Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Grounds
Cradled in a cup shaped bite out of the mountain, this wide, grassy flat has become home for Xanadu's weyrling dragons. It's set surprisingly high above the level of the beach, visible from the eastern side of the grounds where a long path snakes its way down the hill to the sand dunes below. All other sides to the grounds are bordered by the hard granite cliffs, two entrances clearly visible. One is merely human sized and leads deep into the mountain, to the Caverns. The other is broad and high, the entrance to the Weyrling Barracks.
Each day grows warmer as they continue to grow longer, and on this sunny early summer day, V'dim and Isobeth are waiting in the Weyrling Grounds, the Weyrlingmaster pacing - as per usual, a scowl on his face - as per usual, however, Isobeth seems to have a certain glow to her as she shifts, ansty, quite not per usual for the normally patient, calm green. As the appointed hour nears, the Weyrlingmaster continues to pace, waiting for the weyrlings to arrive.
M'nol leads Faraeth to the grounds, the brown's hide glinting with fresh oil as he surveys the gathering. His eyes linger on Isobeth a moment too long and M'nol nudges him mentally. As he approaches closer to V'dim and the glowing green, M'nol gives a smart salute, "Weyrlingmaster."
Keziah is actually out ahead of Alosynth, the green taking her time coming out, and in fact she seems to be just a little less sure of herself and a little not as graceful. Keziah stops a moment and is eyeing Isobeth a moment and then there's a look at V'dim and she looks as if she's about to ask something and then just closes her mouth again as Alosynth settles down behind her. Quiet.
Vivian doesn't have a choice when it comes to being punctual there's a big green thing pushing her towards the class area and some not so muttered curses being aimed at said green thing. But she's here now so she motions Kelioth to stop pushing and lie down so she can lean against her. "Hey Keziah." She whispers. "Think M'nol's lucks maybe in?" She says a slight nod to Isobeth.
R'owan is a few paces ahead of Nyunath, who walks at an easy pace behind his rider, enjoying the warmth of the day and the wonder of the changing seasons. With his hands shoved into his pockets, the young bronzer closes the distance to the others shortly and then snaps a salute. Otherwise, he's quiet, looking a little odd for the fact that his hair has all too recently been cut far shorter than it's usual tusstled look. Poor boy.
As the weyrlings filter in, V'dim continues to watch them, the scowl only deepening at the whispers and hushed words that are exchanged here and there. Giving them only another moment, there's a barked 'Weyrlings!' - a word softed by Isobeth's crooning - as he begins to pace along the line of weyrlings. "As I'm sure some of you have realized, your dragons are quickly growing up. If they haven't already, the greens will soon begin to edge towards glowing, and the males will begin to show more than idle curiosity in the females who are doing so." He turns to walk back down the line. "Some of you," His gaze rests on the young M'nol, "May find this overwhelming. Some of you might be eager. But, this is not a joking matter."
M'nol gulps, blushing as he's singled out, even as Faraeth's eyes stray towards Isobeth again, emitting a soft croon that is quickly cut off by mental reprimand from his rider. M'nol gulps again, "I think Faraeth's been showing more than idle curiosity for several months now…"
Keziah glances towards Alosynth and shifts a little nervously. "So soon?" she asks quietly "D'son was tellin' me it's too soon really, generally not till a turn and half or two turns." she seems to be clinging to that thought as well. "She can't be. Not so soon." she leans against the quiet Alosynth who is watching the others and then her eyes drift over towards Isobeth and there's a warble and then Keziah just stares at Alosynth
R'owan leans himself slightly against his dragon's forelimb, lifting one eyebrow. Glowing dragons… oh boy. Still, something akin to a wince flashes on his face, still not quite comfortable with the fact that the girl he cares about is riding a blue who will probably be off chasing greens in no-time at all. Nyunath's head moves slowly from side to side, crooning first in a low tone to his rider, and then with a bit more of a rumble towards Isobeth. R'owan shoots the bronze a look that could kill. "Any green but that one." He whispers and thumps the bronze on the leg.
