Recline in a Danger Zone {Open//Chores}

[Sheari]

The young woman leaned against a young green dragon, a hat drawn over her eyes, a fishing pole in hand. She was tending the boats, she was. She might not look it but she was watching them. The hook on the end of her line was for more than catching fish.

Anusha couldn't remember why she had decided to try and fish. She wasn't even sure there were any fish in the river at all! But either way, it gave her something to do, even if it was just to hold the pole and move it every now and again. She was certain the worm on the end was gone but it didn't matter. She could always use the end of the pole to doodle in the sand. That was always nice. But it also made her very bored and bored was not something Anusha liked too well. Minth was actualy asleep and so they couldn't carry on any form of quiet conversation.

With a huff, Anusha leaned back again, Akos curled up on her knee, sleeping as well. No talk and no games to play. The girl yawned, pulled down the sleeves on her shirt, and leaned back. The sun felt so good on her face and soon enough...she dozed off.

[Requiem]

Pounce. Pounce. Pounce. His bundle of energy trailed behind him, pouncing the trailing laces of one boot. Laces he'd left undone for her to play with when she'd started this game as he was pulling them on, to be precise. His Eveyth was being careful of her claws, she was - had already scored him a few times by accident, though lightly, due to how unusually long and sharp they were - and this made 'winning' the game that much harder. What sort of game is chores? Eveyth asked him curiously, rolling in the sand of the beach after another failed attempt at the laces. X'rx paused to look back at her, a decidedly fond smile touching his lips. The greenweyrling was a naturally gentle sort, and the love of a bond with a dragon only softened him more. He couldn't stand being away from Eveyth for even a few minutes right now, the pain of separation too keen.

"Chores is a game of making everything work right and everyone happy," he explained quietly, turning back to crouch near her, his hand splaying over her exposed underbelly. Eveyth's mouth parted in a wide yawn, her fangs flashing in the light. New hatchlings seemed to tire quickly, which X'rx was silently thankful for. His girl would have been too much for him otherwise. And how do we win at these 'chores?' He thought about that for a moment. "I suppose doing them as fast as we can without having to do them again...that's how we win, Evvie." Squirming, she snapped playfully at his hand. I am not the Evvie. I am Eveyth. And you are my X'rx. "I think Evvie's a nice name." It is, it is. She rubbed her head against his arm, curling her tail around his leg. It just isn't mine. Silly X'rxMine. Things must be called by their names, or it will confuse.

He ran his fingers lightly over her stomach, standing. "Eveyth, then." For another minute or so, perhaps, until he forgot again. "Come. The docks aren't far." Docks? Curious, she was already on her feet, winding around his legs in a tangle that threatened to topple the both of them. "The place to keep boats." Boats? "To go across the water in, without getting wet." Ohhhhh. A pause. If you do not want to get wet, why do you put places to go on the water? X'rx chuckled. "A good question. I don't know." Eveyth finally settled in at his side, and the pair began to move further along the bank. The green huffed softly. Of course X'rxHers knew everything. He must have just forgotten.

As soon as Eveyth saw the older little dragon and the humanly that was like Hers but wasn't Hers, she took off running, gouging furrows in the sand as she went, her wings tucked tight. X'rx, too, broke into a run, calling after her, but she had already leapt for Minth in a flying play tackle, kicking up sand behind her. She wriggled joyfully, burrowing up against Minth's side. Big sister, big sister! Are you winning at the chores? Sleeping does not make them go fast! She nuzzled the other dragon, knocking against Anusha in her enthusiasm.

X'rx drew up, pushing the loose hair from his face. His smile was decidedly sheepish. "She gets excited so easily," he commented, by way of apology. "You all right?" The greenweyrling crouched down to be more at eye level, glancing past Anusha to Eveyth...who at least seemed to be settling down somewhat now.

[Sheari]

They were swimming. Up and down and around, and Anusha found it very odd that neither of them, her nor Minth, or even Akos, needed a breath of air. It was as if they could swim in the water all day and not worry about drowning. It as as if Minth could fly without worrying about falling or tripping. It was as if everything was right. As if everything was as it should be.

Then Minth began to fade.

Anusha cried out but nothing came. Bubbles erupted from her mouth and she suddenly felt that she must surface or die. Her lungs burned as the girl scrambled for the surface. She cried out for Minth despite the lack of air. Something pushed her in the water and..."Huh? What?" Anusha woke up. She looked around dazzedly, but then realized that her dream, nightmare, had been nothing more than that. Also, the worm on the end of her fishing pole was gone.

