Warm Hugs and Scritches (Shanatea and Taline are Searched!)

Half Moon Bay Weyr - Lagoon
A sandy beach running along the edge of the lagoon, between the sparkling waters and the bowl. Given the weyr's tropical climate, riders and dragons can be seen playing in the water nearby or a dolphin can be seen cavorting nearly turn-round. At other times seacraft can be seen coming in under the arch to dock. The lagoon is large enough to fill a quarter of the length of the bowl.


It might be Autumn, but this is Half Moon Bay Weyr, where it's tropical, and balmy, and hot all the time. That's why Ila'den probably sticks out like a sore thumb on the sands of the lagoon, dressed head-to-toe in his leathers, with his jacket undone to reveal a thin(ner) fabric made of something-or-the-other underneath. How does he not succumb to heat stroke? MIND YOUR BUSINESS, THAT'S HOW (he totally just takes off his jacket when he's too hot, you guys, it's not magic I swear). There's no knot on the man to denote rank, or even to confirm that he is a rider, but there is a bronze dragon lumbering along behind him - and it's a mean looking bronze. He's beautiful in color alone, a near metallic black, but he's bulky with muscle like his rider - and his bottom jaw juts out, revealing teeth (BECAUSE WHAT ELSE WOULD THERE BE, YOU GUYS). He's not pretty. But back to Ila'den: the man stalks; he stalks along the sands, and the outside of his eyes are that irritated red that says he's either sleep deprived, or already drunk or a combination thereof. "Can you pick a spot already, Teimyrth? I don't have all day." And that voice, it's a half-growl, thick, and husky, and curbed by the lilting curl of a burr that denotes his agitation. The bronze dragon growls, but does not settle. HE NEEDS THE PERFECT SPOT TO GET THE OILS. DON'T JUDGE HIM.

Shanatea pulls his slick and shining self from the waters of the lagoon, sending a dolphin with an achy fin off into deeper waters. More than likely just over exercized it. He drags himself up the beach near Ila, and plops down onto a towel, pulling another over his head to remove all the loverly water from his silky hair. He shakes his head after, letting it flop all over his head and stick there for now. It'll dry. The towel becomes a neck ornament next and he flops onto his belly, feet up in the air. He looks younger doing that, but he's watching Ila and dragon with interest, albeit at a hopefully safe distance.

Out on another of her walks, regaining her … walking skills, Taline navigates toward water naturally. She wasn't trying to find water. She just walked there instinctively. The first thing she spots isn't Ila'den and his LARGE dragon, or Shanatea, but the departing dolphin, who is gifted with a wistful smile and a small sigh from Taline before she seems to remember again that she's in actual company. There are humans here. And a dragon. Shanatea looks safer though, and like a dolphineer! so she heads over to him with a smile and asks, "What's his name? Or hers? The dolphin." No 'hi I'm Taline I'm a journeyman,' but he might be aware of the fact that there was a dolphineer journeyman recovering from the explosions in the Weyr's infirmary and she's now up and about. Though to complicate matters, she's now washing Teimyrth-washing as well; it looks like it's going to be a good show.

NO DISTANCE IS SAFE, SHANATEA. RUN, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. No? Well, okay. Now it's too late, because just like the dolphineer shows an interest in the bronze, that boxy head tilts just enough for a whirling eye to catch sight of feet up in the air, and the bronze is showing an interest in Shanatea. Which means Ila'den is suddenly looking the younger man's way when Taline comes over to join him and the bronze just starts off in their direction with an almost awkward gait. Ila'den? He… lingers for a moment while he watches his lifemate act completely out of character, and hone in on his PREY (JK, you guys are safe, he only eats people sometimes). And, yeah. There's more bronze in their space than bronzerider, the dragon wuffling sand at them as he just shoves his stupid head into their business and - growls? He doesn't seem friendly, but at least he hasn't tried to murder anybody yet. Which might explain why Ila'den's slower to join them, peeling off his jacket to reveal (GASP) a long-sleeved tunic underneath, one that he pushes up to his elbows as he finds a smile that might be friendly, but still somehow doesn't reach that one good, grey eye unobscured by eyepatches. This is going to be a while. The fingers sending his already-messy hair into further disarray knows it, the bronze dragon knows it, the universe knows it, and so Ila'den just… accepts it. "You can touch him," Ila'den says in lieu of a greeting as he converges upon them - not that they asked. "He might maul you if you don't." SO FRIENDLY. AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU CAME?

