High Water Line

[Kino]

J'kiran smiled in return. Now that they had come to the agreement of being friends, he seemed to be getting more comfortable in the conversation. "I don't believe I'll mind so much," he said to her comment about being a very physical person. "At least, not now that I know mixing up my speech isn't going to offend you." He returned her cheerful look with one of his own at the end of her comment.

"Well I suppose you made the right choice for your second gentleman friend; my parents made sure to raise me with every propriety they could think of." He turned back to face the direction he'd been facing before, and leaned back to rest against Kaenith's side; the young bronze crooned softly in response. "To also be honest, my parents don't even speak with quite as large a...a variety of words as I do. I believe they were intent on raising me with a better education than they themselves were granted, having both also grown up on a farm." He smiled shyly, and ran his hand along the back of his neck. "They're deathly proud of me, so I'm always making sure I don't do anything that would disappoint them."

He looked up at her question, then smiled and nodded once. "In a way I did. I wrote them that I had met up with Kestrel again, and that I'd made a new friend just as I was writing the letter to them. I told them she was a terribly kind girl, and that her name was Miss Kira of Copper Ayerith." His smile turned a bit shy once more, and he nodded in agreement. "Yes, I suppose they will likely get worked up over that. They always worried I wasn't social enough when I was out in the fields with our canines and the heard beasts."

He thought for a moment in silence, trying to figure something to add to the conversation. "They really are the best parents I could have hoped to end up with. I believe they were always so certain to give me the best life they could because they were afraid that when I discovered I wasn't their born-son, I would feel as though they only wanted me for a farm hand." He smiled contentedly, looking ahead a bit dazedly. "They never had to worry about that though. Even if I do some day find who X'ion and my born-parents are, they'll always be my Mother and Father."

Mine does not seem to mind as much anymore, Kaenith replied, bringing his neck around so he could rest his head by his rider. Now that they are friends, he does not feel uncomfortable.[/size]

[Dragon]

"Oh really? I like to think I do make good decisions", she said, commenting on what he'd just said. "And I won't have to worry about you taking advantage of poor little me either", she batted her eyelashes at him, yet another playfully teasing gesture. He certainly proved he was a gentleman.

She giggled again at his name for her, Miss Kira. It made her seem a bit important, like she was higher in social class or something. "You and your nickname for me. I think I actually find it cute more than anything", she commented on the name he'd called her by. "Anyway. I'd say my first choice wasn't so bad either. He was my brother after all, and he did protect me", she spoke to him, trailing off a bit at the last couple words. It was true, her and her brother grew close because he had to protect her. She was so small that she was always picked on. She was actually glad puberty kicked in so she wouldn't have to worry about it. Still, having a protecter did sound a bit of a romantic kind of idea now more than anything. Well, depending on the protector.

"I'm glad you had a family that treated you right and wanted the best for you. Those kind of families are the ones to go for", she admitted to him. When Jil was now laying down, she reached out with one hand and began playing with his hair as she too now relaxed a bit on the rock she was sitting on. Laying on it and leaning on her elbow as she played with her new gentleman friend's hair.

"So tell me about this Kestral. You two didn't hit it off or anything did you? I'd hate to have to worry about jealous exes", she asked, then chuckled a bit to herself at her last comment, like she were dating him or some such.

[Kino]

J'kiran thought for a moment on her words. "I never had any siblings. Except, now, for X'ion." Another quiet moment of thought. "The only thing I ever really had to protect was the herdbeasts. I suppose sometimes I liked to think that I was protecting my parents by doing the work they couldn't do...but now I wonder if I wasn't just looking for a purpose to my life."

You have one now, J'kiranmine. Kaenith crooned affectionately once more. We can protect each other.

J'kiran looked over to where Kaenith's head was, smiled warmly, and brought a hand down to gently rub between his eyes along the stripe of sea-green-bronze. "What? Kestrel?" He laughed glanced over to Kira when she spoke up once more, taken a bit by surprise at the way her clothing moved with the position she was in, and turned his head to look up at the sky instead. "No, no. Kestrel was never anything more than a friend. But she was a very dear friend. I knew others my age, but she was really the only friend I had." He took a moment to think back on the years.

