Xanadu Weyr - Shore of Lake Caspian
The cliffs that run along the shore come and go, various weyrs nestled along the tops of them or dug into the walls, but eventually they recede enough to expose a beach. The white sand echoes the rise and fall of the cliffs with a multitude of sandy dunes, endlessly creating tiny valleys that are constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of dragons. The dunes smooth out as the gentle slope approaches the edge of the deep blue water. The sand darkens, and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect.
The beach narrows to the southwest, leaving a path barely wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to a smaller, more sheltered cove. The sands are the same white, the waters the same blue, but they're calmer and more tranquil, more protected from the winds that ruffle Lake Caspian and the currents that tug beneath the surface.
Rough, wide stairs lead up to the meadow above and the road that runs along the top of the cliffs, passing through the fields and heading for the river mouth that can be just barely seen from here. The largest of the staircases up the cliff is located near the docks that jut out onto the peaceful blue waters.
Late morning finds a green not native to Xanadu at the beach, straps coiled a safe distance from the shore allowing her to freedom to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes, being in the water. She doesn't venture too far from where Kate, a perhaps more familiar face, meanders long the wet sand however. Jacket and boots discarded along with Xinieth's straps, the blonde letting the waves wash over her feet now and again as they will.
Some things will never change where V'ro is concerned, at least not until he's too old to manage. But that's not today! So this late morning, he's running along the beach in the sand where it's deeper, less wet, and thus takes more effort to keep a decent pace. He was wearing a shirt at one point, but now it's hanging out of the back of his shorts to take advantage of the breeze coming off of the lake against his bare, sweating skin.
"You're going to kill me with this one day," F'yr's voice comes from somewhere A GOOD WAYS BACK behind the much faster V'ro, the equally shirtless bronzerider drenched in sweat from obviously trying (and failing) to keep up with the greenrider who is just so much better built for the sport of running than the man built to haul Very Heavy Things. So it'll either be V'ro with his running obsession or maybe the sight of (Weyrling)Rider Kate on their very own beach of Xanadu because when he spots a once-familiar but recently absent blonde head there in the surf, he stumbles and goes down. It's pretty comedic really, but at least it's just to his knees. "V'ro!" He calls to get the other man's attention before he's actually out of earshot, and a wide gesture indicates the foreign greenrider, before he calls, "Katailea!" Only that's not her name anymore, now is it, F'yr.
V'ro may have run past unnoticed give that weyrfolk (rider or otherwise) running along the beach isn't so terribly unfamiliar and Kate's thoughts at the moment weren't exactly on who else might be present. The sound of a familiar name finds her turning, even if it might not be what she's called anymore. She's had more time as that for it to still see her responding to it, a smile pulling at her lips when she spots the source, jogging over to meet the pair. "You're not going to get me in trouble if I don't salute are you?" Because between friends it just feels silly.
There's a good chance that V'ro has been tuning out F'yr's complaining, from his perspective anyway, but there must be something in the bronzerider's tone that actually makes the greenrider pull up, panting, and look back at the other man before F'yr is calling out the name of the once familiar blonde. Green eyes shift toward Kate, but it takes V'ro's running brain a few more seconds to process, even as he's already on a jogging path back toward the bronzerider. "Are you okay!" he calls back on his way. "First rule is not to give superiors ideas on how to be assholes," is some kind of greeting to Kate.
"Fine," is volleyed back for his concerned running partner and one of F'yr's hands gives a little wave to push off the concern. It does take him a moment down there before he starts to get up to his feet - but then, he was already feeling the run before he went down. It's as he's getting settled on his feet that he seems to really have a moment to consider Kate's question. "We-ee-ll-" But no, of course F'yr wouldn't, not when it could be real trouble. He flashes his easy smile before glancing toward V'ro. "Is that what I kept doing wrong?" (Probably.) At least they're in different wings now, though, so whatever creative punishments F'yr came up with are no longer V'ro's problem. He glances back to the Igen greenrider to ask, "Just up for a visit?" His eyes go toward the water, toward the various dragons enjoying it. "Which one is she?"
"You're only my superior until we graduate," Kate points out to V'ro. A time that's sooner rather than later at this point. She won't comment on the being assholes part but he does get a knowing smirk for it. Its to F'yr that she tilts her head with an almost pout for that 'well' which returns to a smile when it doesn't go anywhere. "Not exactly. Had deliveries and got done a little early." She finished her chores early is all. "We don't need to be back until lunch," so she's taking advantage of the time to get their beach fix. Its a different sort of smile, that soft, loving, fond one that crosses her features as she turns to point out Xinieth, the turquoise green just off shore.
