Unwinding After a Long Day (Open)

[kayla]

Neory had had a long day. She had been assigned to the Kitchens for the day, an assignment she enjoyed, because of all the activities in the Lower Caverns, that was the one that most obviously helped the Dragons and their Riders.

However, working in the kitchens made for a hot day! The fires were constantly going and there was always something that was being cooked or baked. When she'd finished for the day, she'd gone back to her sleeping quarters and stripped off the sweatie clothing.

As she got dressed, a smile had crossed her lips, "I need a swim. That's exactly what is needed after a long day in the kitchens."

To that end she'd throw on a battered pair of light pants that had been cut off pretty high and a tight shirt of faded orange. Content with her plans, she quickly headed out to the lake.

Neory always enjoyed swimming. She imagined that the freedom she felt in the water was similar to what Riders felt when they flew on their dragons. And since the Dragons often played in the lake, swimming was a great oppurtunity for a Drudge to get to admire the beautiful creatures.

Without paying attention to who was at the lake, she would plunge herself into the water, loosing herself as she swam a few "laps".

[hrsegrl]

Ortath landed at the Lake, pleased with himself for such a fluid entrance onto the waters. He had made sure not to land on anyone but forgot about the ripple effect. K'dyn met the brown beast at the lake, knowing that it was high time the brown had a bath. If only he could convince the dragon that oiling was a good thing.

He took off his shirt and shoes and walked into the waters, slowly wading in. He noted that there were a few people walking about the lake, one or two greens and a couple people other than himself in the waters. No wonder. It was pretty cold in the waters.

While Ortath went under the water, he noticed that one of the swimmers was his baby sister. "NEORY!" K'dyn called. He could have pulled aprank on her but he was feeling a bit pranked out for the day. After losing his jacket the way he had he was beginning to have an intense distaste for fire.

[kayla]

Neory heard her brother call her name just after she had surfaced. She swam to the edge, pulling herself out. She was not the least bit self conscious about the way the wet shirt clung to her, but the many people swam naked, so she figured she was slightly ahead there.

"Hey big brother." She would give him a hug, even if that meant he got all wet. He was at the lake after all!

"Was that Ortath that made that huge splash? Glad I was underwater when he decided to enter." She laughed a bit, "Giving him a bath? Want a hand?"

Before she could answer that, she'd smile to him, "I hear you got yourself in trouble with your pranks. So, tell me, what did you do this time? And why didn't you tell me that you did one big enough to require fire as retribution!"

[hrsegrl]

"why thank you." K'dyn laughed as she hugged him. He was only in up to his calves. Of course he could trust family to do that to him. "Yes, he's full of himself as usual and don't go filling his ego like last time. He's perfectly capable of showing off without any assistance." The Brown ducked back underwater playfully splashing some little Weyrling dragons.

"If you want to help you are more than welcome. It does take a while to bath him and I'm feeling a bit lazy today." He looked around and hoped no one was getting the wrong idea. K'dyn had sworn off women as flirts and heartbreakers.

"Well, I got retaliated with fire, twice my dear. See I pulled a prank on my Wingleader, so he burned my bed. Then I did another on some of the Pyralis riders and they burned my jacket, while I was wearing it. I'm still deciding which one was worse."

[kayla]

She laughed as she watched her brother's Brown playing in the water. "Of course he's full of himself! Look at him! He has every right to be full of himself."

She rolled her eyes as her brother looked around to see if anyone saw them. "Would you like me to call you 'big brother' loud enough for the whole weyr to hear?" She smirked at him, "Trust me, I'm not going to ruin your woman hating reputations. And when are you not lazy?"

She frowned as she listened to the bit about the burning, "Are you all right? What did you do to deserve that? They could have killed you!"

[hrsegrl]

She was right of course, Ortath was an admirable Brown. He was proportionate and well cared for. Whether the brown wanted to be or not. "Like I said, ego." The Brownrider said just as sweetly, " Don't worry about that. I think its a bit late for that, sis. It seems my reputation could use some work anyway. I've been way to nice lately." K'dyn laughed. It always puzzled him how he could be so much darker than she was. His father was the dark one but it was suprising how little he looked like his half sister.

"Uhm. I'm not lazy when I'm pulling pranks on people. You should have seen what Kanoni and I did to the Wingleader the other day... I had to run so fast I thought my heart would burst before I made it to the Weyrbowl."

He looked at his pile of clothes a moment, he missed his jacket. K'dyn would eb the last to admit but he was rather fond of it. At least he would be getting a new one in the next day or so. "Oh, I'm not hurt, just a burn or two on my back. The pranks had to do with a highly volatile wing and I do think they will be itching in some rather inappropriate areas for the next few days."

[kayla]

She laughed, "K'dyn! You should be careful pranking Pyralis! You know they're brutal." She couldn't help but be amused though, "Will the entire wing be itching for the next few days? Oh, I hope there's a flight then. They'd all be forced to sit it out." She wrinkled her nose, "Though hopefully they won't take it out on the drudges."

She moved over to Ortath and would scratch his eybrow ridges before she started helping K'dyn to wash him. "You should do a better job keeping him in line, Ortath."