"I would visit her whenever I went into town, which wasn't very often in all truth, and she would sometimes go out to our farm to visit me. Then one day she stopped visiting the farm, and when I went into town I never managed to find her." He furrowed his brows a bit. "I asked some people in town where she was, but nobody would really give me an answer. It got to be so that I felt as though something eventful had happened involving her, and everyone knew what it was except me." He sighed. "For awhile, I thought I'd done something wrong, and just accepted that whatever it was had been enough to ruin our friendship. Those thoughts faded after awhile, and...well, when my parents finally told me that I had been fostered by them, I started to wonder more about that than about what had happened to her."

J'kiran looked back to Kira for a moment, and smiled before returning his gaze to the sky. "When I was brought here as a candidate I did meet up with her again, and she's been perfectly friendly to me. I still haven't had the courage to ask her where she went off to all those years ago, though. I suppose I'm hoping she'll tell me on her own when she's ready."[/size]

[Dragon]

Kira simply listened to him now, still playing with his hair. She did, however, note his gaze briefly on the way her clothing fell. She pulled away momentarily to adjust herself so she wasn't showing off so much. "Sorry about that", she said as she returned her hand to playing with his hair. "I didn't mean to embarrass you", she said simply as she laid down a bit further so that just in case her neckline did fall again, her breats wouldn't be in his face. Not like she was embarrassed really. She'd never really shown off much more than good cleavage to a guy before, but doubted she'd be embarrassed if something did slip.

"I think you should talk to her", she suggested to her new friend. She was quickly growing fond of him. It felt good to know someone was there to talk to. "In my honest opinion, I think you're entitled to know why she suddenly cut you off. From what I can tell, you're a stand up guy who wouldn't do anything to ruin a friendship", she spoke honestly, sweetly, and smiled at the last part implying their own friendship now.

[Kino]

J'kiran smiled gratefully. He hadn't realized how much Kestrel's silence all those years ago had still been bothering him until he'd talked about it just now, and it did feel good to talk about things with someone else. "I suppose you're right, Miss Kira," he said, and it was starting to be evident that perhaps that way of saying her name may just stick. "I think I'll try to find a time to ask her about it when next the chance arrives."

He brought a hand up to scratch at the side of his face. "How rude I've been, talking all this time about myself and my own life. Tell me, Miss Kira, if I may ask: How has your life treated you?"

[Dragon]

"Good. I hear communication is key in any relationship", she said as she looked across at him from her position. To be honest, she really didn't mind listening to him and giving advice when necessary. She liked being someone to confide in, weirdly enough.

"You know", she started off with a smile and leaned in closely to him. "For someone who doesn't want to offend. That was a rather blunt question", she teased him. The hand that played with his hair now rested on his head and pushed it very lightly before going back to playing with his hair again, letting him know her words were just playful teasing on her part.

"My life was a bit rough to start, I'll admit. My small size made me a fairly easy target", she admitted shyly, the first time she acted shyly in any manner for quite some time. "But my brother was there to protect me", she continued a bit more cheerfully. "Then I...started developing", she glanced down at her breasts. "Then all the bullying stopped, and I got a bit of revenge of my own", she admitted with an evil smirk on her face. "That's the general summary of it", she said, once again with a sweet smile as her head scooted slightly closer to him yet again.

[Kino]

"Friendship, in this case," he reminded her. A moment later he did look a bit worried when she mentioned the bluntness, but his expression quickly relaxed when she gently nudged his head. Actually once she went back to playing with his hair, he seemed to really be enjoying it, and he let his eyes drift closed while she spoke.

"I suppose everyone has their own story to tell," he said once she was finished. "Yet it's the sort of story that isn't finished being written until one has died." He opened his eyes half-liddedly. "I sometimes think it's quite amazing, how we've all come from such different places, yet we've all still ended up here in the same place, all to experience impression and growing up now as a dragon rider." He was quiet in thought for a moment. "A turn ago, I never would have imagined myself being searched as a candidate, and I certainly never would have imagined myself as a young dragon rider." He gave a small chuckle, and smiled warmly. "I most certainly never imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd end up as a young bronze rider."

[Dragon]

Kira was content to once again listen to the bronzerider as he went on. He seemed quite relaxed with her playing with his hair, though some were just like that. She found such a thing relaxing as well, especially with the right person playing with her hair.

She giggled softly as she spoke up, "Oh don't go sounding all profound and wise on me. I don't know if I can handle that". She was teasing yet again, the playful tone obvious. "But I get what you're saying. I sometimes find life events amazing when I step out being in the moment of what's going on and looking back on it all. When I get the time to reflect, I mean", she conceded with him.

