Awkward Talk Time

Half Moon Bay Weyr - Weyrling Training Field
Near the tall black eastern wall of the crater is a cleared field. The earth there has been churned many times over by the landings and take offs of young dragons and only a few patches of grass cling to life in this active area. Wooden props and markers used to assist the weyrlings as they learn the precise maneuvers required for the rescue and protection work that the weyr is famous for, litter the training field. Close to the rimwall, in the east where the sun is usually shaded is a large wooden slat barracks for the weyrlings to live in. Tropical trees and shrubs have been allowed to grow here, perfuming the air with a floral scent.


It is a lovely afternoon at the Weyr, and while most people are off enjoying the weather the Weyrlings are off dealing with a lesson! One lesson they have to take if they wish to graduate at that. Sundari is off to the side speaking with the Weyrling Master whom doesn't seem to be staying for this lesson, no he'll leave that in the hands of his 'helpers'. There is a small area set up with chairs so the dear Weyrling's have a place to stay put. Irk is at hand, waiting for the word and once it is given the call is sent out to the weyrlings to head out for the lesson. It is a small lesson though, no reason to embarass them all at the same time right? The call has also went out to the 'teacher's that have so gracefully offerd to help with the lesson at hand. Sunny may have bribed them with drinks knowing her.

Cassara sits near by, probably with Hika, stewing around impatiently. She couldn't help but to feel a little nervous having to talk in front of a bunch of weyrlings on a topic that tended to bring her so much grief. This nervousness manifested in her looking grouchy and resetless.

The seats might be there to keep the weyrlings in place, but Valigath will see it in an entirely different light - clearly, she is meant to have her talons polished while Aglaia's forced to face her worst nightmare in theoretical form. So it is that the weyrling rider eventually claims a seat with a small bucket of oil and a cloth at hand. Valigath lounges nearby, one foreleg extended and toes splayed to make the finer points of oiling a little easier. Naturally, this will stop as soon as the lesson starts - but, until then? A certain gold is going to get her well-deserved (according to her!) pampering.

F'mar wanders out onto the training field with Yukenth close behind, "I don't know what lesson we're having today, no we weren't told what it was going to be, you'll just have to wait like the rest of us to find out." F'mar spots Cass and Hika leaving him wondering what it is they're going to be learning this time. He gives a salute to the Sundari, Cass and Hika before finding a chair to sit on while Yukenth settles down close behind him.

D'nyl appears blithely enough and he's wearing, wait for it, new clothes! Hide trousers are dyed crimson and a loose shirt of coppery brown. Czaiath trails behind and, when they see the chairs, Czaiath lays in line, adjusting his forearms just so so that D'nyl can settle there, the bronze' head arched over his rier's. His gaze flicks over to Hika and Cass both there and he twitchs. Oh, Faranth no.

Sundari offers a warm smile and nod towards the Weyrlings once they have al came in, wel the ons that were coming for this leson at least. "Welcome Weyrlings.. Nearly time for graduation but before that step there is one lesson that none of you can escape. Which is the lesson that we shall be doing now." She pauses a touch while glancing to D'nyl, oh looking that he has new clothing an looks cute.. Wait lesson! "So kiddies today is the day for learning about the dreaded 'flights' lesson and not the ones that involve crash landing on an island. Irk snorts out from his spot, it was NOT his fault! "This lesson is one that every rider of every dragon must deal with at some point. When it comes to flights there is never a text book answer, they happen and tend to happen fast." She lets that sink it before going on. "Now for the lesson giving bit I have two helpers. Hika and Cassara, which I a great thing actually seeing how one rides a green and the other a brown so your be able to hear how it is in a sense from both sides. Not that I expect them to answer all your questions, that is what I an the rest of the weyrling staff is thre for. Also I have to point out you are welcome to ask any questons at any time, either now or later on of course." She glances over to Cassara and Hika offering them both a smile. "So, who would like to go first.. Cassara, Hika?…" Buller… Buller..

