Fort Weyr - Northeast Bowl
The northern end of the bowl can be an intimidating area, being that Fort is the largest weyr. The far north wall contains the gigantic opening to the hatching caverns, and to the west of that can be seen the sprawling ledges and carved stair cases that mark the way to the administration complex and the training grounds were candidates and weyrlings can often be found. The west cliff wall towers up, dotted here and there by darker openings that mark individual weyrs before it tapers to a point at Tooth Crag.
The life of a weyrling. Ordered, planned, directed and anything but simple. The pair had spent the morning with the standard tasks. Eating, oiling, stretching, walking. After that they had to commit themselves to other lessons that are just as necessary to learn. Now the day has run on and become late afternoon. Which has left the pair with a bit of free time. Jaicoureth had wanted to go back out and look around the bowl again in the daylight and so that is just what they are doing. The rider is standing next to his lifemate, hand on his shoulder as always as the dragon looks around the high walls dreaming of the day when he will be able to fly up and touch all those high places and see them up close, «I like it here. I'd like to see more.» he comments, "And you will, but they want you to get a little stronger first so that you don't get too tired out. You are too big to carry back to the barracks if you fall asleep."
A green dragon swoops in low over the lip of the bowl and touches down lightly with a musical warble, not far from the weyrling pair. The green transport dragon carries three passengers - all with Xanadu shoulder knots - besides all the packages and bundles. "Be awhile, but don't go far!" is the cheerful caution and the rider unsnaps himself, swings down and begins to unload his cargo. Behind him one, a silverblonde looks around without interest. It's… a weyr. Y-ay? But this is what they get when they're hitch hiking from healer hall to get home. It's like… Russian Roulette or something. Never know where you end up on the way back! "I need to stretch my legs," she says, leaning back and tipping her head up to see the man behind her. Gone are the days when she'd scramble down easily.
Jethaniel inclines his head to the passenger ahead of him. "I believe we can do that without an excessively far area of dispersal," he agrees to her, and unfastens his own straps. The weyrling pair is observed, but not given any particular attention; they are a common observation around Weyrs, and he has no expectation that this particular set is composed of anyone whom he has seen before or will see again. He slips down from the dragon's back and turns to offer his arms to Darsce to assist her descent from the dragon's back. Fortunately, it is only a green, and as such it is not excessively difficult even given the added challenge presented by certain circumstances.
Jaicoureth's attention is caught by the green. He has seen only a few 'grown' dragons since his hatching. «She is like my sister. But bigger.» he offers as a running commentary to his rider. The dragon also pulls just a bit closer to C'rus and looks to him searchingly, "Yes. I'm sure she knows." he comments back reflexively. It's then though that C'rus observes the pair that are getting off the dragon. He just sort of stares at them. The world is a rather small place isn't it? "I know them. Some of them anyway." he says to the young dragon. He waves a hand in the air, "Hello there. Welcome to Fort."
Darsce unclips herself easily enough, but the maneuvering to kick her leg over in front of herself goes more awkwardly, the outline of her distended belly obvious under her jacket. Then it's more of a flounder-tumble down to land heavily into Jethaniel's arms, clinging to him as she, off balance, gets her feet under her. When she does step away, it isn't more than a half-step. She's breathless, for that dismount has seemed to take more effort than it should, so the only answer the gives the weyrling is a flutter of fingers while the other hand rakes her long hair out of her face so she can see properly. The green transport dragon, meanwhile, lowers her head and snakes her neck out towards the little blue with a whuffle. She doesn't speak, but her body language is all 'Aww! Baby dragon! Hello!'
Being greeted is also a not a particularly unusual occurence; there exist a wide variety of reasons why one might offer such salutations, and as such, Jethaniel ensures that Darsce has been comfortably removed from the dragon prior to his further assessment of the source of that greeting. Having assured his balance before lifting his arms to her, he assures hers before lowering them, observing her expression - or, given that her hair is obscuring that, her posture - before turning and conducting an observation of a small blue dragon. "Good after… ah." Perhaps Jethaniel has realized that the transit may have confused his sense of time, and is seeking for the appropriate temporal unit… or perhaps he has merely noted a certain familiarity to a previously observed bedside manner, or at least the dispenser thereof. Regardless, he does not immediately continue in verbal form, merely continuing that observation.
