than most" he chuckled wading into the water behind the other.
Toulonth gave a small nod to Viridith "I'm not sure Viridith, Mine seems to like a lot of other riders, maybe one that he likes will catch me" she mused, not having thought about it very much. "Scarath is very nice though" she said, mentioning the polite Bronze who was her bunkmate.She would think about it more when the time came, but as for the moment the sun was warm and making her happy "lets dive in and surprise Ours when they're not looking Viridith, it will be fun" she suggested to the other Green
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Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:24 am
"Flexible?" K'ro smiled, raising an eyebrow at the younger green rider. "Must admit, I've never been the flexible partner, not in a literal sense anyway... I can't say I'm ashamed," he went on, "I've never seen anything wrong with it I was more... more cautious than anything else. There aren't many people who could do me damage on their own, but groups of people can get ugly when they're drunk and faced with something they don't like." There wasn't anything wrong with liking the same sex... yet dragons discriminated based upon that, as F'ren said. Did they think it was wrong?
"...No, not wrong," Viridith said to Hers, snapping her head around to regard him as he waded deeper into the water, "but we do choose because of it. Green, blue, and the atypicals do not choose because of it, because we do not have the clutching instinct... Except from crimsons, but crimsons are strange." Crimsons could be anything they wanted. Breeders, leaders, or just wingriders. She had no desire to breed, or to lead, but it would have been nice to have had the option in a way. Still. She was green, and happy as that... So long as those above her respected her, and were good leaders. Not like Serinth and her stupid rider.
Eventually, Viridith returned her attention to her fellow green and processed her suggestion. Jumping out on her rider wasn't something that would have occurred to her, it was so... Spontaneous. Perhaps it would be fun though, so long as she thought a bit about it first. "Alright," she said slowly, "yes. We will wait until they are deeper, and then we will surprise them. It will teach them to deal with the unexpected... Or just make them scream like little girls."
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:06 pm
F'ren chuckled "I meant flexible as in the fact that most of the Dragons that would fly ours in a flight would be of the Male gender" he said smiling. Living in the Weyr was different to holds, he had never been in trouble from liking both genders specifially, just the odd once or twice when a boyfriend had taken offence at his... flirting with their partner. Remembering this he ran his tongue over his chipped tooth, THAT had not been worth the after affect. He swam out behind K'ro "Drunks .. are not fun, especially if they decide they want to get violent" he agreed "it's easier in the Weyrs, i never would have thought that kind of thing happened down there" he admitted, he had never had much interest in the Holds practices.
"let us take off now, stretch our wings" suggested Toulonth, "then when they are distracted we can dive near them, i wold like to hear Mine scream like some of the girls i have heard that do not like the way we eat" her tone disgusted at this, humans ate just as messily sometimes, Dragons .. just preferred their lunch running around before they chowed down.
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Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 4:28 am
"Mmh," K'ro nodded, allowing himself to sink up to his neck in the water, "it seemed normal when I lived there; senseless but normal. Now that I've lived here for a few months, I can't imagine going back to an environment like that. Their perspective on relationships as a whole are very... rigid. a bit of fooling around while you're young is just about accepted so long as there are no consequences, but eventually you're supposed to 'grow up' and settle with one partner for the rest of your life." He couldn't imagine that... Well, obviously there was Viridith, but a rider's dragon was nothing like a man's wife. It was so much more than that, so very much more.
"...Yes," Viridith hissed quietly, in what those who knew her would recognise as a pleased manner, and rose fluidly to her feet. "Stretch our wings, and then teach Ours that they should always keep an eye on us." She should always be in K'ro's mind. Shooting the other green the draconic equivalent of a grin, Viridith sprung into the air and snapped out her wings. Yes. This would be a very good lesson for her rider.
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