Too Much Scrubbing

Writers: Emma, Kastaka
Date Posted: 17th February 2009

Characters: K'sen, I'lan
Description: K'sen gets distracted by I'lan while washing his dragon.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 8 of Turn 5

}: Why are you looking at that boy again? :{

"Ugh," sighed K'sen, forcing his attention back on the bucket of sweetsand and his beautiful lifemate. He didn't know why he kept finding himself staring at the gentleman in question either. There was just something about him that caught his eye, and then he would just stand there stupidly until someone splashed him or Sarath demanded his attention back.

Naath returned to the shore, and emerged from the water having rinsed off the sweetsand.

}:See, I can get it all off.:{

**I never doubted you,** I'lan told him. **Never at all, you listen, unlike Bubbly.**

}: Ow! Too much scrubbing! :{ complained Sarath, wriggling out of her rider's clutches and shaking herself irritably. }: You really need to concentrate more while washing me, you know. :{

**I know, I know,** replied K'sen, looking lost and downhearted. **I just...**

}: Come on, let's just wait on the beach until he's gone, :{ his dragon suggested.

K'sen trailed out of the shallows behind his proud little dragon, who was swishing her tail from side to side imperiously as she walked up onto the beach.

"Look, can I at least get the sweetsand off you?" he asked, momentarily forgetting to speak in his head, which he still didn't entirely have the hang of. "It'll dry out your hide and make you itch..."

}: If you're careful, :{ Sarath allowed, splashing back into the shallows a little way.

"You need a hand Weyrling?" called out the bronzerider.

K'sen was about to reassure the source of the voice that everything was fine when he made the mistake of looking up again and suddenly finding himself unable to do more than stutter embarrassedly. "Um... we're... I'm..."

Sarath looked up at Naath, with a kind of fond apology in her mind. }: I don't suppose you could bother your rider to help or go away? Mine seems awfully distracted around him. :{

}:It will be alright little one,:{ Naath assured the green. }:Mine will help yours, and you will be all clean.:{

}: Thank you. :{ Sarath twitched as the sweetsand itched on her delicate hide, and fell over in the water with an embarrassing splash. }: Now you will get to watch him all you like, :{ she informed her rider as she rinsed herself a little, pretending that she had entirely meant to drop into the water like that.

K'sen hurried to his dragon's side when she slipped, not quite in time to catch her, and then felt very foolish as she appeared to know exactly what she was doing. "She's a bit of a handful," he apologised. He thought of making some kind of comment about how the bronzerider must be sick of washing dragon after dealing with the acres of hide on his own magnificant beast, but the words failed him and instead he found himself blushing at the thought of some... other... magnificant beast... that the rider might own.

"Don't be embarrased Greenrider," I'lan said kindly. "Newly hatched dragons are a lot to get used to, whatever their colour."

"Name's K'sen," muttered K'sen awkwardly as he tried to recover some of his shattered pride from the situation.

}: I got him to talk to you. Isn't that what you wanted? :{ asked Sarath, puzzled. }: And he's had a dragon for ages, he can get this washing thing right. :{

"Well K'sen, sometimes you just have to tell them what you want and then do it," explained I'lan. "It takes practice, and you two have all the time you need as Weyrlings."

**I want to not be so sharding distracted,** commented K'sen frustratedly to his dragon. He was trying to compose some kind of reply to I'lan demonstrating that he wasn't a complete wherry-head when, too late, he noticed that Sarath had sidled closer to him and something was coiling around his ankle. He struggled to keep his balance, but it was pretty hopeless and splash! He went right over in the water.

}: Paying more attention to me now? :{ asked Sarath smugly.

"You... I'll..." spluttered K'sen as Sarath darted away happily towards deeper water.

"Need a hand?" I'lan reached out to the weyrling.

"I'm fine," complained K'sen, picking himself up out of the water. He wanted to take I'lan's hand, but something in the back of his mind cautioned him that it would be a bad idea. "I'm, ugh, sorry to have bothered you," he continued as he brushed the water out of his face. "I'm sure you have better things to be doing than watching a poor weyrling make a fool of himself."

"Relax, I've seen far worse."

K'sen replied with a mirthless chuckle and chased after Sarath further into the lake, hoping that if he didn't *look* at I'lan he might be able to manage to regain a little competence and get this embarrassing washing charade over with.

}: I could ask his dragon to send him away if he's bothering you, :{ offered Sarath, concerned for her rider's obvious discomfort.

**No... I'll... never mind, just hold still, okay?**

"Now, do you still want that help with her?"

"If you wouldn't mind," sighed K'sen, defeatedly. "It looks like she's determined to be a pain and she might behave for you."

}: I was just trying to help! :{ protested Sarath.

**Shush and hold still for the nice bronzerider,** replied K'sen dejectedly.

"Sometimes you just need to get a bucket full of water and sluice them down if they miss a bit," I'lan looked around. "If you have one, try that, then start to oil her."

K'sen cast around for a bucket. There was only the one with a bit of sweetsand in it and the one with oil in, so he dumped the remainder of the sweetsand surreptitiously on the ground underwater, and dumped the bucket of water over Sarath with perhaps slightly more enthusiasm than was entirely warranted.

}: Hey! :{ protested Sarath, spluttering with offended dignity and barely concealed mirth. }: You don't have to take it out on your poor defenceless little dragonet, you know! :{

**Sorry,** replied K'sen, less than sincerely. **Better now?**

}: Yes, :{ she replied, }: Now get that oil. :{

"You'll do just fine, and she'll do just fine."

"I hope so," muttered K'sen, trying not to meet the other boy's eyes.

Last updated on the February 20th 2009

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Too Much Scrubbing