"That's not all that far off Keziah." Vivian replies as she turns her attention back to V'dim. Apparently not too phased by the conversation, she's been over this ground before. "And some may finally get laid." She murmurs, quieter, some meaningful looks going towards M'nol.
"If there was a gold, she would likely not rise til a turn and a half, two turns, or more, but greens.. some greens rise as early as a turn." V'dim counters Keziah, arching an eyebrow at M'nol's words. "And what, then, has Faraeth been noticing, weyrling?" V'dim snaps quickly, before he claps his hands at R'owan to get the bronzeriding weyrling's attention as well. "You will both find yourself in an interesting place. Your lifemates may want to chase, and while at times you can stop them, to discourage them constantly can be harmful. You may find yourself with someone you'd rather not." And there's a bit of a sneer at the two of them, even as Isobeth offers another soft croon.
Faraeth dips his head to Isobeth even as M'nol blushes again, trying to formulate an answer to V'dim's question, "Uh… I… he thinks they're pretty… that they glow…"
Keziah frowns a little at V'dims words. "As little as a turn." She murmurs softly and then there's a glance at Viv. "Yeah, I suppose so." she shifts a little. She's not been much one for extracurricular activity as some, but then she's generally been to busy or not interested in the others.
Vivian sighs a little and shakes her head at V'dim's snappishnish. "Least you guys get the option of discouraging yours, we don't get a choice in the matter." She replies to the men. "We have to put up with who ever rides our lifemates choice at the time of the flight or whoever happens to be more powerful or fast enough. There's no choosing and we don't even get to beat them up in the morning as consolation if they wouldn't be our choice."
R'owan's head turns easily, and he blinks at the clapping, perhaps a little bit surprised by it. Still he just stares at the weyrlingmaster for a good moment or two. A shiver runs up the boy's spine before he thinks of the far more appealing greenrider options, casting his eyes down the line towards Vivian and Keziah. "Some of us aren't that bad." He says simply, reaching up to run a hand through hair that isn't there. He frowns. So going back to the rakish look after this mess is over.
"Well, he'll be thinking far more, when it comes to it, Weyrling. You've no idea, and until it happens, no amount of explaining is going to change that." V'dim says, before Vivian's piping up, and he's waiting impatiently for her to finish. "As -weyrling- Vivian said, female riders have little choice in the matter. Some say that personal preference can influence the choice, but it can't be counted on." He turns to begin walking the other way. "Some of you, I'm certain, have heard others speak of stand-ins. Perhaps they are fearful, or perhaps they feel more honorable if they do so, but, whichever the case.." He looks at each of them in turn. "Stand-ins should be a last resort. Its unfair for the female rider, and the male winner alike."
M'nol blushes more deeply, "He'll do more that what he's already done? He put Viv-" he stops… so not wanting to go there… He listens carefully, then asks quietly, "Stand-ins? For what?"
Keziah is quiet as she listens and there's a glance towards Faraeth and then one towards Nyunath as well and then there's a glance at M'nol "Stand-ins, when the dragons are flying the riders are drawn into as well." she notes softly "Some.. some have a time with the different riders. They have someone else who'll they'll disappear off with." she notes quietly. "I've heard some of the other greenriders who've taken to doing that because of.. of problems." she notes quietly "It's less traumatic and less likely to send a green between, but not too many like that. Most seem to umm. enjoy it after awhile." There's a thoughful look at V'dim "But don't make riders of greens have troubles too sometimes?"
Vivian flashes a faint smile at R'owan. "Some of you I could cope with, others not so much. I like my own personal space and I'm not overly keen on the idea of anyone pawing all over me." She explains, "For Kelioth's sake or not, but I'm not getting a choice in that matter." Her gaze turns to M'nol and adds for his sake seeing as he doesn't seem to have cottoned on yet, though her tone is less than friendly at the moment. "For the sex part, where the rider of the catching dragon has sex with the rider of the green, some people try and arrange someone else to be there to take over for that part of the flight, it's not always successful and it can often turn violent due to the emotions." Ice cold right now.