Cassara gets up and sorta glares about. Her way o dealing with her nervous frustration. She looks at Sunny and then Hika and sighs a bit as she walks up front. Her fingers roll and clench a bit restlessly. "… Where do we even start. Damn…" She wonders outloud. Of course, like many things in her life, she could always pass the buck to Hika. "… Yo, Hika, all the proddy stuff happens first, I think you should start…" A perfectly reasonable way to weasel out of it.

The talon polishing must come to an end, though - for once! - it's Aglaia who's reluctant to stop doing the deed. Valigath withdraws her paw and settles comfortably, imperious gaze resting on the older riders, while Aggie fumbles to get her notebook and pencil at the ready. She doesn't have to look at them to listen, see! There's a slight wrinkle of her nose at something or another - just blame Valigath for that.

F'mar hides a smile behind his hand so that Cass doesn't notice, he grins as Yukenth asks the obvious question « flights, we're going to fly somewhere for our lesson? What is this proddy thing? » "Shhhh Yuk am sure they'll explain more in a minute, and we can ask questions afterwards I'm thinking." Having been around weyrs he's somewhat knowledgeable about proddy riders and what happens, "Just pay attention and save your questions for later Yuk." « Ok long as they answer them »

Hika is with Cass, she doesn't seem as nervous, but she's not really prepared to give a big lecture, either. She blinks as Sundari asks her who is going to start. "Uh?" And then Cass throws her under the bus. "Alright then…" She scratches her head. "Well, like humans, dragons go through cycles of reproduction. Ours are just a lot more condensed than theirs are. A green rises two to fours times a year. A gold about once every six months to two years or so. Before she rises, a female dragon is called proddy. Or basically she's in heat. She'll probably act differently and in turn she'll cause her rider to sometimes act differently as well. We also call the riders proddy, though their reproductive cycles have nothing to do with it. Eventually the female will rise and go out on a flight, and the male dragons around will chase her, until she's caught. Or allows herself to be caught. As they fall, the dragons engage in intercourse. And while they're doing their thing, the riders go off and do their own thing."

Cassara grins at her weyrmate. "… That was good." She smiles a bit. "… In a sense we don't even have to tell you what to do. Due to your dragons and the emotions you feel, you will just do it. Like all of us have had to do before you. The dragon decides, the rider complies, as they say." Cassara sighs a bit and folds her off. "… For those of you who have been drunk, it's about the same. Your memory will be blurry. Some of you might not remember at all. Some of you might be a litte more lucid. The only thing you have to worry about is how to handle afterward. It's important to remind your self that -this is a normal part of our lives as riders-. For those of you who are weyrborn you probably understand, but for those of us who come from different lifestyles, well.. the whole thing might be rather.. uncomfortable." She gives D'nyl a glance, feeling a bit fo sympathy. "Still, even if you are feeling weird about things, you need to deal with that on your own time."

Sundari smirks as she hears Cassara and shakes her head a bit once the brownrider pushes it off onto Hika to go first. Somehow though she wasn't fully surprised on the matter. A glance is sent over the weyrlings making sure they are paying attention perhaps! Though Cassara speaks up after Hika has said her peace and she is just peering at the brownrider a moment. "You… Can deal with it on your own time, but all questions should be asked now. No one will think twice about your questions, nor will anyone judge you for any questions you might have." As for the drunk comment a hand lifts and she scratches at her neck a bit. "I tend to black out on things when Irk win, so everyone does feel something differently on the matter."

Aglaia sucks her teeth and looks at the notepad, which remains blank. One shoulder rises and falls, leaving her with a lopsided shrug that suggests plenty. "I think- I think we're okay." That's angled to Sundari, with an affirmative nod in case her assertions didn't sound, well, assertion-y enough. She even puts on a tilted smile to match her earlier shrug, though there's naught else for her to say for the moment.