Jaicoureth observes the green dragon closely, especially as she moves her neck toward him. He just pulls all the tighter closer to C'rus. The green has not yet invaded his 'space' but is getting dangerously close. C'rus wraps a reassuring arm around the neck of the growing 'baby' and says quietly to him, "You know she is just being friendly." he says before turning his attenion back to Darsce and Jethaniel. A look of surprise crosses face as he notices Darsce's delicate condition. It shouldn't really surprise him all that much, but it does. The world does change. Upon Jethaniel's greeting he can't help but smile, "Yeah. Its me." He's fully aware that it must be a rather strange sight and he wouldn't believe it either, if he wasn't living it himself.
It certainly shouldn't surprise him seeing how the first time he saw them it was in bed together. Which totally counts even though 'bed' was an infirmary cot and they were both fully clothed. Pity, that! Anyway! *cough* Darsce is no more delicate than that sturdy little blue dragonling. To wit: she doesn't shatter when Jethaniel catches her. Neither does she go into labor. Yay again! She's seen dragons, seen baby ones and so while Jethaniel is doing the courtesy of greeting that weyrling, she's pouting at her boots which have sunk ankle-deep in mud. She'll have to clean those as soon as… The 'it's me' draws her head up to see which 'me' this one is and… She blinks a few times, face expressionless. "Cyyyyyus?" Nowai. That's the tone right there. No. Freaking. Way. Behind them, the green dragon understands body language and so slowly retracts her head and sprawls to her belly, curling her tail about her form. Still there, still interested but not pressing to socialize. The move to make her body smaller might be a lure, though. Canny dragon, tricks are for kids! Or Jaicoureth, in this case.
The evidence presented by the world certainly does seem to indicate that it changes. Jethaniel's hand remains resting against Darsce's back, a light touch there as he considers that evidence. He is likely unaware of certain details; nevertheless, the confirmation provided of Cyrus - both visual and verbal - causes him to incline his head slightly. He glances to Darsce, then returns his gaze to Cyrus and the dragon whose body language makes it quite clear that they are associated with each other, just as Jethaniel's own presents his association to Darsce. "Good afternoon." This time, he finishes the words.
C'rus can't help enjoying the reaction from the pair…just a little bit…it was the same internal reaction he had when he was impressed, but you don't get to fully savor that moment since so much is going on. This provides a way to sort of 'relive' the surprise through another's eyes, "C'rus now. And this is my lifemate Jaicoureth." he says as he looks at the blue with love. Jaicoureth responds with a happy little hum. The young dragon keeps his eyes peeled on the green, so much bigger than his sister. «I will fly too soon.» he says to her. Not moving closer but tenatively engaging her in some conversation, "I never would have expected to see you here, but welcome all the same." C'rus adds to the human visitors.
It takes Darsce all of one second to come back teasingly with," C'rus…t." Not that she'll keep referring to him with that name, mind. She just… apparently… couldn't help it. She's never been one to lack a smart-ass remark and as evidence of this, she tips her head a little bit observing the pair - Jaicoureth mostly and his blue, blue hide. "I could say the same for you, Cy- C'rus," she drawls. Never in a million turns, even. And now an expression blooms on her face to replace blank one - not one of surprise or delight - but amusement. She fights it. She tries anyway. Her lips twist with the effort and she bites the insides of them to keep the grin at bay. She fails. The smirk emerges, followed by a sound that sounds awfully unladylike - a snort. Aaaand that does it - she snickers and then loses it, laughing outright. And between laughter, she manages a few words, "You've got…" (laughter continues) "…a" (more laughter) "…dragon in…" (even more laughter) "…in your…" (yet more laughter) "…balls now." She could have said brains, but it'd be the same thing? And she shouldn't've said that, but ohwell? She turns to Jethaniel, drops her forehead to his shoulder and just loses it, cackling hard enough that it might sound like she's crying. The green dragon inclines her head in silent acknowledgement. The little one will indeed fly. « Probably not as soon enough for you. »
Jethaniel's eyebrows rise slightly for the revised name provided by the bluerider along with that of his lifemate. They settle as he turns his gaze to Darsce, though he does not actually smile at the variant name she provides for C'rus, merely returning his gaze to the weyrling. "There do exist occasions on which inter-Weyr coordination is required. I visit Fort within the parameters of my role." An eyebrow arches once more, and then his gaze returns to Darsce as she enters a paroxysm of laughter, a combination of puzzlement and concern as his arms curl up around her and hold her gently against him as he observes C'rus once more. "It would seem your situation has… changed."