Shanatea nods towards the now completely disappeared dolphin, "Well, her name was Alta." he comments, offering a grin. "Mine is Tea." He greets. But yes, Tea is safer. He was aware, well, as aware as any Dolphineer would be about another Dolphineer being injured and in the vicinity. "Would you like to sit? I'm sure resting is a good idea?" he offers to the woman. And when the bronze turns to stare at him he turns and stares quite rudely back. "Yes? Want something?" OK, maybe he should not have offered anything at all. His hand isn't even tentative, he does reach out and offer a snout cuddle. He is an equal oppourtunity animal lover, no matter how ugly and desperate for friendly touches.

"I —" Taline had started to sit, but Teimyrth's intrusion is keeping her on her feet. If she sits down, she won't be as able to reach the bronze maw in her face. "Are we going to die?" she whispers toward Shanatea before she hears what Ila'den is saying. Because that growling was scary to someone who isn't used to dragons, okay. The other dolphineer is the only thing that is truly safe at all here. "He might … if we don't .." Okay. Taline is going to reach out a hand and touch Teimyrth's nose as if he is a dog. Snoot boop?

DOES HE WANT SOMETHING? Maybe the bronze is amused by Shanatea's boldness. Or maybe he's just… very not amused; what does it matter, when the bronze is getting snout cuddles and snoot boops? It doesn't. The growl turns into a low rumble, the kind that speaks of contentment if those whirling eyes staying green doesn't. Taline gets the worst of it, the dragon shoving his maw into her stomach with a nuzzle of nose-tips and another wuffling that says keep going. Still, Ila'den moves in alongside them all, crouching beside his dragon with jacket slung over one arm, leaning into the bronze's forepaw as he simply, for just a moment, watches. "This is Teimyrth," he says then, and that grey eye goes from Taline, to Shanatea where it settles. "And I am Ila'den." MUCH RASP. MUCH GROWL. MUCH BROGUE. Clearly this dragon and his rider were made for each other (see what I did there hahaha). Which is to say that, while he has not explicitly asked, it's kind of the socially normal thing to do to introduce yourselves back - right? Right. Which might be why Ila'den looks expectant in a man-that-means-business kind of why. At least he's not unfriendly.

There are other things besides dolphineers and dragonriders on the beach. There are /Taeskis/. Well, just one Taeski. The only one. Shoes make their indents in the sand as he goes, absorbed in the process of attempting to properly roll his sleeves upward. It can be a hard thing to do, after all. Trying to fold the fabric up..then up, until it's just above his elbows. He's managed one arm, at least already. By the time he finishes with the other it's a little late to /turn around/ upon realizing just who and what are ahead of him. The teenager instead stands rather frozen for a moment, a bit of dirt or soot streaked across his face in places. All eyes are on Teimyrth, before a slow look is edged toward Ila'den instead. Alas for anyone else there, Taeski's focus doesn't seem able to go much farther than that.

Shanatea chuckles, "Most dragons aren't inherently mean, even if they seem like they are. Most of them are just curious and want attention or something." he comments offhandedly as he draws himself up to a sitting position and pats the bronze nose again. Most. He can't guarantee any of this though. He can now devote BOTH hands to maw skritching. He nods then, to Ila'den. "I remember. Met you at the Gather. Well met, Ila'den and Teimyrth." he greets pleasantly. Obviously no hard feelings anywhere to be seen. There was no reason for any, so…yeah. "Shanatea, but just Tea, please." he adds pleasantly.