"Did you dream of having a lady friend like me?", she questioned innocently and batted her eyelashes at him. The question playful innocence. "At any rate. I certainly couldn't imagine myself with Ayerith. She's so much more than I expected", she commented.

The copper shifted slightly at the comment and spread one of her wings to cover one of Kira's shoulders as she lay next to her new gentleman friend, an affectionate move from the copper. I am glad you think so. I chose well, Kiramine.

[Kino]

J'kiran chuckled a little bit once more. "I will try to keep my sage wisdom in check, Miss Kira." He nodded in agreement, apparently having calmed down quite a lot with her basically petting him. Kaenith's eyes had fallen shut as well, and J'kiran could feel the soft warmth of his breath hitting against his side. "Times rather like this," he said in agreement.

He smiled a bit at her next question. "I can honestly say that I did not dream of having a lady friend such as yourself, Miss Kira. I suppose, looking back, I didn't do much dreaming beyond my life of a farm boy other than wondering what it may have been like if I'd been raised with my birth parents." He smiled once more with her comment about her dragon. "Yes, I know what you mean. I don't think my mind would have ever been capable of simply imagening Kaenith."

I never had to imagine you either, J'kiranmine. When I began to think, I already knew you were there. It was an easy choice; I chose well, too.[/size]

[Dragon]

Kira only smiled and listened to him more. She simply hummed to herself and agreed, "Times like this". Soft was her voice in speaking as well.

Kira stared at him for a moment before looking back up at the clouds above. She remembered doing alot of dreaming herself. Over bodies of water like this, infact. She seemed most thoughtful when near a body of water. "You know, it just occured to me", she began to admit to her new friend. "Every time I'm near a body of water, some way or another I grow more thoughtful. Always been like that", she finished before looking back over at him with a smile. "It's like old times all over again. The good times, that is. But newer now, now that I have a gentleman all of my own", she said thoughtful at first, the a coy smile as she looked at him. Her words seemed to claim him as her own.

But Kira's eyes grew tired and she felt her head slump a couple times as she tried to stay focused on him. But it seemed her gentleman was already in that sleeplike state. "A nap sounds like a good idea", she quietly admitted before scooting next to Jil and laying her head on his shoulder falling asleep and hand resting lazily in his hair. Maybe it was all apart of her game, but she did feel safe enough with him for such a move.

Kiramine feels safe with yours. Ayerith commented on her rider yet again to Kaenith.

[kestrel]

T'kal refused to leave his firelizard sized white anywhere, and so found himself carrying around the 2 foot long Sarcth once again. The dragonet was so content in this that he fell asleep in T'kal's arms, even as they headed for the lake to enjoy the nice weather. T'kal knew the lake was a prime spot for people to go and hang out. It offered swimming and a great atmosphere-the best there was inside the Weyr. The warm sand and the grass just beyond that made for a great spot to relax when the sun was shining down on you. Yes, the lake was the place to be after all the excitement of a hatching feast.

Well, he'd been planning on company, but not of this sort! He grinned widely, and then pulled out a quill from his pack, which contained his and Sarcth's lunch. "Aww...they're just so cute!" he said, loud enough to be heard, as he tickled the tip of J'kiran's nose with the feather of a quill. Sarcth stirred, then, as T'kal began to laugh aloud, and said, "didn't take you two long, eh?" The crimson haired youth ran a hand through his long hair, a huge lopsided grin on his face as he waited to see the reactions of this pair at being caught in this predicament. Hrm...he hadn't know that the bronze and copper Weyrlings were an issue! What fun!

[Kino]

It was probably a combination of making a new friend, the warmth of the sun, and the sort of trance that one is put into when someone is playing with one's hair that finally sent J'kiran into a half-asleep state. Either way though, by that time he was too half-asleep to much mind the fact that Kira was resting her head on his shoulder again. Kaenith might have given him a warning of someone coming near, but as Sarcth was sleeping anyway, the bronze dragon didn't care much to say anything about the two new arrivals.

The faint sound of footfall had been covered mostly by the sound of the water, and so J'kiran hadn't heard anything really until T'kal spoke up. He blinked his eyes open dazedly, though a moment later when the feather was brushed against his nose they opened wider. Too flustered now to think about sitting up gently for Kira's sake, J'kiran sat up quickly and gathered his feet beneath him, turning in a spin on his heels and getting to his feet to stand across from where Kaenith now lay.

