Prune-like fingers and fun times at the river [Open]

Kehedith watched as a Black landed on the mossy bank with his Rider. She didn't bother raising her head to look properly in his direction. I'm Kehedith. She answered at his introduction. I don't care if you bathe here. We don't own this particular river. The Green was rather flippant in her response but at the present time she didn't care. 

Gina's scowled deepened, more at her rude Kehedith than at the arrival of others. She noted that the Blackrider was dressed to suit the weather. Perhaps she could get some sleeveless tunics as well. But she was loathe to expose more of her pale skin to the elements than necessary. She hissed between her teeth in irritation at her clothing conundrum. It would have to be solved sooner rather than later. She couldn't run around the Weyr in her underthings like she could when swimming.

Gina was your typical Rider, not modest and comfortable around others in whatever she happened to be wearing or not wearing at the time. She didn't make a move though to greet the other Rider, though. It had taken a while for her to warm up to those at High Reaches and it would take time for her to become friendly to her new peers at Xian. More reserved than shy, Gina preferred to silently assess and judge before she opened her mouth. 

Argyle decided that it was finally safe to return to the water since he knew it wasn't likely that the pair would get into another argument in front of others. The light, sky blue flitter did hover over the Black pair, chirruping a greeting to the dirty Black dragon, preferring the strangers company to the iciness he still sensed from Gina and Big Green. 

The Blue took the liberty of offering to help Big Black bathe. The industrious little fellow liked to stay busy and since Kehedith would singed his ears with her reproaches should he clean her without permission, he decided to try his luck elsewhere. 

"That is Argyle." Gina called from the water, head bobbing with the slight waves caused by Kehedith as the dragoness shifted to turn her back on everyone present. The Greenrider lost her grip on the neck ridge and was suddenly dunked rudely under the surface. She popped up sputtering. Gee, thanks Kehedith. That was just what I needed. 

In response Kehedith feigned a snore as she resumed ignoring the unjust world around her. Ungrateful lout! Gina swam until she was able to touch the bottom, arms crossed firmly beneath her breasts. She was always in a bad mood when Kehedith started acting the diva and as such, wasn't in a very chatty frame of mind. Rather she brooded and silently eyed the Blackrider, indifferent to his show of muscles.

Kehedith dug her claws into the river bed and shifted to afford the Black more room. He was substantially larger than her after all. She raised her head from the water and turned to watch the activity, water sluicing off her fern-green head. Why does he get to be scrubbed and I don't? She questioned petulantly, breaking her vow of silence after a mere five minutes. I itch, Ginamine. A lot.

I didn't bring any oil or sweetsand with me, love. Besides I just bathed you yesterday. 

Have little Blue go get some. He doesn't need to help the Black when I need to be scrubbed.

Argyle sensed they were discussing him, so the little fellow scrabbled to grab more sweetsand and he dove to the Black's hide, keeping up a cheery little warbling commentary as he set to work. He focused on how busy he was, eyes whirling with the concerned undertones of orange. 

Gina watched the industry of her fire lizard. He seems to be busy at the moment. She remarked as she swam towards the bank. Her thin linen tunic clung to her dainty and lithe frame as she stepped out of the river, careful not to slip on the smooth river stones. She snatched up her towel and began to dry off, figuring Kehedith would want to head back to their weyr.

The Green had other ideas. She may have been thwarted on her bid to return to High Reaches, but she wasn't going to be denied a bath! How else could her gradient-hue of her hide retain its luster?

Ragnoroth, Ginamine forgot our bathing things. Let her use yours and we will replenish it once we return to the Weyr. Gina gave a snort of surprise. Oh, and please. Kehedith added belatedly as she twisted in the water to look the Black full in the face, daring him to say no.

Shocked at the audacity and brusqueness of her lifemate, Gina dropped her towel. Depending on how courteous the Black pair was feeling, she would end up back in the water. To avoid eye contact, Gina busied herself with examining her wrinkled finger tips from being in the water for a long time already. She hated getting all prune-like. Plus she swore that she was beginning to burn. But if Kehedith was able to convince their new acquaintances to spare some sweetsand, she would stand by her dragoness and bathe her for the second time in 24 hours.

Rae, Tig

((I really wanted to resist sending Alea to this note, however she’s been nagging me to send her since I saw this note. Who knows why should would want to be here, given C’val’s opinion of her…wait a minute, that’s why she wants to be here.))

Oh Faranth it was hot! Alea patted her neck under her thick braid down as she walked down to the rivers where she knew many riders enjoyed bathing their soulmates. She hoped the water would be cooling and she would learn as much as possible about the care of dragons. Maybe, she thought, a kind rider would be there who would let her help scrub or oil his or her soulmate.

No matter what her future was to be, the black haired girl was determined to make the most of it. When she was little and it appeared she was headed for HarperHall, she had practiced her fingers and voice raw. After her mother’s death, her purpose was to be the best lady holder and mother substitute she could be. Now that she was destined to be a dragonrider, at least to the very insistent blue dragon who had Searched her, Alea was going to learn everything she could about being the best rider she could be even before she had a soulmate of her own.