"So — not dying. Just … petting." Taline isn't afraid, so much as she is just confused and uneasy, so: everyone is telling her that they are not going to be injured by the dragon, just nuzzled and expected to deliver as much attention as possible. That's kind of dolphinlike, and kind of doglike, so she can take it. There's a dragon nose getting not just into her face but into her entire torso, and so she can't help but keep providing nose rubs. "Er, I'm Taline," she adds with an awkward, hesitant smile. This is still weird.

"Well met," Ila'den rumbles back, and there's some amusement in his tone. Possibly for memories of the gather? He wasn't there for long, and his attention had been devoted to his weyrmate for a majority of his stay. "Taline, Tea." But there is a shift in mood, when Taeski approaches, and it brings that bronze head up and away from scritches that he was enjoying with a damn-near feral snarl at the newcomer. Ila'den doesn't look up; he already knows who it is. Instead, the bronzerider presses a hand to Teimyrth's maw and the bronze settles, though green shifts to orange, agitation rippling down that near-black hide with a shift of wings and the re-placement of paws. "Nephew," is all that Ila'den says in greeting to Tae, without looking, almost dismissive, as he retains his focus on Tea and Taline. "Tell me about yourselves." SAYS THE MAN WHO IS TOTALLY PRETENDING HIS DRAGON DID NOT JUST VICIOUS A LITTLE BIT AT SOMEONE. No, really. This is perfectly normal. Everything is fine.

Taeski doesn't /move/. Nope, not for a moment at least. Not until he's quite sure that skull-splitting pain isn't going to accompany that growl. Ila'den is given another quick glance though at the acknowledgement, however dismissive, brows raising upward in surprise. "Uncle." The greeting is given back at least, and the teen's attention finally does turn onto people both familiar and not. "Tea, hey." It's softly given, and there's even a small nod for Taline who is also there. He skirts around though, making his way to where the water laps at the shore, and simply crouches there to let slightly sooty fingers be rinsed free of the gunk.
Shanatea nods and then scritches are taken away from him too, as the dragon head rips away of its own volition! He cheerfully waves to Taeski, not asking because that family is kind of a messy tangle…… 'Well, I'm a unpartnered dolphincraft Dolphinhealer in training and I like warm hugs?" he says, then shrugs a little to himself. Yes, thats the explanation… ITs just THAT family, just a bit… twisted or something, or so he's heard from several of its members…..

Whereas Taline has no family and no particular knowledge of any of the local ones (even if her player is affectionate-eyerolling at the moment) so she's just rolling with what she is presented. Maybe this entire thing is a hallucination, too. That's completely plausible. Her hand still hovers in the air as it was when Teimyrth shifted his attention to the INVADER. Or — his rider's nephew. Both. Apparently. "I'm actually … also an unpartnered dolphineer. Search and rescue, though. And a journeyman." Just piggyback on what he said. No continuation about hugs.

Don't mind Ila'den (or his family). They are just busy putting the FUN! back in dysfunctional. Taeski shifts around them, and Teimyrth is rumbling another low growl, though he makes no move to posture, even if his attention is glued to the once-renegade, now-artist-and-handyman trying to reform. Ila'den's attention remains on Taline and Tea, one corner of his mouth pulling up in what might be amusement, or might be something else entirely, but is lacking any subtleties that might shift it towards unpleasant even if it still somehow lacks in… sincerity. "Do you both enjoy it? Working with dolphins, of course." Nevermind the warm hugs. Ila'den is definitely not a hugger, and so he avoids topics that could lead to unwanted affection with finesse. WHOLE LOTTA NOPE.

Shanatea grins and nods, "I like to work with all animals, but especially the intellegent ones like dolphins, dogs…." He would say dragons, but he doesn't get to work with dragons, so… there's the answer to that one. "I would like to expand my horizons one of these days, and get to work with and see more creatures, but well, we'll see how that goes….. Guess it goes without saying, I really love critters."

