| Characters | N'sir, R'sner, Elianneth, Toith |
| Synopsis | Midnight is the perfect time to fly, and swim, and say goodnight to the moons |
| Out-of-Character Date | June 26, 2018 |
Igen Weyr - Lake Shore
It is sometimes hard to tell where the bowl ends and the lake shore begins. Fine grains of gold, tan and orange hued sand layer much as the bowl walls in the distance beyond. The sand only gives way to thin patches of grass where the tall fence of the feeding grounds intersects the lake to the south and the smooth curve of the bowl wall rises on the opposite shore. At that intersection one can make out a small building and colorful fabrics where the Weyr's residents go to relax. The shallow lake waters shimmer invitingly, day and night, lapping at the fine grain sands. Engineered pipes are hidden beneath the bowl landscape and feed the lake as well as the grasses of the feeding grounds to keep the water levels from dropping past a certain point which is marked by a waist high obelisk.
Midnight in Igen. It is surprisingly, if not shocking cold as N'sir steps out of the barracks in the wake of a very excited Elianneth. "Eli… Come on, /everyone/ is asleep," he groans as he tugs his robe more tightly around himself before pulling on a pair of lightweight gloves. "And it's freezing!" Elianneth? She does not care, not in the least and is bounding across the sand bugling excitedly. «TOITH! TOITH!» "Oh boy," N'sir sighs as he scrubs a hand over his face and trudges along in the ever-fabulous green's wake. "Have you stopped to consider that he is grumpy during the day? Think about what he's going to be when you've woken him up in the /middle of the night/." Sure, N'sir /should/ probably get Elianneth under control. But truth be told? It's harmless. He's awake. She's excited. ONWARD. But not without considerable grumping on his part. "Toith is probably out like a light," he points out. At the observation, Elianneth whips her head around, whuffle-snorting at N'sir before bumping him pointedly on the rump to get him moving toward the beach.
Toith might have been asleep, but NOT anymore! « Eh? » Confused, more than sleepy, but quickly converted into curiosity. « Whatcha doin'? » because that seems like a legit question to ask. But her interest is piqued nonetheless, and despite the late hour R'sner is actually awake (or, at least, he wasn't 'dead to the world' asleep) and only needs a little bit of cajoling before he's onboard with heading down to figure out what it is that Elianneth is excited about. With winter in Igen being surprisingly cold at night, it gives the weyrlingmaster the perfect excuse to don traditional riding leathers rather than robes. A scarf and gloves round it out, and soon enough they are on their way down. Toith, a shadow against the stars, the vibrancy of her hide hidden in the shadows. It is not hard to find Elianneth, and so the older green alters her path to take her toward the beach. She downwind, so that the sand kicked up at least blows away from the weyrling pair rather than toward them. « Kay, I'm 'ere! » Let the games begin?
«I wanna fly,» Elianneth announces with a joyful bugle. «It's night time and different and I wanna see it!» Bounding ahead of N'sir, she stops near the lake, her big green bulking hunkering down in the sand in an excited wiggle. «I can't fly without you.» So logically, that means it is time to WAKE UP. For his part, N'sir is still trying to shake off the sleep, his arms folded over his chest as he hunkers down in his robe and tries to keep his grumbling to himself. It's the sight of Toith and R'sner on her back, however, that inspires a wry smile and the sort of chuckle that suggests it's either going to be a lot of fun, or a whole lot of trouble. Either way, he raises one gloved hand in greeting before shooting a /look/ at Eli. "She's… very excited," he explains as he walks toward Toith. "We had a bedtime story about the world looking different at night and well…. here we are." To which Eli bugles excitedly, springing up from her crouch to bound toward Toith, as well. «It /does/ look different!»
