Lakeside Pep Talk [Tag: G'rett]

[Hiko]

Disgruntled from the recent events in training, Mollin felt too confined to remain with the babe, sequestered as if in quarantine as she bided her time until the girl could be saddled with a milkmother. She paced the small room, ignoring the soft coos of Zaelin. Months in, and still no connection, but at least she wasn't crying all the time.
You or Zaelin?
Hush, you, Mollin replied with a scoff. Though, it was true, and she could not deny the blue his jab. She had been as miserable as the babe, and Daltilith's nagging for her to get out and see the world, to let someone else swaddle and change the babe had worn the young rider in. Actually leaving their little room, getting away from the dreariness and drab, had been an immense help. But when she returned...
She sighed. Today would be a good day to leave.

Absent-minded in her wandering that afternoon, she found herself along the lakeshore at mid-day. With a grunt, she flopped down onto the damp sand and fell back. Grit in hair and eyes closed, Mollin snatched the spectacles off her face and hooked them onto the first button of her tunic. Behind her, she could hear Daltilith trot near.
Can we play in the water? I want to swim!
“Then swim, love. I'm going to bake until someone tells me I'm done.”
What if no one comes to taste you? Oh? He'd gotten the baking joke? With a wan smile, she replied, “Then I suppose the kitchen will just have to throw me out.”
I wouldn't. Daltilith's tone was suddenly somber. I will always love you.
And I you. Go ahead and swim. I won't be far.
The blue creeled and waded in, his rider content to earn a sunburn.

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

‘More speed, Mastromideth, more.’ The Bronze rumbled under him, straining against the winds. His huge wings flared, pumping back pass his body as he pulled his legs tighter against his chest, trying to lower the resistance at the Bronze Weyrling pair hurdled through the skies over Mavros. G’rett was thankful for the goggles, his hair tossed back in the racing wing as he urged the big Bronze under him to push a little harder. He could feel Mastromideth’s heart pounding under him, but the dragon never complained; in fact, G’rett felt that, in a way, he might enjoy these unique personal ‘training’ exercises almost as much as his rider did.

As they neared graduations, their major classes became less and less. Yes, they still had lessons, but most of them were easier than they had been in the turns before. They were almost all out of the Weyrling barracks, save a few still yet assigned or just lagging a little behind. The chores that once at up all their spare time were now the duty of Mavros’s newest crop of candidates. It left the soon to be graduates with a lot of spare time; time to themselves, and to be ‘adults’. If you could call what half of them did ‘adult’.

G’rett, for his part, split a lot of his time between refreshing his Healer skills and flying with Mastromideth. ‘Okay, swing left. Sharp now, as best you can.’ Mastromideth rumbled again and curled his body into G’rett’s leg. The big Bronze rolled a little in the motion, trying to bend his massive form almost back on itself a bit; it wasn’t as sharp as G’rett would have liked, but it was leagues better than when they had started these training flights. The Bronze wheeled around in the air, leveled back out, and put on a burst of speed, like a runner out of starting blocks. G’rett laughed, leaning forward and slapping a hand on the wide, smooth throat of Bronze. ‘That was great, Mastro!’ He could feel the flood at the praise.

He could also feel the Bronze’s breathing now. ‘Okay, ease up, buddy. I think it’s time for a breather.’ Mastromideth’s wingbeats slowed, the breakneck pace they had been going at leaving them both gitty and breathless. ‘That was exciting!’ G’rett laughed, running a hand over the Dragon’s neck again as they curved into a lazy spiral, dropping down toward the ground. ‘Was it faster than last time?’ ‘Not sure? Think so though. That swing back was definitely better than last week.’ Mastromideth’s backwinged a little. ‘I want to try the flip thing you were talking about. I think I can do it.’

G’rett laughed. ‘Not too fast. This will take time; it’s not something we are going to master overnight.’ Still, he could feel the Bronze’s determination. Since just after the hatching, G’rett had been told that while Mastromideth would have the size, he would lack in speed and maneuverability. It was just how it was with ‘big Bronzes’ was what they said. He refused to believe it; with Runners, both four-legged and two-legged, it only took practice to improve those things. Stamina, speed, agility, it was all trainable – he’d always been told that. And while his Bronze might not be able to fly like a smaller Green or a Blue, he could do what he could to help the big guy get better. And Mastromideth seemed all for it, big pleaser that he was.

