Pretty In The Sky [Open Flight]

Pell?

‘Yes love?’

I love you.

‘I love you too.’

Par’a leaned back in her chair, reaching out to feel for Grith’s mind. What met her was a wild tornado of emotions, though in truth that was rather normal. What stood out was Grith’s determination to remember something. Par’a knew what that determination meant and as she felt it her face lit up.

Rising she began to bustle about, tossing her discarded clothes into a cupboard and moving anything fragile or well loved into tucked away corners where they couldn’t be reached. By the time she had finished tidying her hut Grith had clawed her way onto the roof of Par’a’s hut and reared up, her wings spread wide.

Oh, how she shone.

Come to me,

Her voice was thick and velvety, broadcast across the entire Weyr. Every dragon heard it, every human.

be pretty with me.

Several Weyrbrats outside Par’a’s hut gazed up at her in awe, the paint she had insisted be layered on as thick as could be still dripping wet on her hide. With a lusty challenge she shrieked and pushed up from the roof. Within the hut Par’a winced as it shook, but was thankful that the sturdy structure held its own against the Green.

And she waited.

Though perhaps a surprising fact to many, J'dan was at the present moment wide awake. He was, in fact, sharing something of a mutual bath with his dragon - he had never been afraid to simply toss aside his shirt, roll up his pant legs and wade bodily into the water when it came time to scrub his great blue beast. Though mid-winter, the sun shone brightly in the sky, making the water pleasantly warm for both human and dragon, and the young man was enjoying the simple luxury of the sunlight on his back while little river rocks tickled his bare toes. Oh, how the weyrbrats wished they had a sentient, flying excuse to neglect their chores while they splashed about in the water for several hours!

J'dan had just gotten to scrubbing at Temsaith's foreleg with the long-handled brush when a feminine mind-voice, rich and sultry with swiftly building desire, invaded the peaceful and pleasant silent communion between the man and his blue. That was nothing unusual, though. Greens went up nearly every other day, and very few of them were shy about broadcasting their lust across the entire Weyr. The bluerider paused a moment, squinting up into the sky to see if the green had yet risen - not that he would be able to recognize the dragon's size or markings from so far away.

It's Grith, Temsaith answered his rider's unspoken ponderings, his own mental voice odd and thick in a way J'dan very rarely heard from his beast. The man turned, blinking up at the dragon in plainly visible surprise, seeing the faceted eyes already swirling and sparking with the beginnings of his want.

You'll go after her? J'dan questioned, seeking a confirmation that wasn't really needed. The man could already feel the tension building in the muscles beneath the mottled blue hide as the dragon knelt to allow his bonded to scramble atop the bare back, a succint answer if there ever was one. The rider could only stare in momentary bewilderment.

J'dan disliked flights; Temsaith knew as much. Usually, Temsaith disliked them too, finding it a great waste of energy to constantly trail after a herd of lust-crazed beasts who screeched and clawed and fought over the dubious prize of 'just another green' - there were so many, and he felt that to catch one was no better a victory than any of the others on any other day. But sometimes, for whatever capricious reason that struck his fancy on that particular day, the aloof blue abandoned all of his usual reluctance simply for the thrill of the chase.

We're losing time! Temsaith suddenly snapped, all impatience. When he got like this, he hardly understood his rider's hesitation. He knew, however, that the man would not act without some reassurance; unlike many of the other more 'active' blueriders, J'dan was strangely impervious to dragonlust... at least until his demanding beast could convince the young man to put aside his concerns over the thought of 'losing himself' somehow and just get to it. Such a complex emotional hang-up was beyond Temsaith's draconic understanding anyway, and though the blue generally respected the man's desire to continue along in the role he had been cast in since Katila's founding, the dragon also sometimes discarded that issue in favor of whatever he deemed more important at the time. And right now, it was imperative that J'dan simply give in. Come on, it's those two. It isn't as if they don't know you, and they have quite a bit of experience, you know.