Toith is quick to crouch down and let R'sner dismount, the weyrlingmaster moving toward the smaller shadow among shadows that he (assumes) is N'sir. "It's alright," comes as resigned reassurance. He wasn't really asleep, and the night will at least hide the dark circles beneath his eyes. He can't quite stop the yawn though, even if he's rolling his shoulders and doing the sort of things one tends to do when attempting to inspire wakefulness. Or to inspire warmth into extremities, because /WOAH/ it's cold at night! « True, » agrees Toith, tipping her head up to consider the surroundings. « Mos'ly just dark. » But hey, she's game! Her eyes are whirling brightly, and there's no need for her to shake the sleep out of her limbs; she's definitely awake! « A'ight, I'm /here/. Get wi' th' flyin'! » R'sner just alters his path again, moving to give the dragons enough space to do whatever it is they're going to do, hopefully snagging N'sir with an arm so he can helpfully pull him along. "What story?"
"Goodnight, Moons," N'sir admits sheepishly. Moving to meet R'sner, he immediately winds his arms around the leather clad form, squirming in until he's under his arm. "She likes bedtime stories," he mumbles in clearly embarassed tones. «YAY!» The triumphant whoop is coupled with an equally triumphant bugle before the not so little dragon whips around and hunkers down into her pre-flight crouch. «Three flaps? Four? Five? TEN?!!!» Course, even in her excitement, she's only gonna do what Toith says, bounding forward to snap her wings out and rise into the air with a mighty beat of butterfly wings. «GOODNIGHT MOOOOOOOOOOOONS!» is called gleefully to the skies. N'sir, couldn't possibly look more mortified and immediately settles into a whole lot of throat clearing and boot scuffing in the sand. "G'night moons," he murmurs under his breath.
"Goodnight, Moons?" repeats R'sner, mildly surprised. "That's…" adorable. It's /adorable/, but he doesn't quite manage to say so. There's definitely a grin threatening to spoil his sullen expression, but he clears his throat and just keeps walking to allow Elianneth her space to fly. "Nothing wrong with that," comes eventually, casting a glance toward the shadowy forms of the dragons on the beach. « Start wi' seven? » Really, Toith is just tossing out numbers. But five sounds good, to start! « Stretch 'em out, tho… » maybe? We'll see. Rather than join her in the sky, Toith just digs herself a little wallow in the beach and makes herself at home. Eyes on Elianneth, there's an encouraging, « Whoo! » as the younger green launches herself into the sky. Toith's not quite sure what this whole 'goodnight' to the moons is all about, though. It's that gleeful call to the sky that has R'sner choking on a laugh. "It's cute," he decides, leaning to give N'sir a quick kiss. "She's adorable."
N'sir covers his face with one hand, looking mortified despite the fact that he is laughing quietly. "She really likes bedtime stories," he admits as he moves along R'sner's side. With the number given, Elianneth exhales another happy croon, her form gaining altitude as massive butterfly wings beat steadily at the air. «ONE!» And the count goes on all the way to seven only to end with a very loud «MUAHAHAHHAHAHA, MOONS!» In the wake of the call, Elianneth turns smoothly, gliding over the lake and bowl in a smooth circle that has her ever so slowly swooping back to come to a running landing on the beach. As per usual, her loping run ends with a skid and a shower of sand, her neck craning up to allow her to watch the moon's closely. "It's her favorite," N'sir answers in warm tones. "They say Goodnight, Elianneth!" he calls loudly. That she can hear him is clear when she bugles happily at the moon's before bounding back to the start point. «Again?»
« Sure! » cause why not? Toith is of a mind to say 'yes' to just about anything, and R'sner's not countering with a 'no' to ruin all the fun, so… « have at it! » but, « Jus' don' strain nothing! » comes on its heels. « Ya feel a twinge o' pain an' ya land, got it? » Squinty side-eyes not included. "I'll bet she'd love Rosalyth," muses R'sner. "With her stories, and her books." Having moved to a distance that Res has deemed 'safe', he slows to a stop and turns to watch. The sun might not be shining, but there's enough light that he can at least make out the dragons on the beach. Or in the air, as the case might be. "Do you have a favorite?" he wonders, shifting enough to rub gloved hands briskly over his arms as he slants a glance at N'sir.