‘There is someone on the lakeshore.’ ‘Oh?’ G’rett leaned out; he could just make out the form on someone on the beach. And… a dragon in the water? Who? ‘Daltilith.’ Ah, Mollin’s Blue. What were they doing out here? May we visit? Mastro seemed hopeful, and afterall G’rett had said it was time for a break. ‘Sure, why not. Come in careful, I don’t want you to spook them.’ ‘I would never!’ G’rett smiled at the insulted tone, feeling the Bronze’s wing dip left as they dropped. ‘Maybe not on purpose, Mastro, but you are rather sneaky for being so big.’ The Bronze grumbled back at him, but angled his drop to touch down a nice safe distance from the pair on the beach, bugling a tempered greeting to the Blue and his rider.

G’rett pulled the straps free as soon as they were landed, waiting for Mastromideth to bend a little before slipping off the Bronze’s neck to the ground. Reaching up, he yanked the goggled down off his eyes to hang around his neck and rubbed a gloved hand over his features and threw his hair. Ash, his face was numb. 'Remember your scarf next time?' He shot the Bronze a look, then stepped off, lifting a hand to wave to Mollin. “Getting some fresh air?”

Hiko

[Hiko]

Daltilith all but pranced at the arrival of another of his clutch. He gave a happy little bugle in reply to Mastromideth's announcement and trotted over to the larger bronze. Swishing his tail in eagerness for the company, the blue ducked his forepaws down, giving him the stance of a rather rambunctious canine.
Hello! Hi! Mastromideth, are you here to play, or just be boring and sun like Mollin?
Gee, thanks.

At the sound of G'rett's voice, Mollin cracked open a single eye. Ignoring the initial blur of vision as a combination of bright sun and laze of not-quite-napping, the blue rider lurched up into a sitting position and haphazardly brushed sand out of hair and off of tunic. Rubbing at her eyes, she replaced her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose and crinkled her face, still squinting at the light of the day.

“G'rett?” Momentarily, Mollin was puzzled at the bronze rider's arrival. But, she scoffed at herself internally, of course it wouldn't be rare for someone else to come out to the lake; even less so for someone dragonback. It was close enough to the barracks, but even then, it wasn't as if Mastromideth couldn't take G'rett anywhere he pleased.
Ah, there was the rough bite of envy. She had it every time she watched her former classmates, knowing how much it pained Daltilith not to be a part of their training. And she, once bedridden, then confined, and only soon would she be able to return to training, not as a member of the clutch with which she Impressed but instead a new slew of names and faces, and -
With a groan, she leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees.
“One can only take stagnant air and wailing babes for so long, G'rett. Getting in practice for the next gold flight?” He hadn't deserved that. The reply had been snippier than she'd intended, but she could hardly take back the tone now. Despite the chagrin at her own bitterness, she added, “You've a decent chance, unless A'zael gets greedy.”

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

Oh well, wasn’t she in a fine mood. G’rett tried to remind himself that Mollin hadn’t had had the best go the last turn or so, so he’d shouldn’t take the shot personally. He could have thought up a few snarky shots back but instead flopped down on his butt on the sand near her. “I guess in a way, kinda?” G’rett reached up, yanking at the toggles around his throat to loosen the rider’s leather coat now that he was on the ground. “We’ve been trying out some speed and maneuvering flight patterns in our own time. Seein’ if we can get a little more speed and spin in the air to be able to keep up with them in the air.”

He pushed the collar back a little. “Right now, people keep telling me Mastromideth is gonna need smaller, faster flyers to over him in a Threadfall because he can’t do it himself. I don’t like that others might get hurt trying to protect us. Sits wrong with me. So we are trying to improve a bit so maybe we won’t need so much protection.” It was a long shot, he knew it, but it was better than just accepting that that the big Bronze wasn’t going to be able to handle it on his own.

Mastromideth, for his part, didn’t seem to be listening to the conversation or his Rider’s dwellings. He tilted his head, focusing on the Blue as he danced toward them. ‘We are here because we saw you and wanted to see what you were doing. I’m not sure about being boring, but we might be able to play for a bit. G’rett said we needed to take a break from our training – I think he is wanted to check on your rider.’

