Who

Talya, Zynth

What

Talya tries to get help from a dragon that has been unhappy with her, but gaining his forgiveness is more than she bargained for.

Lots of Profanity

When

It is evening of the tenth day of the second month of the fourteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

River Cliffs

OOC Date 31 May 2018 07:00

 

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River Cliffs

Towering cliffs topped with the verdant growth of brilliant greenery hover over the churning, steel-grey river far down below. The winding Black Rock River crashes against the base of the cliffs, churning as speed is slowly picked up over the rapids as it spills quickly towards the Caspian Lake, seen as a glimmering jewel in the distance. When the chilly grip of ghostly fog rolls in, it clings to the jungle that grows right to the very edge, giving the whole length of the river's cliffs an eerie sense of danger. In the distance, a feline's yowl may sometimes be heard. Dotting the towering cliffs are ledges; this is one of the best spots for those who seek a view in Southern.


Talya was avoiding the cliffs for a good reason (to her) until recently. Now she’s become more of a common face around these parts, though it had only been a few days since Zymuraith’s maiden flight. Perhaps it’s not good that she’s spending her nights outside of the guard barracks, but she’s been a pretty diligent little recruit up until now except for a few hiccups (which includes missing a work day). It is not yet late night, but still evening enough that most of the weyrfolk were either on duty or heading to bed. The young woman is currently messing around with this new odd contraption that resembles a lift up to Th’res’s weyr, some faint cussing involved as she fiddles with something. With a kick to the lift she stumbles away from it, hissing at the pain it causes herself. The ex-Miner turned bluerider may be able to build almost anything he puts his mind to it… but Talya apparently has discovered she can break almost anything without even trying. She looks up to the ledge in question, as if considering something, then gives a sigh of defeat and makes her way to the edge of the cliffs, finding a spot in the green to sit and wait. The night was clear, but it was hot and humid as all Southern summer nights are.~

It is a streak of night momentarily blotted out, the form is dark in the clearness, but the moon not quite bright enough to show the angular body to be of a particular color. Though Zynth is not a big blue, his narrow frame might look to be a large green in the darkness. His flight is erratic, clearly without a rider as wings open up and the creature climbs the waterfall, close enough to have his hide slicked with the spray, but not close enough for real danger, but he is quickly flicking back up into the sky. Though the movements are fast, the agility is without a flashy show that some dragons flew. He is up again, arching out across the sky before suddenly moving into a dive down. As he gets closer to the green, wings pop open, yanking him back and keeping the dragon from splatting on the ground. A few strokes and the blue has landed on one of the ledges that dot the cliffs, his wings remain open, catching the warm wind, his head turning out and lifting to see the sea, completely unaware of the guard-to-be in the green.

Talya, being holdbred and all, used to stare up at all the flying dragons all the time. This was a sure sign that she wasn’t from around the Weyr and had eventually learned to keep her head down to fit in better. Tonight, however, her head jerks up at the fly by dragon and she squints her eyes as if that would help distinguish the dragon in the darkness. She seems excited at first, scrambling to her feet. But then… no, too small to be Jedameth to bring her up to the ledge. Still stuck down here. Something was still tingling the back of her senses and she does not settle down just yet, never taking her eyes off. Mesmerized by the flying acrobatics, even that dive she only barely flinches at. It is only when the dragon lands on a ledge does she give out a tentative, “Zynth?” While she doesn’t want to make him fly off, she also has a hopeful note to her voice in her time of need.

The blue’s head jerks around in something like surprise, his form tensing like a startled cat, wings up and tail flicking. He just stares at Talya for a moment, his eyes whirling a mix of colors, never quite settling. « Talya. It is I. Seems you are out of place. » The cold world is flat and lifeless, not even a brush of wind. His forests are absent, but a snowy tundra stretches out as far as the mind can see. Flat. Featureless. Still. Zynth sinks into a crouch, his tail flicking again, eyes shifting to the newly broken device not far away. « Problem? »

It has been a little while since Talya flinched at a dragon’s mindvoice, but here she goes again. As if she did not really expect the blue dragon to reply to her at all. Her arms cross defensively and she looks back up to him with a frown. “Out of place is /one/ of the problems currently, not that it ain’t comfortable down here. Sadly, I have no wings like you to get up there and this stupid thing is already broken.” A glare is given to the contraption that was built to lift people up to certain ledges. “I’m not about to break my neck testing it out.” She heaves a sigh and takes a few steps back to get a look up again, or perhaps to make room for a blue. Which brings her surprisingly close to the edge. “It’s good to hear your voice again.“

