[PRP] You Meddling Dragons (Narisa x Set'al)

[Meepfur]

"I don't think anyone will." When his gaze followed Narisa's to trace over the marks on her dragon, a look that might have been guilt shadowed his face. He'd convinced Pipith to live Weyrless, and that had been all well and good for awhile, but they hadn't been there to help when the people dearest to them were in danger. And even then, Set'al had resisted going back immediately; it had been one thing to visit and catch up with friends, or to indulge the bronze when Cepheith was near to Rising (while he planted himself well away and got a headache), but he'd still run from the idea of being tethered to a Weyr. He'd come around, obviously, but even with the decision made and irreversible, he had doubts when he let himself dwell on it.

At least they were at Western, where a dragon's color meant nothing. He wouldn't be expected to be anything more than just another rider, at least not by anyone besides his dragon. He was saved from sullen thoughts, though, when Narisa kissed his cheek, startling him back to the awkward here and now. His own cheeks reddened, and he smiled a moony smile up at her.

"I thought it was quite pleasant, actually," he said with a shrug, but took her hand as he stood - and didn't pull her back down, although the temptation was there. "But I definitely support dragon-free time."

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

She agreed with that. No one was certainly going to forget the day Thread returned. "No, I suppose they won't." She murmured, thanking Faranth for those lives that had survived. And, perhaps it was selfish, but she sent another prayer of thanks for her best friend being returned to them, unscathed.

Narisa just sighed dramatically at him, a small battle raging in her mind as to whether she would release his hand or hold it. "Well, that's probably because it's the only bath you ever got, right?" She teased, giving his clothes a light tug. "What, with all that travelling and never having a constant reliable water source?" She feigned pinching her nose, pretending the little bit of warmth that refused to leave her cheeks wasn't because of how comfortable it felt holding his hand, knowing he was really there.

"Maybe that's why Pip really wanted to come out here." She said with a small laugh, hearing a mildly indignant rumble from Cepheith.

"But... I'm pretty sure dragon-free time trumps everything else." She shot said dragons a look before lightly tugging her friend in the opposite direction of the overgrown lizards. "So, how is weyrlife treating you?" Small talk. She could totally do this.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"Are you implying I'm smelly?" Set'al questioned in feigned horror, and raised his free arm to sniff himself and check...then shrugged, finding nothing especially offensive about whatever odor he did or didn't have. "Although if I have gone that long without bathing, I suppose I'd be noseblind to it by now, wouldn't I? If I had. Hypothetically."

"Because I have bathed, of course. It was..." He looked to be seriously fishing for the memory as he swung the hand she held. "Two weeks ago? I think? The days really blur together when you're travelling."

He had, in actuality, bathed just this morning, and taken much greater interest than usual in looking presentable, though being dumped into the sea by his dragon had done him no favors. "Well, it's early yet," he answered. "Not even quite done moving in, so I'll have to get back to you on that."

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

She tossed the feigned horror look right back at her friend. "Why, I would never imply such a thing!" Her lips twitched, eyes bright as she watched him go through the process of checking for himself. And then she just had to laugh. "Of course, for you, I'd make that exception and be that nice friend that could tell you... there may be a fishy smell. Y'know, hypothetically." Okay, really, there wasn't any such thing. But how could she not tease him! It had been a while since they'd seen each other.

Narisa just shook her head. "See? Yet another reason living in the weyr will be good for you! Now you can keep track of the days." There may have been a little fluttering in her stomach at his swinging their hands. Like they were children. Which probably summed up how they acted when together.

A knowing look crossed her face. "Ah, so what you're really saying is Pip was too impatient and rushed you out here. He has his lady Gold to woo after all." And conspire with. Probably plotting terrible things too.

Well, she would take whatever plotting the two dragons came up with if a pleasant walk on the beach with her best friend - who always seemed to make her heart beat a little faster - and a lack of said dragons following.

"You know, I'm always available to help with the moving." She added, bumping his shoulder with her own.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"If, hypothetically, I do have a fishy smell, I'm pretty sure it's because my dragon thought it would be funny to chuck me into the ocean, in which case I'm not the only one who smells fishy." Since, you know, he'd been an overgrown child and pulled her down into the water with him. Completely worth the hypothetical stench.

"Not much choice, I suppose. I'll get assigned to a wing now, have drills and sweeps and..." Set'al trailed off with an unhappy 'yeugh' noise and wrinkled his nose, and it was only partially for dramatic effect. He really, really wasn't looking forward to being subjected to the rigorous schedule of a dragonrider. Every time he dwelt on the thought of being stuck in committed to a Weyr, his skin crawled. But Narisa was here, hand in his, and that helped.

"Pretty much," he confirmed. "He does have his priorities."