G'rett shifted a boot in the sand, not sure what else to say to his estranged classmate for a long moment; what do you say anyway? How's the baby? Still walking to the Weyrleader? Anything else exciting? No.. none of those was a good idea, for sure. After a breath or two, he finally looked over at her directly. “Okay, so, loaded question. How you been?” Yup, jump in, both feet. Hope it didn't backfire.

Hiko

[Hiko]

Daltilith reared up from his pouncey stance and pawed at the air.
I want to stretch my wings. I never get to fly anywhere. We could make a race of it!
The blue paused in his antics and settled back onto the ground when Mastromideth mentioned his lifemate. Creeling, the dragon gave a full shake, as if the movement would shift away all the bad feelings over the past Turn.
It is good that someone talks to her. Fath's rider is less than helpful, I think. He tries, but sometimes it feels like it just makes things worse.

Mollin barked out a rather sharp laugh at her peer's question. How had she been? Cooped up, lonely, with only Zaelin for company, or A'zael as the occasional, newly-awkward, conversational partner when he felt guilty enough to stop by. She let out a soft pff, her teeth barely touching her bottom lip as she struggled to get the sand out of her hair. She'd not cut it over the last turn, and it had grown lanky. She reminded herself too much of a cotwife, these days, with her now-doughy frame and long hair. Spitefully, she tugged it into a rough knot and let it collapse at the back of her neck. It would unwind in time, but for now, the style would do.

“My only company for most of the Turn has been a squealing child. And Zaelin, when A'zael doesn't stop in for his literal guilt trips, but even those have been infrequent. I'm trying very hard not to believe I wasn't just some willing notch on his headboard, but rumors abound, don't they?” It wasn't as if any of her acquaintances had visited after K'ton had banished her from training. Liesol, Lynara, neither of them had come to see her, swollen with child, or consoled her months after birth, when Mollin couldn't even look at the babe without wailing in inadequacy. Shells, the only reason G'rett cared enough to ask right now, was because he and Mastromideth had chanced upon her attempts at leathering herself.

Mollin sucked in a deep breath of air, as if planning to continue the tirade, then let it out in a shuddering breath. She'd built up so much anger, so much guilt, so much hurt over the past Turn, that she hardly felt like the rebellious holder girl that Ista had been so keen to take in. She felt a shell of her former self. Fleetingly, Mollin considered attempting to flirt with G'rett, just to see if she still could, but decided flatly against it. She didn't have it in her. Something that had been so true to her nature, once so easy to do, and it all felt like too much effort. She looked over to the bronze weyrling and scratched absently at an eyebrow in frustration.

“Why ask now?” she asked, her voice not much louder than a whisper, “Everyone knew where I was for months. No one came calling. So why ask now? Formality? Pity? I need neither.” Without realizing it, her eyes had begun to well up. She rubbed at them, shifting her glasses over a hand and askew on her nose.
“No one, not even A'zael, really, wanted to see me, but the entire sharding Weyr talks about me. I don't even know if I can ever look K'ton in the eyes again, and I even became a burden on Daltilith! I'm made to be gossip fodder, and the only time anyone cares to ask how I'm doing is when guilt gnaws at them or chance encounters make for a pity party at my expense.”
Wrapping her arms against her ribs, she tucked her legs back, as if she might curl into herself. She shook her head, blinking away more of those thrice-scored tears - she had become so emotional over the past Turn!
With a sniff, she looked away from G'rett.
“You don't deserve my anger. No one does. But it's there, and it's chewing at my insides, and I don't know how to let it out, or make it useful, or get rid of it. I can't even look at my own babe without feeling angry. At her, at A'zael, at myself. Had Daltilith been older, had I not been so bloody stupid before he hatched – every day I think of new scenarios of how things could have been different, or what I should have done. It – I – Argh!” She slapped impotently at the sand. Daltilith, dismissing his earlier interest in adventure, came to her side laid his head against her. He made a soft, sad creel, apparent in his actions that this was a regular occurrence. With one baleful eye, he watched G'rett, waiting to see if this bronze rider would make his lifemate as upset as the other one.