"Stand-ins…" R'owan says the word as if it had a funny taste in his mouth. His nose scrunches just once, perhaps at some experience in his past that the thought reminds him of. "I don't paw. I'm a gentlemen." He coughs a little bit, and a hint of his normal wry grin sneaks through. Still, he nods with understanding, looking towards M'nol, perhaps a bit curious as to how much the younger weyrling knows about that particular thing… Then, on to Keziah as she seems to share as much knowledge as the weyrlingmaster. Still, he seems confused. "Send a green between?" His face is the portrait of someone who has obviously has never heard of such a thing. Vivian's addition to the story seems to bring it all into focus. "Shards. Messy business." In more ways than one.
"Everyone has problems, if you resist it. As Vivian said, you do not have a choice - if you fight it, your panick could send your lifemate between, to try and escape." V'dim echoes the green weyrlings, with a sage nod. "If you are a virgin, I strongly suggest that you solve that -problem- before your lifemate rises or chases for the first time. However, the barracks is by no means the appropriate place for it. I see it, you lose it." He smacks one hand into the other. "Who knows what signs there are, before a female rises?" As V'dim lectures, Isobeth continues to squirm and settle, crooning now and then before she settles back down.
M'nol looks down to suddenly realize that his hands have moved into a protective position over his most private place. He blushes so deeply, it seems to reflect off of Faraeth's hide. Quietly he mutters, "I knew that… but…" Faraeth croons again to Isobeth and M'nol's face turns from red to an interesting shade of puce, "Uh… how does… ya can' jus' fix tha' by wantin' ta."
Keziah gives a nod to Ro and then V"dim answers for her. All her times standing she's had plenty of opportunity for asking questions. Sometimes she hasn't liked the answers. There's a glance at V'dim and then the others and then she shudders a bit "How could anyone want to when anyone could watch?" she asks and shudders "Umm, they say they begin to glow." she murmurs softly "Much like Isobeth, yes?" a glance at Alosynth who chuffs softly.
Vivian's eyes have long lost any real sense of emotion as the conversation continues, almost mentally distancing herself from the topic despite how much she probably knows about it, born and bred in a weyr. "The glow is the only constant other than generally odd behaviour from dragon and rider. Little things out of the norm, more so with golds and generally for a longer period before they rise." For once she leaves M'nol alone, despite the obvious answers.
R'owan's hands shove back into his pockets, for regardless of how sure and steady he might often seem, the idea of jumping into bed with some random girl just to get it 'overwith' really doesn't sit well in his mind. He mouths something to himself, and looks down at his feet, shifting them slightly from side to side. "Sometimes it's hard to tell though. Or so I've heard anyways. A dragon who's off-color might not show it in the usual way." He tries to concentrate on answering the question, not on what's flittering through his mind at the moment. In one way, he's just as inexperienced as M'nol, he's just not as apt to say so.
"That's not my problem, Weyrling. That's yours." V'dim quickly blows off M'nol's concerns, nodding to each of the answers. "Aye, sometimes, only the female's rider will even know she's nearing her cycle. But, they glow. Like Isobeth." He says after a moment, the green preening as attention rests on her for a moment. "Some greens may blood. Some may not. Golds will always blood, and the males with them - they need the energy for the flight." He then turns his attention to Vivian and Keziah. "Should your lifemates chose to blood, you must ensure that they *only* blood. They will want to feed, but they must not gorge." He stresses firmly, looking from one to the next. "A gorged female will not fly, and she may be spooked, trying to get away, or she may be too low to the ground when she is caught, which risks them both."
Keziah gulps a little as she listens to some of the others answering. "Odd behaviour?" she asks as she glances towards Vivian and then she looks at Alosynth. THen her attention is on V'dim and her face goes white. "Why would some blood and some not?" she asks after a moment.
M'nol blushes even more deeply, first for the fact that the Weyrling Master didn't even have a suggestions and second for the fact that his dragon was showing so much interest in V'dim's green." He does his best to listen, but the talk is mostly of what the greenriders could expect and Faraeth's thoughts were certainly capable of distracting him.
