Zeja leans back against her lifemate, legs stretched before her, a nice tan forming upon her frame. Her eyes remained closed, and it is apparent that the weyrling has been here for some time and doesn't realize that night has fallen. Shivering slightly, she pulls her shirt over her bikini top and then stretches and yawns. "This really is nice, Esmeyath," she murmurs slightly. "You got to flirt with a brown, and we got to skip lessons. We should do this tomorrow. And the next day." The dragon whuffles, raising her head to croon. "Aye, aye, we can practice formations in our couch at night, but honestly, /why/?" Pause. "Oh, who gives a shard about Thr--" Her eyes have finally opened, and her vision falls upon the other weyrling. "Well, if it isn't the oft-hiding D'baji. How are these summer nights treating you? Behaving yourself, as you're inescapable to do, dear boy?"

"Y'know, you're gonna have to get over this. I mean, I like the whole bathing thing too, but really. You used to love it when you had some friends there," D'baji chides his lifemate as the pair of them meander along. "Well, ya did. And you don't object to visitors on the beach either, and you know it. And 'sides, water's not as nice on the beach, and we have to rinse off in the pool anyway. I thought you were the one for efficiency?" Foamy-tipped muzzle is pointed at the rider as Nverath gives a bit of a rumble, more caninelike, as he often seems later in the evenings. He really is a morning dragon. "So how do you define what is and isn't-" pause here as they happen upon a Zeja and an Esmeyath, and a rather sudden change of topic as well, complete with a bit of a sheepish grin from D'baji for the conversation between himself and his dragon. "If it isn't," is agreed with a crisp nod of his head. "Summer nights are lovely, after delightfully warm days. And the water is warm when Nverath insists on going bathing in a nice quiet spot on the beach. Behaviour, as I'm sure you know, is one of those things that comes naturally. I'm just into the extra lessons for the fun of it."

"You have to worry with the over-bathing deal, too? Zeja questions as she sits up. Have no fear-- she's one to butt right into a conversation. "Esmeyath is growing so quickly... and she /insists/ that she remain smelling well and freshly oiled, along with constantly bathed." Sighing, she shakes her head. "Incorrigble, these creatures," she adds with a wink as she hops to her feet, offering him an exaggerated, sloppy salute. "Oh, that it is, that it is, bronzerider, but I've to say more so from a ship... Nothing like the stars glittering overhead as you kick back on the deck, pulling the main sail back a little, tightening the..." With a soft chuckle, she shakes her head. "Sorry for my rambling. I just miss the water at times, so much so that Esmeyath wants to get onto a ship-- when we find one big enough!"  She wrinkles her nose as she idly scratches Esmeyath, who emits a continuous purr as she stretches her head to offer a greeting sweep of her head to Nverath. "You sound like that strange green behind me, wanting to attend extra classes. Whyever /for/, D'baji?"

D'baji rolls his eyes, contenting himself with a shrug of his left shoulder, and a head-tilt to his right. "Yes, indeed. And at the beach, too. Basin's too full of dragons for him, he claims. And Nverath doesn't mind so much about looks and that. He doesn't like to be dirty, though. And he likes to be rubbed during the oilings and bathings, is all. That darned tail of his, I swear, shiny enough it could blind someone on a sunny day for the reflected light." Speak of the devil, bronze returns the greens greeting with a bit of a growl and tail-swish of his own. Not a menacing growl, in any way. A Nverath's acknowledgement of existence as night gets on, growl. "Ships are alright at night. Much prefer the pubs though, or the beaches, m'self. Ships are more of a working thing, and when they're swarming with cursing, smelly men..." He shudders pointedly for the memory, while Nverath rests back on his hind legs, in almost a perched/seated position, no doubt waiting with an irrepressible patience for their journey to continue. "No, Zej," is said somewhat dryly. "It's cause I've been behavin' myself. Nverath and I don't need the extra lessons." And he doesn't mean that egotistically at all. The Frothy Ridged One is good at what he does.