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

G’rett would have been the first to admit he hadn’t thought a lot about Mollin since she’d been banished from their clutch’s lessonings; perhaps once or twice, but not as often as he possibly should have? But at the same time, he had barely gotten to know her before they’d all ended up on the Sands. If he had, maybe he’d have been able to cuff her out of making some of her mistakes. Maybe, maybe not – it didn’t do well to dwell on what you really had no chance of changing. Mollin really hadn’t had the same choice though.

He opened his mouth, knowing the question had a chance to trigger something. And, trigger it did. First she seemed okay – a little bitter, but then she seemed to tumble off the edge into a wash. He simply sat there, letting the lashes come with ever other sentence, drawing a few gentle breaths to remind himself that HE hadn’t put her in this state. A simple question couldn’t, she had to have been dwelling in this self-pity quite a bit before he came along to trigger the flood rush. That didn’t help really, as he was the one sitting here taking the verbal shots, but still… it was a little comfort. A very little comfort.

When she slapped at the ground, he jerked a little, arching an eyebrow. He was very aware of her Blue eying him, knowing more by feeling then seeing or hearing that his Bronze had joined them as well. “Well, to be honest I hear more rumors about A’zael on his own, not you.” He frowned a little. “Not saying there might not be rumors about you, Mollin, just saying I hear him getting the ash dragged out of him most of the time. And no, I’m not sayin that to make you feel like dirt. I’m saying it ‘cause it’s true. This blasted place runs on gossip most of the time, I’m sure of it.”

That didn’t answer her question though, did it? Why now, not sooner? He found himself frowning. “As for why now? Because I’m here, you’re here, and it seemed a good time to ask?” Hey! He was honest! He filled in the afterthought quickly, hoping not to upset her further. “To Be honest, I’ve barely thought beyond my own two feet and feeding this big bronze beast behind me in the past turn. I mean, up until recently, I haven’t even had much of a chance to breathe, let along even think about talking to anyone outside shifting chore duties to get a little more sleep.” Yea, he’d own it, at least on his part. Life moved on, for everyone, even if it hadn’t for Mollin. It wasn’t their faults, or hers, but it still wasn’t fair.

She was right, no one deserved her anger. Not even her. “Okay, one thing? You aren’t a burden on your Dragon. If you were, he wouldn’t still be here. So right there, not right, so don’t think it, okay?” The healer in G’rett got a bit of an upper hand, and he tried to rein it in. “Dwelling on what could have, would have, or should have won’t do anything but dig you a deeper hole then the one you’re sitting in right now, Mollin. It’s a damn dark spot you are flying into. Don’t do it.” He knew it was easier said than done.

“As for A’zael? Dust him.” G’rett gave a shrug. “I’m serious. If having him around is that bad, tell him to bugger off. Or better yet, when he shows up, let him take the babe for a bit and get out. If you won’t want to be… how did you put it – ‘willing notch on his headboard’ – Don’t hit me, you said it.” G’rett leaned a little away from her, the grin on his lips slightly playful. “You did, I’m just repeating it. If you don’t want to be one, then stop letting it eat at you.” How could he word it better? He gave a little growl.

“Dwelling won’t change it. Beating on yourself won’t change it. Beating on A’zael, though it sounds like fun, probably won’t change it either.” Sitting back straight, he shifted a foot to nudge a toe against Mollin’s foot. “You got a chance now, right? Heard word is you’re gonna be in lessons with one of the new clutch groups, right? You have a healthy babe, a beautiful Blue Dragon, and the sky open to you… why keep hauling on yourself like you are?”

Hiko

[Hiko]

Daltilith's sudden appearance at her side was a great comfort to the girl, and she leaned into his protective touch, using the blue as support while she attempted to dry her eyes. She couldn't believe she'd allowed herself to cry in front of anyone, let alone one of her peers. Weakly, she clutched at Daltilith's headknob as the dragon creeled soothingly at her.

For a time, she was quiet, internalizing what G'rett had said. After some mental reflection and debate as to whether or not to argue with the bronze rider over the finer details of his points, his almost joking repetition of her earlier words had brought out a cough of a laugh from her throat. She sniffed again, feeling the fullness of her sinuses in every new breath in.
“Dust the Weyrleader, eh?” Another sniff, another soft scoff.

