Hot Blood and Cold Shoulders
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: Sia, Noli
Date Posted: 4th June 2025
Characters: N'tur, J'cello
Description: N'tur and J'cello bathe their dragons together (no, it's not a metaphor)
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentor Approved by Heather
}:Mine, can we please go take our bath now? You _said_ you were almost finished.:{
Graileth's annoyance was practically palpable in his thoughts, and they startled N'tur abruptly from his study trance.
Stretching strained back muscles and hearing a satisfied pop from deep within his spinal column, N'tur stood, rolling the hides he had been pouring over the past two candles carefully as he did so. Reaching one hand behind him to pat Graileth's muzzle apologetically, he placed them carefully on an upper shelving unit.
**Of course, love. Let's go.**
As the pair circled down to the lake, N'tur suddenly realized that, rather than heading towards their normal spot, Graileth was angling his flight towards another section of the sand. One where there was, funnily enough, already a resident: a petite green dragon, young and lithe, accompanied by her rider.
**Oh, you're subtle. Wretch.** But there was no malice in the thought as N'tur vaulted from his brown's back and landed close to where the other man stood. N'tur knew this rider: they had been weyrbrats together, had stood the Hatching Sands beside each other briefly, and now, they shared a fighting wing. As Graileth splashed happily into the shallows of the lake, N'tur gave the greenrider an easy smile. “Mind if we join you?”
J'cello looked the other man up and down, a sly grin already starting to pull at the corners of his mouth. He hadn't recognized N'tur when they'd first graduated to Skybroom-- the man had gotten _hot_ since they were both candidates together. Bairelth snorted behind him, just to be known. Her jealousy lingered in the corners of his mind, not quite enough to be worrying yet. "Not at all. Please. We might as well shiver together. I should've had Bairelth /between/ up to the coast for bathtime. At least then we'd both be warm."
N'tur chuckled wryly and wrapped his riding jacket a little tighter around himself. Shards, it was cold!
“Yeah, I tried to convince Graileth of the same. But he was adamant he'd rather wash off here.” He watched his brown dragon, who was obviously trying to show off for the pretty green, diving and splashing around like a hatchling. Though small comparative to his color, Graileth looked positively massive compared to the dainty Bairelth.
**Stop crowding her, old boy.** He chided his partner gently, empathizing with the dragon's amorous antics but concerned they would backfire if Graileth pushed the petite green too hard.
“Sorry,” he said apologetically to J'cello. “Poor thing only has one thing on his mind lately, as you can see.”
"Had to pick the one girl that would play hard-to-get." J'cello said lightly. "She's not too keen on public displays of affection. Or showing off. What about you? I wouldn't mind watching some flexing."
Bairelth snorted again and J'cello waved her off, urging her to wash the soap off her hide while he stayed mostly dry on the shore. She hip-hopped away from where Graileth was splashing, crouching down to submerge in the water like she was told, looking very much like sailor stories of giant sea snakes.
N'tur was slightly startled by the other rider's playful yet clearly suggestive comment. He gave J'cello an uneasy grin. It wasn't that he didn't _like_ the greenrider… moreso that his main purpose was to fulfill his promise to Graileth, which was to be more social and hopefully give his dragon a greater edge in a mating flight. Or, at least, not be a liability due to being anti-social.
“My flex is a little more… refined than his,” he quipped, jutting his chin at the brown dragon, who had calmed his antics and was now attempting to mimic Bailerth's position, but was still noticeably attempting to close the gap between them. “Give me a jar of numbweed and some stitching thread and watch me work some magic on a ‘score. You'll practically swoon.”
"I'll keep you in mind if I ever need to get nursed back to health." J'cello offered good naturedly. "Eye candy is good for convalescing, you know."
}: He's being weird. What does he want.:{ Bairelth complained.
**He wants your attention, sweetheart.**
Bairelth eyed the brown suspiciously.
"So are you here just as a chaperone while your brown shoots his shot, or do you have other ulterior motives?"
N'tur considered the question. Initially, he hadn't given much thought to the nature of the relationships he'd hoped to develop with the rider of whatever special green caught Graileth's eye, outside of ensuring it was positive. He typically preferred female partners himself, when he'd had time to pursue personal relationships at all, which was woefully infrequently over the past six Turns. Finally, he answered J'cello with a confidence he didn't really feel.
“Well, my main duty right now is to play wing-human to this randy lizard. But you know how that goes, man. Sometimes, the second ends up getting the gold.” And he winked at the greenrider
}: I am _not_ a lizard.:{ Graileth was ill-tempered at both his rider's perceive insult and at his failure to coax the green into allowing him to get close to her.
**Of course you aren't, dear heart. My apologies.** N'tur tried to soothe his dragon's moodiness. **Perhaps you should give her some time. Come, now, let me finish scrubbing you.** Graileth complied, moving into the shallows where N'tur could reach him easily. His tail swished dejectedly, causing a spray that, thankfully, missed the two riders on the shore.
"That's not a no, which I appreciate." J'cello said mildly. "Your lizard may want to try bringing gifts or something. It's rude to get into a lady's space without even a hello, you know."
}: Don't encourage him. :{ Bairelth warned as she re-emerged from the water, chilly, but soap free, and hopped close enough to shake water droplets all over her shouting rider.
N'tur gave his dragon's now-scrubbed hide a light slap in mock indignation. “Graileth! Shards man, you didn't even speak? I taught you better than that.” But privately, he comforted his partner. **It's okay, my darling, we're both still learning.**
}:My apologies, fair Bairelth. I was distracted by your beauty.:{ Graileth finally addressed the other dragon. }:Thank you for letting me bathe here near you today. I hope you have clear skies.{ And he gave the green a hilarious equivalent of a dragon bow.
N'tur stifled his amusement at his dragon's new tactic of attempted chivalry. Winking at J'cello, he told the other man. “Gifts it is next time. For the beautiful lady _and_ her handsome rider.”
All J'cello felt from Bairelth was mortification and confusion, the poor thing, but the greenrider couldn't help but grin. "Her rider prefers to be courted before her flights, thank you."
Last updated on the July 3rd 2025