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.
Risali is the kind of proddy that means she has too much energy and not enough day to burn it, but that's not why she's out on the beach now; Risali is on the beach now (practically vibrating with an unspent need-to-be-in-motion) because Leirith has demanded that her hide be oiled - again. Also, she lives here. Not here where she's standing, but here, in that weyr on the beach over yonder, where K'vir is probably not currently because the bronzerider has let Risali out of his sight and that doesn't bode well for anybody (even if there's probably a Zekath nearby, keeping an eye out on Leirith for reasons that are pretty obvious). If Risali was helping to make that subtly glowing hide gleam, the only evidence now is in disregarded gear and… well… that mustard hide that's currently loping about on the beach while her rider dances. And yes, that is a forepaw being extended for Risali to touch fingertips to as she spins, and that is a snout lowering a massive head with wonky headknobs in a bounce-bounce-bounce that's following a beat that Leirith does not keep to herself: effervescent drums and bass carry, projected beyond her rider to anybody who will listen and is within range. And Risali? Well, she's singing to that beat, isn't she? MAYBE IT'S RIDICULOUS, BUT NOBODY EVER SAID RISALI WAS CUCUMBER COOL OKAY.
With the dead squid issue resolved, Tanit has been doing a lot more travel these days, and today is made for catching up with friends. The scarf dress she wears fluttering as the dolphineer watches in quiet in amusement. And she will slip in and snag Risali's hand, working through a series of fancier steps before dissolving into rich throaty laughter, the smell of salt and sea still lingering. "Well, seems like you are in a effervescent mood. And Leirith seems positively radiant." Never-mind that Tanit wasn't born to a weyr and doesn't understand what is going on, yet.
Kohl has been traveling, for a few months now, and currently finds himself at the border of Xanadu Weyr. Inwardly he's excited, outwardly he's outright joyous. There's a beach, and where there's a beach there's waves and where there's waves, Kohl is sure to be nearby. Hauling everything he owns in a pack upon his back, he looks like a drifter, some holdless wanderer with the look of the islands about him. Rukbat's rays kiss the tan exspanse of his face and chest as he examines the area he currently finds himself in. Shells, he wishes he had a board, the water is tempting, but then again, approaching, Kohl realises he may just have something better for entertainment in the form of an energetic woman and her dancing dragon. Well, one doesn't see that every day. Hazel eyes spark with amusement as he draws near, stopping just yards away to observe the energetic display in front of him, and being who he is, well, Kohl's anything but Cucumber Cool at this point. The only thing that keeps him from being an outrageously egregious flirt is the fact that there's two tons of dragon over there and he's not so sure about being that close to one of the big beasties. And then the woman has someone joining her and Kohl is immediately gobsmacked. That face is all too familiar to the islander and forgetting about the dragon Kohl approaches. Speaking in a tone that should ring all too familiar to Tanit, Kohl announces himself. " Well well well, seems like they'll let anything wild run around here. Seems like my kind of place even though Trey would skin us both."
To be fair, Risali and Leirith dancing is not exactly abnormal - at least, not in the sense of it being an anomaly for this queen and this queenrider (even if it's a sight for the rest of Pern). Tanit joins in on the dance, carried by the beat that Leirith creates and Risali adds to with voice and movement, with spins that contain less hip and a lot more step and have no discernable pattern outside of what feels right. Risali doesn't miss any of those patternless steps, doesn't miss a beat when her space is invaded by one Half Moonian Dolphineer; the tiny woman merely laughs as she holds tight to Tanit's hand and changes her pace to match those fancier steps. Leirith? Well, she lowers that massive maw to Tanit's side and presses in for a nuzzle. NOSE BOOP ON THE LITTLE TANI-BLOOP. « Hello, other badass! » the queen heralds, all unencumbered joy and delight like she always is about everything. « You were made for dance! » And yes, that head is tilting as that maw gapes in what's probably the physical manifestation of draconic laughter except that Leirith can't laugh. She can weave her head to give the impression of it though, shifting feet as the song comes to an end and Risali, heedless of the audience a little further down the beach, lunges into a hug that pulls Tanit in close and leaves the goldrider nuzzling her face into Tanit's hair because she smells damn good and Risa is proddy. She inhales deep. "Tanit," she breathes on that exhale, "You smell so good." And yeah, she's hugging her even tighter as Kohl draws near, as his approach is regarded with whirling eyes of blue that probably mean her rider is just as aware of his approach long before she turns her head to regard him with grey eyes. One, two, three, and the goldrider smiles in a way that's almost drunk it's so damn giddy. She lets go of Tanit, rocking on her heels because she needs to move even if it's in place and yep, she's in Kohl's space now too, catching at his tunic as she leans in against an honest-to-Faranth stranger and presses her nose against his jaw, along it to his hair. "Mmm, you smell good too." Giggle. Leirith? « Waheeeeey! » She says hello too!