When G'rett nudged at her foot, she nudged back, her mood improving with his argument. “You're...” she trailed, sniffed, and sighed, “You're not wrong. We'll finally be able to finish training.” At this, Daltilith shifted away from Mollin's side, feeling the girl's mood changing. Her gaze fell onto the blue, a soft, loving look that was a stark contrast to her recent outburst.
That was the most important thing, though, wasn't it? That Daltilith wouldn't be confined or constrained any longer? She nudged at G'rett's foot again, letting hers rest against his as a silent gesture of thanks.
“Feelings don't just shut off. If they did, I'd be in a far healthier mindset than I have been. But so much of all of it has just been trying to boil over inside me, and I couldn't let it out to anyone for so long, that I-” She sniffed again. “I'm sorry you had to bear the brunt of that. I don't know what's come over me this past Turn. I hardly feel myself anymore.” Giving up on her glasses, she wiped at them with her tunic and returned them to the first button hole of the shirt. Idly, she tapped at G'rett's foot, having found a new toy with which to distract herself.
“Just, sorry.”

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

He sat in silence next to her, turning his attention to look over the lake’s smooth waters as he left her to process what he had said. Yea, some of it had been a bit rough, maybe too blunt, but he’d been there. Okay, maybe not exactly where Mollin was, but he’d been down the dark pathway she was taking. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t easy, and the longer you walked it, the harder it was to get back to a lighter, brighter mindset. He’d managed it – and he’d been a lucky one. Some lost themselves in that darkness, and just… never found their ways back. He didn’t want Mollin to be one of those lost ones.

When she spoke, it was about dusting A’zael. G’rett gave a rough laugh, looking back over at her. “If that’s what you need to find footing again, Mollin, and then yea. Tell him to shove off, leave you be, that you want space with him not in it.” He shook his head. “Not saying he is the only one at fault unless you are gonna tell me it wasn’t a willing… you know. But I am saying, that if him coming around being guilty makes you feel worse, then tell him to go away and stop making it worse. You have every right to do that, I don’t need to tell you that one do I?”

Mollin tapped her foot against his, and he shifted his toes to nudge hers back as she talked. He was happy to hear that she was really going back to lessons. From what he had heard, she’d be joining Marilsa’s clutch group. It wouldn’t be right now, he didn’t think – a few weeks more, possibly. He made a note to snag the other healer and ask her to try to make sure Mollin was included. If anyone would understand, Marilsa would at least have an open mind if he brought it up.

“Back into lessons is good. I mean, you’ll finish, and you know what… I bet you give people another couple months and no one will think any different of you than any other rider. You’ll be in the air, in a wing, and that will be that.” Her foot continued to tap the side of his, but he didn’t move it away. He didn’t think she really wanted him to move away; a glance at her pretty much confirmed that. He gave a gentle nod. “Yea, I know they don’t shut off. I think a lot of people wished that did though; it would make things a lot easier.”

He could imagine; if she was as focused inward as she claimed, well then, he’d have been climbing the walls and gnawing at himself too in her place. They’d all had a hell of a turn, but Mollin? Well, hers had to have taken the cake and not in a good way. “Not knowing yourself isn’t good. Should try to really sort that right; you know, try to do some of the things you found fun before. Or just walk with your dragon… anything but dwell.” He shot her a smile. “And talk to people, Mollin. If they don’t come to you, go to them. Eat a meal in the dining hall with the others. Even if they don’t talk to you directly, you are around other adults.”

He thought about it a moment, then sighed. “And, you know… it’s not the babe's fault, right?” He glances at her foot, still nudging his, and chuckled. “What did you call her? Zaelin? You can lay blame on A’zael, I mean I know a lot of people do for a lot of things, but her… she’s just here. She doesn’t get what’s going on. She probably knows her mama is upset though.” He looked back from her foot to her eyes. “Take her outside; even if it’s just a blanket on the grass. Have fun with her. And don’t be afraid to let her hang in the crèche to give you your own time too.”

