Gold, Beauty, and Flirtation. (Queen chasers)

[Tashe]

Although the thin layer of fog was slowly starting to burn off, Millieth's hide had already gained the glow only a Queen near the date of her flight could have. The past few days had been a horror on her rider, she had been prone to random bouts of depression and worst of all, anger issues. Kaegan had effectively given a few people a few scratches and bruises by unidentified flying objects, than now lay broken into a million and one pieces. Her attitude reflected the polar opposite of Millieth's, while she was disgruntled and grouchy, the female dragon was positively chipper. It was an odd experience to find the Gold in such a good mood, but everyone could just attribute it to the condition that she was in.

Having spread herself out across the sands of the river bank, the golden Queen thrummed loudly before heaving herself up off of the ground. The sun had finally shown itself from behind the blanket of clouds, calling Millieth to the glittering the waters of the Selenitas River. Small eddies swirled around the female's legs and feet as she waded through the river, the deeper she went the more of her that got wet. Kaegan was in all likelihood off brooding somewhere, maybe even roughing up someone who was bothering her, but at least her absence gave the Queen undeniable, uninterrupted flirting rights. Bugling joyfully as she slipped quietly under the surface of the water, Millieth stayed under for a good while, just enjoying the smooth and cooling feeling against her hide. Resurfacing sometime later, the glowing Gold dragged herself onto the hot sand, content to sunbathe now that the drab grey fog had totally lifted from around the Weyr.

Although there was method to her playing, she had made her hide shine even brighter by going into the river, and it was all thanks to the reflective properties of the droplets. Trumpeting once more with a sly glint in her eye, Millieth stretched her body out along the bank once more, openly displaying her lithe body for all the males to see. There is no reason that the males shouldn't be surrounding her and praising her, she was just to beautiful to ignore.

[Requiem]

The male winged languidly above the Weyr, the mind of His quiet in sleep. It was rare for Z'hin to sleep during the day. But Jessereth...he knew the dreams that plagued the mind of his bonded, as often as not, and knew what the man would refuse to admit to. More than the turns of facing the Southern wilds, more than the struggle against the felines that quite nearly killed both of them, the horrific sounds and images of the slaughtering of the weyrlings would not leave the brownrider's mind. He was shaken. And, the small part of him that had remained intact, that had seen the world as harsh but felt that the people in it were somehow above the casual cruelty of nature - that small part of Z'hin that was still mostly innocent had been destroyed. The man would never admit it. He probably didn't even know it. But he was mourning that dead perception, even now. So he slept.

Jessereth was just relieved that His was capable of feeling. Too many times, already, he had come within a hair's breadth of losing His.

In complete mental silence, the brown flew on the air. It seemed like so long ago when they were first being taught to fly. He loved the wind and the way the ground extended before him, revelled in the casual sweep of his wings, in the strength flowing through him. Jessereth felt as if he could fly into Rukbat itself, winging across the impossibly long distance with ease, never tiring. Perhaps he could! Oh, he may not be his full adult size yet, though he was close. He may not have the sheer power of a gold or bronze. The latter, at least, did not outstrip him so very far. His solid stature saw to that. Still, on a day like today, the mind of His bonded quiet in his mind rather than ripped from him in death, Jessereth felt he could do anything. Was he happy? An odd question, given the emotional state of his rider. He was relieved, yes. Happy. The brown supposed that word was true enough. Z'hin wouldn't remain depressed forever.

It was in this state of peace that the young brown happened to glance down toward the riverbank, and there he saw a strange sight. A dragon on the bank was not so strange, really. He knew of Millieth. He'd seen her before, though he'd never spoken to her save out of necessity. Even the glow on her hide, brilliant and captivating, was not so very strange. He'd seen it plenty of times in the months of his youth. No, what was strange was this new feeling that gripped him, this feeling that insisted he wanted Millieth...to what? All he knew was that he wanted her. Perhaps to notice him, perhaps...Something else. Confused by this unknown range of emotions, the brown trumpeted, a quiet, almost shy sound. As if asking Millieth's permission. As if seeking her approval.

Drifting down toward the riverbank, Jessereth landed gracefully in the shallower part of the river, his rich, dark hide partially obscured by the rushing water. The wings remained unfurled perhaps a moment longer than absolutely necessary. Then they swept inward in a snap, Jessereth taking one cautious step toward the gleaming beauty. His hearts thundered. What was this?! Despite himself, he found his mind touching hers, the words coming before he realized he even intended to speak. Millieth. You outshine Rukbat this day. Would you mind - would you mind if I basked in your glow? Then, despite his unease and confusion, he felt somewhat emboldened, intoxicated by this new range of feelings and emotions.