He feigned stumbling to the side when she bumped his shoulder, pulling her with him (but not back into the water, he knew better than to do that twice in one day!). "Mm, tempting...but are you really being helpful, or do you just want a chance to look through my stuff?"

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

Narisa just scrunched up her nose and shot Set’al a look. “Annnd who, exactly, do I have to thank for that?” She tried to give him her serious look. Which failed because really, they were both wet (and probably smelled like fish), holding hands, being the silly riders they were. Oh and don’t forget Set’al and Pipith were now part of the Weyr. How could she possibly hope to accomplish any sort of look beyond happy?

The goldrider sighed. “Is it really that bad being in a Weyr?” She knew that answer already. It had been a conversation they’d held on multiple occasions. “I mean, you get food you don’t have to barter for. A guaranteed shelter every night. Oh, and don’t forget the Gold dragon that will fawn over Pip and keep him occupied.” Okay, maybe the last was not a good incentive, considering what usually happened when their dragons spent too much time together.

“And, most importantly, you have me to make sure you don’t skirt on your dragonrider duties.” She couldn’t keep the cheeky little smile from gracing her lips. Oh, she had no problems fetching a bucket of water to dump on the poor man if he was trying to sleep in.

Narisa rolled her eyes and managed to keep on her feet, maybe adding in a little finger flick to his chin once they were walking straight again. “Well, I was just trying to be my helpful self. But now that you gave me the idea…” She wouldn’t. And he probably knew it.

“For what it’s worth, though, I’m really happy you’re here.” She added with a genuine smile and gave his hand a slight squeeze.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"Pipith's, of course," Set'al happily passed the 'blame' for their current state on his dragon, since he had been the one to start it by spilling him into the water in the first place. Everything that happened after had simply been a natural progression of events! No, he was not going to feel the least bit guilty about any of it. Nope.

"Yes and no," he answered, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. It was a difficult subject to begin with, and even harder to put into words. "Western will be better, I hope, no one expects bronzeriders to be...bronzeriders." He gestured vaguely with his free hand. "But I've never been good at staying in one place." Maybe he'd be better at it this time, maybe not. He was quietly afraid that it would be the latter, and he would disappoint her.

He did recover a smile at the flick to his chin, and even stuck out the tip of his tongue in reply. But instead of a retort, he focused on what she said just before she squeezed his hand. "I may not be thrilled to be back in a Weyr, but I have to be stuck, at least it's with you. Even though I'll never get to sleep in again."

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

"Of course." Wasn't it always Pipith's fault? She was pretty sure that if she had a mark for every time he blamed his dragon, she'd be a very rich rider. Though, to be fair to her friend, Pipith was very hard to say no to. Or argue with.

A small sigh escaped, and she felt a little bad for sort of putting him on the spot. She knew he disliked staying in a weyr. But, she could hope this one would be better for him. Maybe. "Well, you'll have to convince Pip that bronzeriders don't have to be.... bronzeriders here." She teased, attempting to pull a smile out of him. Though a small part of her feared he'd leave again. And that made something inside of her squeeze tightly.

This time, it was a real sigh of exasperation. "You just have to make things difficult, don't you?" She glanced at her friend. "I hate to tell you this, but I think you're becoming more like Pipith..." Narisa tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. And then, on an impulse, she twisted and kissed his cheek, ignoring the faint pink on her own. "I'm glad you're here with us."

"And... you know," she said slowly, blue eyes brightening a little. "If you needed to travel a bit, maybe you and Pipith could be our escorts! Cepheith and I are Searchriders, so we do travel around." A compromise perhaps?

Meepfur

hi ilu heart ...also just realized that Set'al is in V'lik's wing... bwahahahaha he gonna hate it |D

 

[Meepfur]

"Me? Difficult?" He was genuinely surprised to hear that, a bit perplexed to be a honest, though he covered it with his usual playful air. But did he make things difficult? For Pipith, maybe, since despite all of the bronze's hard work, he'd never developed any ambition. For...himself? Certainly not for Narisa, he couldn't imagine he'd ever really impeded her in any way. Who could? And she had him thinking way more than he really liked to. Set'al wrinkled his nose then, as though the idea of developing similarities to his dragon was a terrible one."More like Pipith? Ugh, please, don't tell him th-"

Oh, that was- Well, that was one way to keep him from thinking overmuch. Another kiss on the cheek! He flashed a little smile at her and squeezed her hand in turn. "I'm sure Pipith would embrace the idea of being Cepheith's escort. We could on rest days, I suppose? I don't imagine 'hanging out with my goldrider friend' passes as a good excuse for missing wingdrills around here."

Kyrieko

emotion_bigheart
fff, that sound ominous. XD