"I assure you," he started speaking instantly, waving his hands a bit as he did so, "it's nothing of that sort. Miss Kira and I were only talking! The sound of the water only...and with the sun being so warm today..." He shook his head adamantly, worried now that he might have caused a misunderstanding that would jeopardize the lady's reputation. (Keeping in mind, he still doesn't realize just how much of a flirt Kira is) "Miss Kira and I were only enjoying a conversation between the company of two friends."

Kaenith had lifted his head when T'kal and Sarcth had fully come over to them, and tilted his head at how his rider was getting so flustered again. The bronze looked over to the white in the other boy's arms. Hello Sarcth. Yours seems to have made Mine uncomfortable again, he is very worried he might have implied something he didn't intend to. He lifted his head a bit more. Ayerith's and Mine have become friends. Do you suppose T'kal will be their friend as well?

[Dragon]

Kira was in that lazy sleeplike state where you were just barely awake at all and certainly weren't aware of your surroundings. Ayerith certainly didn't want to wake her bonded from her sleep. But now that seemed like a moot point.

When Jil jolted up as he did, he must have been more worried for Kira's honor than for Kira herself. Her head quickly slid from his shoulder to hitting her head on the rock. "Ow!", she exclaimed sharply as she slowly sat up and rubbed the side of her head. "What in blazes wa-", she stopped mid-question to see another had joined them. She wanted to glare at Jil but simply gave him a look and pushed him on his shoulder. "Worry a little more about the girl and less about her reputation, alright?", she asked him, still rubbing her head. She was a bit irritated at the wake up call, but otherwise she had no ill feelings towards Jil.

Yours will have to forgive mine. She did not like the way she was wakened and only wishes yours to be more careful in the future. Ayerith put in calmer more plain words what Kira's intentions were. Ayerith then looked over to Sarcth. Good to see you have joined us. More friends are always welcome. Ayerith simply replied after Kaenith, for support and welcoming the new dragonet of the group.

[kestrel]

T'kal's eyes twinkled with mischief, as he shook his head and made a few 'tsk, tsk' noises. "Friends?" he said first, putting emphasis on the word as if it were suspicious, and then, "ahh...friends with benefits! And did I hear 'MISS' Kira-my word, is that short for Mistress?" He turned to Kira, then, and said, face suddenly dead serious, "Mistress Kira, if you're looking for any more slaves with which to bestow your favors, I am more than willing to be your next victim." He took her hand and laid a chivalrous sort of kiss on it, and then turned to J'kiran. "You don't mind if she has two of us, do you? We could all be...friends!" He grinned broadly, and then as Sarcth wiggled a bit, he let the dragonet down.

Sarcth padded over to the much bigger copper and bronze dragonets, looking miniature next to the pair. He looked up at them and replied earnestly, *Mine likes to have fun. Do you like to have fun?* His tail waved back and forth with his excitement, as he then added hopefully, *T'kalmine likes friends. Can I be your friends too?* Then, to Ayerith, *We are already friends? How is it no one told me?* his tone was very full of hurt now, as he looked over at T'kal, then back to the other dragonets.

T'kal only grinned wider, giving J'kiran and Kira a look that was pure mischief. Typical of him.

[Kino]

J'kiran looked over to Kira when she hit her head, his eyes widening a bit. "I'm terribly sorry," he said sincerely. "That wasn't a very good decision on my part...I'll be sure to remember to do so in the future." He was about to step over to her and make sure she was alright, when T'kal spoke up once more.

"W-what?" J'kiran stuttered in reply, his expression taking on a bit of a mortified look. He wasn't used to this sort of interaction at all, and since he also didn't know the boy - T'kal - he had no idea if this was in jest or in seriousness. "No!" he replied to the mistress question at all. "She's only...it's just...she's young to be called Lady." The skin under his freckles was gaining a bit of a reddish tinge (not very red, but still enough to be noticeable in the sun). J'kiran turned to face towards the water as T'kal continued to comment, folding one arm across his chest and bringing the other to rest against his chin.

I do not know if we were before, Sarcth. But if Ours are to be friends, I think we should to. We are clutchsiblings, after all. Kaenith raised himself up into a seated position, looking over to where J'kiran stood. Mine is thinking that his parents never instructed him on how to deal with situations like this. He does not believe they ever expected him to be in one, but he does wish he knew better how to react to it. He tilted his head a bit .J'kiranmine is very confused. He does not know if he should feel uncomfortable or not.[/size]

[Dragon]

Kira moved over to where Jil was and positioning herself behind him, draped her arms around him. To her, it was a sign showing she had no ill feelings towards him. "It's quite alright. I just think you need a few extra lessons on the subject of girls. Other than the wake up call, I enjoyed the nap", she assured him, then rested her cheek against his as she looked over at the other boy.