"In some cases, there isn't all that much warning right." Vivian adds, "Some behave strange and glowy for a day or two before they rise, others perhaps a couple of hours if you're lucky." Her tone and manner are still at the cold and distant stage. "You've seen what this lot are like after they've eaten, they just want to curl up and go to sleep, that's no good when they need to fly high enough to make sure they have enough distance to fall for the catch to be safe." She comments.
R'owan has his own thoughts to distract him, and it's a fairly easy guess as to where those thoughts might be going. His hand draws out the remains of the thin braid that used to hang at his neck, already tied off with a blue ribbon matching a certain dragon in the weyrling group. Clearing his throat, he pushes the lock of hair back into his pocket and tries to straiten himself up to pay attention. It may be about greens but getting distracted would be a bad… bad… very bad idea. Nyunath, on the other hand, is all distractions. He weaves his head slowly back and forth, nearly humming to Isobeth as his tail sways to the same beat.
Isobeth is no better than the weyrling dragons, crooning to the young males and females alike, preening a little bit before a silent command from V'dim has her settling down - for all of a minute. V'dim, takes a moment to recompose himself, shaking his head. "Its simply what they do, Keziah. Some feel the need, some don't. Some always blood, some merely sometimes." He adds, before turning and walking. "When your dragon is flying or chasing, it is important that you stay with them. Important that you keep a strong touch with them, that you do not let them get away from you - they are instinctual, as much as they rely upon us. It won't take long, before you become part of them, and them part of you, and its difficult to tell the difference - where you stop, and where they begin. And, its something that I cannot explain to you - you will simply all have to experience it."
M'nol's eyes widen, "So it's true, then? That you see and hear and feel what your dragon feels during a flight? I thought Cen was just joshin' me." He looks truly terrified at this thought, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his shoulders hunched. Faraeth croons again, cocking his head first one way, then another, trying to show Isobeth all of his best sides.
Alosynth shifts a little blinking a bit at the crooning of the older green. "How do you know, I mean what if you think they're just off because of the changing seasons. That can happen. Right?" Course that line of thinking trails off and then then there's a look towards M'nol and then she just can't help herself. Alosynth is distracted after all. "I do hope he's not going to broadcast to all of us. The dreams were bad enough, but that sorta imagary." And then she cups a hand over her mouth. Alosynth's not that completely distracted and she's warbling at Kezi who just shrugs a little and then there's a glance towards V'dim.
Vivian could certainly do without any images of V'dim and M'nol and Keziah isn't helping to keep those thoughts banished. "Thanks for that." She mutters to Keziah. "You do realise that if she goes up and that pair follow, one of them is going to be feeling extremely randy with nowhere to go." Her attention turns back to V'dim with a very put on smile. "You may want to explain to the boys how they're going to feel when their lifemate fails to catch and what they can do about it."
Nyunath doesn't seem to mind that Faraeth is also trying to get the green's attention. He lifts hismelf a little and flaps his twilight toned wings, warbling something nearly musical. "Settle down will you." R'owan shoves at the bronze's foreleg, and the sound cuts off sharply, the dragon settling, although still keeping his whirling eyes on the green. He turns to look at Vivian, paling a little bit. That is not something he wanted to think about, and a quick look at V'dim has the bronzeriding weyrling shuddering at the thought. "Ugh."
"Weyrlings!" V'dim yells with a clap of his hands, patience wearing thin as Isobeth is once more prancing and posturing for the males. A glare at Vivian, as if to tell the greenrider to be quiet - he'll be there soon enough - he's touching on the topic she seems to want so desparately to cover. "When your lifemate loses, which he will, you will have a lot of pent up.. frustration. Drinking helps. A cold shower may dull it. Sex helps. Often times, losing riders will find each other, or anyone else willing, and that is an issue you can avoid. However, I've been told its rather unpleasant to endure, if you do nothing." He comments, dismissing it, before he turns. "Since some of your classmates seem to know it all, and I'm certain *they* will fill in any gaps. Are there any questions?" A pause, and he glares at M'nol. "Any *real* questions."
M'nol blushes deeply, both due to being singled out… again… and due to the thought of what he'd be going through if Faraeth chased Isobeth… whether he won or lost. The boy shuddered, then managed to stutter, "N- No, sir… I assume tha' all proper codes o' conduct still hold no matter wha' th' results."
