Vesvesris grimaces a little. "Knowing Pi, and being a girl, I'm sure she probably isn't, " she allows, after a brief pause, during which she permits the rest of her hand to press gently against his cheek. "I don't - I don't trust anyone else, enough, " she manages to get out, with some difficulty. "I know that you wouldn't hurt me intentionally, L'ton, " she adds, barely above a whisper. "I - need to know, so that Odeleth's first flight isn't also /my/ first." Her cheeks flush slightly. "And I - I want to. With you." She seems to struggle with her next few words. "I just want it to be - not because you or I were caught up in some flight that happens to be going on overhead, but because we - want to, and care, and — " She pauses at Odeleth's encouraging croon from the ledge, and blushes. She doesn't exactly finish her sentence, and ducks her head, maybe a bit embarrassedly.
L'ton gives her a firm squeeze, nodding slightly, "Ah hope yar right.." Resting his face against her hand, he smiles. "Ah'm glad ya trust meh, even if'n people might tell ya not to." Fingers plucking idly at the seam of her top while he listens, "Ah wouldn't hurt ya. And, Ah want it ta be best for ya, too." And ducking his head as color flushes his cheeks. "And… Ah want it, to.."
With both of them sitting there blushing from their individual admissions, Sris exhales softly, and then lifts her gaze, after a long moment. "I do, L'ton. I'm still not sure why. I just - know that I can." She gives him a small smile, 'brows contracting a bit, although her expression quickly settles back into an innocent one. She's really not sure of what else to say or do, after all. It's rather awkward for her. "Well, " she prompts quietly, "will you - show me, L'ton? I mean, " and her cheeks flush again, "whenever you - have the time, that is."
L'ton looks up at her, shifting her off his lap so he can stand as well, offering her his hand to pull her into a hug. "Well, what are ya doing now? Zip's down with the nannies, and well.." Though its odd that for all his experience he's this nervous about it.
Vesvesris, to her credit, almost looks a little startled. "Now? Well, uh — " She hesitates and chews her bottom lip for a moment, thinking. "Nothing, actually, " she says at last, eliciting a weary rumble from the ledge. Odeleth shifts into a different position upon the promontory outside. Obviously, he's going to be here for a while. Might as well be comfortable. Taking his hand, she allows herself to be pulled into the hug, and presses her cheek to his chest for a long moment, in an attempt to hide her own nervousness, although it probably doesn't work very well.
L'ton rubs her back gently, with a smile, and a grin to the dragons before starting to lead her deeper into the weyr. "We have the time. Might as well put it ta good use, dontcha think?" And, that's a good place to fade off camera.
It's sometime later that Odeleth's patience finally begins to run out, and the brown shifts again, finally getting up and going so far as to stick his head partially into the outer weyr, whirling eyes combing the immediate area for his rider. Vesvesris, snuggled close to L'ton, finally stirs a little, quite reluctantly, and murmurs something, blearily peering toward the outer portion of the weyr. "Bit longer, Odeleth, " she mumbles, eliciting a little huff from her lifemate.
L'ton shifts as Sris awakens, making a face and silently protesting the movement by keeping his eyes shut. But, as she speaks, he opens his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. "Ya gotta go?" He asks sadly, fingers curling protectively over her shoulder.
"I really don't want to, " Sves replies, giving him an apologetic smile, "but Odeleth insists upon being oiled suddenly." What a convenient excuse to get her to leave. Brushing her lips shyly against his cheek, she quickly gets dressed and hurries toward the rumbling eyes still awaiting her. "I'll see you later, L'ton." And then, she and the brown are gone.
A short while later
Dhonzayth> In the mean time… Nik and Nakueath seemed to have made up. Somewhat. Nakueath dozes on the beach, her tail draped out for the waves to wash over while her rider reclines back on the sand, lazily looking up at the sky. Sweet, simple silence. What a pleasant change. It's too early in the day to be terribly hot just yet and judging from Nik's still wet surfboard, he's been enjoying it. All the better to sleep through the afternoon humidity.
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth prefers the sun, and when L'ton is busy with wing work, there's no reason for him to sit around the shady ledge. And so the bronze glides lazily towards the sandy strip of beach; of course it helps that there's an interesting green there. Breaking the silence, he offers a polite rumble to the dozing green, landing near the water to settle down.