Little sister! What do you mean winning at chores? Yes, sleeping does make them go by faster. Silly little sister.[/i] The green yawned, showing rows of silvery white teeth sharp enough to rend tough flesh. I am fine, AnuMine. It was only a dream.[/i] Minth added to hers, folding her front legs, placing a paw on the tail of Eveyth. The weight should be enough to hold the girl but not enough to hurt her.

"Yes, I'm fine." Anusha said, rubbing an eye as she looked up to X'rx. "I'm Anusha and this is Minth." It wasn't the greatest of introductions, but she was pleased that one of the new weyrlings had found her sleeping and not their new Weyrlingmaster, what'shisname.

Ah, well.

[Requiem]

Don't you have to do them, for them to go fast? I don't think sleeping is a chore. She paused long enough to ponder that thought for a moment, comfortably snuggled against the other green. Eveyth was such an odd mix of friendliness and competitiveness that she never failed to amuse Hers. I am sure it is not, she stated definitively. Fast and right. Getting them done fast and right is how you win. Didn't you know? (She'd only been told just now, but this was a big little dragon, so she should already know!)

The leg on her tail drew a playful growl from Eveyth, who snapped harmlessly at the leg. Is this a new game, MinthSister? she asked eagerly, having picked up the name when Anusha spoke it.

"Nice to meet you," he responded warmly, a genuine smile touching his eyes. "X'rx. And the wild one is my Eveyth." He rested his elbows on his thighs, hands dangling just above the dirt as he took the girl and her pole in. "Fishing? There are some nice fish in this river, but it's a little too fast here - the current. There's a good spot further upriver." Actually, it was a pool that was part of the river when the water ran high and fast, but got separated from it when the banks receded.

Catching a hint of his reflection in the water, he brushed at a stray piece of hair, settling it back into place in an order that - frankly - likely only the greenweyrling could discern; his hair was a wild mass of natural curls and waves. Apparently he was satisfied by the adjustment, though. "I'm kind of...at a loss...regarding the chores." His smile was a touch uncertain. "They're so general. Was that what you were doing out here, or were you just fishing?"

[Sheari]

No, Little GreenSister, sleeping is not a chore,[/i] which was a good thing, or nothing would get done. The way I understand it, /we/ do not need to do chores, but Ours do.[/i] It seemed an almost backward system, but Minth wasn't about to complain. She could always help Hers at some chores, and so the green did not fret about being useless.

New to you, EveythSister.[/i] Minth gently pushed the smaller green away from her. Careful not to push her too hard and push her over.

Anusha patted the ground next to her, "Have a seat," she said. She looked at the pole then. Fishing? Oh! "No, I'm not really fishing. I found it on my way out here for chores and decided to try my luck." Pulling the pole and line out of the water she looked at the empty hook in dismay. "It seems my luck has run out," a smile came to her face.

Confused about chores? "With boats it's pretty simple. Just watch them so we don't loose any, and if someone needs one, you help them," or that was what she had guessed so far. No one really told you how to manage boats and the sheet with chores didn't say much either.

Boats - Watch, assist with

And next to that someone had scrawled "very boring". Yes, very descriptive.

[Requiem]

How dull, the hatchling breathed. And it was. There was little fun in chores stealing Hers from her, Eveyth expected to watch...or sleep. She was not liking these chores much, she thought.

Stumbling a little to one side, the green wriggled her hindquarters in a particularly canine-like fashion, hunkering her shoulders down and flaring her wings briefly, her small head snaking around as she uttered a play growl. Pouncing for Minth, she wrapped her forelegs around the other green's neck, half-sprawling on the dragon's body.I like it. Are there rules? Teach me, won't you? She nuzzled Minth with undeniable zeal.

Palming the ground, X'rx swung his body into an easy sprawl by her side, leaning back on the palms of his hands and arching his back slightly as he let the sun warm him. It was winter, yes, but out here, under Rukbat's direct light, it wasn't very chill. The young man chuckled at sight of the empty hook. "It does appear that way, doesn't it?"

Glancing at her uncertainly, he nevertheless accepted her explanation with a slight nod, the small young man kicking off his boots and coiling his bare toes in the grass. "There's a touch of something...you're from Selenitas Hold, aren't you?" he questioned amiably. It was only subtly different from the dialect used at Selenitas Weyr, but X'rx had an ear for such things - possibly because he was always interested in stories about other places.

[Sheari]

Akos popped out of between, hovering over Anusha's head before hiding in her hair. He had gone back to their weyr when they'd been "attacked" and after no receiving anything from His, had mustered up his courage and returned. The 'mandyr's white head peeked out of the the girl's hair. His eyes whirled a green-yellow. These Not His and not HisMinth, they didn't seem dangerous. He sniffed and returned to his hiding place. Oh yes, because hair was the perfect place to hide! You could burrow in it and be close to Yours and never be seen!

