[PRP] So Much Catching Up (Pavari/Korbet/etc)

[Smerdle]

He had asked the Screech Brigade to keep their swirling little eyes open for a petite golden dragon and her delightfully talented rider months ago, but his greens were headstrong young ladies and it was rare for them to listen to a word he said. In the end it was Aah who found Pavari, and it certainly wasn't because she had been trying. Much to Korbet's surprise, the newest member of his brood had family at a weyr, specifically a large brown firelizard with nearly identical markings to her own. He saw a flicker of the flit in Aah's mind, just enough to leave him wondering how her egg had made it all the way to him in the first place.

He didn't have long to wonder, however, not when the next fleeting image she shared was of Susurinth. Korbet sat up so suddenly at the sight of the gold that he nearly backed off of his stool, and after taking a moment to shrug off his jumpiness to Doren and Luz, he bent over the sheaf of papers in front of him and penned a note to his wandering friend. His handwriting was very cramped in the hopes that one of his greens might make it back to Western without the burden of a giant missive, but it was still surprisingly meticulous. He truly loved both the physical and mental acts of writing, and it showed.

Pavari! This is Korbet! It feels like an age since I've seen you! How
have you been? How is Susurinth? I'm not sure how you might
respond to this message if you're so inclined, since my flits are
just barely one-way-delivery competent, but if you have a firelizard
of your own, I'll be in Rivercrest until the end of the week near a
performance hall called Wailing Wher. Anyone around here should
be able to get a letter to me. And if you can't write at the moment,
I'll be sure to bother you again in another half a year!

It was this very note that Aah delivered back to Western Weyr a couple of hours later, trilling with glee as she dropped it on the gold's head and popped back Between.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the tree, dappling the shining gold of a dragon hide and the tilted back head of her rider beside her, tousled brown hair brushing down her face and coiling about her throat and shoulders unheeded in sleep. Sun had been their entire lives for months and even now Pavari and Susurinth couldn't avoid beaches and the smell of salt that hung freely in the air, the noise of water rushing in and crashing upon the soft sand that burned so hot against skin. Between the winds blowing off the water and the radiating warmth all around them, the pair had been lulled to sleep in a moment of bliss that came from their free day and on such a hot day it seemed the best of all their options. They had nothing but time.

One of Pavari's hands had slid down from where it was positioned behind her head, catching just barely on Susurinth's hip loosely and that was enough for the gold dragon to rouse just slightly and wake up entirely when a bright trill heralded a bump on the top of her head. Large faceted eyes opened slowly and flashed brilliant colors of confusion before settling on their usual purple blue, she knew that particular fire lizard all too well after all. Raising her head from where it rested in the shade, she let the note slide off of her own head and into Pavari's bare lap, her shorts rolled up to her hips so her legs would be warm. When the woman didn't immediately wake up all the dragon could do was chuckle and nudge her with a gentle nose, enjoying these quiet moments after all.

Moving her arms before she opened her bright green eyes, the gold rider stretched her back and coiled her right arm under Susurinth's chin, leaning into a kiss. "Beautiful one, what has you waking up so quickly when it's so comfortable?" Pavari's voice was rough with the contentment that came from such a good nap, even if it had been shortened for some reason and it earned her a chuckle once more. It would appear someone has written you something dearest. You might open it and see what he has to say, for the fire lizard that brought it seemed in a rather fine mood despite where she deposited it.

Blinking against the sun and the slight confusion that came with not fully knowing what was going on, Pavari bent to look down at the letter that had fluttered against her stomach and picked it up with a wide grin. Only one man wrote notes such as these and her excitement was growing with each line of brilliantly penned words, for she hadn't seen Korbet in so long that she could hardly believe he'd found her. Not too shocking actually... maybe. He did have that utter herd of fire lizards that were always bringing him information and inspiration. Between the last time she had seen him and now there were so many stories she'd acquired and so many new paintings and objects of interest that she was certain the wandering story teller would love. Shards, he had to have so many new stories himself!

"Oh Korbet! We haven't seen that face since months before your first clutch Susu! We need to go and see if we can find him since we can't get a message to him. I doubt one of his fire lizards will come this way again for quite some time... let's go and see him!" Pavari knew exactly where Rivercrest was and had heard of the Wailing Wher before in her travels, though she'd never physically been as of yet. No time like the present to take in a new spot in one of your favorite Western Holds is there?

Unlike times past the pair didn't have free days like they used to, it was an adjustment that was taking an even greater adjustment from them than they'd believed. Neither of them could rip up roots and run off to see something exciting the way they had before and there was a solid place that they could call home now, which Pavari had happily morphed on more than one occasion to meet her needs and likely always would. If only she could show Korbet the paintings she'd added to the walls of the weyr! Not that they were able to come with her, but there were certainly more than a few little canvases and rolled up ones that could and the pair of them leapt at the chance to fly back there and gather them, settling and ready to go to Rivercrest with straps and strapped down canvases and bags. She had a gift or two of course and more than one painting of a hatchling or a dragon to show him and Pavari's grin spread as she hopped on her beloved dragon with a whoop.