« So you don't fly when you 'do it' as they said? Do you want me to be there when you do it? » F'mar near swallows his tongue as Yukenth asks the 'question' then after a cough or two and a deep breath or three answers his lifemate "No that's ok Yuk, sides I don't think you'd fit in my cot, and you'd be busy chasing the female to be worried bout what I was doing." He looks to Sundari with an almost pleading look "Isn't that right ma'am, they'd not be worried bout their riders activities during a flight?" (A yes is feverently wished for at this point though he's sure he'll be talking to Yuk on the subject again.) F'mar wiggles on his chair looking for a different position … yeah we'll go with that…

D'nyl catches Cass eyes, one hand moving to run over Czaiath's hide, "'N' yer reaction ta Hika' las' fligh'? Was tha' normal?" D'nyl takes a breath and lets it out, "I mean… I'd like ta know if'n tha's somethin' I've got ta look forward ta."

Hika slides over to put an arm around Cass's middle. It's about all she can reach, really. "And unfortunately the rider doesn't always have any control over who their dragon catches." She pats Cass's arm. "So it's up to you to be understanding or not if someone you're close to catches someone else or doesn't catch you." Hika nods to F'mar. "You sort of become your dragon during a flight. They won't even be thinking about you. Just the task at hand." Hika sighs at D'nyl's question and looks up at Cass. "That's not generally a typical response, no."

".. Do you black out when you get drunk, Sun?" Cass asks curiously. "… Yes, yes. When I say on your own time I mean… Don't go getting all nervous and emotional and worked up around the person you won. Be courteous and polite. Some riders like to have a chat after or something, but if you can't handle that, just politely take your leave. As for dealing with it other wise, yes. That's why we're here… and as someone who has struggled with these feelings my whole life, I'll be glad to help if any of you are nervous and have questions. But the short of it is… You might end up with people you hate, you might end up with another gender you're not comfortable with or whatever. Maybe you don't wanna end up with anyone. Either way, this always happens and is normal and you should… always remind your self of that." When D'nyl questions her she sighs, hugging Hika back. ".. Or people you love can end up with people you hate. I'd… heavily advise against copying me on that. Just… remember, if you have a weyrmate, they, like you, aren't choosing. Their dragons are. Besides… There was more to that than Zi'on winning her flight." Cassara snears a bit but tries her best to keep a straight face. Leaning against Hika helps.

"I've never gotten drunk to the point that I would black out." Sundari offers back with a smirk to Cass. She was in seacraft before impressing, one thing she can do for certain is hold her booze. Her gaze lingers on F'mar a moment and sh looks a bit amused while scratching at her neck. "Well… Sort of a yes and no in a sense. IF your dragon wins then both you and he will be busy. If not then he will have to figure out a way to get over all the feelings now running through him, along with yourself. Hobbies help.. Going out away from the area, finding a friend too.. Just depends on how you want to handle it, and how your dragon wants to handle it as well. Irk goes swimming, or drags me out to find him fish." Yes the blue makes her do the work just so he can have a snack. She glances to D'nyl and shakes her head. "No.. I don't see that being something you need to worry about. Cassara is just a special case." This said while she even grins a bit. "Riders handle it differently, so do the dragons. Not everything is set in black and white, things do change."

"I've seen Dad come back with his fair share of bloody noses and black eyes from some bad flights. Mostly, though, it seems… okay. He's pretty calm about it and always has been, I guess; the other riders sometimes… they just aren't." Aglaia tosses that in as another perspective, but she's otherwise quiet. The notebook is closed, any pretense of note-taking eliminated within that motion. She takes up the oil and cloth and reaches for Valigath, who - in a rare show of obedience - extends that paw and spreads her toes wide so they can be oiled all over again.

"So… all you can really tell us is tha' it'll happen 'n' there's nothin' we can do but ride it out 'n' try ta be th' more rational part o' th' pair?" D'nyl looks up at Czaiath, who rumbles what might be soothingly and there's a moment where the pair confer quietly, then the bronzeling's gaze comes to linger quizically on Aglaia. So many behavior changes, it's a bit unsettling, then he asks quietly, "What if we don'… wan' ta be with th other rider? If'n they're," he coughs awkwardly, "not our type."