Zeja would look amazed at all those actions, but that would be a little rude, ne? "That does sound like Esmeyath. She hates a bit of dirt on her, at times, and even wanted me to polish her talons the other day." Chuckling at her lifemate, she shakes her head. Too full of dragons? He prefers being alone? He must hate the bowl then, all those draconic voices. And he does have a... nice tail. At least that's what Esmeyath says." She stretches again as she fiddles with her top. "Isn't this orange and black sharding disgraceful?" she murmurs as a side note, eyeing her outfit, before looking back to D'baji. Esmeyath continues her low purr, eyes whirling blue as she does her usual Can't-Touch-This wing flutter at Nverath. Grinning at D'baji, she shrugs. "Considering former apprenticehood, and former daughterhood, I've not been in too many pubs in a while. And ours weren't. They were swarmed with stressed-out apprentices and one fun captain. We even took a group to Southern for a party... Twas nice." She sighs with the memory before adding. "I like it better here." She blinks slightly at his words. "Oooh... Right... Neither do I, so I just pretend I know what I'm talking about when they ask questions." Ditzy beam.

D'baji would cut the actions, but by the time Nverath's all grown up, is gonna have to rely tons on that, cause Deb's only gonna ramble to people he knows, and the player doesn't want the poses to be fluff. But of course, neither Nverath nor D'baji know that, so for now, we'll take up valuable screen space with OOC. "Well, I've got to admit, 'Ver doesn't ask me to polish talons. And it's not like he doesn't like other dragons. Just that when he's getting his rub- or bathing, whatever- well, that's our special time. Or something." The rider flashes a confused look for the dragon's logic. "It's not my choice of colours. But makes sure we're clearly identified. Though really, y'know, there are other ways. Maybe all the Weyrlings should just... Wander around naked or something." There are solutions to everything. Nverath tilts his head for the green's wing flutter, giving something of a grateful whip of his tail for the compliment of the very same 'limb,' and then proceeding to tilt his head upwards, look at the budding stars, and give a low, somewhat melodic crooning. "Right then," D'baji nods, shifting a bit uncomfortably for her 'ditzy beam.' "Yeah, well, it's not bad in the end. Hopefully it'll pay off. Though maybe we would learn better naked?" He's already attached to that idea.

Oh, say it ain't so. Faranth, say it ain't so. Doesn't Deb do enough rambling /now/ to people he knows. Not that Ze is any better. *cough* Zeja looks toward Nverath's 'nails' with a grin, bending forward slightly as Esmeyath's head lowers over her shoulders. "If we found a big bucket of silver, I think it would do quite nicely!" she tells the bronzen pair as Esmeyath contemplates this and then gives a nod of agreement. "Oh, I know what you mean," she continues with a flip of her hand. "Tanning time is our time together, and it's good you've found something like that that you both enjoy. I was talking to Dea today, and she said Ftoranth likes to fish, while she doesn't. It'd be sad if you couldn't do the hobby /with/ your lifemate..." She sighs at D'baji's nekkid comment as she leans back against Esmeyath once more. "Don't I wish! That would be so much less... constricting. Nothing but a knot, y'know, wherever you choose to wear it. But I've no doubt /someone/ would have qualms with that." Esmeyath quirks her head to the side as Nverath looks skyward, and Zeja shakes her head, chuckling, as the green's velvety purr stretches into the bronze's mind. <<Dear dragon, you cannot /catch/ them you know. LEave them be, before they grow upset and shoot things at you.>> She saw a shooting star once, 
y'see. "Oh, of course. We'll be the best sharding dragonriders Pern has ever seen... and naked no less. That will have to make us even better than the best!"
 

Nverath isn't even gonna dignify that with an answer. He's in much too noble and regal a mood to consider such senseless and superficial pursuit. "Maybe... Depends on the silver though. I'm sure he could at least tell if they clash or not, and that'd be rather interesting. Though he's a natural dragon, don't need the paint. Just too much oil on his rear." An affectionate pat is sent towards a golden-tinged foreleg, and he nods to her as he listens, finally giving a bit of an eep. "Fishing... Nverath's never tried fishing. Maybe when we head back to the 'Cliffs he will. Or at least steal Feln's catch. Nah, bathing is good for us. It works quite nicely. And flying, though now there's all those darned weyrlingmasters about..." A sad shake of his head is given for the response to nakedness. "People can be so terribly close-minded." Without taking his gaze from the sky, the bronze extends a talon or two towards the green, giving a soft rumble, accompanied by a gentle gold towards Esmeyath via the mind. <<I've no wish to catch them. I would fly up among them, and dance with them.>>