"Ah, you're right," J'dan conceded, and with Temsaith's burning need to rise to the skies gradually washing over his own human consciousness, it was easy to see some of the simple logic in the blue's reasoning as he obediently climbed his way up the outstretched foreleg. He thought it through: Grith was an older dragon who rose frequently, and so it made sense that Temsaith would sometimes want to challenge her skill in the skies. Likewise, Par'a was no stranger to flights. In fact, she had quite the reputation among the blueriders as one to welcome into the victory circle, as it were.

In other words, this was a chase he should want.

Want... blue eyes narrowed as the young man allowed the word, and the feeling with it, to settle over him. Temsaith rumbled his approval as the blue wings stretched. Though the two of them had come with the dragon's riding straps, intending to do a bit of flying later, the harnesses now lay abandoned and forgotten on the riverbank alongside the young man's shirt and shoes. All were left soaked by the sparkling spray of water as the dragon launched himself into the air.

I'shan yawned and stretched, his lithe body pillowed lightly against the grass of the gather square. His shirt lay nearby. Were his relationship with N'gelt not on the rebound from a near-tragedy, his pants might be laying there alongside it. The last thing he needed was another disturbance, sometihng else to make N'gelt feel jealous or unwanted. Therefore, I'shan didn't need to attract undue attention, even if he did enjoy the envious stares he often received when flaunting his body .

But still, it was a lovely day! The sun warmed his skin and the grass lent it's delicate caress, leaving the bluerider content in his daydreaming state.

Ilveriath rested close by, his slender form coiled loosely around I'shan. The pair had been silent for some time now, enjoying their mutual company and relaxing the day away. I'shan lapsed in and out of awareness, his mind hanging on the very edge of sleep. In fact, he was so distantly content that he didn't notice Ilveriath's sudden stirring.

The blue's eyes opened lazily and flushed purple with sudden desire.

He sensed Grith's fire seconds before her scream roused him from his rest. The blue rose to his hind legs, slim body unfurling like crumpled paper as he angled his narrow snout in her direction. Yes. It has been too long. Ilveriath said stirringly as he spread his wings.

I'shan opened his eyes. "Ilv?" he asked drowsily. The little bluerider scratched his head and yawned. He gradually pulled himself into a sitting position, caught entire unaware by the influx of white-hot desire. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to make sense of the feeling that was overcoming him.

Oh...his pants. What was that now?

Huh. That was strange. N'gelt wasn't even around.

Then, in a single moment of resonating terror, he realized what was happening.

ILV. NO. YOU CAN'T CHASE GREENS. N'GELT WILL KILL ME.

It has been too long.

NO!

I'shan grunted audibly as he projected his mental strength at Ilveriath, trying to ground the dragon..but Ilveriath's will was stronger. Panicked, sleepy and confused, I'shan's delicate sensibilities were no match for Ilveriath's long-suppressed need. Ilveriath had his needs, and since N'gelt came into the picture, they hadn't been addressed.

The wind felt amazing on his hide. Ilveriath did not shriek as he rocketed towards his intended; he crooned.

R’nd and Ayyonth had also taken to the sky that afternoon but earlier and for a leisurely flight together, enjoying the nice weather. With so much happening lately, Ayyonth had suggested a flight would help ease his rider’s mind and R’nd agreed. The morning had been spent first scrubbing the blue and then cleaning the hut so a bit of relaxation didn’t seem like such a bad idea and R’nd decided to indulge in the rare luxury that came with Impressing. He ended up remembering his Weyrling days and the first time he went flying with Ayyonth, revelling in that feeling of freedom of riding his own dragon, alone. It was nice to reflect though whether Ayyonth knew his bonded’s mind was drifting to the bad memories of two weyrlings colliding and dying and chose then to interrupt with something he already knew or it was sheer coincidence in timing was something R’nd would never find out.

A green rises. Ayyonth’s voice was naturally low-pitched but usually cheerful, reflecting his rider’s carefree personality but now as he spoke, it was obvious he was already being seduced by the green’s call, lust deepening his voice with the simple sentence being drawled out.

