Get Splashed
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Iluva, Steel
Date Posted: 5th July 2025
Characters: V'tian, R'fayne
Description: Two Weyrlings have a chat
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 14 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: R'lor, Y'gel
Graduation was imminent. Although R'fayne tried not to dwell on it too much, too often, especially in any amount of down time, it was all he could think about.
Even when he was scrubbing Skadith's hide, thoughts of the upcoming Blooding came again and the gnawing feelings of uncertainty with it. Within the next few days, the class's fledgling numbers would disperse. Schedules would rearrange in accordance with their new Wings', and the Red Star would rain down silver hell just as it always had. Provided they survived and adapted within the coming sevendays, most of them would be indistinguishable from their seasoned wingmates. Most of them would know what they were made of.
It seemed now that on the other side of their first pivotal Threadfall loomed their entire futures.
In stark contrast to his rider, Skadith was entirely at ease, lying half-submerged with his innermost eyelids shut as R'fayne silently scrubbed his broad chest, his luxuriating rumble rippling the lake's surface. Everything about him was anchored in the firm logic that there was no discernible point in stressing over any of that right now. It was, after all, right now.
}:You're trying to do too much. Try to relax.:{
Though R'fayne did try, he still visibly startled at Skadith's warm greeting. Needing break from thought as much as bathing, he shaded his eyes against the early evening light. The Weyr was cloaked in orange loom, a brilliant pink dabbing along the horizon. As he stretched out his back, R'fayne called to his classmate (at least for a little longer), "How's it going, V'tian?"
Indith called back in a happy warble, alighting delicately on the shore to allow V'tian to dismount before wading into the water herself. }:I like swimming.:{ She told Skadith. }:Would you like to join me?:{
"I'm all right." V'tian responded. "Well. As all right as I can be. I can't believe basically everyone is graduating."
R'fayne waited until Skadith had hefted himself from the lake's shallows and launched a light spray of suds all around him before finally starting his trek in toward the shore. The big blue rumbled his assent to Indith and waited until she was closer before wading any further himself, his dark wings dragging along the surface of the lake, rippling the orange sky's reflection with dozens of concentric circles. }:I like swimming almost as much as flying.:{ He said amiably. }:So does Mine.:{
R'fayne, pausing to push wet hair off his forehead, called back, "Yeah, I know." It had all seemed so far away when the dragons were but tiny, demanding hatchlings and they were all too exhausted, or enraged, or concerned with getting through the next day to properly consider how it would feel to face the reality waiting at the end of Weyrlinghood.
"I expect I'll be slicing meat in my dreams for at least another half-turn, though," he added, now at a normal volume. V'tian and O'dyn were still too young to join the fighting wings, even though V'tian looked quite a lot older than the littlest bluerider of the class. Quirking a brow, R'fayne glanced up from the bucket of brushes and sweetsand. "Wait. You're not sixteen yet?"
}:Mine says swimming is not as good as flying, but it is still _practice_.:{ Indith recited, paddling a little closer to Skadith before twisting to swim around him in a circle. }:He says we can always be better, too.:{
V'tian made a face. "Don't remind me." He muttered. "It's dumber than a wherry, I'll be 16 in less than a half Turn. Less than a quarter, even."
A pause, then he sighed and added grudgingly, "At least it opened up some Craft time."
"All that extra quality time with R'lor, too." R'fayne snorted sympathetically. The months ahead would fly regardless of where they were or what they were doing, but another sevenday under their Weyrlingmasters' thumbs might very well end in him eating his boots. He collected them and a few other items scattered around, his hair dripping on his newly donned shirt, darkening the blue collar near black.
"That's definitely the more practical way of looking at it. Probably the better." He admitted, "I never found much satisfaction in my craft, but then I didn't really try to, either. Dragons in my eyes or whatever. You like yours?"
}:Ours are often right about these things, aren't they?:{ Skadith's voice held a note of quietly restrained amusement. He slicked his wings to his back, giving Indith more space to twist and turn in ways his building brawn couldn't quite allow for anymore. }:Mine and I don't always agree, but I think that's a good thing. We both want the right answer.:{
"I only chose a Craft because I thought it would give me a better chance to Impress." V'tian admitted after a moment, gaze on Indith as she twisted and turned, swimming around Skadith. "And I'm-" He paused, sighed. "I'm not bored, at least. And it'll give me something to do even when Indith's too tired to keep going."
}:I don't know.:{ Indith told Skadith. }:I try to always listen to Mine, even when things are so very exciting and I want to explore. I am not a baby dragonet, but he is still older.:{ She flexes both wings in a sort of shrugging gesture, mimicking her rider. }:We seem to find adventure anyways. And he is happier when he feels important.:{
**Indith!!** V'tian's color rose briefly.
}:Good.:{ The blue chortled as they meandered their way toward the middle of the lake. }:It's very important to Them that others recognize them that way. But you are a young dragon,:{ he stated calmly, making in a slow wide arc to the left, }:not a firelizard. You're allowed to have opinions, even if you don't say them.:{
Still in the process of shoving his feet in his boots, R'fayne nearly balked and stared disbelievingly at V'tian; the hold and hall-bred riders in their class continued to confound him in their preconceptions of the Weyr and of dragons and what they sought in a lifemate. Instead, as his eyes followed the weave of their dragons a moment, he realized the people of the Weyr probabably weren't much closer to it, either.
"What's your craft?" R'fayne asked.
"Dragonhealer." V'tian responded, gaze flicking from R'fayne to Indith and back to the other rider.
}:I want Mine to be happy.:{ Indith responded, surfacing and briefly flicking water Skadith's way with her tail, playful. }:I love him. And he loves me, he does!:{
Skadith took the cheeky splash straight in the face, every eyelid shutting reflexively before shaking the excess off with a loud, wet snort. }:Certainly he does.:{ No argument there. }:But you think having a different opinion would change that?:{ He asked, with more boldness than he practiced within his own bond with R'fayne. There was little point there, most of the time. Perhaps Indith's rider was more similar again.
Then, with stealthy precision, he dipped a wing tip and flicked water back her way. }:Because I doubt it very much. :{
R'fayne made a mental note of the information before returning V'tian's gaze. "Ah, you'll be fine then. You'll get to see all the mistakes we make first, and there's no chance of getting bored. Y'gel will make sure of that."
}:I don't think so.:{ Indith responded, cheery again after only a moment, and dove deeper into the lake, swimming underneath Skadith, to pop up on his other side.
"... There _is_ that." V'tian confirmed. "And even if I don't get far, at least I'm _doing_ something."
He paused. "I can tell Indith to stop if she's being a pest to your Skadith."
"He'd never say it, even if she was." R'fayne smiled faintly. He watched Skadith look over in surprise to find Indith now at his other side instead, eyes softly awhirl with amusement. "But I do probably need to head back to our weyr soon." The daylight was quickly fading and he still had a mess to see to in their quarters. He mentally beckoned to Skadith, who reluctantly turned towards the shore. "Keep your head up, V'tian. You'll be up with the rest of us before you know it. And good luck with the healing. Even if you don't get far, no one can take what you learn away from you."
"... Thanks." V'tian muttered, and turned back to his own task.
Last updated on the July 7th 2025