Jaicoureth has not seen this sort of reaction out of a person. So he looks to his rider with a questioning look on his face, humming softly to him. The riders eyes glaze slightly as he listens to the question from his lifemate, "No. She is just sort of like that…" he responds to the young one, he does quickly look up to Darcse, he doesn't mind if he is being teased, but he is protective of his little lifemate, "Darsce…please remember. Young ears…." he begs her, hopefully she will remember that there is much the young one isn't ready to hear and can't understand, "It seems your situation has changed as well." he says to Jethaniel. The dragon seems to take this in stride for the present and glances back to the green, «My dear boy says it won't be long.»
Darsce won't hesitate to answer for Cyrus. Between gasps of laughter, she says to Jethaniel, "Oh it's changed alright. When his baby grows up, he's going to become the one doing what he went apeshit at Kiena for doing." All said without malice and with absolute glee. She lifts her head from Jethaniel's shoulder, eyes bright with laughter-tears. "Oh, I'll remember little ears, C'rus. But they aren't going to stay little, you know. And those greens - maybe three a day - will rise. What're you gonna do then, hm?" She's SO VERY amused! "I want to ask both you and the search dragon 'what were you thinking?!'" But of course, she won't because she's too busy mock- er laugh- er congratulating the new rider. Darsce-style. Behind them the green is shuffling to her feet at the behest of her rider. "Ride's leaving!" he calls to his passengers. The green hums back to Jaicoureth with a cheerful contradiction, « It will be about a turn and a half. It will seem like forever, but it won't be. »
Jethaniel inclines his head to Darsce's assessment of C'rus's new situation, though he does not respond to it verbally. His expression of puzzlement regarding the putative change in his own situation appears genuine, however. "Not significantly." It nevertheless appears unlikely that he would be capable of a failure to observe the swell of Darsce's stomach, given her proximity. His head turns to brush lips to the top of her head, then looks up to the greenrider who has provided them their conveyance and will continue to do so. "Shall we?" he asks Darsce, reaching to assist her back onto the Xanadu green. He looks back to C'rus and Jaicoureth to add, "I hope your situation will prove… tenable." He smiles slightly, then proceeds to depart and leave the weyrling pair to that situation.
C'rus can see exactly where Darsce is going with her comments and so he immediately his eyes glaze over and he begins a conversation to distract the young one from what she is saying, "Don't worry you will be flying before you know it and it won't feel as long as you think it will because we will have so much to do and be so busy." he says softly to the young dragon. Just hoping that the young dragon didn't pick up any of that. He's been doing such a great job of keeping his mind closed about so many things, and he wont' let her undo his work. The young dragon is more interested in what his rider is saying than what the woman is saying, thankfully, and he nods, «I will practice alot.» he responds. He looks back up to the pair, having not heard much of what they said anyway, "Good day. I'm sure things will be fine." he says, ushering his littel baby back to the training grounds.
Oh Cyrus. Both you and baby are employing defense mechanisms that will only get you so far. Darsce has never had a dragon in her head and so whatever he's doing to close his mind to his dragon goes unnoticed by her. Baby dragons will talk to one another though, so keeping baby unaware forever? Uh, not gonna happen. "Seeya, C'rust. Good luck. I think you're gonna need it," she calls, still grinning and still very, very amused as she walks with Jethaniel to clumsily mount that green and go home. The word congratulations? Not even entering her mind because… damn! The poor guy's a rider now. She might even feel a little sorry for him now. For like… two seconds. From her point of view, Pern's nature has evened the score between Kiena and C'rus and she couldn't be more jubilantly gleeful for that.