"Sure, but you're not graduated right now." Which is the point in time that matters to V'ro. He's an 'in the moment' sort of guy. There's a brief smirk at the bronzerider before he's glancing off in the direction that Kate points out her green. "She looks good," he says, his brief appraisal of the young green. "I knew you had it in you to impress. I'm glad she found you." So glad that this is the first time he's said it to her since, obviously. Must be that 'in the moment thing.' Out of sight, out of mind.
Don't worry about V'ro, F'yr can handle him. That clarification from the Xanadoan greenrider has F'yr twisting to buffet his fist into V'ro's shoulder and give him a pointed (but playful) look. "Ah, errands, the good old days." There's an exaggerated movement to wipe a nonexistent tear from his eye while the hand that was a fist shifts to a grip still on the other man's skin to give him a little shake. "But V'ro still gets to enjoy all that with Comet. Just think. One day you'll be a full grown rider, too." This is F'yr sounding entirely too serious to be at all that way. His hand falls away from V'ro (perhaps prepared to fend off any elbowing or other retaliation, perhaps simply too trusting for his own good). He has a nod of agreement for the man's assessment of Kate's lifemate, "And it's Kate now, right? Do you and she have favorite parts yet of this whole crazy life?" Dragonriding and all that. The not-very-secret-at-all club they're all a part of.
"Thank you, 'sir'." V'ro earns a smirk as Kate looks back to the greenrider. If V'ro wants to make something of it she can play that way too, though there is a teasing to it that's very much Katailea too. "But seriously, thank you," this time for both of them. A nod the, "It is," she confirms of the change of name with her impression. "Yes," the answer comes with a glance back towards Xinieth, continuing when she looks back to V'ro and F'yr, "And no. I mean she's…." something she doesn't have words for, but as for the rest of it all she's still working on that. "Its good to see you both though."
V'ro will give as good as he gets. He doesn't have the power F'yr has, but it's not like the bronzerider was making real use of that anyway. "I like making deliveries. Well enough," says the greenrider, only vaguely defensive. "Yeah, no, I don't think I like that," he says when Kate calls him 'sir'. "Not from you, anyway. F'yr, why don't you give it a try, I might like it better from you." Super innocent, this one. "Anyway, yeah, it's good to see you, too. I haven't really seen anyone else we stood with for ages, I don't think."
F'yr does V'ro the honor of pretending to flinch a little from the return of favors, but then he's straightening up, "Oh, yes, sir. Right-o, sir. As you like, sir," because why miss this opportunity to sass the greenrider who gets another shove at the end of it as he has a smirk of his very own. "How was that?" Too tongue in cheek? Probably. He looks over to Kate, "I've seen some people around." Certain ones more than others. "Now you're only a jump away from anywhere." Or she wouldn't be here. "Does Xinieth look forward to traveling some more? Anywhere on your list?" He looks to V'ro, "You have any new places you're going to show me?" He does rely on his token Comet wingrider to make sure he's seen all the really cool places.
Kate laughs. "Well…" she'll just leave it at at that and not verbally poke at V'ro. He's the one who was making a thing of it. "I haven't either. Evi came to visit once, but," the blonde gives a light shrug of her shoulders. Beyond that she hasn't seen any of them until today. "Does Xinieth," Kate can only laugh at that question. "She wants to go everywhere, but yeah, there's a couple places I want to get to yet." Green eyes shift towards V'ro at F'yr's latest question, curious as to the answer herself. "Anywhere that should be on my list?"
"I hate you." That's how that was, F'yr. V'ro takes his shirt to wipe off his face and chest, keeps it in his hand. There's no retaliation for the shove, but the fickle greenrider's mood has shifted. Will F'yr even notice? "You should just try everywhere you can, decide what you like for yourself. I've had my eye on Ierne for a bit. Been wondering if I should put in for a transfer, even." There's a brief glance toward F'yr, then he's looking at Kate more directly. "I should probably take off. We should get a drink sometime, though, just the two of us." And then, without looking at the bronzerider again, he's turning to continue on his way, glancing up at the sky where, sure enough, his own green is gliding down to pick him up further down the beach.
"What?" There are a number of things in that mercurial man's statements that draw this response from F'yr. Did he notice? WHY YES HE DID. It seems he's paying more attention to Koth's rider than he's given credit for. He's more than slightly baffled by more than one thing there, and it really makes his attention hiccup so hard he almost misses Kate's question and V'ro's answer to her. "I liked Ista," he manages, but looking more than slightly shaken and in the very least troubled, "I'll catch up with you another time. Excuse me." Without any more thought to manners, he's turning to sprint after the retreating form of the greenrider. "V'ro!"