Hika chuckles. "Not all of you will have someone like Cassara to come rescue you out of a bad situation. So if you feel uncomfortable, it's best to make short work of things." She chuckles. "Do as Cass says, not as she does." Hika raises a brow up at her weyrmate. "Why do you care if she gets blackout drunk, Cassy?" Hika laughs. "A cold shower helps! Or some solo time. Flights can be fun though. You get to see a different side of someone you already know. Or maybe meet someone new! Goldriders have an even better time! Because after the flight comes the clutch. And baby dragons!" Hika peers at Daran. "Basically… what else do you want to know?" SHe laughs. "Too bad? There's not much you can do. Lock yourself up someplace. But that's kind of considered rude."

Cassara laughs at Hika. "… Just curious if she's the same. I dunno just curious." Cassara sighs. "Yeah, pretty much D'nyl. There isn't a lot we can do. Just gotta make sure you're not surprised by anything that happens so you can deal with it well… And yes, as I say, not as I do." She nods to Hika. "Yeah, pretty much. You're outta luck. It happens. But remember, they're probably no more happier about it than you are, so just invite your self out and be polite."

Sundari is quiet for a moment as she hears D'nyl. "In a sense, yes.. There isn't a lot you can do to stop it. You can try but…" She pauses a touch. "It doesn't end well. Some dragons don't react well to such things, they can possibly lash out in other manners. It isn't healthy for them to not go up in a sense." She was told that plenty of times. "Sadly it is up to the dragons, we don't get a whole heck of a lot of say in the matter when it comes to who they chase." She nods to Aglaia. "That does happen, fights during or after a flight between the riders. It doesn't happen /that/ much at least." Or doesn't with the flights she has had to deal with. Though she is lucky and doesn't have to deal with the gold flights so maybe that is the ticket. She smirks hearing Hika and shrugs a bit. "She wants to see me dress in drag and do the hula, I think she's waiting for me to get plastered." She actually doesn't know, it seemed like a good answer to her at the time.

"Just make your peace with it, D'nyl. It's going to happen. It's just sex; it's not as if you need to take them out for drinks afterward or even talk to them again." Aglaia's tone is flat, but the words are true - perhaps merely echoing the others to further underline the reality. "Dad has plenty of stories about flights gone 'flat' or 'sour', as he calls them. My Mother was one of them. All riders do." She finishes up the last bit of oiling that she can comfortably do, then rises to her feet to start picking her things up. "And Mother's told me plenty about what can go wrong on the other side. Blood only, fly high; hope for the best and expect the worst. Beware being egg-bound." A beat. Two. "Expect dud eggs once in a while. It happens." There's another shrug, helpless in nature, and she glances to Sundari. "It probably happens to him more because his dragon is… promiscuous. More flights, more chances for fighting."

"Sayin' it's normal or that I shoul' get used ta it is all well 'n' good, 'Glaia, but tha' doesn' make it easier." Czaiath rumbles in concert with his rider on that concern. D'nyl scrubs at his face, leaning further into the dragon that's been his bed for the last few months. And the bronzerider goes quiet, thoughtful and a bit sullen.

Hika laughs a bit at Sunny. "Maybe she is. I dunno." She ponders. "It's best really to think of the flights as part of your duties, and not get too hung up on the interpersonal part. The quicker you can view them as part of being a rider and distance them from the awkwardness after the sex, the better. I'm not really sure how else to put it. This is part of being a rider. Just like the flying and the duties and all of that. It wouldn't be fair to your dragon to try to stop him from chasing, since that's part of being a dragon." Hika looks up at Cass. "Anyways.. if there aren't any more questions I guess I'll head back… If there's something you want to know about it but you don't want to ask in front of the group, you can feel free to pull me aside any time."

Cassara laughs at Sundari. "What would dressing in drag imply for either of us?" Cassara frowns at D'nyl. "… Nah it's gonna suck. Whenever Golth wins a flight I feel gross… Well, unless it's Hika." She sighs. "… I won my daughter's weyrmate flight. Neither of us wanted it and the best thing you can do is … try and not get upset. We… had some stiff drinks and chatted a bit." She shrugs. "… When I deal with these feelings I just deal with it with well.. either drinks or taking shit out on my punching bag. We all vent differently." She nods to Hika and gives her a quick kiss. "… I'll be up in a bit."

