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[G] [P] 735.02.19 | A Time to Play - Printable Version

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735.02.19 | A Time to Play - D'hys - 23.Feb.15

D’hys wasn’t one to spend too much time in the North despite dragonriders earning more trust and gaining more freedom to go where they pleased without being shunned. He liked what the Katila region could provide for him in the way of keeping physically fit and fed but it was also a fun playground of people he could manipulate, use as he wished, and even ruled. Sure, R’nya was the Wingleader and bronzerider that was left in charge of Katila but since he was R’nya’s Second and the man didn’t like to do too much of the actual work, D’hys found he had a lot more sway than most would believe.

That being said, he still made a rare appearance in the North to attend gathers or run an errand that involved finding out new gossip or bartering items. R’nya also had a habit of making sure his wing enjoyed themselves and got out from time to time and sent them North to relax for a day. Of course D’hys noticed that usually happened on days that R’nya didn’t have a need to make his own trip to Telgar thanks to having plans with one of the annoying goldriders flitting about.

Since the goldriders were doing exactly that, D’hys took up the suggestion to check out Telgar’s market to see what was available and what was in demand and headed out late morning.

They greeted the watch dragon when they appeared above the Telgar region and circled down, not at all in a rush. D’hys figured he had plenty of time to poke around the market, catch a bite to eat, perhaps find some entertainment, and if he was lucky, find out more about R’nya’s favourite current distraction. Zeianth sighed at his rider’s plans but didn’t object to any of it since it made D’hys happy and he always seemed able to reign in before he got too out of hand, and made himself comfortable in the sun to spend his day napping.

As it turned out, the marketplace was rather boring but D’hys made a mental note that there wasn’t a wide variety of fresh fruits in stock at the moment. If they wanted to continue buttering up the Holders, bribing them with some of the fruit they had in the South wouldn’t hurt. As he was contemplating where to go for lunch and a strong drink, a pretty little thing caught his eye and D’hys watched her for a moment. She seemed familiar, though it was hard to say why. Not many trips were made to Telgar and he doubted she was once a resident in Katila given the innocence she radiated.

It finally came to him that she had to have been one of the ladies he flirted with at Turnover, playing up his charms and leading her on in the way she so clearly desperately wanted to be led. He couldn’t remember her full name, only knowing it sounded similar to the coral found in parts of the ocean, and figured that would be enough to make it seem like he was giving her a friendly nickname and like they had formed a strong bond that night.

A flower was grabbed from a poorly attended to stand as D’hys made his way down to where the girl was standing, checking out something. He came up behind her and held out the flower so it would be in her view, “a pretty flower for a pretty lady?”


Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - Coralaese - 28.Feb.15

She loved the market. Even on days when she didn't buy anything it was still fun to look around and talk with the vendors she knew. Half the fun was in chattering about this or that and exchanging the latest gossip. Most gossip revolved around dragonriders these days. Where they'd been seen last whose son or occasionally daughter had been searched. Which Holds still hadn't warmed up to them or how some long lost relation had returned home to visit. It was all very excited and helped to fill up much of her day, which was by and large rather empty. Se'd had no offers of marriage or even that much interest shown. Most were hoping for a better match than the daughter of some minor Holder, and being from High Reaches wasn't always a good thing. Most political discussions flew right over her head, but she did know that Telagar's Lord holder wasn't too happy with the dragonriders, while High Reaches was. Few wanted to risk angering their Lord Holder just to see a son wed. 

Cora was admiring a pretty array of cloaks a tailor was offering. He was a talented man, with a plump and smiling wife who managed most of the sales of his pre-made items. She also always seemed to have some new bit of gossip to share about this and that. Most of it was probably untrue, but Cora didn't really mind. The woman was currently attempting to sell a skirt to another young woman so Cora filling in the time as she waited to learn the latest gossip. 