Though Zynth does not move, he does study the device. If There is any understanding of it, he makes no sign, but will slowly shift again, eyes returning to the human. « It is late Talya. You should call for Jedameth and be indoors now. There are felines out at night. » though the tone is stern, he makes no offer to take her up himself. Her last words will bring him pause, a quiet wind stirring in the flatness, kicking up snow and letting it swirl about in the distance. « Is that So? » There is the slightest of bites to those words, the blue may not move closer, but his head lowers to Talya’s level, his eyes continuing with th3 mix of colors, « Tell me, what do you think of Jedameth? »

That makes two of them not understanding strange devices. Talya resigns herself to not getting up to the ledge so easily, though her eyes do glance around her surroundings. “Jedameth isn’t home, probably out late with Th’res.” This Tal knows, but still she hoped to get up to the Weyr even without them home. “Felines wouldn’t come this close to dragons…” she doesn’t sound too certain about that, eyes still farting around. When the blue lowers his head she takes another little step back. “It is so.” To his question, she actually answers the question with another question: “Why do you ask? Jedameth isn’t you.”

« And you are not laying with my rider, but with Jedameth’s. So it is not me who cares what you think of me, one should worry what one thinks of Jedameth. » Though not all of this is true, the blue says it flatly, his mindscape still only showing the swirls of snow in the distance. « What do you think of Jedameth? » He does not retract his head, the questioned repeated, but almost gently. Again the tail flicks and one wing moves forward, showing the thin white scars of when he had been attacked by felines during F’kan’s assessment. « Felines are odd beasts, they are brave en mass. Are you brave? Do you trust me? » Though a jump from the conversation, the narrow head does inch forward, angling slightly to pen Talya toward the edge, though should she move forward and around, she could likely escape back to more solid ground.

“That’s what I get for sleeping with a rider, word travels fast,” Talya mumbles to herself with a roll of her eyes. Her next words are definitely for Zynth, however. “I love Jedameth and he’s as much my best friend as Th’res is,” she answers matter-of-factly. Not only because they are lifemates and she cares for both of them. “But he hasn’t been avoiding me every time I am in the area for months now, that’s you. Maybe /I/ care… that you care what I think of you.” Her dark eyes focus on the scratches and her arms slacken, dropping to her sides. She would take a step forward, but then he’s going and asking her another question. Not only that but he’s moving again… There’s a tension to her that she just can’t shake as a holdbred girl and as a tiny prey-like human to the bigger dragon… her voice is solid, almost snarky, though.. “Why wouldn’t I trust you? I’ve let you go off stealing me to other Weyrs.” She doesn’t answer whether she is brave or not, but she stands her ground and isn’t going to escape, hands on her hip as she narrows her eyes at him.

« I do not always think that humans fully grasp just how much dragons talk to eachother thanks to not needing to be face to face to do it. How limiting human communication is. » The words hint to the slightest of sarcasm, or perhaps not, something else in the tone, bitterness? Not quite. Zynth’s head tips to the side, the conflicting whirling of his eyes settle into a muted blue of resolve. Against the ultra of his hide, it almost looks grey and as Talya holds her ground, the dragon continues to move forward, nose down so his eyes are parallel to her face, head just a bit too close. « Trust then is not the goal, if I already have it. Jedameth is a good best friend, if one is in need of those. » The Dragon’s body slinks forward, his head barely moveing and the opaque wings tucking in to his sides, « I do not care if you like me Talya. I like you. I am also unhappy with you, because perhaps I do care what you think of me. Perhaps. » He blinks, very slowly, « So I would like to make a point. Please forgive me. » And with a snake-like speed, Zynth’s head is forward, nose in Talya’s gut, neck shooting out and shoving her off the side of the cliff, his mindscape dropping, the tundra morphing into his usual snow-covered forests, racing and moving over jagged freezing peaks, but the words themselves are soft, « I am not an animal Talya. »

