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 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 north and south, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. North leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, wide and shallow but an impractical route to the road that can be seen following the coast beyond. Southwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for drgaons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. Westwards, dunes fade into scrub which swiftly gives way to thick forest, a wide path near the river leading back to the heart of Xanadu Weyr.
It is, indeed, late. But despite the late hour there is activity out at the lake. A dragon descends at the lake shore and a rider dismounts, "Sukiiith," the rider whines, "It's late. Can't you wait to take a bath tomorrow /morning/?" Nonetheless Asiree starts to take the straps off the blue dragon.
Niva trudges along behind Kilaueth as the gold makes steady progress towards the lake herself, the weyrwoman complaining all the while. "Kila.. I know I said you could go swimming, but you could have gone while I was busy. You don't ne-" And she's cut off by a rumble from the gold, and silenced, Niva glances around at her late-night surroundings.
Messev was walking on his way from one place to another, and judging by the empty bag on his shoulder, he was making some sort of delivery. He yawns as he heads up the beach, then pauses, headtilting at the dragons and riders present. "Er, nice night, Weyrwoman, ma'am." he says, looking from Niva to Asiree.
Sukith croons a low dragon greeting to the senior gold as Asiree finishes removing the straps from Sukith. Ree peers around the blue at Niva and waves, "G'evening," she calls out softly. Next her gaze falls on the boy and she squints a bit, trying to see him in the night, "To you too," she adds. Sukith emits a low warble, a sort of 'hurry up, woman, if you don't mind', and then Ree laughs. "Alright, I suppose, into the water with you. I'll be right along."
Kilaueth isn't picky about how she gets in the water, and as such goes straight in, quickly moving to a depth to completely immerse herself. However, at least she avoided getting any innocent, or even not so innocent, bystanders wet. Niva inclines her head to both Asiree and Messev before she picks a spot to carefully settle down. "T'would be nicer if that silly lump would let me just go to my bed."
Messev pauses, watching the dragons going into the water. "Late-night swimming?" he asks, after scrambling out of the way of the gold's path. "Isn't the water cold right now?"
Asiree gives Niva a sympathetic look, although who knows if the weyrwoman can see it in this light. "Well I was in bed… and then Sukith had to have a bath." The rider's tone is a mixture of annoyance and adoration, sort of like when one has an unruly child that one still loves. Sukith, who has now waded in the water and submerged himself, creels to Asiree. "Al/right/. I'm coming."
"You could call it that.. I really think its more revenge then anything else." At least in Kilaueth's case; as Niva shivers slightly and half-watches the gold paddling around in the lake, she shakes her head again. "She said I didn't let her swim earlier, so she's going now. She could have gone earlier fine.." Silly dragon. Glancing between the bluerider and the blue dragon, Niva shakes her head slightly. "Lucky you.. a late night swim." And with a probably unseen wink, she leans back on her hands.
Messev heads over to the others, still watching the dragons. Absently he fingers the bag he's carrying, playing with a loose thread. He glances from one to the other, listening while he remains quiet.
"Oh, I'm feeling quite lucky," Ree replies quite sarcastically as she enters the water behind Sukith. "Brrrrr! It's co-oo-ooold." Although perhaps someone is being a bit overdramatic about the actual water temperature. "Coming Sukith! Coming m'dear!" The rider wades out into the water slowly, "Oh come on in /closer/. I'm not going all the way out there to wash you."
Niva waves a hand idly at Messev. "Sit… I don't bite. You should know that by now." And, for the most part she doesn't scream, either. At least not at random people, seeing at T'eo would probably disagree with the generalization. "I don't envy her, let me tell you.." And she motions at Asiree in the water idly.
Messev shrugs and sits down obediently on a nearby sand dune, and he smiles brightly at her. "Oh, no ma'am, I'm sure you don't." he says. Hazel eyes glance over towards the dragons in the water again, and he's content to just watch them.
There's more fussing out in the water as the blue dragon and his rider continue a sort of argument as water is splashed about and Asiree lathers soap onto the hide of Sukith.
Messev watches Asiree and Sukith for a moment, then gets up, leaving his bag on the ground. "Er, need any help?" he asks, eying the waterline a bit dubiously.
"Uh, no, not really," Asiree calls back, and then a moment later after there's a draconic snort. (Issued from Sukith, of course, not Asiree.) "But thank you!" She adds and then there's more sounds of washing.
Niva arches an eyebrow at Messev as he moves. "I'd wager, though, that she'd take any help she can get, no matter what the answer.." Niva however, makes no move to move, sitting contently on the beach as Kilaueth floats further out.
Messev ohs, and heads back over to sit down with his bag, glancing over at Niva. "So…does your dragon wake you up at night often, or is this just a one-time thing?" he asks curiously.
