Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was bathtime for Phylideth. The day had been up to their noses with Wing Drills and while T'mor had been grateful for his dragon's eagerness, the brown's focus had been lacking - and even now he was nearly being tossed from his back as he held his head up, peering off towards the Weyrling barracks.

"If they're inside you're not going to be able to see them, buddy," T'mor said, thwacking the brush against his dragon's neck to at least try and scrub down part of it that could be reached. Phylideth let out a warble of desperate annoyance. Maybe one will poke their head out. I want to see! he argued, eyes whirling with purples and yellows. T'mor couldn't say he blamed his lifemate. There were several loves of his own he thought about endlessly. But they weren't as fresh as this was to Phylideth.

The barest brush of calm pressed against the brown's mind and he whipped his head around at the familiarity of it to look at Esurienth, who was on a leisurely approach to the lake herself. Had Phylideth not been held in place by T'mor's will, he'd have rushed forward to meet her - though there was little in the way of romantic love between them. Only a shared parental affection, perhaps.

Have you seen them at all? How do you do it? Phylideth asked the experienced gold, who bumped her head against the side of his before settling halfway in the water with a sort of laziness. I trust they are safe in Orioth's care, she answered, though her attention was also upon the barracks. It was late enough into the evening, perhaps....


Darlings... Esurienth's voice, low and coarse, would touch those of her little ones, her mental touch like a caress. Phylideth's would follow soon after, practically shaking with impatience and eagerness. Do you want to see Papa?

Oh, he hoped they did.

Ty'len was still in awe over his beautiful green, and absolutely smitten. Exiloth was perfection incarnate, and he couldn't possibly imagine ever getting enough of her. She was magnificent. If this was what Y'vel felt for his lovely white, then Ty'len could only wonder. How did any rider focus on anything else?

With the day's lesson finished, there were still a few hours left in the evening. Liat had told them they could spend it bonding with their dragons or fellow weyrlings and weyrfolk--but he also suspected, as time carried on, that it would be used to catch up on hidework and other assignments. For now, while their days were busy, it was primarily learning about the care and feeding of their hatchlings, as well as better exploring their newfound relationships with their dragons.

He knew something was going on even before Exiloth lifted her head. Her eyes changed color, and he could feel the sudden perk of interest and joy. The bubble of pleasure that welled up between them had Ty'len all but beaming. Giving a happy croon, Exiloth uncurled from where she'd been cuddled up with Ty'len, and gave a happy peep. Mama and Papa call! Let's go out and see them! Of course, it seemed as if Exiloth wasn't the only one to get the summons, for others were beginning to stir as well.

It took little time at all to make it out of the Barracks. Already, one of Exiloth's sisters was already bounding towards the water. Eyes whirling a bright blue, the confident green made sure she walked with poise and grace. It wasn't that she was any less eager--she just wanted to make sure she was seen. Besides, with Ahigath already over, wings spread, Exiloth knew she needed to do something different. Eyes bright blue, the little green made her way over to the waters edge, giving a little trumpet--or at least, the hatchling version--to signal her arrival.

She sent nothing but love to Phylideth and Esurienth--and a smatter for Ahigath too. She wasn't heartless, after all. I'm always eager to see you both! Look at how big I'm getting already--I'll be just as big as you someday! She stated proudly, trotting to the waters edge, and giving a little hop into the shallows.

Ty'len didn't object--yet. While he wasn't exactly dressed for bath time, he'd fast discovered that even at her most careful, his fine clothes would need to be saved until she was a little bit older. "Don't go too deep, darling," he cautioned.

Exiloth gave a little snort, and kicked up a little splash with her tail defiantly.

- - - -

If a blue dragon had risen from his wallow, that was simply coincidence. Orioth had no intention of getting involved--but he would make sure to heard the weyrlings back to the Barracks if things started getting out of hand. For now, the evening air would be good. The summer sunshine meant the evenings were light for longer and allowed them all a bit of fun in the evening sun.

Being a Weyrling was more work than Thaideem had ever imagined - but it was even more worth it than she'd ever dreamed. Like many of her fellows, she'd settled into the barracks for a little rest and Zegurath had stretched out at the end of her cot, eyes half lidded as her little baby body seemed just as ready to doze off. Being a baby is hard, isn't it? Thaideem thought fondly to her dragon, moving to cradle her beautiful green head. Zegurath whuffed in answer, tail flicking once as though an act of rebellion to the very thought. In comparison to what, exactly? she dared Hers to come up with something that Zegurath could actually have an experience with to properly compare with.

Instead, Thaideem laughed at the harsh rebuttle and stroked her dragon's eyeridges.

Zegurath had all but drifted off under the touch of her rider when the infant suddenly bolted up - alert and aware. Thaideem looked from her to the other Weyrlings who were filing out. "What is it?" she asked, forgetting briefly that she was mentally entwined with her dragon. Zegurath hopped off the cot and half-jogged to the doorway, hwonking loudly. Mama and Papa! she answered as Thaideem went scrambling after her.

Even from the doorway of the barracks, the sight of the gold and brown over by the lake was clear - and it was exactly where Zegurath was heading, her wings half spread as she bumped into perhaps less impatient siblings to make her way over. She made sure to muscle her way in front of Agihath to sit, spreading her wings wide. Mama! Papa! I am here! the rest were too, but they weren't as important as she was!