He thought a second. “And, if my long-winded healer’s lecturing hasn’t scared you off, you know if you ever need to talk, you can find me right?” G’rett gave a rough laugh. “I can’t promise I won’t give advice, but I can promise to listen if you need to vent.”

Hiko

[Hiko]

Mollin was grateful G'rett had allowed her to continue using his foot the way a feline might a strand of twine. She'd needed the distraction, and he'd given her that. She considered his advice, the tap-tap-tap of her boot slowing as she deliberated.
Could she just tell A'zael to bugger off? She didn't think she had that in her, either. He was completely smitten with Zaelin and she him. No, it wouldn't be fair. But if she were back in the barracks, would she even need to worry about that? He could see the child on his own time, and Mollin herself could ignore her.

No, there, G'rett was just as rational. She knew, truly, that Zaelin was an innocent in all of this. With a frown, she scooted closer to the bronze rider, sitting beside him and making the effort of her taps into far less of a stretch.
“It's not that I hate her, or blame her, really. But I don't... I don't know. I just don't feel connected to her. I don't wish her ill, but I also don't know if I want to be a part of her life? I'd always heard that was a benefit of being in the Weyr, no babe or family to tie you down. I just didn't realize it would be because I'd struggle so much at what seems to come natural for so many other mothers.”

At the sound of his laugh, she shook off the creeping return of guilt and gave him a rueful, wan smile.
“Long-winded or not, I appreciate it. I don't really want to imagine what might have happened had I continued to let things fester. You hear things in the hold, sometimes, when a mother doesn't quite take to the babe. It – it doesn't always end well. I don't like thinking I might have...” she trailed, her gaze falling on Daltilith. The blue was pawing at the ground, obviously now immersed in the trundlebug in front of him. She stopped her absent boot-tapping, resting her foot and part of her leg against G'rett's.
“You're good at this, you know,” she said, still watching Daltilith and his victim, a curious smile slowly forming on her lips, “The helping thing. I was always more for whirlwind romances and adventure, more apt to put a foot in my mouth than a hand out to help.” Despite herself, she let out an amused snort. “Probably why A'zael was so attractive.” Mollin flopped back against the ground. “Be a friend, G'rett. If I ever start flirting with trouble like that again, save me from my own stupidity.”

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

At least she was thinking over what he told her, bit by bit. He liked that; G’rett would have hated to think Mollin was tuning him out in favor of amusing herself with batting at his foot. When she spoke, he turned his attention to focus on her, blue eyes scanning her face as she talked. She had moved a little closer, but that didn’t bother him; to him, it just seemed she was trying less to keep herself ‘apart’ from him, from the weyr as a whole, and it was something he was pleased to see.

He was also pleased to hear she didn’t hold the baby to blame. G’rett had seen it before; every fault and blame was laid on the shoulder of the one little soul that shouldn’t have been targeted. It was… very sad to see, to say the least. “Well, you had a lot in your lap when you found out you were carrying her, Mollin. You’d just impressed Daltilith; that’s life changing enough on its own. Then, by the way, surprise you’re gonna have a baby? With a baby dragon underfoot already? I don’t know if anyone would have handled all that any better, so don’t rag on yourself too bad.”

G’rett chuckled. “Give it time. You might connect, you might not. I’ve seen riders that have nothing to do with their kids; others raised them on their own and made it all work. Let the crèche take her for a bit, or A’zael, and focus on you for a bit. On lessons and on Daltilith. See where that leads after a bit.” He kind of understood what she was saying, in a way. For sure, it wasn’t like he had screaming babes under his own feet, but he’d been around Brenna when she’d been tiny; he loved children, but he didn’t think he was ready for them right now either. He had a lot still he wanted to do. If it happened? It happened, but he wasn’t off hunting for that sort of trouble.

As Mollin thanked him, G’rett flashed her a warm smile. “Yea, it’s a dark path. I’m glad I could help. Sometimes, it just takes a little time is all. Don’t try too hard; half the time, that only makes it harder to do. And I think, no matter what, you’ll do good by her. I’m sure of it.” Her leg came to rest more against his, the tapping of her toe against his stopping. G’rett gave a chuckle. “Well, what can I say? I’m still a healer at heart, and we are pretty good listeners. Don’t worry, I give great advice, but I’ll be the first to say I can’t take it worth at all well.”