No gold was ever so beautiful, now or before, as you, glorious Queen. The words were so soft, so shy, and Jessereth himself did not meet her gaze, trusting himself only to look at one of the forelegs stretched before her, and wonder what it would feel like to touch sunlight enshrined. It would probably burn him, he thought sadly. Consume him. But oh! That one moment before he was destroyed...surely it would be worth it! Though he doubted she would consider a juvenile brown worthy of such a touch.

[Tashe]

A small sound drifted across her hearing as she difted in and out of a doze, it was a familiar sound and that was the only reason she didn't lift her head to investigate. A few moments passed before splashing woke her from the light snooze she had finally had fallen into, quietly lifting her head to see who had interupted her sleep, Millieth was delighted to see it was a male dragon. Even though the male was just a Brown, the Queen let her eyes wonder over his muscular frame, finding that she liked what she saw. Shifting her curled up postion so that she could flaunt her body more, Millieth let her body settle into the sand with amusement. Flicking her spaded tail as the male began to speak, the Queen couldn't help but think that the way he was nervous was rather cute. /You may stay if you wish handsome... Jessereth./ Yes, she remembered his name, which for her was a feat of victory. Millieth wasn't the absolute best at remembering names, but fortunately for this Brown, she was able to recall his.

Craning her neck in a feline like way, the glowing Gold stretched and retracted her talons, leaving indents in the sand where they had run through. /You can come closer, I don't bite... much./ Well if anything that satement was true, Millieth didn't feel at all snappy at the moment, in fact she wanted the young brown to come closer to her. She needed to flirt, and the shy Jessereth was an ideal candidate. He was no Bearinth, and he was definately no Bronze, but the brown had a charming quality about him. Young, almost innocent looking, the Queen placed her full attention on Jessereth, watching and waiting to see if he would come any closer.

[Requiem]

Glancing at her once, Jessereth felt a tiny thrill of excitement at how her eyes seemed to cradle him, the excitement making him more nervous, too. He shifted from foot to foot in the water, not daring to draw any closer without her permission. But when she spoke his name and called him handsome? His head snaked up in shock, the shock quickly fading into pleasure. This glorious creature thought him handsome? And she knew his name...He hadn't spoken to her before. He knew that. Yet still, she knew his name. Without really noticing it, he straightened, his chest expanding slightly, though he looked away again, this time embarrassed at her kind words. Still shifting nervously, he looked much like a puppy, waiting anxiously and hoping to be allowed closer, every muscle screaming at him to run and pounce on and cuddle with Millieth. He would never do such a thing if she didn't want it, though! Just the thought of disrespecting her in such a way mortified him.

Her next words were magic to him. She was allowing the brown near her. I can? It was something of a rhetorical question, though, as he stepped toward the bank, moving quite slowly to keep himself from rushing her. His wings flared for a moment to catch his balance and perhaps to dry them...though maybe he was just preening for her. It was hard even for him to know for certain. They could hardly rival Millieth's in length, but they were lovely nonetheless, a dark, even shade of the deepest brown. That same brown that seemed to have been dribbled along his spine, running down his flanks and specking his legs. Then they were again folded in at his sides.

Young Jessereth had utilized all his flow of pretty speech when he first talked to her. Getting anything more out would be awkward at best, and incomprehensible at worst. He did, however, venture one more word. Gorgeous. The word itself was almost a carress, so light and unobtrusive it was in her mind. It might even be mistaken for the wind speaking in the trees not far off. He glided over the sand. Oh, so small compared to her. So small. Jessereth found himself awed by Millieth, who was even more captivating up close. At full growth, he'd only be average size for a brown, even if he had more muscle mass that most small bronzes already. He wasn't yet full size. Still, though he had no right to be so close to her, she had allowed it, and her permission was law.

He paused as his foreleg settled near the furrow she'd made in the sand, noting how much bigger her clawed foot must be than his. Shyly, he looked toward Millieth, then lowered himself near her. Not touching. Never that. Jessereth was not so presumptious. And his head was slightly behind hers. She should lead. Always. You gleam, he stated innocently, too unfamiliar with this first yearning to realize it was her pre-flight glow. Did you bathe in the river? The claws on his foreleg flexed, as if he thought to move it, but then lay still. He must have changed his mind.