Surely he wouldn't be expecting them to come so quickly, and dressed in the loose shirt and shorts that she was wearing she likely appeared a mad woman, but as Susurinth hopped up and soon enough Between, even the cold couldn't take away from her excitement. Though she did come out with curses and rubbing her arms a bit more than she would normally have. Large gold wings circled above Rivercrest lazily and with a short trumpet she reached out to the watch dragon to see if they could point them in the direction of their search that yielded enough information for her to dip and float down towards one spot in particular.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

She was right. He would have never bet that they would've shown up so soon, not in a million turns. So when a wave of excited muttering and pointing crested around him, Korbet blinked out of his haze of concentration and peered toward the commotion with undisguised confusion. Doren, still sitting opposite him, helpfully gestured at the golden disturbance across the square when Korbet turned his way, and with the man's assistance, it didn't take long for him to figure out what was going on. Susurinth was touching down outside the Wailing Wher. Pavari had arrived!

Korbet hopped to his feet, jostling awake the firelizard draped over his shoulders. Scarf chirped in sleepy reproach and was rewarded with an absent pat as her human continued gathering his notes. He hurried out of the pub at a jog, crossing to the landing dragon and circling her once he got there. She might have been on the smaller side for her color, but she was massive as far as he was concerned. As he moved to face her the man slowed, admiring the play of light on her shimmering hide as he went. Though he had all but given up on his own dreams of such a bond, dragons were no less beautiful to him than they ever had been.

"Susurinth!" Korbet squinted as he raised his gaze, accidentally looking up into the sun instead of directly at Pavari. "Life must be terribly boring for you to hurry here so quickly." The smile in his voice was soft enough to obscure just how happy he was to see them, but his expression was not so subtle. Paired with the blue and white striped pants and suspenders he wore today, his grin made him look quite young and carefree for a change.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

With a relaxed sort of grace Susurinth kicked out her back legs and landed as gently as any dragon that Pavari had ever ridden while an apprentice painter, long before she'd ever seen those purple eyes glowing from a soft golden head. Muscles bunched upon impact and rolled so that her rider felt absolutely no impact and was nearly out of the straps that held her in by the time the small gold settled fully. Grin spread from ear to ear the windblown rider slid down to her dragon's shoulder and began to pull off the bags she had strapped down, smacking at the little gold's shoulder to respond to the words leveled at her as she did so, fingers nimbly working at the straps.

Taking the hint without worry a wedged head leaned down to Korbet's level and one whirling blue and purple eye regarded him as if to test how much time and traveling had changed him, if at all and seemed to find something that she liked. Still surrounded by a cloud of lizards and dressed to impress then? You might teach one of those little greens how to deliver mail correctly so it doesn't land directly on my snout next time, though with this one rude wake up calls are a constant anyway. Warmth radiated from her voice like a sun rising and setting in the span of her remark, something that generally only happened when she was quite fond of someone. While she had absolutely no issue with speaking to other humans as some dragons did, the gold made certain to keep her words open so that both Korbet and Pavari could hear them in turn rather than simply one, her way of keeping her rider from having to explain things without context.

That had happened more than once.

At last the woman landed beside her dragon's leg with two bags thrown over either shoulder and she straightened to face Korbet at last, still grinning as if she'd heard the most funny thing on Pern. "Compared to running around at our own whims and doing whatever it is that we want, oh it's terribly boring! But it means that we have one solid place to sleep for the night and get to learn something new every day, so it isn't as if we're bored out of both our skulls or anything. Look at you though! Never a boring day in your life I'm certain, I never expected you to be on the Western Continent."

Oh go on then, comment on how dapper he looks with those stripes! You know it's killing you. Susurinth said with glee, her voice nothing but amusement as her tail wound around to relieve her rider of one bag on her shoulder. Instantly the skinny woman nearly toppled over under the weight of what was in the other bag and it was only by kicking out her right leg that she was even able to stay standing at all and a sheepish grin replaced the broad one on her face once she managed to stop pinwheeling with her left arm. "Yes well... he does cut a fine figure doesn't he, that has to be the course of preforming in a play here doesn't it? Not that you've ever seen him anything but in finery Susurinth! Korbet's always that dapper. How've you been and where have you been!? Might not have been a long trip but it's been a long time since I've heard one of your famous stories." Pavari slung the bag around to the front of her chest and held it up with a wink. "I brought you some fun things."

Smerdle

I am SO sorry. D8

 

[Smerdle]

To someone less familiar with dragons, Susurinth's proximity might have been alarming at the very least, possibly even frightening. Korbet obviously did not agree, and as he reached out to gently and briefly run his fingers over one of her eye ridges, his features held a reverence that he only usually displayed while watching a particularly excellent theatrical performance. It was in moments like these that he found himself reluctantly regretting leaving High Reaches, when he asked himself if he might have given up too soon, if his hatchling was impressing another or going between just because he wasn't there. Around his neck, Scarf stirred in response to his thoughts, but it was Aah who winged over and landed on Korbet's outstretched arm, eyes whirling a cheeky green.