That’s nothing surprising but care to tell me which one? R’nd knew it wasn’t Larrikith given she had just flown recently, and boy was that still a bit of a sore spot on his ego and wardrobe with a pair of pants joining the shirts B’jin had ‘customized’. With one green out of the equation it still left far too many to be able to predict which one was now beckoning his blue to chase her. A beautiful green, do you need to know more? Typically, yes, yes he did! It was nice to know who he could potentially be waking up next to though it wasn’t that odd for Ayyonth not to mention the name if he thought R’nd would enjoy the surprise or the blue wanted a laugh of his own. Suddenly R’nd wasn’t too sure about the words he was about to say even as the lust started to rise in him as well.

All right, give chase. Ayyonth ended up landing several rows of huts away from Par’a’s not out of a courtesy to R’nd but simply because of where they had been flying when permission had been granted. He had just convinced himself that the bratty blue was treating him to a nice flight when Ayyonth chose that time to confess who he was chasing. R’nd? It’s Grith and she looks so beautiful today!

“I’m going to skin you alive, Ayyonth!” So shocked was he that R’nd yelled aloud his threat, sending a greenrider that had been standing near her opened window from a nearby hut into a fit of laughter.

Grith crooned as she rose into the sky, dazzling blue and brown hides following her. A daring yet small Bronze flew close immediately, which only earned him a grumpy hiss and a flick of her tail, green paint flicking across his face. It looked like ichor and while he roared, there was no pain but the wound of his ego.

With powerful wingbeats she rose high up into the sky, her small paint-covered body leading the string of males behind her close to the low clouds. Bursting through the cloud cover she hovered for a moment, alone. As the males followed suit she trilled, swooping side to side with her wings brushing the white clouds. Those following closest to her would be covered with flecks of paint; pink, blue and yellow from her wings.

Curving her head back she gave a chirpy bugle, watching as the nimble Blues mimicked her while the more powerful Browns kept pace all around. She paid little heed to them, the smaller Blues were much more of her preference. Slowing her wingbeats she dropped back, letting herself be surrounded by the chasing males. Her wing brushed Temsaith, which Par'a mimicked in her hut with a gentle hand across his chest.

Before she let Grith take over completely as she rose above the clouds, Par'a smiled. There were many eager men crowding her hut now, it appeared her reputation was still going strong as usual. A few here and there seemed shocked that their dragons were chasing, but that was no surprise, there was always some of them about during flights. R'nd and J'dan drew her attention most, which she expressed with gentle but teasing hands across their arms and collarbones.

The chase was on.

Ilveriath trilled joyously as he pursued, his limber body winding easily between the larger browns as he sought to join his agile kin. Agile blues danced right on Grith's heels while the browns loomed close by.  Ilveriath joined the former, long wings stroking powerfully and narrow body cutting the air like a knife.

How exhilarating! His heart flew, and I'shan's along with it. Lost in flightlust, the little bluerider forgot his initial reservations and went stumbling into the array of huts adjacent to the Weyr. Shirtless and wildly energetic, his motions progressed from a mincing stagger to a leggy, acrobatic lope as he charged in the direction of his intended. There were hundreds of huts, but he didn't bother asking directions. Somehow, he knew.

He burst into the door, eyes wide and mouth hanging open like a thirsty man at an oasis. "Par'a!" he gasped. He tried to walk, but his legs buckled under him. He found himself on his knees in the floor, wide eyes looking up imploringly. He'd totally forgotten that Par'a was a woman, for right now he was not a man; he was a dragon. Par'a was a dragon. He was unable to see her for the clouds.

In the sky, Ilveriath slipped through the cloud barrier like a surgical knife through flesh. Thin and dainty, Ilveriath flew more like a green than like a blue. Well aware of his lot in life, he quickly emulated her burst of speed. He paid no attention to the smatterings of paint that inevitably hit him. He had something else in mind.

He let out another playful trill, his own rapid heartbeat trickling down to his earthbound bondmate. I'shan let out a pining whimper as he felt Ilveriath's need swirling through him. How could he deny it?

