Perks of Being a Wallflower
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Devin, Sia
Date Posted: 23rd June 2024
Characters: Aydhan, D'ren
Description: Aydhan and D'ren have an awkward meeting while their dragons preen in the lake.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 10, day 5 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: N'kevyn
Menanth bugled a greeting as he waded into the lake. }:Hello Tymborikath! Welcome to Barrier Lake:{
D'ren rolled his eyes. No wonder Menanth suddenly wanted a bath.
Tymborikath perked up from where she lay in the shallows. Her wings fluttered in greeting, showering the candidates washing her with water. }: Hello Menanth. :{ She rumbled back. }: I quite like it here. I don't need to /between/ for a bath. :{
The conversation made Aydhan look up from her book. She was sprawled languidly in a low chair, her shoes off to burrow in the warm sand. She tried to place the bronze, brow furrowing momentarily as she remembered D'men on a blue. Her gold corrected her, after a moment of equally confused back-and-forth. D'ren. D'ren was the bronzerider.
}:Oh that would be terrible. Did you have many Candidates to attend you there too?:{ Menanth moved closer but kept a respectful distance. He certainly didn't want to upset a Queen!
D'ren didn't see her rider and wondered if she was hidden behind the gold. Or maybe she was busy elsewhere. Most dragons demanded their rider bathed them, even if they got help, but some were more easy-going as long as they got washed. Well, if she wasn't around, then he wouldn't have to talk to her . . .
}: Of course. There's always someone willing to go to the beach. :{ Her wings unfurled a little further to catch the light on her wingsails. There was little she liked more than an attentive bronze and a good scrubbling.
**Yeah girl, get it.** Aydhan teased. The pleasure filtered through her mind too and she leaned back into her chair, enjoying the warmth of it. She caught a glimpse of D'ren- or, who she assumed was D'ren- approaching the pair. Pity he didn't bring any candidates himself. He was handsome.
}:You gleam beautifully in the sunlight.:{ Menanth couldn't help stretching his wings. He wasn't the largest bronze, but he wasn't _small_ either, and he was certainly well made.
D'ren waded in after him with his washing supplies. He gave a bow to the queen. "Welcome, Tymborikath. Let me know if he's annoying you." He patted the bronze's foreleg affectionately.
}:I am welcoming the new Queen.:{ Menanth huffed at his rider. }:It would be rude not to.:{
}: I do. :{ Tymborikath agreed. }: Tell your rider that you aren't bothering me. I _adore_ company. :{ She gave herself a little shake, nearly displacing the candidate on her back with a shriek of 'Tym, you did that on purpose!'
Menanth dutifully, and a bit smugly, relayed the gold's words. He moved a little closer to Tymborikath just as D'ren started to scrub. "Hey!"
The bronze was unrepentant. }:What are some of your favorite things?:{
**Give the candidates room, my love.** Aydhan chided gently from ashore.
Tymborikath ignored her rider, but did sidle a half-step away. }: Watch out for my helpers.:{ She directed to Menanth. }: Hmmm. I have been enjoying watching the boats come in and out of the harbour.:{ She said thoughtfully. }: I'm told it's unbecoming to swim up next to them, but I think that would be great fun. Especially if the bigger lake is deep enough. :{
}:Yes, we must not upset the boats, the people on them are working.:{ Menanth stayed still now, though his tail slowly swished in the water. }:I like swimming though!:{
Tymborikath did not consider 'working' to be a good enough reason, and if a dragon could roll their eyes she certainly would have. }: I think it would be fun to take my rider's littles out for a swim. :{ She agreed. }: Maybe to bother the boats. Or just to paddle around the big lake.:{
}:Oh, yes. I like little ones,:{ Menanth said. }:Some of them. The ones who are not too loud.:{ He tilted his head. }:Where is your rider? She should meet mine.:{
}: The loud ones are probably mine. :{ Tymborikath admitted. }: My rider is on the shore. I think Yours probably walked right by her. :{
Menanth looked around. }:This one?:{ He sent an image of a woman lounging in a chair.