The appearance of a hand grasping a flower entering her vision and coupled with a masculine voiced compliment caused her to give a gasping squeak of surprise. She turned, her eyes moving from the flower up the arm and to an almost too handsome face. "D’hys!" She said in delighted surprise, one hand fluttering around her neck as she smiled shyly at the man. It felt like a dream come to life to have the rider, who had filled her waking and sleeping thoughts for quite a while after the Gather, standing right in front of her. He'd been everything her girlish mind had ever conjured up about what a dragonrider would be like. Charming, polite, dashing, and incredibly good looking. She'd dreamed of seeing him again and now here he was.

"Thank you!" She said, accepting the flower and holding it up to her nose as she inhaled the scent, eyes drifting shut for a moment. Cora smiled again, her cheeks flushed as she twirled the stem of the bloom between her fingers. She wasn't usually that comfortable with men, not with so much pressure on her to make a good impression. D'hys had been so sweet to her at the Gather, dancing and getting her something to drink and being attentive in all the ways a true gentleman should be. Nothing at all like what she'd heard some people saying about them and their habits. He'd even bought a flower for her, how sweet and kind was that.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here. Are you shopping to?" She asked, looking up at him with a hopeful expression. If he was she'd be able to show him all the best vendors. Any chance to lengthen her time with him was a worthwhile pursuit. 
 


Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - D'hys - 02.Mar.15

D’hys watched Coralaese act like a typical girl and all but swoon on the spot from receiving a smile and a flower. He barely refrained from rolling his eyes as hers shut while sniffing the silly thing that was days away from dying. He may have been a mama’s boy that learned to cook and held onto her apron strings when he was little, but D’hys had never figured out why it was so important to women to have someone cut off a flower from its life support so they could have it for a few days of prettiness and feeling special. If they were being used for medicine or cooking, that was entirely different but to garner the reaction he had just received from the girl before him, it never stopped boggling his mind.

At least Coralaese was typical and predictable. It would make playing her that much easier. A challenge was always nice, and he suspected there would be a few with her regardless, but cementing a place in her heart seemed like it’d be smooth sailing just from the usual tricks. She was a sweet girl that only wanted a man to notice her and to love her; which was a lot like some of the holder girls that came to Katila over the years to try their luck at Impressing a gold.

In fact, she reminded D’hys a lot of Rhaedalyn and the game he had started playing on Turnover was much like what Z’ia had been up to. D’hys had a new level of admiration for his fellow bluerider after that stunt. Z’ia had played the girl a lot longer than he had been given credit for and the way he broke it off was pure genius. What impressed D’hys even more was how Z’ia got away with it. R’nya hadn’t beat the living crap out of Z’ia and it didn’t seem like his innocent charming character had been damaged.

Rhaedalyn seemed to have come out of somewhat well in the end after some rocky moments but D’hys wondered if Coralaese would follow in her steps. After all, she was flirting with a dragonrider, a blue one at that, and that already had to be a strike against her according to some.

“I was browsing mostly. I have the day off and thought I’d get away from it all for a bit. What better place than the market of a large Hold?” D’hys grinned as he glanced around the bustling area. It was certainly a good place to get lost in the shuffle if one really wanted to, but with his physique and good looks, he knew he’d always stand out.

“I was thinking about lunch now, though. Do you happen to know of a good place to eat? A personal favourite, perhaps?”



Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - Coralaese - 22.Mar.15

Cora stole quick glances of D'hys, her heart pounding away in her chest like a harper's drum. It sounds so loud in her ears she was worried the entire market was able to hear it, but if D'hys noticed he was too much of a gentleman to mention it. Standing there with him was like having one of the heros from the stories she read step right off the page. She was tempted to pinch herself just to make sure it wasn't a dream. The flower remained firmly held, an keepsake she would hide away at the end of the day between the pages of a favorite book. Once dried she'd have it as a reminder of D'hys as today.

She nodded agreeably, following the Bluerider's glance around the busy market. They were already drawing a few curious glances or outright stares, well D'hys was anyway. Dragonriders were still an uncommon enough sight that they received at least a bit of notice. Cora should have been worried about being seen with a dragonrider especially a Bluerider, but such a mindset was beyond her. It wasn't in her nature to care about such things or to wonder why D'hys would be interested in someone like her in the first place. Her sheltered life had shielded her from less than honorable behavior that some were capable of, allowing her to exist in her own made up world where such things simply didn't exist.