"My humblest apologies," he said, his smile effectively countering any true embarrassment or humility he might have been feeling. It wasn't that he wasn't sorry, he just found the image of his note plopping onto Susurinth's head out of nowhere to be terribly amusing. "It's a wonder I got any of them to deliver it at all. I'm amazed, honestly. I will definitely work on their courier etiquette though." He bounced his arm, watching the firelizard perched there stand her uneven ground.

"Say you're sorry."

The green spread her wings and took off again, flapping toward the closest roof with a contrary chirp.

"I'll work on their manners too. I apologize on Aah's behalf!" Korbet raised his voice a little the farther the flit retreated, but she didn't turn around. He chuckled, looking to Pavari as she joined him on the ground, not quite quick enough to offer his assistance before Susurinth relieved her of her bags. It was probably for the best anyway. Those parcels looked quite heavy. He glanced down at his clothing instead, motioning for dragon and rider to follow as they talked.

"Dapper is one thing you could call me," he said with a chuckle. "This getup is for our newest show. I certainly didn't picture the pirates in suspenders, but Aimon knows best. Our costumer." He chuckled again, just as brief and airy as the last. "We have a costumer, Pavari." It sounded entirely unreal when he said it out loud.

Korbet led them to a public field a short distance from the square, large enough for the gold to lie down with room to spare, were she so inclined. The grass was Threadscored in a surprisingly pleasing pattern, but he avoided those spots in favor of an unmarked one.

"I should have mentioned it sooner, but you are both looking wonderful. Very content. And I am content too! Positively delighted. I've wandered some recently, but it's more difficult to get around since the reemergence of Thread. Or... um... so I hear." He had spent the majority of his life at High Reaches, after all. Scurrying about between pauses in Threadfall was the only way he had traveled so far. Korbet paused, gaze involuntarily darting to her bag.

"So... you said you had something for me?" He grinned.

Hattaki

i thought i had tagged this months ago but it was sitting 3/4 finished in my email drafts ;;

 

[Hattaki]

Purple was a color that always pervaded Susurinth's glowing eyes and this moment was no different than any before it, her large head leaning into the fingers that touched an eye ridge fondly, for Korbet they swirled all the brighter. It was always a treat for her to meet any of Pavari's friends, though that truly included much of Pern, so she wasn't fully certain why she was always so surprised. But of them all, of all those she had met and would ever meet, the man with a puff of hair on top his head would surely be one of her favorite. Teasingly she let a breath come sharper from her nose, suddenly rather close to that same puff of hair, so that she could watch it move in amusement. You need never apologize for the smallest of Dragonkind, especially not yours. Of all those encountered they're likely the best trained. Fire lizards were, for Susurinth anyway, nothing but silly little things that floated about in great clouds most days. At least with Korbet's they could actually manage to drop off a message, amazement or no.

Little flit apologized for and gone in a sassy manner, the little gold set about finding a comfortable spot to settle what was a small bulk compared to the other golds of Western Weyr, but in a Hold was quite a massive site. People still milled about her a bit, slightly more used to dragons at least, this close to a Weyr as they were, but Hold folk could be odd when it came to dragons and so she made her way over to where the watch dragon's post would be. Just before leaving her tail gently placed the bag beside Pavari's leg and trailed over her rider's back.

While they never had a need to be exactly side by side at all times, a fact that had become clear not even all that long into their Weyrlinghood days, the pair had still been side by side near always for many turns. Which might have explained the little flicker of melancholy that passed behind green eyes before Pavari bubbled over from the inside out at Korbet once more.

"A Costumer!? Oh the troupe you're with now definitely has moved up in Pern hasn't it?" Not that he'd been with many that she knew about, but then... maybe? "He's done a fantastic job at it! Enough of one that these might not be as special a gift as they once were." Her smile nearly took up the entirety of her face as she beamed at him and opened the first of her two bags, bolts of shining fabric held within the large compartment that shone almost like a rainbow. "I never know what sorts of shows and performances you're putting on, so I always look for the best that I can find while I'm out!"

If her entire face could be an exclamation point at the end of a sentence it would have been, but she was too excited to hold it in with how long it had been since their last meeting. Especially since if that message hadn't made it to her, who knew how many months would pass before she'd see Korbet again? "Maybe he can use these and some of..." One arm reached down into the bag to root around for something that had clearly fallen below the fabric, tongue sticking out one side of her mouth as her face skewed in concentration. Sharply it snapped back out and in her hand was a smaller bag that she untied so she could show him some shells and charms she'd found along beaches and in stalls somewhere or another, ".. maybe these as well? To make you some even more stunning outfits?"

Of course she'd have been happier if just Korbet himself wore them, but knowing her friend he'd find a way to make that a reality for certain. "Oh and don't you worry about Susurinth and I, we actually found our way to a Weyr after she had her first clutch. I have so many paintings to show you Korbet!" Pavari started to hop in place in excitement, unable to keep it all in. "Of course she had them on the most uninhabited place, but not bad for a first clutch! She had a gold and a white hatchling in her first! And I got myself a permanent suntan."

With that she held her arms out wide with a flourish to show her deep golden color. "Seriously... it won't go away. It's been months!"

Smerdle

Well have a sunbeam to make up for how late this is. 8D;;;;