[hrsegrl]

K'dyn smiled. Neory was a good girl. Not that he had anything to do with that. He would blame his mother but it seemed the only reasons he ever got into trouble was because of him. "Well if someone had not snitched on me, I'd have been free and clear."

The brownrider grabbed the washing sands and brushes. "If any of them come your way, hide as quickly as possible." He grinned. She wouldn't ahve to worry about them. They liked either very submissive women adn men or very fiery ones. Neory was inbetween, like a normal person.

"Ortath is no help. He encourages my behavior." K'dyn added, while scrubbing the dragon more vigorously on a drier spot of skin. "See that, it needs oiling. I really wish you would let me oil you more often." I told you, I don't like it. It smells funny.

[kayla]

After scratching Ortath for a moment, she would begin to help K'dyn wash him. "Ouch, a snitch. That's..." She shook her head, "wrong." She grinned to him; she might not pull pranks anymore, but she still knew the "code" and snitching was as low as it got.

She rolled her eyes at him slightly, "I will have you know, Big Brother, that I am quite capable of taking care of myself. If they 'come my way,' I will not hide from them." She would pay attention to washing Ortath, "You need to stop trying to protect me, K'dyn. I'm a big girl."

She frowned a bit as she found a dry spot too, "Ortath, this is bad. Surely these dry spots itch. Let K'dyn oil you. It won't hurt you."

[hrsegrl]

"HAH! I wouldn't protect you. I have to protect myself. I'm on their hate list!" He said in shock that she would even suggest he would think of someone else before himself. He wasn't a huge believer in chivalry. It was every man and woman for themselves. Another reason not to get involved with women. His sister was a proof. They say they don't want a relationship and they can take care of themselves but in the back of their minds they were waiting to ensnare men for their evil and twisted purposes.

"Ortath will be oiled today like it or not. " The dragon grumbled but assented to the need. He needed to be able to go Between after all. "He'll be happier if we can get it done fast. With two of us it will be better. Thank you for helping, Neory."

[kayla]

She shook her head slightly, "I don't believe you're as much of a cynic as you want everyone to think K'dyn." She continued to scrub the brown dragon.

"You're welcome, K'dyn. You know that I don't mind helping with Ortath." She smiled a bit wistfully and then shook it off.

She scrubbed for a moment and then would look over at her brother, "I'm curious. I know you're not a big fan of women, but... has Ortath ever flown a Green?"

[hrsegrl]

"I am so." He said, giving her a mocking smile. Ortath seemed bigger everytime he had to wash him , even though the three turn old had stopped growing over a turn and a half ago. "Now, don't you fret, Neory. Adeloth should fly again soon and if theres no Queen I'll sneak you onto the sands myself. My baby sister deserves a dragon after helping with Ortath." He laughed a little. It was always hard to tell when K'dyn was serious and when he was joking. In this case he was a little of both.

"No, he has not. Nor has he expressed a lot of interest in any particular green. Someday he may and I will deal with it the best way for that situation. I will leave as soon as is proper..." K'dyn thought it would be that easy anyway.

[kayla]

She smiled to him and would splash him lightly. "See, you do care. You shouldn't pretend that you don't."

She looked back to her scrubbing, "Do you think a dragonet would even chose me, K'dyn. Maybe the reason I've never been on the sands is because I don't have what it takes to be a Rider." She shrugged, "Besides, I'm getting a bit old for it. Not old enough to give up hope, but old enough to accept that maybe its not meant to be."

She rolled her eyes at him, "You know its entirely possible that you'd actually enjoy it?" She shrugged, "I was just kind of curious as to how much the Rider is aware of."

[hrsegrl]

"Care? Me? Where would you get a wherry brained idea like that?" The rider was only have joking. He cared but he cared more about Ortath and himself than any of the other miserable beings on Pern.

K'dyn shook his head. He was so sick of women having defeatist attitudes of late. "Get a hold of yourself. Women have impressed up to the age of twenty one according to record. Besides, Queens generally choose more mature riders and you wouldn't be satisfied with anything less." He knew Neory well enough to know she wouldn't be happy unless she had come control over the people around her.

It must be because she was the youngest and nothing had ever been in her control. At least that was the only reason he could think of at the moment. Besides she was not nearly moody or flighty enough to ride green and he highly doubted a blue would want her. She was too hetero for a blue.

"Sure, thats the part that everyone likes. It is no doubt very pleasurable at first, but then you have to deal with the little things that come with it. Most of which are unpleasant enough to even out with the pleasure and possibly surpass it. Thus its not really worth the energy."

[kayla]

Neory blinked at K'dyn scolding her, even if it was a light scolding. "I... uh... um..." She thought about it for a moment, "K'dyn, what exactly is bothering you?"

She continued to work on washing Ortath as she talked to him, every now and then giving him an extra scratch that had nothing to do with washing him, but rather with just being affectionate.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe you need to share your bed with someone? And that there doesn't have to be all that messiness that you seem to think comes with it?"

She sighed a bit, "Not all women are manipulative game players, K'dyn. No more than all men are selfish jerks."