Eastern Weyr - Jungle Path
Along this jungle path are the darkest of the residences tucked into the jungle of Eastern Weyr. Here quiet reigns, broken only by the song of birds and the occasional rustle from some small animal scurrying about the trees and undergrowth. Tucked away from the coast and protected from the worst of storms by a small mountain, a multitude of huts are found along this twisting pathway that leads through the forest. A gently sloping pathway leads into an immense crevice carved into the mountainside, large enough for the largest of the golds to wander through.
The dense heat of a jungle afternoon accompanies D'son as he walks along the jungle path, jacket nowhere in sight, nor Inimeth who must be somewhere about. The bronzerider walks with purpose though, eyes cast ahead on the path, like he's looking for someone.
Zorya is walking down the path as well. She, however, has her attention elsewhere - the hide in hand to be specific. The girl could easily pass someone without so much as a blink.
Quarry in sight, D'son's face splits into a grin and he trots a little to get nearer. "Zorya," he says as he draws closer. "What're you reading this time? More harper notes?"
Zorya glances up from the hide at hearing her name. Blue eyes lighting upon the owner of the voice her expression falls. "Oh.. No." she replies rolling the hide to hold it in one hand and loosely cross her arms over her stomach. "On with Terra Wing taday, was workin on some records." she replies in explanation.
D'son blinks at that reception and comes to a halt. "Oh no?" he questions, brows knitting together a little. "And oh - learning wing things. Um — that's good, right?" But Dels still looks concerned. "Is this um — a bad time?"
Zorya shakes her head. "Records aren't going anywhere." she replies. It could be a better time, but then it could be much worse too. "Ah can work on 'em just as easy later…"
That just seems to perplex D'son a little and his hands find his pockets, posture uncertain. "Yeah, they uhh — they can't get up and walk away," he agrees and shoots a questioning look Zorya's way. "I um — just stopped by to say hello. That's all."
Zorya ohs and nods. "Hello then?" she half questions her own reply, sending a glance back over her shoulder in the direction she came. "Can Ah help ya with anythin?"
Announcement: Please welcome Dante to PernWorld! He just got here, and it'd be great if everyone'd take a moment to make him feel welcome. Thanks!
"Hi … and I guess things are —" that glance over her shoulder, the question stop D'son's words again and the bronzerider looks all the more confused. "Um. Are you mad at me or something?" he asks, arms folding across his chest now as Dels tries to get to the bottom of this change in demeanor about Zorya.
"Things are what…?" Zorya asks as his statement drops off. At the next question she quickly shakes her head, "Oh no, of course not." Why would she be mad? The question can easily be heard in the girl's voice.
"Good. Here. Candidacy. All that." D'son finishes off that earlier abortive sentence then gestures vaguely. "Not to um … be all arrogant or anything, but you seemed happy to see me the last time I came by? And um — well not so much now?"
"Oh…" Zorya starts. "Well… um…" How does one respond to that? "Ah'm sorry D'son.." a frown settles across the girl's features as she searches for the words to use. "Ah've jus' been a little off since…" and now its her turn to trail off, her gaze drifting towards the sky even though it only lingers there for a split second. The girl shivers visible at whatever it is.
More crinkling on D'son's brow and he takes a step closer. "Zorya? Are you okay?" he asks worriedly as her gaze drifts towards the sky. "Did something happen?"
Zorya bits her lip for a moment. "Ah'll be alright." she tries to assure. "There was this… trip." she starts to explain. "With Deluge wing and well…"
D'son listens, watching Zorya's face. "Yeah?" he prompts her to go on. The bronzerider looks like he's trying to piece together what she's getting at.
"We went to Deluge Station…" Zorya continues, hoping he'll know what it is and she won't have to try an explain any further. If he does have a clue as to the location of the station he should be able to imagine. After all, he knows her initial reaction to dragons as well as anyone.
It takes D'son a moment to process, then his eyes widen a little. "Oh shells. Not ready for that, huh?" he says sympathetically and rubs at his chin, looks down along the path a little ways. "Um — wanna go sit on that log over there?"
Zorya shakes her head. "Not at all. I couldn't breath and…" It was horrible! At mention of sitting the girl looks over towards the log mentions and nods. "Yeah.." she agrees, offering up a bit of a smile for the young man.
D'son moves towards the log and waits until Zorya sits first before sitting himself. "So — was there an accident that you couldn't breathe or was it just … you know, that feeling," he says carefully, looking over at his friend.
Zorya moves towards the log along side D'son. Shaking her head, she turns to settle to a seat. "Oh no, nothin like that." she's quick to assure. She just… well she panicked. "Just wasn't ready for it Ah guess. Ah mean… ah neva woulda dreamed there was anythin like that even."
D'son nods, still listening. "That must've been tough. Me… well call me crazy, but I'd love to figure out how the station works," he says with a little chuckle, lifts a hand to the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I've made up some things I thought might work up there. But I haven't actually made them yet." That hand drops, turns over atop D'son's thigh, held out a little towards Zorya should she choose to take it. "So you're having trouble putting it out of you head?"