Tymborikath bobbed her head in a nod, moving her muzzle in and out of range of a candidate's brush. }: That's her. Isn't she lovely?:{
**I am lovely, thank you.**
}:Yes,:{ Menanth agreed, even though he didn't have much of an opinion on how humans looked. }:D'ren! You must meet Tymborikath's rider.:{
The bronzerider kept scrubbing. **What about your bath?**
}:My bath can wait. This is important!:{ He turned and nudged his rider toward the beach.
D'ren gave a long suffering sigh and waded back out of the lake. "I'm sorry to disturb you ma'am, but my dragon insists I meet you." He tried to ignore the nervous flutter in his stomach. "I'm D'ren, and that annoyance over there is Menanth."
}: My littles can help when I'm done. :{ Tymborikath offered Menanth. }: Though it may be a while. I love a good scrub. :{
Aydhan looked up from her book, closing it and setting it neatly on her lap. "I've been told about you and dear Menanth. The boys have been very attentive to my lady since I arrived. Come, sit. Letting the bronze prance and preen for a bit is easier than fighting them. They'll all get over it once she Rises for the first time."
D'ren sat, his cheeks warming. "I didn't want to be inconsiderate by not introducing myself earlier, but I also didn't want to seem like, well . . ." He waved a hand toward his dragon.
}:I do not mind,:{ Menanth told the queen. }:I can stay here and admire your beautiful hide as it becomes even brighter.:{
"A little prancing and preening is all in good fun." Aydhan said with a chuckle. "My girl likes the attention, and honestly, so do I. Everyone has been very welcoming since we've arrived."
"That's good." D'ren eased a little. "I don't really preen. I'm sort of quiet," he admitted.
"A bronzerider that doesn't preen? Barrier Lake is full of surprises." Aydhan teased. "Never thought I'd see the day."
His face heated again. "Well we can't all be the same, right?" He'd never wanted to be arrogant or vain like some bronzeriders, but he did wish he could be more confident like his friend F'lin.
"Sometimes the dragons pick outside their type." Aydhan agreed. "It's a lovely surprise when that happens, but I don't expect it." She reached over and patted his hand, gently. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."
That made him even more embarrassed. "Oh, no. It's fine. I heard you came from High Reaches?"
"Born and raised. We are very excited to just be able to have a lake just outside that you can swim in. We used to have to /between/ to the Tillek coast in the winter for baths." Aydhan said with a laugh. "Where are you from? Barrier Lake, or one of the other southern Weyrs?"
"I've been around a bit. Born at a small hold, apprenticed to the Harpers, Impressed at Dolphin Cove, then moved to River Bluff." He paused a moment before going on. "Then Dragonsfall for a while before Barrier Lake opened."
"That is too much moving. Good for you." Aydhan said. "Ugh, going to Dragonsfall after Dolphin Cove and River Bluff would have been the opposite of what I've done. I'm glad you're back to the mildly warm. How do you find Threadfall here?"
D'ren thought a moment. "The wind off the lake can be strong, but not as bad as on the coast."
"I'll keep my guard up along the seaholds, then." Aydhan said with a nod. "The gales are nasty around Tillek too, and that coastline is wicked dangerous even without the wind. I don't envy the rest of you flying in the main formations. I'm perfectly happy in the Queen's Wing."
"Ash Wing is challenging, but I'm honored to be part of the Weyrleader's Wing." D'hol was demanding and D'ren tried his best not to draw his ire. "I'd heard you were a Healer, is that right?"
"I am, though a depressing one." Aydhan said cheerily. "Mostly end of life type of care. I'm not doing as much as I used to, now that I'm a 'Second. I'm sure the Infirmary is thrilled with how often I'm present regardless."
"Oh." D'ren arched an eyebrow. "It's not the sort of thing I could do, but it's important work."
"It's not for everyone, that's for sure." Aydhan agreed. She stretched, then started to get to her feet. "It looks like they're almost done with Tym. Do you have any dinner plans? You can meet my weyrmate. He needs more friends now that I'm so busy."
D'ren's stomach fluttered with nervousness but he smiled and said, "I would love to have dinner." He needed more friends, too. Shells, this had all been so much easier when he was younger.
}:Yes, make friends with Tymborikath's rider,:{ Menanth said. }:If her rider likes you, maybe she will like me even more.:{
Last updated on the July 2nd 2024