"We could always go with something that matches his straps, of course," Zeja adds quickly, as if she were a salesperson. For some reason, she has the desire to paint his talons, just like she had the desire to paint D'baji's legs, only that was for different reasons. Grinning, she nods. "I am sure he'll be good at it, though I would imagine it might be difficult to catch the fish, considering the size of their limbs." She shrugs. "Perhaps Ftoranth could give him tips, though." With an exaggerated sigh, she stretches again. "How long do you think it'll be before we /really/ get to fly? Because we're both ready to stretch are limbs, y'know, and explore." S'why she went on the ship afterall. To explore. "Oh, aye. I often have people tell me: You know you shouldn't do that! You shouldn't say something like that! And I... well, am gonna do whatever I darn well please!" So there. And Esmeyath looks toward Nverath, toward the sky, back bronzeward, than Belior-ward, before her purring ensues with that rich buttery tone. <<Do you think they prefer to dance to upbeat music, or slow, suave tunes?>>

D'baji shrugs the right shoulder, this time tilting his head left (he does, in fact, keep track of direction and does his best to alternate). "Maybe we could talk him into it. Maybe if he was asked nicely, in the afternoon, when he's neither sharp as he is in the mornings, or emotional and instinctive at nights." A bit of a snort comes next. "Well, if talent rubs off from his rider, he'll only be good at hauling the nets. And maybe he'll find a way. Hit 'em on the head with his tail or something." Nverath is very good with his butt. "And when you go exploring, maybe we could accompany you? I'd love to see Esmeyath in flight close-up..." A nearly fond look is flashed towards the other's dragon, a bit of a smile touching his lips for her more rebellious qualities. And Nverath is still staring directly at that one constellation he has declared his favourite of the sevenday, clouds of light gray mixing with that gold in which he thinks for the reply of, <<Slow. But not so much suave, as simple and expressive. Whatever makes them dance into their patterns.>>

Wow. He's giving his shoulders quite a workout. Good boy. A glance from Zeja goes to Nverath as she nods introspectively. "You think so? I mean, you'd have to do it, because he'd just look at me and blink, and I don't think Esmeyath's bright questions are making an impact." Esmeyath is just shocked he isn't overtaken by her beauty. That and his responses aren't any brighter. "Oh, well, nets are important in fishing. His tail would just scare them away. You know what works well? Trundlebugs. When dad would take me to work with him, he'd let me use trundlebugs as bait... I got quite a few catches." She looks toward her lifemate before nodding at his question. "Why of course, D'baji. We could make it a group thing, if you want," she replies as she offers the purring dragon a scratch. "And she is simply beautiful in the air, as are her clutchsiblings." Esmeyath looks toward Nverath's constellation, then back toward the bronze. <<Zeja says that is the Needlethorn constellation, and it's pulsating, not dancing. She says she can tell us the story of the needlethorn stars, if we wish to hear."

Now, who's to say Nverath isn't taken over by her beauty? Maybe his stargazing is just a reason for him to not look at her, so that he might remain somewhat under his own power, as opposed to drawn away by the green's spell. And she's obviously got a spell. D'baji thinks she's prettier than any other dragon, aside from his own lifemate, and if the Impressor of Nverath can find /anything/ 'pretty', well... "I know they are," D'baji nods to her, a bit of a bemused expression touching his face, and a brow furrowing somewhat. "I fished. And Nverath's quite handy with that tail, y'know." And now his expression goes to amused, and he shakes his head, and, oh yes, rotates his shoulders back, pulling himself into something of a prouder stance. "Trundlebugs? Really. I find anything works. Probably even... Oh, a bit of wood, would work, if the fish are hungry enough. Now y'know what would be genius? Finding a way to save Thread, and using that as bait. The sealife swarms to that well enough..." Then again, he was the Fisher of the Non-Existent fish of SeaCliffs, so even no bait works for him. "A few of 'em are particularly magnificent in flight," the bronzerider agrees. <<Dancing is whatever those who watch or those who dance make of it,>> Nverath notes rather matter-of-factly via light tenor. <<And I would love to hear their stories. If she would tell. D'baji might like to know as well. He says what he hears of the stars involves fishermen and the star pointing to the love of the night. It seems somewhat off...>>

Whatever the case, Esmeyath doesn't make things too obvious as she looks toward the sky, flips her tail at occasional draconic and human passers-by, and looks toward Nverath occasionally. Playful, whatever the case, this dragon. Zeja grins at D'baji, shaking her head as she chuckles. "That's right. Nearly forgot you were a fisherman, before," she replies as she returns to her seat (if she hasn't already; can't remember) and leaning against Esmeyath. She pats nearby ground, showing D'baji he can sit if he wishes. "You look so sharding official standing like that. Go 'head and relax, 'Baji." Snickering, she raises an eyebrow. "I've never had wood work, but, then again, I've never bothered to try it." Watch her-- she probably will be seen tomorrow on the beach attempting to fish with wood. She smiles, nodding. "The dam did well; I think we've a lovely yet odd bunch. Of course, considering the oddness of the candidates..." Esmeyath settles down as Zeja closes her eyes and leans back, smiling and nodding. "You can tell, Esmeyath," she says softly, the green having a softer voice than the rider, who relaxes to mentally storytelling.