"Greetings Leirith." The young dolphineer will laugh, reaching up to scratch that golden muzzle briefly. And then Risa is all up in her business, and trying to inhale her like some? odd form of catnip. "Well now, that is a greeting." She laughs, as the gold rider spins away. "Little bit early in the day for drining this much don't you think Risali?" Never-mind that Tanit doesn't understand proddy. YAY EDUCATION TIME. Kohl's voice, and perhaps more aptly, Risa's reaction to Tanit's cousin earns a baffled grin. "What the fuck are you doing here?" The tone warmer than the words themselves might imply. "Weren't you supposed to be hitting Igen this month, or was it High Reaches?" She will go up to hug her cousin, probably squishing Risali in the process, but the embrace doesn't last too long. "Risali this is my cousin Kohl, he's T'san's little brother and a Trader." Read scoundrel.
Kohl is a trader, and yes, a shameless scoundrel, and he's not familiar with the workings of a Weyr either so he's more than happy to have a woman up in his space, rider or not. "Well that's a relief, at least I don't smell like the road." Tanit's reaction to his arrival has Kohl giving a white, toothy grin. "I was in Ista a couple of sevens ago, someone suggested I try the waves out here, so, here I am." Kohl looks pretty decent, so he must have found plenty of work during his journey. One thing that's missing from his and Tanit's history is his once famously long hair, it's been reduced to a mop of loose waves that curl just above his ears. The hug is returned affectionately, Kohl's muscle dusted arms giving a good squeeze. Sorry Risali. Wait. Not sorry.
Leirith will lean into those scritches with a croon, because who doesn't want love? LEIRITH WILL ACCEPT THE OFFERINGS, IN ALL OF THE FORMS, AT ALL OF THE TIMES. Risali's too busy burying her face in Kohl to respond to accusations of drunkenness right away, then getting squished between them in a manner that has the goldrider making another giddy sound as she holds tighter and murmurs a breathy, "Hello Kohl, I'm Risali." And a motion to her dragon with a, "And this is Leirith." Which might be unnecessary because there are MORE NOSEBOOPS ON KOHL-BLOOPS and bass and drums that rattle and shake and persist with so much cheer. « Do you know how to make babies? » she asks him, which might be a hint, or might not be a hint at all when Risali finally manages to disengage herself from the trio and finally smiles at Tanit again. "I'm not drunk," she tells her around a smile, "I'm - " losing her train of thought as grey eyes blink further down the beach, and then suddenly Risali is headed off in that direction because… because there is a towel there, apparently, one she slowly lowers herself onto, and then rolls herself in like a little goldrider burrito (or a cat) that is MUCH TOO CONTENT ABOUT BEING ROLLED UP IN A STRANGER'S TOWEL. Maybe Zekath sounded the alarm, because K'vir is SUDDENLY THERE, leaning down to pick up his burrito weyrmate and toss her over a shoulder with a pat to her bottom and probably a murmured, "I'm just going to borrow this," to Tanit and Kohl as he PASSES ON THROUGH. CAN'T HAVE RISA NUZZLING AND SNIFFING STRANGERS. Not after her fight on the beach. GEEZ.
Really the goldrider is all the distracting, and Tanit just watches as K'vir carries her off. "Well, that happened. She's normally more," Sea green eyes land on Kohl then. "YOU CUT YOUR HAIR." Tanit notes in abject horror, recalling the many hours the poor boy was subjected to braids, and all kinds of bad ass styles, because Tanit was unable to grow her own hair out without harming her visibility while diving. Stepping back to reach up and ruffle the Islander's hair. "I think I'm going to cry. Come on, Trey's coming to pick me up and you can explain all of," She gestures to the whole of him. "This."