Talya has to roll her eyes about dragons talking to dragons, saying, “I think I’m starting to learn now just how much that is.” Because there sure are plenty of people /aware/ of certain things that transpired during a goldflight and most of them are riders. It’s a big gossip mill. “Listen, whatever it was I am sorry about it Zynth.” Talya’s voice is particularly gentle as she lifts her hands up to him, as if perhaps a truce offer. “And even if you don’t care, or you do, I do like you. And you gave me little Blue.” The firelizard that is currently not there, yet. She tilts her head at him when he asks for forgiveness, because she was the one that had to apologize after all and looks about to say so. That movement is all she gets in before there is a dragon snout in her belly and she’s pushed back that extra step or two that takes her over the edge of a cliff— “Wha—” breaks off into a gasp and a pop of two shrieking firelizards is the last thing she realizes before she’s over, her hands trying to scramble to grab hold of Zynth or /anything/. Self-preservation has always been strong with Talya, and she’s be damned if she doesn’t go down fighting. But there’s no way to fight against gravity… If the dragon thinks she’s paying attention to what he said, he’s wrong. Over she goes, far enough from the edge to avoid getting hit at least, and surprisingly quiet.

Zynths nostrils flare at the panic in Talya, but he does not follow yet, his mind stays with her though the appearance of the two firelizards will catch his attention. He sends them soothing thoughts as he jumps cat-like off of the cliff and after Talya. Wings snap open, pushing his dive to catch up with her, keeping level with her fall a moment or two then dipping. Zynth flips over, ducking under and up. Talya’s fall is halted against Zynths soft underbelly, though there is nothing to hold on to here and though the momentum of motion is still downward, the blues claws lower, half cradling Talya as he straightens and starts to pull up again, back toward the cliffs. « You are forgiven. »

It’s a good thing Talya isn’t one for blood curdling screams or she’d have the whole Weyr at them. Resigned to her fate, falling, or maybe a trust in the dragon… most likely shock at her sudden free fall is the reason why. Gravity makes certain that the breath completely swooshes out of her when Zynth does finally catch her, hitting hard regardless. There is still angry chittering from her firelizards as they encircle Zynth now that he has their human, no soothing can really help that sheer panic from them and Tal. She weakly scrambles around the dragon’s hide for purchase and he can probably feel the thundering over her heart and even wetness, absolutely terrified and eyes wild. The firelizards screaming at the dragon for ground. Now. Human may or may not have just passed out for a moment.

The ground is found, the Dragon landing awkwardly on his hind legs and lowering himself slowly, cold, chill and snow washing out to wrap around Talya and her lizards as his claws open to the ground. There are no words yet, just the sharing of emotion. Zynth is pleased. He is pleased both by Talya s reaction and the past few seconds as a whole. The pleased melts into his satisfaction, his head lowering to Talya and even nuzzles her lightly, snow pushing into her mind and shifting through it in a happy dance around her thoughts. « Breath Talya. You where always safe. »

To say that Talya’s legs are weak is an understatement. She looks dazed and uses Zynth as a hold, trying to regain full consciousness. She certainly blacked out there for a moment. She heaves off to the side but her stomach doesn’t keep the anger that flares suddenly at bay. She whips her head around to glare at the blue. “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Are her first words out about being safe, not quite as loud as she wishes they were. “You pushed me off the fucking cliff!” The reminder makes her wobble and she ends up sitting heavily on the ground. Nice perfect ground. She may not have had a fear of heights before but she may develop one for now, shaking as she was and yet unable to keep the anger out of her face at the blue. Pleased he may be, and her firelizards satisfied with her deposit back on the ground settle around her, but she seems to be the only one not okay with the situation. “I could have fucking died!”

Zynth is curling up around Talya and settling down around her in a half-protective circle. One wing rises slightly to cast a blue-tinted light over Talya, « I had everything under control. You where safe. » The words are smooth and easy, totally relaxed, « Could have died, perhaps, but you didn't. See? You are here now with me and all is well. And you never introduced me to your lizards, do so now. » his head snakes down to look at the lizards, sending as friendly thoughts as be can so as not to send them off, « Names, Talya? »

Talya is not a dragon rider and therefore that assurance doesn’t seem to be doing much to get her out of the shock. And anger. “Could have died!” She repeats back half hysterical considering the dragon is curled up around her. She actually wipes an arm over her face, both sweat and probably tears. Tal is not one to cry but she’s also not one to want to get killed. The blue is the cause of such grief that she is certain he knows it, turning into him to smack him, punch him, put her weight against him… no care whether it hurts the big dragon or not. Probably not, she’s still weak from shaking. Finally she falls against his assuring presence even if she’s pissed at him. Firelizards? Right, firelizards. She brings said crooning creatures up against her in a tender moment. “Beast and Blue,” she snaps back. Let him guess which is which. Not really hard.