When she asked him to be a friend, he couldn’t help it. Leaving a little, he bumped his shoulder against hers lightly, then sat back normally. “I think I can do that, Mollin. Any more danger flirting, and it’s a swift kick to the butt, and a possible dunk in a cold pool.” He smiled, letting her know he was kidding. Well, half-kidding at least. It depended on the danger she was flirting with, he supposed. “Or, at the very least, another long-winded lecture.”


Hiko

[Hiko]

So he'd been a healer before Impression? Mollin let that fact roll about in her head. It made sense, looking at how he'd tackled her outburst, how he'd been so at ease with advice, how he'd not added his own preconceived judgments against her or her situation. Briefly, she wondered how a healer had managed to find himself as a candidate for a less-than-loved Weyr, let alone Impressed to a bronze. She supposed everyone came from different paths; they couldn't all have been leftovers or rejects. Briefly, she debated asking if he'd had any plans to continue the work after graduation; Weyrhealing was an often needed trait, but generally not seen in bronze riders. Well, regardless of the future and her ponderings, he was good at it, and she was grateful. 

Despite herself, Mollin laughed at G'rett's agreement and casual bumping.
“A swift kick and a cold dunk, eh? Faranth knows I've been given worse treatment.” With a small, lazy grunt, she pushed herself off of the grass and brushed herself off. She had grown restless with all of the talking and needed to move. However, she was enjoying the company too much to just discard G'rett; after all, he had been amiable to the idea of friendship, and she sorely needed that right now.

With an outstretched hand, she offered it to the bronze rider, lopsided smile on her face.
“Feel like a walk around the lake? I hate just sitting about, and it's too beautiful a day to mope any longer, I fear.” Mollin glanced to Daltilith, who gave a restless wiggle in anticipation. She chuckled. "Besides, if I don't do something with him, soon, he may disappear from sheer boredom."

I can swim! You can watch! We can do laps together, you on land, me in the water! It'll be fun! The blue, obviously in an improved mood, bobbed his head at Mastromideth. Do you like swimming? I want to swim!

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

G’rett laughed, watching Mollin push do her feet. “Well, if you like, I’ll work on thinking up better punishments for if I catch you flirting with danger? Perhaps I’ll make you bath Mastromideth? I mean, after all, there is a league of him to wash and he keeps getting bigger.” Off to his right, resting in the sand, the big Bronze warbled an agreement, seeming to very much like the idea as G’rett watched Mollin turn to face him and offer a hand to help him to his feet.

He pulled his gloves off, tucking them into his belt, and reached up to catch her hand. Levering his butt out of the sand, he couldn’t help but give a nod. “Aye, moping bad. A walk sounds good, stretch out the muscles. It’s surprising how sore you can get simply riding a dragon.” G’rett flashed her a grin. “Be ready for that one, by the way. Once Drill training starts, you won’t feel your butt half the time. And trust me, it is better not to feel it after those.”

G’rett looked over at the Blue as Mollin glanced at him, watching the dragon wiggling around near Mastromideth. Side by side, it was scary the size different – sometimes, G’rett forgot just how big the Bronze was. Except, of course, when it came to bathing him. He watched the big guy bend his next, tilting to look better and the Blue. ‘Swimming is fun. G’rett and I haven’t been down to the water recently, except to bath. I don’t think anyway?’ The Bronze looked his way, and G’rett nodded.

“Not for a bit, no. But I wouldn’t suggest it with all your gear on, Mastro. Maybe just wad in a bit?” The Bronze rumbled, happy with the idea. ‘Later we can come back without all the straps and you can swim proper, okay?’ There was the rush of pride and warmth from the Bronze to his rider-healer. ‘Yes, yes. I would like that very much, G’rett.’ G’rett sent the warmth back, then looked at Mollin, remembering to release her fingers, casually reaching back to dust any sand off his rear. “So, which way would you like to head?”

Hiko

[Hiko]

It was never off-putting, watching another rider speaking to their dragon, Mollin mused as G'rett and Mastromideth had their dialogue. While she couldn't hear the bronze, G'rett had spoken aloud; she did it more often than not with Daltilith, and it seemed perfectly natural to her to watch something so apparently one-sided.