She looked down at him as he graced her hand with a kiss, she couldn't help but giggle a bit. "You think my favors are bestowed so easily? My men have to prove themselves, like Jil has", she teased the other boy as she nudged Jil's head with hers when she mentioned his name. Now she was playing hard to get with this one. Some guys just needed to work for it, if she wanted to throw them a bone. Whichever plan she used for her game, she always enjoyed it.

Would you not want to be our friends? I only assumed you were because I assumed you wouldn't refuse our friendship. The rosey, petite copper chimed, in response to Sarcth.

[Kino]

[Dragon is dying for a response from Jil xD; So we're gonna do one more round between the two of us while we wait for T'kal]

J'kiran lifted his head up quickly with a start when Kira draped her arms over him. "Favors?" he said. "Prove themselves?" His voice cracked a bit that time. "Kira, I'm not sure why you're saying such..." The poor boy was still having trouble putting words together. He stepped to the side in an attempt to disengage his new friend from around his shoulders. "Your implications are..."

He looked as though he were going to continue, but he closed his mouth a moment later and seemed to shift into thought. J'kiran shook his head once or twice, then looked back up between the boy with the white and Kira. "I'm terribly confused."

[Dragon]

"Jil, sweetheart, lighten up", she said aloud. Her dislodging would not happen so easily. She was content in her position. She whispered in his ear. "This is all in good fun. He dared flirt with me, I'm simply returning it in another manner", she whispered. Her voice then dropped significantly so only Jil could hear what she was about to say.

"Play along with me a bit. Think of it as helping to keep unwanted attention off my doorstep if you must. I need my gentleman protector", Kira whispered oh so quietly to him, her breath hot on his ear. She was obviously trying to appeal to his more gentleman like qualities while at the same time trying to get him to play along. If they were to be friends, he would have to lighten up just a bit. This is who Kira was after all. She then giggled, as if she were whispering some sweet nothing in his ear and turned her gaze back to T'kal with a coy grin.

[kestrel]

T'kal glanced at J'kiran, then back at Kira, a devilish look on his face as he responded, "prove myself, hrm? My dear girl, I have girls who would love it if I so much as spoke to them-what makes you so different or special from them that I should want to go through the trouble of proving anything, hrm?" He waved a hand in comical dismissal, as he said in mock seriousness, "watch this one, my friend," to Jil, "she plays games, I think. If you want her you may have her-though it would seem you may have already, hrm?" He winkd at the boy and nudged him playfully in the stomach, albeit lightly, and then, to Kira, "my lovely little bird, you may think you have the upper hand here, but alas I prefer my goods unused." He sighed in a melancholy manner, and then said, "pity, really-we could have bene so good together, you and I, I suppose now you will never know what might have been-but do not worry! Maybe if you ask very nicely, I might offer you a chance to redeem yourself-but none of this game playing, hrm? Girls who play games often have a hidden agenda, and I like my girls to outright shower me with their love and compliments, not to have to always wonder what is in their heads!"

Indeed, he was a character, and Sarcth wasn't paying attention because not even he understood the tricky words that his was using in deference to Kira. So, instead, he looked from one dragon to the other, the bronze to the copper and back again, with eyes swirling in blues and greens.*Of course I want to be friends! I like friends,* he told them, and then, tilting his head to the side at Kaenith,*why is yours confused? I do not see reason for confusion, T'kalmine is always like this,* he said solemnly. Really, T'kal was likely the biggest tease and flirt in the Weyr-only L'der would outdo him in that area, more than likely. While he was a flirt and loved his girls, he didn't go to the extent of wanting to sleep with them. That was reserved for girls he cared for emotionally, not just anyone.

[Dragon]

"Oh my. We're quite full of ourselves, aren't we? If other women choose to throw themselves at your feet, let them. I'm no harlot easily led. My affections require dedication", Kira responded cooly and with a satisfied grin on her face as she rested over Jil. She had to admit, she liked his boldness and the words were pleasantly spoken.

She then turned her attentions to Jil. "If there were any game, Jil here has won it. I can understand if you're upset over your loss. But I'm sure you'll still show dignity in your loss", Kira's tone was sweet and mock understanding.