The cool of Zynth s mind continues to move thought Talya s head. Though lending calm is something he does often for D’ex, it is mostly for the anger, rarely for the fear and adrenaline. His head lowers again, cheek pressing against her lightly, jerking back at the hitting, but not taking offence. He presses against her again, a very soft hum starting and he vibrates lightly, « Could have and didn't. I had it under control. You where safe. You are safe. » He shifts and looks at the lizards again. A hint of sarcasm creeping into his tone, « Creatively descriptive names. I like them. You three should visit Taliveth. He is an affectionate mother. »

Having that presence certainly helps in its own way, as foreign as it is. Talya needs to get more of her anger out in time, and the hitting apparently didn’t do much use. “You fucking pushed me off a cliff and you still say I’m safe— I have trouble believing that right now!” she growls out. The firelizards snuggle into their respective warm neck crooks, though the gold is big enough now that she is half draped on the young woman’s chest. It’s a cocoon of crooning and humming. “Why the /fuck/ did you push me off the cliff?” Because she has to know, and her worry of Zynth ignoring her is all but forgotten. He may have forgiven her with that stunt but she now had a good gap of trust issues with the blue, and she was not going to forgive so easily herself. Even if she was using him now for reassurance. “Will /Taliveth/ push me off a cliff next??” Because she was not going to be visiting any more dragons for a time, besides Jedameth. But even now she doesn’t seem thrilled with that idea. She is getting up shakily from the ground, starting to look a little more like herself, and pulling away from the blue.

« Thank you for indulging me. No, I will not push you off any more cliff. I doubt such an action would occur to Taliveth. » He will let her stand, tail flicking back to give her some room, « I pushed you off the cliff to make a point. You said you trusted me. I wanted to make the point the point that I am not a dull beast who is trusted to not throw you. I am an equal. That is all I want. I want to be seen for what I am, not what the hold tells you I am. » his head lowers again, « You have a right to be scared. And angry. But you where not in danger. But tell me Talya, do you see me? » the chill of his mind pulls back slightly, his voice soft, eye whirling a call green. For not being a wordy creature, this is perhaps as long winded as he will be.

“I never thought you were a dull beast! You’re definitely smarter than most of the fucking people I knew back at Black Rock!” Talya drags a free hand through her hair roughly, catching at some tangles. One firelizard clings to her shoulder, the other she holds tightly against her with the other arm like a lifeline. “And here I thought you /wanted/ me to trust you.” Well screw that… Two steps forward, one step back… or was it the other way around? She glares at the blue and takes another stumbling step away from the comforting circle, towards escape. Maybe another time when she’s no longer pissed (and probably pissed on herself as well) she might start liking Zynth again. “You were the first dragon I ever met close up, Zynth. Of course I fucking see you.” She rubs again at her face, and there’s a sniffle there as she tries to compose herself. She’s all but forgotten the reason she was at the cliffs that night, and is turning away. “Maybe I just don’t want to see you right now anymore.” Her turn to run away this time. She may understand him after the initial shock, and probably won’t take as drastic an approach to like him again, but that isn’t going to happen within a candlemark.

The blue shifts back into a crouch, watching her and pulling his mind from hers, still Presant. But less heavy as she continues as she does pull herself together, « Trust is not necessary. I seek understanding. And I have it. Still, please take your time being angry. I am around. You know where to find me. » The blue makes no move to stop or follow her, he also does not offer a ride up to Jedameths ledge. Not likely Talya would Accept such an offer anyway. Zynth watches her go, his mind not following her, but will leave with a few last flakes of snow and one last thought, « Catch you around. You were not in danger. See you.» He doesn't move at first, but as the frost melts back, the blue is up again, dropping off of the Cliffs again and flying out, not down to his own ledge, but out toward the waters below.

“I also understand you can be an asshole.” Hey, he wants to be an equal he can be just as much as an asshole as she can be a bitch sometimes. And just like other people can be. Talya looks back at him for a long moment at his final words. She probably would have laughed at the pun, but right now she simply stares at him as coldly as his own mental mindscape can be. With that she takes her firelizards and herself out of there, probably to find a safe haven somewhere quiet that was neither barracks nor a bluerider’s warm embrace. And that likely had either alcohol or fellis, considering the hurt she might be feeling from being caught like that or the nightmares this may bring that night.

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