"In the great green room," N'sir murmurs. "There was a bowl of glows. And a big red ball. And a picture of the herdbeast jumping over the moon. And a comb and a brush and bowl full of mush and a quiet old aunty who was whispering 'hush'." Smiling as he watches Elianneth in her excitement, his expression softens, dark eyes crinkling at the corners. "Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight herdbeast jumping over the moon…" «No pain,» Elianneth assures as she hunkers down and breaks into her loping run before bursting into the air. It is in the wake of that first beat, that she soars upward, calling out to anyone who will listen. «Goodnight light! Good night chairs! Goodnight Kittens! And Goodnight Mittens!» Glancing up at R'sner's face, N'sir's smile warms, his chin giving a quick nod. "She would. She loves hearing stories." Falling silent at the question, he nods as he leans in closer to steal more body heat. "Sleeping Beauty is my favorite," he admits. "But Elianneth likes rhyming the best."
« Good! » declares Toith. After a moment of consideration, she hauls herself to her feet, bounds forward and takes off for the sky herself. A crow for the moons, though she doesn't add words for it, large wings sweeping down to propel her higher and higher, leaving the beach and the humans behind. Res watches her go, letting out a long exhale in her wake. He's quiet at the repetition, a faint smile pulling at his lips as N'sir recites the story. At the last, there's a murmured, "You mentioned that before. Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty, but I didn't ask about the last one. Why Sleeping Beauty?" he wants to know, curious. His arms wrap tight, happy for an excuse to snuggle in closer. As Elianneth finishes her goodnights, there's a crow from Toith to the sky in general before she's twisting around to soar in Elianneth's direction.
"I'm a sap," N'sir notes with a rueful laugh. "It's romantic. Course, Red Riding Hood, is just as romantic. And well, who doesn't love big bad wolves?" Over head, Elianneth croons as she watches Toith, her own slow wing beats carrying out of the water in a graceful circle back to the beach. "Sleeping Beauty because.. Well, I mean, her situation was as hopeless as it could possibly be and her Prince Charming still found her from half way around their world. How can you not love that?" In the wake of the words, his head settles comfortably on R'sner's shoulder, dark eyes watching Elianneth sore through the sky. "She's so happy up there," he whispers.
"Romantic…" It's a murmured repetition of N'sir's word, though R'sner does not expand on what he might think of it. Falling quiet, his gaze alternates between the weyrling in his arms and the pair of dragons in the air; dark shadows that briefly blot out the stars or momentarily catch the light of the moon on green hides. "Lucky her. Found by true love and whisked away to a happily ever after," because he at least knows of the story. "I suppose, if I had to pick a favorite…" he considers in a low voice, following the path Toith takes as she cavorts through the air, "It would be Beauty and the Beast. Though I confess, it has been a long time since I've read anything story-like. More philosophy and poetry, now," he confesses. "But I used to love fiction." A lean of his head against N'sir, though he's watching the dragons as well. "Good. She really is a natural. And far more… graceful," he decides with a hint of amusement, "than Toith." Because his green is more like an errant cannon-ball, banking left and right and looking like if she smashed into the bowl wall, the stone would not survive the impact. A challenge for Elianneth comes as she twists to the left, a playful, « Follow me! » issued before she's climbing upwards once more. « If yer not tired, » she amends after a mild prompting from Res.
The husky laugh spilling past N'sir's lips rises to twine with Elianneth's excited croon, his head tilting back on R'sner's shoulder as his lifemate twists in the air with a buffet of wing to send herself sailing through a loopty-loo that has her quickly drifting along Toith's wake. «Never tired,» is the gleeful reply. "I wouldn't call you a beast, though. Well, except when you are feeling particularly frisky." Winking, N'sir's lips twitch in a smile, his gaze sweeping back toward the soaring dragons. Still, it's clear in the pleased little smile on his lips that he rather likes R'sner's beastly side. "Her wings are stunning with the moons behind them," he murmurs in pleased tones.
