[PRP] Splish Splash (Mari, Shahera, Theri)

[Thaliawen]

Marinel put a bucket full of water down on the sands, and grinned at the green dragon before him. "You'll be nice and clean after this," he promised, and hurried to fetch another bucket. Shahera's green seemed to grow each time he saw her... Shards, she was getting big. He returned with the bucket and set it down.

"When will you be learning to fly?" he asked, looking to Shahera. "Probably not for a while?" Would the green dance in the sky as well as she did on the ground?

It was nice to interact with someone he'd known before they'd Impressed. Vosin was nice, but it still a bit awkward, and he hadn't gotten to know many of the other candidates. He hadn't needed to.  

[faesinger]

Shahera set her own bucket down and dropped a bag of rags next to it. “Actually, Therianth will be flying pretty soon. Pair flying is a little further out though.” Therianth needed this bath rather badly. She had gotten into a some mud and in the sun it was beginning to dry out Therianth’s hide.

Therianth was flopped on the ground, tired for once. She had been running around all day and was happily resting. She wasn’t too tired to not wag her tail at Marinel in ‘hello’ and raise her head to watch the procession of buckets.

“What about you? Are your studies going well?” Shahera wanted to ask Marinel how he was adjusting to not having D’mar around, but that was not something to lead with.

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"Really? I bet you're excited for that, Therianth," he addressed the green, and then gave Shahera a smile. "Maybe they'll let us come see your first paired flights, I'd like to see you and Dolly in the air. I bet she's as graceful in the air as she is on the stage." He remembered the dancing dragons fiasco and grinned.

"I like them. I'm learning a lot, and I've met some people. There's this gold dragon that keeps insisting I Impress a bronze; I think she wants me to hook up with her rider." He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "But otherwise it's good, I think I'm doing well."

"Is being a dragonrider everything you ever hoped?" he asked.  

[faesinger]

Therianth gave Marinal an affectionate shove with her head in response to his statement. It might have been a little too hard. She wasn’t used to her new strength just yet.

“I am not sure you will be able to see the first flights. I think Liat might want as few distractions as possible. You will be able to see us fly for sure though pretty soon after. A lot of practice will be needed to perfect flying.” Shahera pulled out a rag and dipped it in the bucket. They were going to go through a lot of those. Maybe she should have asked Therianth to take a dip in the ocean first.

She spied the nose wrinkle. “Do you not want a bronze? Or are you opposed to hooking up with the goldrider?” Shahera had no idea what Marinel’s aspirations or preferences were.

“I didn’t really have set expectations for being a dragonrider so I can’t really say it was all I hoped for. It is an experience though. I don’t think there is anything like being bonded to another dragon. Flits don’t compare.”

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Mari smiled at the shove, despite having to take a step back to make sure he didn't stumble. "I guess you're right," he agreed. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in the air, though." He seemed to busy himself with wringing out a rag before looking up at Shahera. "Vosin is nice, but I don't think she's the one for me," he said, "And a bronze would be a lot of a responsibility, I don't think I'm cut out for that sort of thing. That's more..." Dolly's thing.

Flits didn't compare? People did seem to compare firelizard Impression to dragon Impression. "I thought it must be something more," he said, "with them talking and everything." He wet his rag again, bending down.

"What were your plans before Impression?" he asked. "Just dancing?"  

[faesinger]

Shahera set about trying to get Therianth clean. It was rather messy and she was glad that she was in simple easily cleaned clothing. “Does that mean you have an idea of who is for you?” The questions was asked lightly, though she was rather curious what Marinel was looking for. “Any dragon is a great responsibility. Bronze no more than any other here.” She hummed a little. Marinel seemed to be stuck on the more traditional mindset of dragon colors. “Why not a bronze?”

“Flits…are self reliant. Dragons are more integrated with you. A flit can go off for days and not be seen, where as a dragon is always with you. Especially as a youngling. Be prepared to have no privacy.” There was a particularly stubborn spot and Therianth leaned into the hard rubs that Shahera was giving.

“I planned to dance and perform.” She wasn’t about to tell him that she had planned to kill people or that she still was willing to. “There is something amazing about getting lost in the movement.”