"Yes, originally," replied Anusha. "My brother is from there as well." Did he know about R'men and Weith? Ah, the life she'd had. At one point in time she'd felt naked without a stylus on her. Either in her hand or in her pocket. Now she felt almost naked without Akos hovering around her. There was always something in her pocket.

Yes, it can get very dull,[/i] the green mused. The sudden weight on her neck, however, caught Minth by surprise. Rules? No particular game had come to mind when she'd been pushing Eveyth around. It had been just mindless toying with the girl. Minth reached toward the riverbank, grabbing two stones in her jaws and dropping them, one smaller than the other, on the ground. You take one and you bounce it on your nose. The one who keeps it bouncing the longest without dropping it wins.[/i] A simple enough game. Mayne Akos would join.

[Requiem]

X'rx watched the salamandyr curiously, having never gotten particularly close to the creatures - that he was aware of. They apparently were quite the sneaky beasts and had likely been stealing stuff and spying right beneath his nose often. His eyes flicked back to Anusha's face. The young man couldn't help noticing that she was a rather pretty girl...he was male, after all, and eighteen at that...but X'rx wasn't the type to ever find saying such things - much less making a move - easy. Which was probably why all his siblings (yes, even his youngest sister now) had enjoyed some sort of relationship with someone, and he still hadn't. Not that the greenweyrling was looking for one. He was quite content with the friends he had, and now there was Eveyth to think about.

Also the issue of her maturation and the high probability that he'd end up with another male, which did make him mildly nervous, but that was far enough away that he could easily ignore it.

"Your brother?" he prompted curiously. In all likelihood, he knew of her brother, but X'rx certainly wasn't capable of conjuring up the boy's face in association with Anusha. He nodded toward her hair. "And who is this? I heard that white salamandyrs could Between, but I never really believed it."

Eveyth naturally slid down and off Minth's neck as the other green began to move, watching her curiously, the hatchling's head canting to one side as she attempted to figure out what the other green was doing. What was special about the stones?Ohhhhh, she commented. That isn't the same game, but I like this one, too. What does the winner get? she asked eagerly. Eveyth had already taken the small stone in her mouth, clutched carefully between her teeth and making her overlong, saber-like canines that much more obvious.

[Sheari]

Ah! He didn't know! "R'men, of bronze Weith," she said. Perhaps that might jog the young man's memory in he'd seen him. Minth had informed Anusha a while ago of the extend of hatred that was borne between Weith and their gold sister Jingth. Sure, the obvious dislike was displayed at their hatching, though it seemed the two had strayed away from physical violence and gone more toward civil arguments and sharp retorts. She'd yet to see them go at each other's throats and didn't really want to see them at that level either. Who did? The girl doubted anyone would want to see a bronze and a gold trying to actually kill each other. "He's not a very popular person, since Jingth hates Weith so much. But he's actually rather nice."

The question directed at Akos puzzled her for a moment. "This," she stared, reaching up and bringing down the white Salamandyr, "is Akos." The creature in question beamed at the sound of his name. He remained silent as ever, not one to make noise, he flashed X'rx with a beautiful image of himself. A brilliant white that was nearly blinding. See?

Bragging rights,[/i] came Minth's simple reply. It was just a game to pass the time, one she didn't mind sharing with her greensister. She concentrated on bouncing the stone. Eventually she ceased to feel it on her nose. Each bounce felt only through the twitch of her head to keep the object in motion. Akos scrambled out of Anusha's hand, grabbing a pebble from the ground and perching on the larger green's head. He sat down, flared his wings so he looked a brilliant, yet incredibly small crown. His own pebble bouncing on his nose. This game!

[Requiem]

R'men of Weith? Sure he knew who he was, though he wouldn't have guessed the bronzeweyrling was Anusha's brother. Probably would have occurred to him if he'd seen the two together - he was usually good at figuring out such things without even asking - but he couldn't remember having seen them. Then again, he often couldn't remember everyone or everything he'd ever seen. He chuckled softly. "Popularity is overrated," X'rx commented, stretching and letting himself fall back into the grass, head cushioned on his arms. "I'm sure I'd like your brother well enough. Siblings tend to be more judgmental than other people, anyway," he added teasingly.