Keziah startles, course with V'dims yelling and clapping and she coughs a little "What about complications during a flight? Not just injuries due to claws and teeth. But I mean reproductive anatomy wise. Is it ever an issue? I know stallions can suffer some well problems, what about the male dragons, and again with the receptive organs of the females. Can there be issues involved with that?"
Vivian just has to smile sweetly at V'dim, oh she managed to rile him, how perfect. She leans back against Kelioth, arms folding under her chest, a vaguely smug look on her face as she stays quiet for just enough before she answers M'nol. "Only one to think about, find yourself in my bed and you'd better be gone long before I disentangle myself from Kelioths' senses."
R'owan jumps at the clapping and the yell, head jolting upwards. "Shh-." He seems about to curse under his breath, but cuts it off quickly. He lifts one eyebrow towards Vivian and M'nol, and then a more peculiar one at Keziah. "Someone's been studying ahead." He comments, although it's more of an impressed tone to his voice than condemnation. "Then again… wouldn't be good to get your boys in a twist, would it?" Nyunath ignores him, his eyes are all for the weyrlingmaster's green.
"Ask the dragonhealer's. That's their issue, not mine. I'm certain they'll even have models to show you." V'dim snaps, and then he's glaring at M'nol. "What else would you think." And then he whirls around, hurrying to Isobeth's side, the green stilling for a moment. "Class dismissed! Remember what I said, about being caught." And Isobeth croons once more at the weyrling boys, fluttering her wings before she's trailing after V'dim as the very irritated weyrlingmaster stalks off - away from the barracks.
M'nol's sigh is a relieved one even as Faraeth gives a sad little snuffling sound as he watches the pair depart. M'nol slumps to the ground, "Anyone but me think that our dragons chasing the weyrling master would be absolutely horrid?"
Vivian doesn't need to answer M'nol directly, her giggle says it all, that yes it would horribly funny where M'nol is concerned. She turns her attention back to Keziah though as V'dim snaps at her and runs away like a big girl. "I've never heard of it happening, they're pretty robust other than their wings."
With his own sigh of relief, R'owan watches the weyrlingmaster leave, and then elbows his dragon slightly in the leg. "Are you done making goo-goo eyes?" The bronze snorts, giving one last parting croon towards Isobeth. "Ugh." He throws a hand up to his forehead, and then looks over towards M'nol. "You and me both. Let's hope she rises somewhere -away- from here. It's bad enough that…" He cuts himself off, shaking his head quickly to clear the thought. "I should… talk to Tali." Yeah, understatement.
M'nol nods, agreeing with Ro whole-sale, "I hope she rises on the other side of Pern." He shudders again, then glares at Vivy as he catches her giggle. He mutters quietly to himself, certainly talking more to himself than to the others, "I should talk to Phy…"
Keziah is startled a bit V'dim snaps at her and she just goes silent for the rest of the time. She then just shrugs a bit at Vivian and wanders off across the grounds, with Alosynth in tow.
Vivian shakes her head with a bit of sigh, "Just make sure and find a room guys. No hanky panky in the barracks." Kelioth has been in a bit of a huff with all the attention from 'her' boys directed elsewhere, she ruffles her wings out and prances off haughtily towards the beach.
A sympathetic look passes from R'owan towards M'nol as he pulls the braid out from his pocket once more. "Right." Nyunath's head comes down and nudges his rider encouragingly. "No worries, big guy." He smiles and strokes the pale nose. "Go talk to her, will you?" He motions the bronze towards the repeating form of Kelioth. "Making the girl's jealous already." The dragon snorts, and then moves off at an easy pace, giving the green her own space. "I'm… going to go see if I can find Tali." He grabs the braid once more, and stalks off.
M'nol nods even as Faraeth croons gently to Kelioth earning the brown another hard look. "I'll try to track Phy down tonight… I'd hate to…" He trails off… not really able to put his thoughts into words.
Kelioth is giving the boys the silent treatment, probably something she's picked up from the vaguely amused Vivian watching on. It's with a smile that the girl turns away and heads back into the barracks to get changed for a good run.