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"Oh... No, I don't have any idea," Marinel admitted. He went uncharacteristically quiet as he continued to wash Therianth. He didn't want to lie to her--but something might get to Dolly. "I don't know, it's something Dolly wanted," he said. "And I never wanted anything he did. I don't want him to stop speaking to me all together, he hasn't since after the feast, anyway. And besides, that bronze nearly killed him. I think I would have trouble dissociating that with the color. It's easier to say I don't want one."

He looked up. "Could you not tell him?" he asked. "I don't want him worrying. I want to make him proud. I know he's always busy, but he must see you more than he does me. You've got lessons together."

No privacy? That didn't sound comfortable... "They really see your deepest thoughts?" He asked. "Do you think you could still dance? If you enjoy it, maybe you could during your free time."  

[faesinger]

“You have never wanted anything he had? Ever? I find that hard to believe.” Shahera stopped cleaning to look at Marinel. “What I can believe is that you have put aside your wants in favor of what your brother wanted. That is admirable.” Her look got hard. “ But remember that you are on different paths now. You may still become a rider but it will be at a different time with a different group. You can want whatever you want now.” She softened her gaze some. “I understand that it might be hard to disassociate from the color but you might want to start trying. What if your bonded is a bronze? Would you want to hurt him by being scared or saying you don’t want one?”

“Don’t worry. D’mar and I aren’t on speaking terms right now. Nothing you say will get back to him.” She shrugged casually and turned back to cleaning Therianth. “He is proud. Are you proud of yourself?”

“You don’t really experience a dragon until the go searching in your head. After a while it becomes difficult to tell where you end and they begin.” Therianth looked over at Marinel and winked. “I can still do what I planned to do before.” And she planned to follow her trade when needed. “Just less frequently now.”

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

The thought had never occurred to Marinel, and it showed on his face. He was slightly stunned. It took him a long time to think her question over. What if his bonded was a bronze? "I never thought about that," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess I'll have to work on that, I don't want to hurt anybody."

Was he? Mari couldn't help the smile that came at the thought. "I suppose I am," he said. "It's hard to be, sometimes." It was easiest to see his own flaws.

"I can't wait to Impress," he said, then, and scratched at Therianth's headknob. "I want to be close to someone again."  

[faesinger]

“I never thought you did.” Shahera knew very well that Marinel wasn’t the sort to hurt someone intentionally. “Working on it would be good. Who knows what you have in store.” She stared at Therianth. This bath thing wasn’t working…Therianth only giggled in her head and snorted at Marinel.

Only half paying attention to what she was saying now, she continued talking. “The saying ‘you are your own worst critic’ didn’t become a saying for no reason. To be able to be proud of yourself is actually a huge deal.”

Therianth was never going to get clean this way. “Off you go, you mud covered idiot. Go wash some of that mud off yourself.” She pushed at the green, who in turn leaned back enough to unbalance Shahera when she stood and wandered off to go take a dip in the ocean. Shahera stumbled and almost fell into the muddy water where Therianth had been. Looking after the dragon she grumbled, “Are you sure you want to impress? They are rather a pain…”

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Therianth really wasn't getting any cleaner, was she? Marinel was amused, as he looked to Shahera and gave a nod. "I'll work on it," he promised. He didn't want to accidentally send the dragon meant for him between!

"I guess it's because it's easier to see your own mistakes than others'?" he offered, and shrugged. "I'm always aware of how clumsy I am."

He was grinning at Therianth's antics when Shahera decided to stop, and offered a hand to her to help her catch her balance. "I don't think I've ever wanted anything more," he said. "But now I'll know how not to bathe them."  

[faesinger]

"Well, I better go make sure she doesn't lean on someone else." Shahera said with humor in her voice."You should think about the bronze dragons. Maybe you can find some to interact with that aren't out to hurt anyone." That would be all of them right them...even C'zar's wasn't actively attacking anyone anymore. Passively...verbally...well.

"Definitely try to remember, whatever color the dragon is, if it choses you it is the right color." She smiled at Marinel before picking up a bucket of rags and leaving with a wave.

Thaliawen