Taeski has enough rumors for everyone! He /was/ recently locked up for a while, after all. Once he finishes with washing his hands off though the boy straightens back up. There's a slight smile after all for Shanatea's enthusiastic waving. Or maybe it's due to the dolphineer liking hugs. At the very least a damp hand comes up to rub just a little near his mouth. It'll cover up the smile that's happening that way! He gives a shake of his head though and turns to make himself rather scarce. Hand-rinsing was apparently the only goal!

"Er. Yes?" Taline seems confused by the question, in part because she likely is, and a little because she's confused by everything just slightly. Largely recovered does not mean totally all set to go off and venture across the world again without any concerns for recent head injuries. "I don't think I would be doing it if I didn't; I probably would have quit, by now. I'm a try-anything-once person but not a make-myself-miserable-doing-it person. I don't think I'd ever become a Harper, for instance." It was meant to be an example, but it's a lot of personal information and Taline cringes juuuuust slightly at the sheer number of words that came out of her mouth.

Ila'den watches them each in turn, attentive, intent, as if each of them is the most interesting person he's ever met while they speak - because he's actually listening. And there's a moment when Ila'den looks away, when husky, short-lived laughter rumbles from his chest in response to Taline's cringing as he pulls his jacket away from his arm and shifts his fingers around in a pocket, then another. Calloused hands produce two white knots as the bronzerider shifts his jacket over his knees and looks to Tea first. "Teimyrth seems to think that you have a chance with learning to work around dragons - if that interests you." And one knot is extended towards him, while that grey eye shifts to Taline. "And he also seems to think that standing for a dragon is one of those things that you should try at least once." The other knot is extended towards her, Ila'den still as he waits for them to either accept or decline. And finally Teimyrth's attention shifts from Taeski to Taline and Shanatea again, green bleeding back into orange as he waits.

Shanatea actually grins again as he reaches out and accepts the knot. "Sure, I agree, its something that should definitely be done at least once." he isn't wearing a shirt, so he attaches the knot to the hip of his shorts and preens a little. "Why thank you, Teimyrth, for the chance to Stand. It's an honor." Poor Taeski, hunted so hard over there.
Taline set Ila'den up for that with her complaining about how she wouldn't want to be a Harper, didn't she. There's definitely some confusion about her countenance, though — even more confusion than before. "But I'm — " she starts, and does not finish. Kind of broken still? Not the fully physically fit that one would expect from a dragonrider? Bad excuse, isn't it, when eggs are on the sands for kind of a long time? She really did set up the delivery, so she's got to play it through the end, and instead she just nods, accepting the knot. "Okay." It's certainly something to add to the list of impulsive decisionmaking.

Teimyrth rumbles a low growl to Tea, a draconic kind of, 'You're welcome,' mixed with approval and - oh, sweet Taline. Ila'den's grey eye is back on the woman, watching her internal conflict externally with a smile, but no laughter. "You'll be fine," comes softly, hushed, as he rises from his crouch and pulls his jacket back on over his shoulders. "You both need to go and check in with your masters, to let them know what's going on so that they can make arrangements in your absence." A pause, and then, "I'll be here, once you're ready to get settled." A beat, as he hooks a thumb in the direction of water, and then, "Welcome to Candidacy, Tea and Taline. Half Moon Bay is glad to have you." His smile is wolfish, the kind that says, 'I'm up to no good,' but he's giving Teimyrth a push. "Now if you'll excuse me, this monster is in need of some oil."

Shanatea nods his head a bit and grins, "Aye." and he stands, preparing to amble off.. Why are you preparing? You're always preparing. Just GO. And he ables off to take care of business.

"I'll have to send a note." Taline's master is nowhere near here, but she'll figure it out. Make it work. "Which … I am sure will work perfectly, and then I will — figure out what to do from there." She should probably call Ila'den 'sir'; she doesn't. She should probably ask where to find him later; she doesn't. Again: she will figure it out. Instead she smiles more politely, sociably, and chirps a, "Thank you," before heading to find paper. She has a firelizard. She can send a note.


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