Sundari pauses slightly as she looks to Aglaia, there is a moment a slight frown and she looks a bit unsure what to say. "Well… Yes there is all that to think of as well.. Being that Valigath is a gold." She was going to speak with Aglaia on this later seeing how she does have a gold and is thus a bit different then the others. "Everyone deals with things in there own way. This is the same thing." She nods a bit to what Aglaia says on her father's dragon, well he does have a bronze and some of them are indeed like that. Her gaze turns over to D'nyl tilting her head a bit and offering him a soft smile. "It'll be alright though.. Though it is just another part of a riders life." A faint grin is sent to Hika and she nods a bit. "Thank you both for coming out to the lesson. I greatly appreciate it." A grin is seen and she shrugs to Cassara. "Heck if I know what dressing in drag would mean for us. Just sounded good at the time."

"No one said any of this was going to be easy, either. And, if they did, they're a filthy liar." Aggie's gone grim, with a flicked look angled to Valigath before the weight of her regard returns - if for the moment - to D'nyl. The gold is uncaring of the wordless look and, simply, stretches a bit before pushing her bulk back and up into a standing posture. Give her another moment or two and she'll be prancing, unable to stand still for long. "At least you can leave if you really don't want him to chase." That last, of course, for D'nyl, before she starts to pack everything in and prepare to leave. But, first, a check in with Sundari: "Are we excused? I have to get the rest of her oiled, since I started the job." There's nothing to say on a private talk; it'll happen if it's meant to happen. And then, to Hika and Cassara: "Thank you two, too. We appreciate you taking time to talk to us."

D'nyl scratches the back of his head, turning a thoughtful gaze to the ground between his feet. Czaiath's head comes down and his bond rubs absently at those eyeridges, "No' really. He wouldn' let me." The soft, "Thanks, Cass 'n' Hika…" is added, but his mind isn't on it.

Hika chuckles. "Not everyone has such a bad opinion of flights. It's all in what you make of it! You could end up sharing a bed with the woman of your dreams!" She says with a giggle giving Cass a squeeze. She nods to the brownrider. "I'll see you upstairs then." Then to everyone else. "Thanks for having us! Good luck out there! You all will be graduated in no time!" She toddles off to head back up to their weyr.

Sadly that can't happy for D'nyl because Sunny riders a blue. "Yeah, catching Hika worked out for us… Though… that woulda happened between us eventually. "Don't worry, D'nyl. You're a good guy. It's gonna be uncomfortable for you but I'm sure you'll do the righ thing by the people you end up with.

Sundari looks to Aglaia once more and there is a slight pause as she looks a but unsure what to say, grim is one word that comes to mind at the moment. "No one said it was easy Aglaia." This said with a soft tone. "Everyone is allowed there thoughts on the matter and to voice them at the moment." There is just a faint edge to her tone there before a soft breath escapes her. "You are all excused." Perhaps she won't be the one to give Aglaia the talk, Kadesh should or Iris at this rate. Her gaze drifts over the few weyrlings here before glances over to Hika and Cassara, a soft smile seen and she nods seeming to agree with the bit on what is said on D'ynl. "If… There are any other questions feel free to ask, even once you all have graduated of course." She'll hang back though to see if questions are to be asked.

Rub rub rub. D'nyl stands suddenly, "No… 'M good. I… are we allowed ta look fer our own weyrs yet?" He can hope. He really needs some personal time.

As soon as the dismissal is given, Aglaia's not one to linger - least of all with that grim expression firmly planted on her face. She departs, followed by the dancing Valigath; the direction is toward the Lagoon, but goodness knows if that's actually where the pair of them are headed for a bit of peace and quiet. No looks are spared over her shoulder; no words uttered. Even when the mention of weyrs is brought up, it doesn't pull her back; tradition's pretty clear on where she'll be stuck. Just a nod and then gone, which might bring with it some relief to the others!


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