"Ah'm sure ya woulda." Zorya agrees, though really she's not sure on even that, but if he thinks it then so be it. He's a smith after all (more or less), at least he knows something about that sort of thing. The girl forces a bit of a smile however, slipping her hand into his if only for comfort of familiarity. "A little.. yeah. Just the lights and the sound an…" And it starts again as the thought has her staring off, breath coming quicker as it catches in her throat.
D'son listens, nodding then blinks as she starts to panic again and his hand squeezes hers. "Uh — hey, you're not there," he blurts out uncertainly. "Right here on the ground. It's all good."
Zorya nods. "Right." she agrees, trying to calm herself, which given a moment is done. "Ah'm sorry.." It was nothing that she expected going there. Take a girl ignorant of technology to a space station and what do you expect? Now seems as good a time as any to try and change the subject though. "More messages to deliver today?"
"It's okay, just glad you're all right," D'son says sincerely. He takes a deep breath himself and tries an encouraging smile on for size. "Oh, no, not on duty. Just came to see you. Catch up."
Zorya ohs, nodding slightly as she lets her gaze be pulled away down the path for a moment. "Its nice to see a face from home every so often." she replies, turning back with a soft smile. "Ah really do appreciated it."
"A bunch of us were playing truth and dare on the beach the other night. It got pretty wild," D'son confesses with a duck of his head and pink in his cheeks. "Zip was there, we all drank a lot of beer."
Zorya blinks. "Truth.. or dare?" the girl questions. "Its a game?" Well he did say they were playing. "Did you have then?" she asks, before noticing the touch of color in his cheeks. "What happened?"
"Uh yeah, sort of um — well one person starts and they pick another person and ask them if they want to tell a truth about themselves or do a dare. And you have to answer truthfully and you have to do the dare. That's the rules." D'son clears his throat and puffs his cheeks out. "Mostly a lot of kissing and silliness and a lot of it is kind of fuzzy. K'ael and I were coming off of a flight see. Inimeth lost at Igen, Azaeth won. And — there was a lot of beer."
Zorya ohs as he explains. "That sounds… interesting." she finally settles on the word. Kissing? The girl blushes a bit herself. Silliness and beer? "Ah'm sorry ta hear. Tell Inimeth if ya would, and good luck to him next time." she notes. "But um.. maybe Ah'll have ta play it sometime. Sounds like ya kinda had ta be there, huh."
"It was — yeah, kind of had to be there. Ask Zip about it if you see her. Mostly uh — really silly," D'son flusters out, looking sheepish again. "And thanks, he's fine. He's sort of thinking of it as 'next time, maybe'. Honestly I'm just as glad he didn't catch, because it was at Igen and she was a queen, which would've meant staying for a bit at some point." His hands rub down the tops of his thighs along his pants a little nervously. "Uh — sure. Just um, K'ael comes up with some pretty um … nutty ideas for dares."
Zorya nods. "Well then Ah suppose it wasn't all bad that ya didn't." she agrees regarding the flight. "And umm thanks for the warning?" Nutty? Well she might have something of an idea knowing a bit of K'ael. "Ah'll keep that in mind. … Something wrong?"
"Yes and no. It's … rough when he loses, overall," D'son says quietly, shoulders hunching forward a little. Then he's looking up and over at Zorya a little. "Not wrong, no. Just - some of the things people ask in that kind of game can be awkward?"
Zorya lifts a hand to reset slender fingers over the bronzers shoulder with a comforting touch. "Ah'd say Ah understand, but Ah have a feeling its not something that ya can without havin been there." Given what she's heard of flights. The hand on his shoulder gives a gentle pat as the girl smiles. "Ah'm sure it wasn't all that bad." Its just a game after all. How bad could it be?
"I — no, not really," D'son says wryly but there's a little smile for that hand and he reaches up to pat the back of it a little awkwardly. "He … likes to chase. I'm not as fond of it." For the last, his cheeks puff out again and shakes his head. "Not that bad, no, just kind of … embarrassing. Though it was fun at the time with a lot of beer in my system."
A genuine smile pulls at Zorya's lips even as a hint of pink touches her cheeks as she lets her hand fall away and back to her lap. "That's just K'ael." she offers, "You know that." They both know that. K'ael's a bit of a flirt. It's just a fact of life. "Maybe… you could give me an example. So I'm not so surprised later?" Just a suggestion. "Or we could talk about something else if you'd rather.."
"Yeah, I know," D'son says, hands lacing together at the fingers. "Uh — well if you're going to play sometime, just um — be ready for him to maybe ask you to kiss your cousin or stick your tongue in her ear or something like that," Dels explains.
Zorya blinks. "But why would I…?" she starts, rather confused. "Oh! You mean, right. That'd be a dare then." she nods a bit to herself. "Maybe the other part might be safer then?" Its a thought.