"Clearly, I am not living up to my reputation, then," comes in reply as Res drops his head and nips gently at the side of N'sir's neck. "I wouldn't consider myself a prince, either," he murmurs, a sigh exhaled as he turns his gaze back toward the dragons. A quiet study of the pair, gaze flicking from Elianneth to Toith and back again. "She is beautiful," comes on the heels of that pleased observation, the words honestly spoken. "Stunning. And I'm a little afraid of how that might translate when she glows. Not that I'm worried for her," he's quick to add, lest the wrong intention be given. "Just… she's going to have a hoard of males after her." At least Toith is less inclined to entertain such attentions, even if they're rather rare for her. Res grimaces briefly, while Toith simply chases the moonlight in a dizzying display of acrobatics that she is definitely encouraging Elianneth to partake in. « S'like fighting in the air! » or dancing. It could be dancing, too.
"I would," N'sir whispers in the wake of the nip. "A princely beast, perhaps." Turning his gaze back to the dragon's his lips twitch in a smile that borders on preening at the praise directed at Elianneth. "I think she's going to love the attention," he admits. "She is very fond of being told she's beautiful. Course, I expect her to lead them all on a merry chase, as well." Overhead, Elianneth watches Toith's acrobatic maneuvers, her wings beating to carry her higher and higher and higher. It is only when she is sure she's high enough that she follow Toith through the intricate twirls and whorls, her wings snapping in tight to her back as she dips in a tight spin. Still high in the air, her wings snap back open, ornate butterfly sails billowing as they carry her back aloft with a deliberately slow sweep. «DANCING!» Definately dancing in her opinion. «You are very twisty,» she observes in gleeful tones.
"She'll get a lot of that." Being told she's beautiful. "Don't be shocked if you get some of it, too," R'sner warns, though it's in a tone bent toward amusement rather than caution. Of that merry chase, there is only a quiet, "Hm," of agreement as his gaze slides from the dragons to N'sir. « Fightin'! » counters Toith, though it's a playful argument. «Or wrestlin'. I dun dance! » But she'll twist and turn her way through the air, barrel-rolling toward the lake only to pull out of it at the last moment and skim across the surface of the water with a gleeful cry. « Yup! » A snap of wings, and she's spiraling upwards again. « S'the best part o' being little! Flyin' circles 'round th' bigger boys. » And girls. "How is she feeling?"
«The fiercest of them /all/» Elianneth agrees with a mighty trumpeting. On the ground, N'sir snorts and laughs, his face turning into R'sner's throat. "People can say whatever they like. Your's is the opinion that matters." Drawing in a slow breath, he glances upward, amused by exchange going on overhead. "She feels amazing," he admits. "A little while longer and I'll call her down." Cause he knows her, she'll push and push and push in her excitement. To prove the point, Elianneth follows Toith with a gleeful sound, her own barrel roll not quite as fluid, as evidenced by the skim of one wing over the surface before she's driving skyward, again. «OOoooooh…. CANONBALL?» "Uh oh," N'sir murmurs as he ever so gently tries to urge R'sner back a bit further from the water.
"They will stay you are wonderful," offers R'sner, "And that they want you." A curl to the corner of his mouth, and he decides, "The difference is," he decides, "that I don't need your dragon to glow to think you're amazing, or to want to put my hands on you." A quick kiss is pressed to N'sir's temple before he's turning to watch Toith soar above the rim. She'll tire soon enough herself, for despite being a veteran in the air, she's still a small dragon, and using a rather lot of energy with all of that acrobatic air-bending. Cannon ball? « Yes! » the suggestion is latched onto with glee, and almost immediately Toith is tucking her wings and hurtling toward the lake. She is at least careful to choose a path that will not have her crashing into Elianneth on the way. And Res? Easily urged back if just because he can sense Toith's own delight at the prospect of making a /huge/ splash. Backing up? Definitely.
will SAY you are… (words are hard!)