Although it's approaching mid-morning, Odeleth's already landing upon the ledge, letting Vesvesris slide down from him. However, he doesn't let her get very far. A small growl prompts the girl to turn and ask confusedly, "What, Odeleth?" Beat. "/Oh/." Grimacing at some silent admonishing, she hastily removes his riding straps, and places her hands briefly on her hips. "Satisfied, now?" At the brown's rumble, she shakes her head, making her way into the outer weyr. "Er, L'ton? Are you here?" she calls, somewhat uncertainly. "I know it's a bit early, but I wanted to come by and see you."
Despite the mid-morning hour, L'ton's settled alone at his desk, Zipalla no-where to be found. But, this time he's actually working, chewing his lip as he ponders over the lists infront of him. Dhonzayth is absent from his couch, a fact which L'ton has either missed or decided is unimportant. Either way, he's got no where to go. Particularly at the sound of a dragon landing and a female voice. "In here lil'one." He offers, cheerful even though his voice has a puzzled quality to it.
Dhonzayth> Nakueath slowly slides one set of lids open, her tail twitching lightly. She rumbles a little in response but it's more of a contemptuous grunt than anything else. Still pouting? Probably. Nik'i seems to take more note of the bronze than his 'mate, scanning the beach for any riders. There are a few scattered here and there, not so oddly enough mostly of the brown and blue variety, dragons lingering in tow. "That time of the day is it?" he mumbles mostly to himself. This doesn't promise to be particularly fun but… the quicker it's over with..
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth snorts again at the green and her rider, shifting to settle down on the sands with his wings spread wide. Stretching his muzzle towards the green slightly, he simply satisfies himself, then, with waiting. He's no weyrling.
Dhonzayth> Nakueath pushes to her feet, shaking grains of sand from her hide. Her eyes flick open, a whirl of violets as she trumpets an order more than anything else, a petulant demand for attention that she /deserves/ right _now_. Nik sits up, wrapping his arms around his knees as he watches Nakueath. The assembled riders all migrating towards the boy-greenrider as their dragons prepare for flight. Fortunately.. they haven't long to wait. Rather than receiving her just adoration she launches into the air in a near vertical assent.
Vesvesris breathes a sigh of relief and meanders into the inner weyr, giving the bronzerider a cheerful smile. "Morning, L'ton." She glances around, brow furrowing a little. "Zipalla down with the nannies, I take it?" While she's distracted, Odeleth promptly swings his head in the direction of the beach, and springs from the ledge, causing his rider to pivot slightly at the sound of the brown taking off again. "Odeleth? Where are you — " she begins, then her eyes widen as her dragon informs her just where he's going. Shards. "Could you have had /better/ timing?" she murmurs, sighing a little. So much for a peaceful morning.
Dhonzayth> Odeleth has the advantage of already being in the air as he glides gracefully over toward the beach. The other contenders are spared nary a glance - except for maybe Dhonzayth - and the brown ascends after the rapidly rising Nakueath with a deep, brassy bugle.
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth has learned by now never to get /too/ comfortable around proddy greens, particularly after his experience with Psylenith in the past sevenday. A disgruntled croon as she suddenly takes off, and then the lean bronze pushes off from a compact crouch, wings spreading for that all important downsweep, and then he's gaining altitude after her. Other than that, her sudden departure doesn't faze him - his adoration is all that she really needs.
"She is. Ah can't get anything done, with her around, cause she'd much rather play." And the bronzerider would generally much rather play with her than work anyway. Swiveling to look at her when she sounds surprised, starting to ask before Dhonzayth passes a similar message along to him. Eyebrows raised, he holds his hands out in a helpless gesture, looking, for him (and considering the initial awkwardness is over), slightly apologetic.
Dhonzayth> Nakueath doesn't even bother to glance back. She knows they're there. Of course they're there. Why wouldn't they be when they have a chance to be near something as glorious as she? But that doesn't mean she isn't going to have a bit of a fit about it, streaming long shrill screeches one after another in blind, building frustration. If only she had fire.. Higher she rises, nearly brushing the lowest layers of cloud before twisting back on herself and cork-screwing towards the open water below at a furious speed. Several of the smaller blues dart out of the way and one brown even emits a sharp trumpet of surprise as she zooms by with a hiss.
Vesvesris sighs and closes her eyes briefly, visage briefly contorting into a grimace. Someone's just gotten her first taste of the draconic mind during a mating flight, apparently. "Well, " she says after a moment, trying to make light of the situation, "at least we don't have to fight to keep our wits about us while we struggle to make our way into the nearest available weyr." Her gaze drops briefly to the floor, and she scuffs the toe of her boot along it a little. It's a new, nervous habit of hers.
