Xanadu Weyr - Beach
The unerring range of subdued white rises and falls in a multitude of sandy dunes, creating an endless amount of tiny valleys constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of a dragon. Smoothing out as it slopes gently to the edge of the deep blue water, the sand darkens and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect. The beach itself is set along a low cliff - the height lessoning as one heads eastwards, blocking a portion of the beach from direct access.
The wide wide stretch of water opens up to the east, the far distant shore way beyond the horizon and the beach curves ever so slowly round to east and west, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. East leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, where the protecting cliff is merely an arms length higher then the sand, and beyond that, a winding road leading out of Xanadu's territory. Westwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. However, cut in the cliff face to the north are a variety of rough, wide staircases, providing access to the clearing and to the meadow.
It's midday at Xanadu and where would anyone rather be than the beach? K'ael included. Since he was required to be present at every switch of rounds, the bronzer kept weird work hours. Not to mention the fact that he was on call, like the rest of the wing. So when he can sneak off to get some exercise, he usually took the chance, even if it was the warmest part of the day. Though it looks like the bronzer is about done for now, since he's wading back to shore in his swim trunks. Azaeth though isn't quite as done, and the big bronze can be seen out on the horizon for a moment before diving back down into the water.
Keziah wanders along the beach appearing out from amongst some dunes idly munching on some kind of fruit. Alosynth is yet to be seen, or at least she herself, for there's a certain amount of dust and sand appearing past some other dunes. Kezi brings her hand up over her eyes as she catches movement out in to water, though with the suns glare, she doesn't really catch quite who it is, other than it was big. So she doesn't notice K'ael right away, but as she drifts closer to the shore she catches site of her wingleader and offers a bit of a wave.
K'ael gives a wave to Keziah once he realizes who she is. The bronzer moves over to where he's set his things down, picking up a rolled up towel and putting on a pair of sandals so the sand doesn't burn his feet. Then he heads over to properly greet the greenrider. "Hello, Keziah. Out for a swim, too?" The bronzer looks a little funny, his usually perfectly sculpted hair matted to his head.
Keziah snorts a bit "Nah, I've had enough of liquid for the day. She looks back over her shoulder and then there's Alo who comes along looking a bit disgruntled. Kezi can't help but snort a bit and then shrugs at the green. "She was wanting to see if rolling would satisfy itching like it seems to for the runners." At the greens snort Kezi laughs "But alas even finding the biggest wallow for her, it's just not good enough and she doesn't want to admit that I told her I could do a better job." With that said Kezi ends up sparlwing forward as she's nudged just a little much from behind by one green head "Hey…! Mmmp"
K'ael chuckles and nods. "Fair enough." K'ael smiles a bit to the green. "I bet she at least looked cute rolling around. Azaeth would just… look scary. Or like he had some sort of crazy dragon sickness or something. Ah well, when Azaeth gets an itch he makes me bath and oil him, so it means I'm out for the count for hours." Speak of the devil, a shadow looms overhead, and then Azaeth swoops down to the sand, a fish still caught in his jaws. There's a rumble to the green.
Keziah hmms thoughfully "Well, it was kinda amusing to watch, as for cute. Alosynth's always cute." she notes with a grin as she leans affectionately back against Alo. "She just likes trying new things and all, which in itself can be time consumng especially when after several different tries at something we have to go back and do it the right way. Aww well, it keeps life interesting." she gives a nod to the bronze and Alo gives the bronze a speculative look and then whuffles softly in return as she tucks her wings quite demurely along her side and attempts that 'I am not wistfully looking at your fish.' look.
K'ael chuckles. "That's probably true." He comments about Alosynth being cute. "Azaeth is… never cute. He's also sort of boring and grumpy." The bronzer gets a huff from his dragon, who peers at the green with whirling redish eyes. "I wouldn't expect him to share, either. Though she might have some luck." The bronzer uses the towel to rub his head, turning his hair matt into a mess.