His eyes widened slightly at the picture in his head, X'rx's breath catching at the suddenness of it before he wrinkled his nose good-naturedly. "Gave me a bit of a shock there, Akos. Was that you?" He smiled at the salamandyr, before quirking a grin at Anusha. "A salamandyr. That's pretty brave. There are quite a few nice ones, but they seem to be vastly outnumbered by the rest," he commented blithely. "I don't have a pet of my own. Could claim Eveyth, but I'm more her pet than the other way around. Just hatched and she still manages to have more sense than me the vast majority of the time."

What is this bragging? Eveyth asked her greensister curiously, watching the older green bounce the stone with great intensity. She didn't know what bragging was, but she would win it! (Eveyth tended to know instinctively things that were often in the head of Hers, but the less common things had to be questioned, and X'rxHers apparently didn't often think of this bragging business.) Crooning happily to the little, who had also come to play, she attempted some bouncing of her own, doggedly pursuing it again and again, even though the stone kept wanting to bounce wrong. After a couple minutes, though, she'd seemed to have gotten the hang of it, bouncing the stone gently on her snout.

[Sheari]

Minth almost stopped bouncing her rock. What was bragging? She excused the question as honest interest and proceeded to answer. Bragging is telling everyone you can do something in a proud way. Most people don't like it if you do it too often.[/color] The stone bounced and and odd angle and the larger green twisted her head to try and catch it. It seemed to have been possessed by a mind of it's own and Minth focused on it. She almost scolded it for not doing as she wished. It soon resumed it's steady pace, having "decided" that it's adventure should come to an end.

Anusha chuckled at X'rx comment. Being one of seven children, she had siblings to spare. "That is true. I never did get very close to any of my other siblings, really, though. In retrospect, I don't regret it." Perhaps she should have felt more remorse over never getting to know them, perhaps not. "Yes, that was Akos, he does that," she said.

The white in question flapped his wings, catching a drift of air and knocking him off balance. His stone bounced off of his nose, rolling down Minth's until it bounced off. Akos scrambled after it but began bouncing as well. He grasped at the green's snout with his claws, determined to hold on. Minth wrinkled that side of her lip, the little Salamandyr's claws tickling the nerves there.

"Yes, it does seem that the nice ones are vastly outnumbered by the not so nice ones." She wouldn't exactly call Sylph a nice Salamandyr, but not exactly a mean one either. Oh well. She was intrigued at the notion of Eveyth possibly being claimed as a pet. "Hmm, I wouldn't claim Minth to be my pet, per se. She is my mindmate and I am as much of her as she is as much of me. I can't stand the thought of losing her." The mention of it made the girl wonder, not for the first time, how the Candidatemaster Emoyan got along without his dragon. She didn't know specific details but she'd seen a mention of his name in the Archives on some death records.

She chose not the dwell on it.

[Requiem]

This bragging does not sound particularly fun, Eveyth agreed without preamble. She tended to think that if you did well enough others would notice anyway, so there was no need to bring verbal attention to it, right? Of course, Eveyth's obsession with winning had less to do with acknowledgment and more to do with pleasing Hers. He was quiet, Hers was, but he had a thing about completing everything and completing it well. All the better if one were to finish a task before everyone else, and better than them, too, right? Such was Eveyth's reasoning. Competitive as she was, however, she left off bouncing her stone when Akos slipped, bringing her head over so as to give him some place to fall too so he didn't have to cling to her big sister anymore. Come, little white one. I shall be your perch if you like.

X'rx, for his part, couldn't imagine not being close to one's siblings. He'd grown up in the same room as all three of his, after all...or in the creche, given both his parents had jobs in the weyr that didn't slow simply because they had children. But weyr life was interesting, as a boy found himself adopted by pretty much all the weyrstaff. You had your parents, yes, but all the weyrfolk who weren't dragonriders looked out for children, whether they were theirs biologically or no. Family was rather important, or at least the sense of it, and, being the eldest, X'rx always had felt a certain responsibility to his younger siblings. All of which had moved on, now. Ironically, well before he had.

"Lose her?" Losing Eveyth had never so much as crossed X'rx's mind, and now he forced it away quite avidly. He never wanted to lose his girl. Nor would he. She was just a hatchling, and he wasn't yet in his twenties. Surely they had much more time together? "I know what you mean, though. Calling dragons pets is rather foolish." More like a very young best friend who happened to share your mind. Sort of. Actually, he didn't really have anything Eveyth was comparable to.

"So...I guess I should ask. Are there any interesting secrets I should know about from my senior?" he questioned, almost laughingly. Couldn't hurt to get some inside information or a few tips, though. "I don't suppose you guys have Darya, though. Doesn't seem like she'd teach the same as most other Weyrlingmasters." For his part, he did happen to like her, though. Yes indeed.