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth is quite glad that she doesn't have fire, thank you very much. He prefers not being singed to a crisp. He continues to use his size to quickly gain altitude, between going after some of the smaller blues who happen to get in his way as well with a snap of his tail and an angry growl. So focused is he on gaining altitude, it takes him a long moment to realize that the object of his pursuit is now headed back down - but once it is noted, he folds his wings, allowing himself to drop after her - though without so much of the breakneck speed.
Dhonzayth> Odeleth is taken aback as the glowing green abruptly shoots toward the water, and folding his wings, follows in almost an equally acrobatic movement. He's clearly completely at ease here, more so than when he's on the ground. Growling low in his throat at a blue that happens to impede his path, he neatly extends his talons in that direction, and as he makes his way past, manages to give the offending guy a minor scratch.
"And Ah dun have ta worry about what M'kan'll do ta meh, if'n Ah end up with that boy of his." A teasing wink, and L'ton moves from his chair, crossing over to Sris. A finger is placed under her chin, to lift it up as she scuffs her boot, should she let him. "We really dun need any wits at all, Ah think."
Dhonzayth> Nakueath skims the water with her talons before pulling back up to regain altitude, an easy measure for her stoutly muscled shoulders. The maneuver is executed in a broad upward arc, the small green taking her time to make sure and draw blood on the unwary. Not yet! She won't be caught just yet. More to the point, she isn't convinced any of them have worked hard enough for it yet. The wounded brown spirals off with a pained howl, the green gloating in his misery. Not a career ending wound.. but certainly something that will need to be nursed. Bah, he was too old for her anyway. And should have been quicker. Breaking suddenly off to the north, she heads farther out to sea, still climbing. Erratic, but she seems mostly focused on speed.
Vesvesris grins a little. "True. M'kan will have to confront someone else on that one." The boot-scuffing pauses after he lifts her chin. "No, " she agrees, slowly, "I suppose we don't." Something in her gaze shifts subtly as the chase continues over the beach, a moment of surprise, followed by intensity. In a blink, both vanish, and the weyrling unknowingly reaches up to rub briefly at her right temple. A quiet, "Well, I see what B'relle means about it being indescribable, even in a glimpse, " follows.
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth snaps his wings out hurriedly, motion stuttering as his downward motion slows then ceases, trumpeting as he manages to head after Nakueath again, nearly missing a collision with a brown as he remains over her as she skims the water. Focused on following, rather than tricky acrobatics, Dhonzayth drops a shoulder, banking, and then is off after the green once more: forward progress and altitude. Two for One.
L'ton moves to brush a lock of her hair back, with a smile, ducking to give her a quick kiss before dropping his finger from beneath her chin. "Even B'relle's mock-flight can't prepare ya for it, Ah know.." Squeezing his own eyes shut for a long moment, he takes half a step back before ducking his head, and then looking back at her cautiously.
Dhonzayth> Odeleth barely catches Nakueath's upward movement, but manages to swoop back upward just in time. Unlike the brown that she just wounded, he's certainly not too old for her - in fact, he's just the right age, to his way of thinking, and with a roar, he continues the pursuit, veering as she heads to the north. And as she climbs, so too, does he, eager to prove his nimbleness.
Dhonzayth> Nakueath continues to climb and while she's certainly still got will to spare she's starting to falter. Oh but she's not going to display weakness to /males/. She'll end her flight on her own terms thank you. Rather than just slow enough for one of them to catch she dives into the pack again. This time not with attempts on breaking through but with the intent that the fittest will be able to catch her speeding through. The weak will dodge. The inept will miss. The worthy will keep her from falling. Right? Of course right. <catch attempts>
Vesvesris shakes her head slowly, eyes widening a little. "Not really, " she manages to get out thickly, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision. There's L'ton, yes - but there's also sky, wind, sun, and /Nakueath/. And then, her hands suddenly clench into fists, mouth falling open in a silent scream, expression anticipatory. She mumbles something under her breath, although the only intelligible word is: "Nakueath … "
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth has no intentions of dodging - He makes others dodge him! Dropping a wing to swivel back downwards into the pack as Nakueath enters it herself, he extends limbs trumpeting a challenge to the other males there as he stretches his neck, still moving quickly, hoping to grab the lucky piece out of all the unlucky ones.
Dhonzayth> Odeleth bugles in surprise as Nakueath turns and dives into the flurry of males, and it's with another roar that he attempts to shove his way through to get to her, reaching for her with his neck and wings outstretched. He will keep her from falling, if she'll succumb to his darkness. Turn your face away from the garish light of day, and listen only to him. Surrender, Nakueath. And to her and her alone, he croons as he draws near - maybe near enough for her wings to enfoul with his? Here's hoping.