Keziah chuckles softly "Won't stop her from trying. Things like that never do." she looks fondly at Alo "Which makes her such a wonder during storms and such. She won't give up." A glance at Azaeth "Now, since he's never cute, would calling him cute make him more boring and grumpy? Though maybe more grumpy which really wouldn't be boring at all." she notes thoughfully. Alosynth herself rolls to one side and then idly reaches out, much like a feline, towards Avaeth.
K'ael laughs. "Well, I'll try to help her out. And calling him cute probably would make him more grumpy. Though not any more boring. Maybe less, depending on how grumpy he gets. He tends to just let his grumpiness fester, then sometimes releases it during flights. But he hasn't flown in a while. In a bit of a slump, I guess." Azaeth looks down at Alo and tilts his head. He's seen actual felines make the same motion at him.
Keziah awws "You'll help her out?" she can't help but grin. Then there's a look at Avaeth "Poor guy, that's gotta be, well I dunno how it's gotta be. Little hard to be on the losing end with a green." A pause and a thoughful look. "Less you're waking up to someone you'ld rather not have, but well, I think the worst one to wake up with would have been V'dim, but he's a greenie too so no worries there." Alosynth whuffles again and sidles just a tad closer.
There's a bit of a pause from K'ael, and a grunt from Azaeth. The bronze then snaps his jaw all the way shut, letting the half of fish fall for Alo. Then he hunkers down in the sand to chew on his half of the prize. "Heh, true enough. Though I'm not really sure how you greenies manage. There are plenty of… undesirable riders out there." He laughs. "Not a fan of V'dim?"
Keziah eyes K'ael "No, not really. Sure he's great as a WeyrlingMaster and all, but yeah. No." she shudders a little even as Alosynth snatches the half fish and rolls completely over to nibble on the fish, well nibble as much as a dragon can, even as she watches Azaeth and croons as she finishes off the fish. Kezi hmms at Alo and then rolls her eyes "Well, look at that." she murmurs as she eyes Alo thoughfully and then lets her attention be diverted. "Aye well, at the least we don't have to stick around once we wake up. That and Alo doesn't typically cuddle much anyways." A pause "Only a couple of times, but then there was breakfast or was it dinner, involved so I wasn't as quick to leave either but It can be interesting and all."
K'ael chuckles a bit. "Well, he is a bit old, no? I can't say I would like to wake up next to him, either. Though most men are off my list." Azaeth is trying not to look at Alo. He's grumpy over being instructed to share his fish. "True. Though technically the winners don't either, heh. It depends on who it is, whether we stick around or not, I suppose. Usually I try to offer breakfast, but some are more interested in throwing us out. You don't seem like the type to throw me out at least." He grins to her.
Keziah hmms thoughfully at K'ael "Well, I dunno. Would you be up for makin' a steak?" She asks and then smiles sweetly "You did say you didn't have much of a repotoire when it came to cooking." she tilts her head a little "Sides, if I threw you out, I might risk hurting you by accident and then where would the wing be?" Alo flips back over and then tilts her own head as she watches Azaeth while tucking her tail neatly around her.
K'ael laughs a bit. "I can do breakfast. That's really the only meal I have a handle on. Eggs, pancakes, tubers… those I can handle. If you need me to like… make a stew though you might want to think twice." The bronzer grins to her. "Well, let's face it, I don't do much flying anyways. I'm sure the wing would manage while my injures healed." The bronzer lays out his towel on the sand, then takes a seat on it. Azaeth meanwhile lays his head down on his forepaws and flicks his tail a bit. He can feel the green watching him, he can.
Alosynth would never stare, oh no. Not her. She's working on perfecting her 'looking like she's not looking' look. Her eyes half-lidded. Keziah shrugs a bit "A stews nothing, just toss a little of this and a little of that together. It's usually edible. Can be fun to play with seasonings though. Finally got the hang of it after about half a turn of trying not to lose what I'd cooked on the mountain." she notes. She watches K'ael sit, though she doesn't really follow and plop herself in the sand. LEast not at first. Instead she looks out over the water. "Don't you miss being out there in the thick of things?" she asks curiously.