Esmeyath croons softly at her lifemate as she curls up around her and, if D'baji has decided to sit, him as well, a bit like a grandparent pulling grandchildren onto comforting knees. That red velvet voice, nearly always calm, rises a string as she begins the tale. <<A harper walked through the forests one day, sad as a dragon crying over his lost lifemate. A sketchbook he kept in his hand, and he sat in a glade and flipped open the book to work on his drawing of his lady back at the hold. At that moment, a harper happened by, pausing to glance at the harper's work. "You know your trade well," he commented over his shoulder. Jolted, the harper jumped, nodding. "That is my love, my dying one, for she has a strange sickness, and the hold healers say that they know of know cure." "Where live you, journeyman?" "But a small outcropping, healer, a dragonslength from here." "I will go to see your lady." "But she is ill! No herbs linger nearby with which we may heal her blood." "Follow me." The two trekked around the forest, the healer chosing an herb here, a flower there, and ending with a sharp needle-like plant that threatened to pierce their skin. "This, harper, will help us place the cure in your love." "By the First Shell," the other replied, looking skyward at the glistening night stars. "Let us hope it will work." They returned to the hold, the healer staying by the lady's side day and night, having offered her the medicinal herbs, and, with time, she healed. Sevendays later, the harper went for another walk in the forest, this time with his love, and they paused to smile toward the moons, only to see the same stars staring back at him that had that night. "The needlethorn..." says he. "What?" replied the woman. "Those were the stars that stared at me that night we found the needlethorn to save your blood.">> Done with her lifemate's story, Esmeyath warbles slightly, nosing Zeja, who opens her eyes, smiling and shrugging.

D'baji offers a long and dubious look towards the green, whom Nverath doesn't ignore, nor is oblivious too, but simply doesn't really look at. Finally, a bob of his head comes, and he goes to find a spot by the dragon, slouching his shoulders purposefully at Zeja as he eases into a seated position. "Everyone's odd enough, Zeja," is nodded to her. "And the wood bait takes a certain skill to master." Now, if he wasn't having a green somewhat wrapped around him, he might polish his nails or something equally brilliant. Nveraths gaze stays on the stars, though a lonesome wiry tail does edge it's way closer, finally to rest the tip on his rider's toe. Just so that everyone knows the bronze does indeed pay attention. D'baji takes a moment as the story is relayed to him through that beloved dragon, and he finally offers a bit of a smile for it, while Nverath gives an approving warble. <<Then that explains the name of the stars. So those stars save love, then?>> Head is, finally, swung away so that an eye might be turned towards the Esmeyath-encercled D'baji. <<Interesting tale. Do thank your rider for sharing as well?>>

"I'm not odd," Zeja replies indignantly. "I'm normal. It's society around me that needs to take a trip to the healers. And perhaps you could teach me the wood bait... how to use it, that is." She yawns slightly as Esmeyath turns her attention back to her clutchbrother. <<That, Nverath, we might never know>> she replies. <<And she says you are very welcome.>> Hearing a voice off in the distance, Zeja sighs, standing and wiping her clothes. "Know what that sound is, 'baji? The weyrlingmasters... calling us in to sleep, and if they see me, they'll remember I didn't attend that last class. We'd better head on in."

D'baji shrugs, quite obviously holding back some sort of comment as, sliding from Esmeyath's side, he stands. "Yes, I hear. Alas, Nverath only got his one bath today. But He says it was quite worth the story, and so long as he gets a dab of oil on his wingsails before we retire..." The bronze has stood up by now, stretching wings, neck, tail, and other assorted limbs in preparation for the hike back. "You can hide behind Nverath, maybe? We could sneak you to our couch, and once lights are out, you could go back to yours..." <<And you would be quite welcome in our couch,>> Nverath adds to Esmeyath with what could be called teasing. If the bronze ever teased properly. "And maybe when we can fly on our own, we could find some nice little place to sit, and you could tell us more stories about those stars Nverath is so enamoured with, eh?" That offered in parting, and a hand lifted in a wave, he's up after the bronze, who finds next to no need to wait.