Dhonzayth> Nakueath gives a clipped cry of surprise as she finds her downward momentum abruptly cut off. Oh sure, it was the plan.. but she didn't think it'd actually work! She struggles for a moment before letting herself be caught emotionally and physically depleted after the events of the past few days. In the grip of clutchmate Odeleth she finds her peace, looking to him with a croon to restore her balance as they fall.
Dhonzayth> Dhonzayth doesn't have any luck. Seriously. For, instead of the green Nakueath, he found the shoulder joint of a blue - who is now very unhappy about the situation. And so the bronze continues spiraling downwards out of the pack, and back towards the beach below.
L'ton clenches his fists as above the water Dhonzayth dives for the green, groaning slightly as he misses, ducking his face to hide it in his hands, conscious enough to take a few steps backwards, away from where Sris stands.
Dhonzayth> Odeleth croons triumphantly as Nakueath collides with him, and twining his neck about hers, he uses the full extent of his wingspan to balance out their flight, slowing their descent to something more gradual as much as he possibly can. Success.
The tension drains from Vesvesris in one fell swoop as Odeleth prevails, and the girl gasps, desperately reaching toward L'ton, expression pleading. She manages to mumble, "L'ton … " before her gaze flickers - there's Nakueath, L'ton, the sky - and suddenly, in her eyes, there's just Odeleth.
L'ton hesitates for a moment, looking out toward the ledge before stepping back towards Vesvesris, pulling her into his arms firmly. It doesn't matter that Dhonzayth is alone, that Nakuaeth is with Odeleth - simply that he's there with Vesvesris - and this time he doesn't have to leave her out of fear.
A few hours later:
Vesvesris doesn't stir this time in response to an impatient lifemate - this time, that aforementioned lifemate is probably contentedly curled up with a certain green somewhere. Stretching a little, the girl rolls over and sighs, eyes still shut. A little smile plays about her lips. Odeleth's not the only one who's content.
L'ton opens his eyes as she moves, protesting in what's barely more then a whimper. "Dun go…" And the reaches out to twist a piece of her hair lazily around a finger tip, not caring to make much more effort beyond that.
Vesvesris's smile widens a little at the sound of the bronzerider's voice, and her eyes, too, flutter open, languidly. "Odeleth's still basking out there, " she murmurs, smile rather lazy and comfortable. "And I'm much too comfortable and warm to want to leave, even if he was here bugling at me to go." She nestles closer to him with a small murmur. "I rather like it here." It's unclear whether she's referring to being in his arms, his weyr, or - both.
L'ton smiles back at her, shifting so that he can pull her against him, one hand around her shoulder, a finger tracing a small circle on her upper arm, the other still idly playing with her hair. "Ah think Ah'd be willing ta argue with him, if'n he was.. Ah might never wanna let ya go." Though, that's really impractical.
Vesvesris laughs gently. "Well, if you take a notion to that anytime soon, I won't complain." Her expression sobers slightly, after a moment. "I'd love to stay here with you - all the time, L'ton. I could keep Zip occupied when I'm not busy taking care of Odeleth and duties - I don't think that I'll have /too/ many to take care of as a wingrider, comparatively … " She reaches up to touch his cheek. "Actually, that's something I've been worried about, " she confesses sheepishly. "I'm not sure how I want her to view me - I mean goodness, I'm barely out of childhood myself, really - but although I adore her very much, I'm not quite sure that it'd be alright for her to view me as a - well, a maternal figure, or anything, " she finishes, delicately.
L'ton chuckles softly, giving her a firm squeeze. Turning his head to give her hand a quick kiss, "Ah'd love if you did. Ah know.. Ah know Ah asked before, but Ah'm really sure about it now.." Lifting his head to look at her, he smiles, "Ah dun think ta her ya'd be anything other then Sris. She'd still be with the nannies most of the time - if'n anything, Ah think she thinks of ya as a big sister." At least that was the good part about her first years being at the cothold - plenty of people involved in her raising to not immediately associate with a maternal figure.
"A big sister, " Sves repeats, smile faltering for a moment into something more nostalgic. "That's something I never had. I grew up well enough with the nannies and the nursery, I suppose. Being Weyrbred and being raised by many does have its advantages." Her expression brightens after a moment. "Well, perhaps she'll come to view me as a - good friend - with a few Turns."
L'ton smiles more, giving her another squeeze, and resting his head against hers. "Ah'm sure she will. She already adores getting ta see you. Almost as much as Ah do, maybe." Brushing her hair back, he reaches to tweak her nose - maybe. "Do ya worry yarself about those things, lil'one. It'll work out."