As she left Telgar Weyr, Alea had been gifted with an emerald bathing suit from one of the other candidates who came from the South. The girl who gave her the suit said, “I do not think I will be needing it, it fits you better than it fits me and it matches your eyes.”

Alea had stared at her stunned, it was the first gift she had even been given. She hugged the girl tightly and was pleased to later learn that the girl Impressed the sole gold dragonette on the sands. The suit was made of a special weaving so it dried faster, Alea was glad to have it so she did not have to wear her work clothes to swim.

She arrived at the river and slipped out of the old clothes she had worn over her bathing suit. She put her toes gingerly into the water and was pleased to discover it was a little bit refreshing. With a smile, Alea slipped in all the way. Once she had become accustomed to the water’s temperature, Alea looked about her. She noticed a green and a black dragon being bathed and swam over, not too close for she did not want to disturb either the dragons or the riders, but close enough so that she could see.

For a long time she watched noticing how the riders smoothed the sweetsand over their soulmates. She made note how much sweetsand they used. She was so intent on her observation that she did not notice the identity of the black rider right away. When she recognized C’val, she sighed. There was no chance of her getting any experience with the dragons this time.

Ragnoroth was clean, and now lolled about on the shoreline, as per C'val's direction. He needed to get dry before C'val could oil him properly.

You have an audience, the Black noted bemusedly. He was in a good mood still from the fabulous bath he had just had.

Shards! swore C'val darkly as he spotted Alea, the very same candidate who had seemed intent on getting under his skin at the Welcome Feast. Was the girl stalking him, or what? Did she find some sort of perverse pleasure in causing him discomfort by tagging along where he went? The Blackrider was none too fond of the girl, and her brash insistence on demanding her own way.

He recalled their encounter from the Feast with a dark scowl. The girl had been almost smothering him, despite his obvious need for space. He did not think highly of the girl, finding her highly annoying. Now her very presence irritated him. He turned his back to her and the Greenrider, who had been perfectly pleasant to him, thank you very much. The Greenrider, at least, knew how to take a hint.

You like the Greenrider. The black was stunned.

Yes. Because she has left me alone! That in and of itself showed self-control that the Candidate girl did not have. Gina did not demand social interaction from him, and he had been very comfortable in the silence of their encounter. Now that Alea was here, though, she was sure to start jabbering and assaulting his ears with her talk.

Greetings. My rider is so glad to see you. Ragnoroth reached out to the mind of the Candidate girl, if only to mess with his rider.

I am going to sharding kill you.

(Poor Alea. I felt bad making this post! I promise that I, Tig, like Alea. C'val just happens not to. XD)

vleap Tig

Gina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and silently held C'val's extra bottle of oil. It should be plenty for her Green. She would have sent Argyle for their own oil, but the little blue was ignoring her as he busied himself checking to make sure Big Green and Big Black's hides were drying evenly. She stopped beside C'val unintentionally to study the Candidate who had yet to say anything to her. The Greenrider was suspicious of anyone she didn't know and couldn't help but stare. 

Kehedith swung her head over her back to see what was so captivating to her Mine. The young woman in the green bathing suit did not strike the dragoness as a threat. Giving a draconic snort, Kehedith admonished her Mine, That slip of a girl is not a threat. If anything, she is an extra pair of hands to oil my luscious hide. 

Gina shut her eyes to suppress a groan. And before you say what's on your mind, yes, it IS in fact, always about me, Ginamine. I love you and you love me. And right now I would love for that Candidate to get to work. My hide is plenty dry. That's one thing that's good about this hot jungle.

The diva stretched out and then coiled up, flattening her form to the ground to be within easy reach of her short Bonded and the Candidate. Without preamble, the Green fixed one whirling eye on Alea and stated, Candidate, oil my tail first and then my left side while Ginamine focuses on my right. She cast a glance towards the much larger Black. And when you're done with me, you can see if he needs any help.

The Greenrider scowled darkly as she scooped out a handful of oil and set the pot near Kehedith's tail for the Candidate. "Take as much as you can hold and work it into Kehedith's hide as evenly as possible." She gave her instructions in a clipped voice. "Don't glop it on or be too rough. I oiled her yesterday so this shouldn't take long." 

Gina got to work, Argyle flitting over to help. "If you have questions, ask so you don't mess anything up, Candidate." Crisp but not necessarily rude, Gina didn't have the patience needed to teach especially when what had started out as a quiet and solitary day at the river with her Bonded had turned into a party in her eyes. Ignoring the proddy females, the little blue fire lizard warbled encouragement to Alea as he darted to Big Green's tail and demonstrated how to apply oil. Gina's instructions had been curt and not terribly informative. And Argyle didn't want his Person to get upset.