Azaeth is working on his 'trying not to look' look. Finally the bronze flomps over to one side. Let her look! "I guess… usually mine ends up too soupy though, or too chunky. Or I cook it too long and mix it too much, so it's just a big gray mush." The bronzer grins to her then. "You must have me confused with someone else. I've never been a rider in search and rescue. Everything I knew I learned on the job, or from D'son. Azaeth is usually too large to be of much help, anyways. Unless there's something large that needs removing."
Keziah head shakes a little "Doesn't have to be search and rescue to be in the thick of things." she notes and then just shakes her head again. "Haven't you ever just decided to well, head out into the forest and camp out, or just see where flying can take you by following a direction as nebulous as a cloud? To go out hunting and some face to face with the kin of your nemisis and fire off a shot right between its eyes and bring home a glorious skin?" she asks. Alosynth rumbles a moment as she glances briefly over at Kezi at teh reference to felines and then there's a bit of color in Kezi's cheeks but she doesn't elaborate on that and Alo just eyes the bronze on more time and lets out a sigh and then closes her eyes. Or does she?
K'ael chuckles. "Before this I was a transport rider for a while. Then before that I was weyrleader at Ista. Though I did have a short stint in Ierne which was nice. I was able to not really.. do much of anything for a while." He laughs. "Hunting and such things I suppose I left behind at the hold. Though D'son and I go camping every so often. More so now that he's not weyrleader anymore. I was… never much into hunting though." He doesn't much care for the slaughter, really. But he's alright cutting if they're already dead. "It sounds like maybe you need a vacation, Keziah."
Keziah blinks a moment "Huh? Vacation?" she murmurs at the unexpected remark. She then shakes her head a bit "Nah, don't need a vacation and all. What would I do with myself?" she frowns a moment and then just shrugs "Nah, I'd likely end up workin' anyways. Somethin's always needin done and all, and well I couldn't but help someone out anyways iffen they're herdbeasts got stuck in the muck or something and well. A vacation? Why would I need a vacation?"
K'ael laughs. "What would you do with yourself? I don't know, head out into the forest to hunt, or camp out, or just go flying… or any of those other things you said. And I'm sure we could get some of the other riders to fill in for you. Though maybe you enjoy the action too much for me to do that." He smiles a bit. "Though for me… I never thought of myself as a leader, but I always end up in these types of positions. I suppose if I want more action I can assign myself more patrols."
Keziah snorts a bit "I tend to end up doing that anyways." she says with a shrug "Sometimes you've gotta just camp out and all while waiting for the marshes to switch again so you can get in there. Even Alo has a hard time with some of that and well, tis easier to frive out the critters than to panic them deeper into the muck by bringin in Alosynth and wel, always huntin' felines that get in a little too close to the settlements and all." she murmurs as she absently rubs her side "And well, some are just doomed to leadership, though there ain't anything really wrong with that and all." she smiles a little "Some are just naturals."
K'ael chuckles and nods. "Well, you're a capable huntress I know. But don't overexert yourself, I guess is what I'm saying. I don't want to have to come out to rescue /you/. Plus I'd like you kicking around the wing for a few more turns yet." He chuckles, then shrugs to her. "I suppose. Maybe it's in the blood. I guess I don't mind so much really. I just never would have put myself here ten turns ago. What about you? You want to be wingleader some day?"
Keziah coughs a bit at the mention of being rescued. "Yeah, no need to have to rescue me." she murmurs and then mutters under her breath "Bad enough D'son and Thea and all coming to my rescue." She coughs again and then shrugs "Me? Wingleader? I dunno. Haven't much thought of it. Which is kind of funny in itself. I mean When I entered my craft, I aimed for Master. When I was made assistant Stablemaster here I aimed for the StableMaster slot. When I Impressed Alosynth." she pauses here and thinks to herself "I suppose I stopped looking at titles and just started doing."