Thaideem didn't seem to find a need to correct the behavior - yet. Instead, she peered around Esurienth. "Is mom with you?"

The response was near immediate and by the time the first little green head had emerged Phylideth had nearly bucked his rider off, the brown barely keeping from prancing in place - though he did hop from foot to foot as little ones drew closer. T'mor settled on the ground once he hopped from the half-washed dragon's shoulder, setting the handle of the brush so that it rested against the ground and grinning as little dragons - and their comparatively, in his eyes, just as little riders. Not that he considered any of them children. Simply, a new impression had a way of giving one an air of youthfulness - a new life.

Hello, my dear, Phylideth greeted to Ahigath, leaning down to nose her and wash over her with nothing but love - perhaps the truest of non-impression love Phylideth had ever known and it was for each of them. Esurienth's delight would follow quickly after it, a soft rumble from the gold as she too leaned in to press her snout to that of her daughter.

Another gentle boop and a wave of maternal love would be given to Exiloth as well, though Esurienth eyed the water with some warning. As though she would bite the throat out of the lake if it hurt her little ones. She shifted her tail to block off too deep of waters to be safe. Phylideth drew up with pride at Exiloth's declaration, however, broadly stretching his wings. And how big that will be! Let me see! and indeed, he did look over his daughter fondly, taking in how much bigger she already was. The purple in his gaze didn't falter and she too would be washed in his love.

Riamsoth would receive a wave of love from her mother even before reaching the water while Phylideth finished doting over Exiloth. Phylideth watched as she jumped into the water, thrumming with delight at the sight. Do I get a splash too? he asked, careful to not do any splashing of his own - his would have been rather large and Phylideth didn't want to put any of them at risk of being pushed around in the lake - even with Esurienth's careful watch.

Phylideth leaned in to press his snout to Rosinth on her approach, though none of his children would find him neglectful in his attentions. Papa had to work hard today, You work hard every day, you know, I flew with many other dragons and we trained very hard - just like you and yours are! though in a very different way. They did not fly, after all, and they were also not Wingleaders....or Threadfighters, yet. Esurienth, thrummed. We found a perch over the Ocean after lunch before drills. It was a lovely view. The view would be shared not just with Rosinth, but her siblings as well. Such views would be theirs, someday, but a sneak preview wasn't all that bad.

Zegurath's was a welcome sight, the young woman more familiar than even the gold's own children - but her own daughter would receive a first greeting of a boop of her own. Only when Phylideth, eager to wash over Zegurath with love and greetings of her own, leaned in did Esurienth regard her question. Mine is not here. Phylideth, for his part, pressed his face down into the little green with the young woman, allowing for...well, any baby who wanted to rub against Papa's face to do so.

And here came a little blue, Esurienth looking upon her son as he made his approach and crooning as Luteth drew closer. Her mental touch was soft, adoring - she was delighted to see him. As was Phylideth, who crooned along with the gold, wiggling excitedly. It was like an endless parade of the best little dragons in all of Pern - and he'd happily watch it loop as long as any of them pined for their father. Luteth, come tell Papa what you did today!

Taking care of a dragon was more than a handful. It was ...a bodyful. It took everything V'styn had, and that had surprised him a little. He'd spoken to his brother about it before, but there was really no way to understand it until you went through it yourself, was there?

So he was exhausted and sleeping hard when Galaith heard curious voices and stirrings and Mama! Papa! The blue had been stirring toward wakefulness already, but now he was fully awake and moving, quite literally dragging V'styn out of his dreams.

"What? W-Wait. Galaith, you can't just...!"

I am going to see Mama and Papa, the blue contradicted, bolting through the barracks doors and leaving V'styn to stumble and scramble behind.

----

They are all going. We must go too. Ardupath wasn't really asking. He certainly wasn't demanding, either, but his decision had been made. He would be going out to see his parents with the rest of the clutch and that was that. It was just Inevitable.

G'rus hadn't been yanked out of sleep like some of his classmates. He'd barely slept, if he was being honest. Sleep would catch up with him eventually, but it had only come in fits and starts since he'd Impressed. So he'd watched the surprise and the scramble and hesitated, not sure about whether to let Ardupath join the rest.

They will like you, Mine. I like you, and that is what matters. Come on, now, before they leave again. I will introduce you. You will see. And off he trotted, toward the lake and Phylideth and Esurianth, leaving G'rus to scuff along behind.

Ahigath would send a mental wave of lazy affection for each sibling that eventually piled out of the barracks to greet their parents. While she had little interest in getting herself wet again, she'd certainly eye the antics with bright eyes. Then someone decided to try and take the spotlight, and Ahigath practically honked a laugh at Zegurath's attempts. Oh, please!

Folding her wings tightly against her sides, her rump held high in the air, Ahigath wiggled.... wiggled again.... and slammed hard into Zegurath's back, fully intending to knock her right over. If she wanted to be in front, she could be--but she had to watch out that she didn't get shoved and pinned down into the dirt!

Delighted with her mischief, Ahigath crooned loudly as she received boops from both of her parents. Yes, here's Zegurath! Doesn't she look so pretty when she's dirty?

Haseya winced at once at her dragon's antics, clicking her tongue in a gently scolding fashion. "Ahigath, that's hardly nice."

Neither was stepping in front of me, but I don't mind. The young dragon replied smugly, clearly implying that meant that her actions had been deserved!