Her eyes lit up with her eagerness to please, head bobbing as she found her voice. "Yes, there is a lovely tavern not to far from here." It was actually the only place, outside of the main hold, that she'd ever eaten at. It was a well run establishment, clean and generally not too rowdy, at least not during the few times she'd been there. She'd also seen dragonrider in there so she knew D'hys would be welcome. "I can show you it's only a few minutes walk." She offered, gaze hopeful as she imagined them sharing a quiet meal with the man.


Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - D'hys - 30.Mar.15

“I’d like that; lead on, my lady,” D’hys smiled at the girl and gestured for her to take the lead. He really hadn’t learned the layout of Telgar yet and while he had a general idea where a tavern would best be located, he wasn’t about to pretend he knew where he was going. It was also painfully obvious that Coralaese wanted to impress him so it added to his overall amazingness in her eyes to do just that and have her point out somewhere she liked that he would approve of.

When they arrived at the tavern, D’hys regarded the sign with a raised eyebrow. The Whetstone Tavern. Either the original owner had ties to blacksmithing or they just wanted to appeal to the smiths in the region. Either way, it looked decent on the outside and once he stepped in, after holding open the door for his companion, D’hys chalked the place up as being clean and likely reputable.

“Hi, welcome back, Coralaese,” a friendly voice greeted them as D’hys gestured to a table off to the side where he’d have a good view of the room with his back to a wall. “And welcome to the Whetstone, dragonrider. We have a few that come down from the Weyr regularly and they are indeed always welcomed here. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re here for the food, not for random chitchat with the staff, so I’ll be right back with some plates.” The woman walked off and D’hys gave a subtle glance, approving of her appearance both from the front and back. No wonder dragonriders were fond of coming to the tavern if she was always around.

Turning his attention fully back to Coralaese, he held a chair out for her and then took the seat opposite her. “I can see why you like it here. If she’s anything to go off of, the staff here are friendly and attentive. Now to see if the food lives up to my standards,” he laughed, showing he was joking around, though in truth, he did have some standards left for food. His mother had been excellent in the kitchen and he had picked up some of her secrets before the plague.



Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - Coralaese - 27.Apr.15

Unchaste delight lit up Cora's face when D'hys accepted her offer. She set off at a quick yet lady like pace, the sort that had been drilled into her from a young age. A lady didn't dally but arriving at one's destination breathless was not acceptable either. Part of her wanted to skip the entire way, but that definitely wasn't ladylike. She glanced back over her shoulder at regular intervals both to make sure D'hys was keeping up and to reassure herself that she hadn't just made the entire interaction up.

Blushing, she murmured a thank you as D'hys held the door for her. Cora greeted the woman with a warm smile and a friendly hello, relaxing once D'hys received an equally warm greeting. She liked the place with it's cozy atmosphere that for her was far outside the norm.  Secretly she felt just a little bit deviant whenever she came to the tavern, though she would never have said so. Dining with D'hys made her feel even more so even if dragonriders were slowly becoming a more commonplace sight about the hold.

Cora slipped into her seat, flashing D'hy's an adoring smile before smoothing her skirt into place so it was draped just so. She laughed along with him growing more enamored with the man with each new word and action. He was so different from the young men she normally met. "Oh yes they are all just as lovely." She assured him. "I hope it does live up to your standards or else I shall never be able to forgive myself for recommending it." She smiled back, and in all likely hood she would be crushed if the food wasn't up to his standards.

She twirled the flower she still held between her fingers, watching the petals spin and blur for a moment. "Do you have any family at Telgar?" She asked looking up to meet his gaze. Many of the riders did still have family in the North. Perhaps if D'hys had a well placed relation her association would be better received. Having a dragonrider in the family had been something to brag about not so long ago. She wasn't sure if there were in in her family line, but decided that there must be. The Weyr had always possessed a certain attraction for younger sons and the base born hoping to take a step up in the world.


Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - D'hys - 30.Apr.15

“At Telgar? Hm, I don’t believe so,” D’hys liked being in the know and staying a few steps ahead of everyone else as it made it easier to strategize in both survival and play time but he had yet to find any traces of forgotten family in the Telgar region. “I’m from Igen Weyr so I may still have some family in that area and possibly some more in the region that was beholden to Benden. But, it’s been so long and given I age much more slowly now, I’ve been hesitant to look closely.”

He gave a sad smile and looked away, feigning genuine distress over discussing such things with too much more detail. He actually did know that both of his sisters he had abandoned to insure Zeianth’s health were alive with families of their own. He also knew his dear little cousin was alive and well in Katila with that extended family doing all right in Benden Hold’s area. This girl, however, seemed like she would want to keep his secrets but would end up slipping up along the way and blabbing everything. He’d give her minor tidbits here and there to make her feel important but she didn’t need to know about a cousin that knew him but didn’t know they were related.

Coralaese also likely wouldn’t appreciate thinking too closely on the little fact he pointed out that he aged slower. The girl no doubt didn’t have any idea of what his true age was since he didn’t look much older than her and she had to be no older than twenty. Then again, at least in the Weyr, women seemed to enjoy the company of older men so finding out he was twice her age could be a turn on. Or she was so desperate for someone to want her that she didn’t care, especially if he was as hot as he was. D’hys barely contained an eye roll at how easy it was going to be to play her.

D’hys smiled as the waitress came over with the promised food and thanked her before she was off again to get some drinks for another table. He took a moment to inspect the food, giving it a pass for appearance and turned his smile onto Coralaese. “Well, here’s to finding out if we stay and enjoy the meal together or if I have to suddenly leave do to some made up reason or another,” his smile turned into a large grin to show he was joking around before taking the first bite. It was indeed rather enjoyable, certainly better than some of the meals that had been served in Katila and decided the tavern was quickly becoming a decent place to spend time in when in Telgar. “Look at that, those urgent plans no longer need my attention so I can stay and enjoy a nice meal with pleasant company.”



Re: A Time to Play [Coralaese] - Coralaese - 25.May.15

She gave herself a mental kick when a sad smile crossed D'hys face. She'd been doing rather well for her, up until that point at least. Conversations were just so tricky, and she was forever stumbling into the pitfalls a more seasoned lady would have avoided. Cora hastily stammered out an apology for bringing up such an upsetting topic. He was being so kind and thoughtful and she'd gone and put her foot right in it.

With her distress over D'hys distress she barely registered his comment about aging more slowly. She'd heard a little bit about it, but didn't realize just how much more slowly riders aged. In her mind D'hys could have only been a few years older than she was, certainly not about twice her age. Her innocent and trusting mind couldn't readily consider such things. D'hys looked around her age so that was what he must be. Even if she'd put two and two together it was unlikely to change her opinion about D'hys. Older lords often married younger ladies, though she didn't like to dwell upon their reasons for it which likely had little to do with love and more to do with producing heirs.

Cora was plucking worried at one sleeve when the food arrived, her relief at the distraction quickly giving way to nerves once more. Now she had to worry about if the food was up to the man's standards. She managed a wobbly smile and nervous laugh as Dhy's took his first bite, holding her breath as she awaited his verdict. Cora sagged just a little once the food passed the test, grinning as she took a bite of her own. "You have put my mind at ease sir." She answered, blushing as she spoke. She'd always thought the tavern's food was rather good, but if D'ys had pronounced it unfit for consumption she wouldn't have argued.

Her confidence was somewhat restored now that the food had been deemed worthy of the Bluerider. A number of questions teemed inside her mind, but she was determined to be a little more careful this time about what she asked. "Is Katila much different from the North? I have only ever been from High Reaches to Telgar. It must be wonderful to be so well traveled." She said, a bit wistful. Before coming to Telgar she hadn't gone any farther than the main hold at High Reaches once or twice a year. Dragonriders though could pop between the North and South within moments, unconstrained by a lengthy overland journey.