K'ael blinks at her. "D'son and Thea came to your rescue? What happened?" The bronzer can't help but have his curiosity peaked at that. He smiles a bit to her. "Always aiming up hm? There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe I'm just worried you might steal my job away from me. Or maybe I ought to have Azaeth try harder next time Kilaueth flies, then you can have my job. Though you certainly don't need a big knot to make a difference around the weyr."
Keziah coughs a little "It wasn't much. In fact it's very embarrasing." she murmurs and is silent for a bit and then just plops onto the sand "Was making my way back from delivering runners and all. I didn't need rescuing. Really I didn't. But well, Mirai's nanny at the time, was up in arms when I didn't get back in time. I sent Eirwyn back with a note. I'd only screwed up my ankle a bit and then with the rains and all was very slow going through the marshes and all and well. Next thing I know I swear the whole Weyr was out there." she snorts a bit and then eyes K'ael "You might make a decent Weyrleader here." she notes with a grin.
K'ael nods to her, then smiles. "Ah well. At least it's good to know they cared about you enough to come, right? Of course Mirai is counting on you to come home to her, too. All the more reason for you not to overdo it. Though I think you can be the judge of how much is enough." He laughs a bit then. "Not while Niva is weyrwoman. She would never stand for me being weyrleader here. I'm everything she despises about bronzers. Cocky, overconfident, flirtatious… and I love women too much. I'm a bad influence."
Keziah can't help but shake her head "Well, I'd not wanna be on Niva's bad sad. She can be scary enough when she's not out for blood. Still, if Azaeth did fly Kilaueth, well she'd not have much of a choice." As to the rest she shrugs a bit "I never overdo it." There's a snort from the green "Well, she doesn't let me overdo it so well, no worries there. At least not often, sometimes the situation warrents going in at all costs." she notes softly.
K'ael grins and nods. "Niva doesn't like me very much. She tolerates me, but she looks for a weyrleader like her weyrmate. Her and Kilaueth meld quite a bit during a flight, as all goldriders do. It affects the outcome. At least sightly." The bronzer chuckles a bit. "Azaeth is the opposite. We would be out all hours of the day working if it were up to him. And I would be as big as a weyrcottage.
Keziah eyes K'ael up and down a bit "You wouldn't be half so cute then." she notes with a smirk and then hrms "Not many Niva really seems to like." she notes softly and then shrugs "Though I suppose, if one has any chance of rigging the outcome, might as well go for someone you tolerate." she murmurs softly
K'ael grins at her cute comment. Then he bounces his pecks to show off for her. He's a bronzer, he can't help himself! "Oh? Some girls think I'm too big already." He shrugs a bit. "Her and Dels seemed to get along. I was quite happy when he won that flight. I knew he would do a good job." Then he smiles to her. "Do you wish you had more influence on your own flights?"
Keziah just rolls her eyes at the peck bouncing "I've seen better form on a carcass." she remarks, though she grins. She never said she was nice. But his other comment as the grin wavering a bit and then there's a shrug "I suppose. It'd be nice sometimes I think. But well, suppose that's what I get for paying less attention to the riders then Alosynth pays to their dragons. I suppose there's been a few times her wishes and mine have coincided but well." Another shrug.
K'ael laughs. "Must have been one sexy carcass then." It's probably good that she's not very nice. Then K'ael ends up getting the upper hand, which is never a good thing. He nods to her and gives her a sympathetic look. "Just imagine waking up next to me. All snoring and carcass-y. That would be terrible. I would cry if I woke up next to myself."
Keziah eyes K'ael "Yeah, I suppose you'ld be a pretty scary slab of meat in the morning. Meat's never very good to look at after it's been sitting out all night." she says with a laugh "Could always put you on a slab of ice I suppose. I know some good glaciers at Reaches."