"Right. The dare part. The truth part … things like, the naughtiest thing you've ever done, or the most embarrassing, that kind of thing," D'son says and wrinkles up his nose. "You'd think it would be. I'm not sure if having to talk about that stuff, or having K'ael drink beer off my stomach was worse."
"Yeah… okay maybe I should just avoid the game all together then. At least now with K'ael." Zorya replies before her blue eyes are pulled back to blink at D'son. "Drink beer off…?" and she trails off, the question easily being able to stand on its own.
D'son leans forward, face in hands. "Yeah. I forget who dared him to do that. It tickled," Dels says with a deep sigh. "But that's how it kind of went. So. You know. You kind of have to be a little tipsy to really … think it's funny I guess." A hand through his hair and he leans back again, looks up at the sky through the trees. "So we're doing pretty well in the wing." Change of subject.
Zorya blinks. "Did I say.." Something wrong, the rest of the question goes unasked. And then she nods at the change in subject. "That's good to hear. .. Which wing were ya… are ya in now?" she changes her wording halfway through unsure what the correct word would have been there.
"Ocean Sapphire, Search and Rescue," D'son tells Zorya with a grin. "Same as when we got tapped. Inimeth likes it. We have to know the island and the ocean around it really well."
"Right." Zorya nods. Well she never really was sure of what the wing. "Tapped." she nods as she quietly repeats the word for later reference being that that was the one she was looking for to begin with. "So… ya musta been all over Ista by now, huh?"
"Yeah, tapped, that's what happens when you finish weyrling training," D'son explains then smiles widely. "Oh yeah, the whole island, little nooks and crannies and places where the water gets dangerous depending on the tides and stuff."
"Maybe.. after the hatching you could.." Zorya starts, her gaze traveling down the path to look somewhere other than the bronze rider. "Maybe you could take me home?"
"If you don't Impress, I'd be happy to take you home, Zorya," D'son says quietly. "Unless you'd rather come back to Ista?"
Obviously he's either thinking differently than she is or he hasn't heard much of her home. "Thanks." Zorya replies, pausing in a moment of hesitation before add, "Ah'd ask Uncle L'ton but…" and then there is something she's not finishing there. "It really was nice gettin' ta know ya and Inimeth."
That just wrinkles up D'son's brows again. "Okay," he says simply and then on impulse reaches over to offer a hug. "No matter where you wind up, we'd be happy to come visit."
Zorya doesn't deter the hug, but doesn't return it either. She swallows hard, first pursing and then licking her lips just a bit to wet them. "..No. Things are different there." she finally returns. "If Ah go home that's it." No visiting?
Leaning back so he can look into Zorya's face, D'son's brows wrinkle up a lot. "What?" Confused, he shakes his head. "But — " this seems to really dismay Dels and he can't come up with good words for it.
Zorya shakes her head. "Its… its just different D'son." How to explain? Does she really want to? "Ah like ya but.." She closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath.
"I don't … understand," D'son says slowly, hand still resting lightly on her shoulder. "I like you too, we're good friends," is how he puts it. "Why couldn't we visit?"
"You're…" Zorya starts, "Ya have Inimeth." Perhaps not the most explanatory of ways to put it, but its the wording she choose as she opens her eyes, a hint of tearing visible. "Uncle L'ton doesn't even visit."
Silence on D'son's side of things for a long while. "Wait … they don't … they don't like dragons?" That's what he finally comes up with, trying to connect-the-dots.
Zorya shakes her head. "Or riders." she notes, which may very well help to explain her reaction to first meeting his lifemate. "Like Ah said, …its different." And then there's silence on her part as well.
D'son's fingers tighten a little on her shoulder and he swallows. "And … you have to go back? What about … being a harper?"
Zorya shakes her head. "Ah.. Ah dunno. Maybe they were right an jus bein childish." she replies, closing her eyes again for a moment. "May this ain't the place for me."
D'son just sits there, looking troubled, hand skirting down the outside edge of Zorya's arm. "I hope you decide to stay," he says quietly. "If … if it's what you want, you know? Be a harper, come back to Ista. Something."
"Ah.. Ah'll think about it." Zorya starts, biting her lip in uncertainty. Then quieter, "Thanks.." The girl leans in to give the bronzer a loose hug. "For bein here…"
D'son loops his arm around Zorya again in return, but it's his hand that squeezes her shoulder, not pushing too much into her personal space bubble. "Okay. And … sure. I just hope everything works out for you," he says sincerely. "I should get going though, I've got duty back at Ista, and you've got records and stuff."
Zorya nods, pulling back out of the hug, but not so much that his hands can't stay in place if he so chooses. "Ah know. We've both got things ta do." she replies, pulling a smile to her lips. "Tell Zipalla and Uncle L'ton Ah miss 'em if ya see them?" That's her one request. "And thanks again."
"Sure will," D'son says earnestly. "And I'll see you at the Hatching," that's his promise to Zorya as he musters another grin. He does take her hand lightly one more time, squeezes then gets to his feet, steps back, gives a silly little wave and turns towards the clearing to meet up with Inimeth.