Chuckling, the girl stretched and touched her toes, oblivious to the length of time G'rett had kept attached to her hand.
“Ever been put on bedrest? I need all the stretching I can get. The butt, back, legs – shells, sometimes I thought even my brain went a little numb. Give me a good, hard training session any day over lazing in a bed.”

As she allowed herself one more moment to stretch, she turned from side to side, rotating her waist at the hip. Yes, it was much better to move about than laze, despite the enjoyment she'd initially received through her earlier sunbathing. When Daltilith was restless, she was restless, and the blue was too interested in playtime to let his rider lounge.
With a shrug, Mollin placed her hands into her pockets.
“The world is my oyster, I suppose? Well, if you've no opinion, why not just around the shore? Daltilith prefers an audience when he swims, anyway.”

She plucked her small satchel off of the ground and batted at it in hopes of removing the grit of the lakeshore off. There was little enough in the pack, just a small canteen of water and a few bites of salted fish, but she wanted neither damp with sand. Hauling it onto her shoulder, she grinned at the bronze rider.
“Besides, I heard from one of the kitchen staff that there were fire lizard clutches sighted nearby. I wasn't solely out here to work on a tan, you know.”

Alyx

[Alyx]

G'rett - Bronze Mastromideth

Watching Mollin stretch, he gave a wry smile at her question. “Not quite Bedrest, but I did spend almost a month in bed under healers’ care when I was much younger; though I’m sure it wasn’t for the same reasons yours was. Mine was stupidity on my own part really, but it ended up with me getting into healer’s works so..” G’rett gave a short shrug. “Wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, I suppose. Played out well enough.” Moving was good; even if you were only stuck abed for a few days, the blood didn’t flow right and made everything feel like it had asleep. Numb, and tingly.

He watched her gather her things, happy to see she seemed in much better spirits than before. He hoped it would last. G’rett himself too the chance to pull at the toggles of his riding jacket a bit more, undoing the garment the rest of the way – it was wonderful when you were up in the high air or ducking between but on the ground? He could almost feel the sweat starting to run down his spine. It was easy enough to shed the coat, dropping it over an arm as he smiled and dropped into step next to Mollin.

And laughed. “Ah, so that’s why you were out here on the shoreline. Hoping to find a clutch then?” Recent declines in the amount of the resident Mavros firelizards hadn’t gone unnoticed by many, and even G’rett had registered how few of the little dragonlings were in the air as of late. “Well, we better watch where we step then, right? I’ve never gone hunting for eggs myself. Sounds fun though.”

(Hiko - sorry for the lame post. I didn't want to leave it waitin anymore)

[Hiko]

((That's fine. YAY EGG TIME!))

Mollin allowed herself to grin at G'rett's interest. Though she had always held more of a fondness for canines than fire lizards, the bronze rider was correct in that part of her reason for coming to the shoreside was to hunt. It had been one of her coping mechanisms as of late, and while she hadn't had any luck thus far in finding an unmolested clutch (for every one she'd come across to date had born the broken shells and smattered ichor of a tunnelsnake or wherry's feasting), she held out some hope – after all, others had been lucky, and Mollin felt she was due a turn of good.

Absently aware of her blue's antics in the lake, she toddled along the shore as if on a balancing beam, one foot lining up in front of the other. Another way to cope. It was a childish game to be sure, but it was one that kept her mind away from darker aspects.
“Mm,” she said, momentarily faltering as she turned to face the bronze rider and continue her walk backwards, “Mostly, I came out to bake for a bit. A little sun goes a long way, and I've been too confined. But, I do sneak away every so often to look for a clutch. So far, I've only found the odd shell here or there, or eaten through egg remains. Here's hoping you're a good luck charm, hmm?”

Swiveling back in an about face, she continued her little line step.
“I've looked at most of the higher spots for nests around here, but there's this bit of rocks I haven't been able to scale very well. I have my hopes that there's a nest hidden away at the top – I've heard creels from around there when Dalti and I come out here, but I can never pinpoint it. Really, I just hope it's not a wherry roost,” Mollin laughed. “Though considering my chances, it just as likely will be.”

Alyx