K'ael grins to her. "Yep. I bet I would be. Though I don't think putting me on ice would make me less scary. Just colder." He reaches over to poke at her a bit. "So who was the worst person you've woken up next to?" He chuckles at her. "If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."
Keziah smirks a little "Colder and smaller." she says crudely and then hmms "I suppose it was this one bluerider. I won't even try to remember his name, but I've smelled better hides on a porcine thats been mired in it's own filth." she notes blandly "Still I think the biggest shock was waking up next to a girl." she murmers.
K'ael blinks at her, then laughs. "Yes. Well." He scratches his head a bit, then wrinkles his nose. "…ew. Some riders." Then he quirks a brow, and grins. "A girl, hm? I suppose that does happen… I suppose my worst was Azaeth's first gold win. The rider was… old. Very old. Old enough to be my grandmother and then some." He wrinkles his nose. "I didn't even know what to say the next morning."
Can I get you your teeth? Keziah frowns a bit at that and then shudders "Yeah, that'd be pretty bad. Guess it's a good thing ya didn't hurt her." she notes as she eyes K'ael up and down again. "I suppose it wouldn't have been nice to say that at least the hot sands might feel good on arthritic bones."
K'ael blinks, then nods. "I try not to get into the habit of being too rough when I'm… well you know. That way when I don't have control I don't go overboard. Usually I'm the one who ends up hurt. Scratches, bites, punches. Sharix was even so kind as to fracture my leg after our first time. She shoved me right off the bed and it got sort of caught on the headboard. Or something." He chuckles. "I was as polite as I could manage, but it was very hard to go see the clutch. Azaeth shows little interest in his brood, and running into her again gave me the chills."
Keziah is silent a little "That's very thoughful." she says simply and then just brushed that aside. "Broke your leg huh? Never done that to anyone, though I did beam one guy with a pot. He was an idiot anyways, though I may have made him smarter."
K'ael chuckles. "Well, if I win any of Alo's flights, promise me you won't make me your first fracture. Regardless of how caracssy I look in the morning. It uh… wouldn't be good for the wing, and all." He peers at her then. "Anyways, I feel like I've kept you from doing… whatever it was you came down here to do."
Keziah is silent a moment and then shrugs "I'll do my best, after all, it would look pretty bad for a rider to be bustin' up her leader and all." she notes and then shrugs "You ain't keepin' me." she notes and then hmms a little "I'm sure I'm keepin' you. Not fair of me to monopolize your time and all." she notes as she gets up and brushes off the sand.
K'ael smiles a bit and nods to her. "I'd appreciate that. Though Azaeth doesn't chase greens much. Maybe he'll make an exception for Alo though. Since she's cute and all." He shrugs a bit. "I suppose I ought to be getting back. Grab a bite to eat before I check up on the rounds." He gets up and shakes out his towel a bit. "It's been nice talking with you, Keziah. We should do this more often."
Keziah just nods, looking just a bit bemused. "Yeah. It's been. Nice." She says that last as if realizing that it really has been and then she's giving herself a shake "Till next time then." she says with a grin. "Who knows. Fish today…" a look at Alo and then shrugs "He'll have to be quick though. She is a green. Bronzes ain't the best for tricky moves."
K'ael grins a bit to her. "Until next time." He heads over towards Azaeth. "Well, Azaeth it a good flyer. But he doesn't do tricky moves very well. Too much bulk, it's hard for him to turn sharp corners usually without knocking another dragon out of the race." He grins. "But we'll see." He gives the greenrider a wave, then heads back weyr-ward.
Keziah has images of dragons falling out of the sky as they get steam-rolled "Gruesome." she remarks with a smirk and then tosses a cheesy salute. "Until next time" she states and saunters on past Alo herself and pokes the green "Come on dear, we've maidens that need are savin'" she remarks in an offhand manner. There's a pause and a snicker "Fine, we can go save some poor hapless herdbest from the great evil known as life and put it out of it's misery. Honestly, it's amazing your hips aren't bigger the way you eat." comes the banter as they disappear around a dune.