Either Sukith isn't being too picky tonight or Asiree did a good quick job of the bath, or likely a combination of both, for the splashing and scrubbing sounds of general bathing eventually stop. "Alright, into the water with ya." The dragon wades out into the waters and Asiree heads for shore and the large towel there. "No, I won't swim with you." This is news is greeted with a creel, sounding rather disappointed and annoyed, from the blue. "No," Ree affirms and makes it to shore where she wraps herself in the towel and then hops on over to Niva and the boy.
Niva shakes her head. "She's pretty good about not waking me up. Once, she woke up C'ian, and Alhenaeth wasn't happy with her, and she's behaved since." If you can call not even waking Niv up for important things behaving. "But, I just finished the last things in the office, so.." Kilaueth snorts at the blue as he creels, submerging a bit before floating. She doesn't need a rider to swim with…
Messev nods. "Yeah, it was my turn to make deliveries. Lasted longer than it was supposed to, but I wanted to come home tonight." he says, and smiles a little at Asiree as she comes over.
But Sukith wants his rider to swim with him. As Ree resolutely leaves the water and doesn't come back he creels forlornly, but eventually gives it up and enjoys the lake without her then. Although one can just bet that he's telling Asiree about how wonderfully cool and silky the water is, if only to guilt her. Now that she's near to Niva and the boy, she can see them both. "I don't know you," she says to the boy, "I'm Ree, who're you?" A forced smile is given Niva's way, it's hard to smile authentically when dragged from bed to the cold lake, "And g'evening to you and yours."
Niva watches the blue for a long moment, tearing her gaze away from the water to look at Asiree with an arched eyebrow, though she does glance at Messev with a nod. "Understandable." A bit of a sleepy smile back to Asiree and she nods again. "And to you.."
"Messev, ma'am. Apprentice techcrafter." he says. "Just been one for a turn or so though." he admits.
Asiree's eyes light up at the mention of the techcraft. "From Landing?" she asks quickly, looking at the boy with interest. No, not predatory interest like she looks at Kysli *coughcoughahem* but with a more harmless interest.
Niva hides a grin at the blue rider's sudden interest in the boy, scooting back a bit to avoid sitting in the middle of the conversation.
Messev blinks at Asiree. "Uh, no. I was born here. I didn't go out much, so you probably wouldn't know me." he says. "I've never been to Landing, though I wanna."
"Ahhh…" the bluerider says, nodding her head. "I'm from Landing, techcrafting as well." Ok, Ree isn't actually in the hall, but she was raised by techcrafters and has been known to tinker around with more or less 'fun' results.
Niva coughs slightly at Asiree mentions Techcrafting. "Lahela might have something to say about that, 'ree." And the goldrider shakes her head slightly, leaning towards Messev. "If she tells you something, always double check it with someone else." Right? Right.
Messev blinks at Niva, glancing over at Asiree. "Er…why?" he asks, looking confused. "Is what she says wrong?" he's not very tactful.
Niva coughs slightly at Asiree mentions Techcrafting. "Lahela might have something to say about that, 'ree." And the goldrider shakes her head slightly, leaning towards Messev. "If she tells you something, always double check it with someone else." Right? Right. (re)
Messev blinks at Niva, glancing over at Asiree. "Er…why?" he asks, looking confused. "Is what she says wrong?" he's not very tactful. (re)
Asiree looks confused at the two, and a bit hurt. "What do you /mean/?" She's right there, sniff. Some people have no manners at all.
Niva glances over at Asiree, biting her lip some. "You do have to admit you have, uh, always had the best of luck with things.." Besides, she's Niva, does she have to have manners?
Messev is young, and therefore is still learning manners? "I don't know…" he says, looking completely confused now and glancing questioningly at Niva.
Asiree continues to look rather hurt at Niva. "But they do work." Even if only for a little bit. "And I do a good job." At blowing things up. The bluerider sounds rather defensive and there's the sound of splashing water as Sukith emerges from the lake and begins to pad over to the gathered group of humans.
Kilaueth doesn't care to move from the water, at least not yet, though she is certainly closer to the beach then she was to begin with. Niva nods some at Asiree, "They do, you do.. But there's no hurt in continuing to practice.." A lot. And she glances over at Messev, simply shaking her head some.
Messev just shrugs. "Don't ask me, I don't know what's going on." he says, clearly looking confused.
Asiree continues to look hurt, most of that expression directed at Niva. The rider opens her mouth as if to say something, but stops as Sukith bumps his muzzle into her back. Whooops. Ree shuts her mouth and leans against the blue dragon and crosses her arms, careful to keep that towel around her. She's been practicing long enough, don'tchathink?
Kilaueth actually voluntarily gets out of the lake then, the large, sopping wet dragon going in a circle around the group of humans, pausing for a minute to rumble. Niva looks at her before sighing and getting to her feet, brushing the sand off before following after her. "Seems I'm finally getting to go to bed." And she inclines her head to Asiree and Messev. "Hopefully you'll get to do the same, shortly."