«BATHTIME, MOONS!» The call is chortled skyward as Elainneth tucks her own wings and follows Toith into a dive toward the lake below. The splash… is truly awe inspiring, the massive curtain of water shooting up into the sky with the younger green's trumpet of delight resounding through the bowl. As that water WOOOSHES into the air, N'sir turns his face into R'sner's chest, flinching with the possibility that they might not be far enough away. The moment Elianneth surfaces, another delighted croon is exhaled, her body twisting through the water in a fashion that makes it clear that is entirely to energetic. "The difference," N'sir laughs. "Is that they can look but not touch. You, however? All the touchings, all the time."
BATH time?! That almost gets Toith to abort the fall. But really? She's kind of committed at this point, and hits the water with a crash. At least there's no soap, so the older green is quick to toss aside that little slip of the tongue from Elianneth (she forgives her, totally). This ain't a bath. It's a physical assault on the surface of the lake! And now it's an underwater, covert op. Submarine-Toith, lurking in the depths of the lake and just waiting to pounce. And while Res might try his best not to, there's definitely a small part of him that took in that wave and gave a few more involuntary steps backward, not entirely convinced they are safe, either. But while the shore might get a bit soggy, the pair of humans remain fortunately dry. "Well. Not /all/ the time," he corrects. "Not yet." Cause, you know. Rules and such. "I think Toith is done," he murmurs, eyes cast toward the lake though his dragon has yet to surface and reveal herself.
N'sir exhales a warm laugh as the water settles, dark eyes slanting up to R'sner's face. "No, not yet. But by the time she rises? Absolutely." Elianneth, while still excited, is tired, her croons quieter as she paddles toward the shore. Course, Toith is down there somewhere, lurking in wait to bestow DOOM upon the unwary of the world. "She's finally sleepy," N'sir sighs as he leans a bit more snuggly into R'sner's side. "Sorry we woke you up, but I'm so glad you two were awake." And clearly, Elianneth is, as well, or so her happy croons might suggest. «We soaked the /whole/ beach» she informs Toith happily.
R'sner's arms tighten briefly, pulling N'sir solidly against him so he can bury his face into his neck and breathe him in. "Don't be sorry," comes in a muffled murmur, a quick kiss delivered before Res is straightening once again. "I'd rather be down here with you, freezing," he's not really freezing, "than up in that weyr alone." But all good things must come to an end, and while Toith /was/ lurking at the bottom of the lake, eventually she's got to come out if just to breathe. She slithers towards the shore like an old earth crocodile, head just peeking above the waterline until she's flowed naturally onto the beach and is walking once more. « Tha' we did, Princess! Good job! » A long cat-like stretch, talons digging into the sand, before she's dropping into the sand with an exhaled 'oof'. A tired half-smile and with a less dramatic sigh, R'sner murmurs, "You should take her back and oil her down before she falls asleep on the beach." Which is probably what he ought to do with Toith before he's stuck on the ground for the rest of the night. Not that he's in a hurry to let N'sir out of his arms.
N'sir twists around, his arms circling R'sner's shoulders as he brushes a tender, but heartfelt kiss over his lips. "I love you," he whispers. And while he's loath to draw away, Elianneth is entirely in agreement with R'sner, even if she is mimicing Toith's feline-stretch and talon sand digging. «Tired,» she complains. Despite the complaint, she sashays over to whuffle croon at Toith before bounding over to do the same to R'sner. "She says thank you, to both of you," N'sir assures as he steps back to rest a hand on Eli's shoulder. "Alright you, you said Goodnight to the moons, lets get you oiled and tucked in." Cause he totally tucks her into her pillows at night. No judging! "Goodnight," is whispered in husky tones to R'sner before the pair are moving off toward the barracks. From the fact that N'sir is laughing and murmuring, it's clear that Elianneth is telling /all about/ her flight.