Temsaith had winked in from between at nearly ground-level, sending a cold blast of air rushing into the gaping faces of a few weyrfolk who had paused to admire the rainbow of glowing hides in the sky, only to be startled by the sudden appearance of yet another blazing blue hide as the dragon materialized as closely as he could to the outward edge of the huts nearest to Par'a's own abode. The dragon alighted swiftly, pausing only momentarily to deposit his rider before he leaped into the air once more. A few great wingbeats sent him hurtling after the pack of blues and browns that chased the lovely paint-streaked jewel that streaked across the sky with lusty chirps and trills. Temsaith exhuberantly answered her call, his compact but powerful body seeming to dance around his larger brown brothers as he twisted and turned easily through their ranks, deftly maneuvering his way past the massive earth-colored wings that threatened to knock him out of the sky as he strove single-mindedly to join the blue-dominated center of the pack. In short time he had reached his goal, and Temsaith savored the thrill of even that small victory over his higher-ranked kin nearly as much as he reveled in the joy and anticipation that coursed through his entire being when Grith slowed to brush him teasingly with her wing. So risky! So flirtatious!

J'dan, back on the ground, felt suddenly flooded with his dragon's desire and approval of the little green's skill; what had began as a mere challenge and a whim to pass the time had now exploded into full-blown need, and the bluerider's petite body shuddered with it when Par'a mimicked her dragon's actions with the hand that brushed teasingly over his bare chest. Startled by either the touch or else his very visceral reaction to it, the young man snapped for the briefest of seconds from his daze, swiftly surveying his surroundings and then blinking up at the older woman with the widest eyes imaginable. The questions in that bewildered blue gaze were obvious: he was in Par'a's hut already?! How did he manage to fight his way past all the other (much larger!) riders in the hut that now crowded around the two of them like hungry wolves? And why was he so wet and cold? But that brief flash of surprise and puzzlement was gone just as quickly as it had come, for Temsaith was not a dragon who would allow his rider's hesitation to ruin his chances with what was currently the most gorgeous green in all of Katila Weyr.

"Grith flies beautifully today," J'dan breathed, uncertain whether the thought had originated within his own mind or that of his lifemate, for his sounded strangely voice thick with awe and the weight of his dragon's swiftly growing desire, which now grew more intense by the second with the anticipation of what the beast saw as his imminent victory. The shivering bluerider's hands brushed and chased after the fleeting touches to his arms just as Temsaith now trailed closely after his paint-streaked prize, conveying that very same thought to her as he twisted and dipped to follow her every move. The cocky blue knew that several other male dragons chased just a closely, but he was unwilling to end the chase just yet when he was having so very much fun. Just let them try to overtake him! He could out-fly any blue or brown hide in this weyr! Temsaith turned his head briefly towards the other males, smugly bugling his challenge to them.

R’nd still couldn’t believe Ayyonth had taken off after Grith. His blue seemed quite comfortable curled up with Larrikith whenever he was with B’jin and there were only a few other greens they both had a mutual interest in chasing regularly though R’nd, of all people, wasn’t one to suppress his dragon’s needs and always allowed Ayyonth to chase when he needed or wanted to. But this was Grith and Par’a! What was even worse than his evil dragon vanishing to join the chase was the way his feet brought him to Par’a on their own accord as the line between his mind and Ayyonth’s started to blur. He made it to the hut and had even managed to push in closer to the woman both from his own need to stand out and not fade into the back and thanks to Ayyonth’s wonderful aerial moves closing the gap with Grith and encouraging R’nd on.

When Par’a showed special attention to him and, he wasn’t sure who the other rider was as grey eyes were locked on the greenrider, R’nd bit back a grin of satisfaction, knowing he had indeed stood out amongst the other challengers and that perhaps his own reputation had reached the woman’s ears. He shivered under her delicate and enticing touch which left him craving more as his vision blurred between seeing Par’a and Grith, Ayyonth’s lust for the petite green having fully taken over the rider as well. All previous concerns were forgotten as only the beautiful green pair before them mattered. “Simply beautiful,” R’nd spoke in a whisper, both echoing J’dan’s sentiments but also referring to the radiance of the women.

Ayyonth was among the smaller blues of the weyr which made him far more agile in the air than his fellow male dragons and often left him near the front of the pack when chasing the teasing greens. Now was no different as he kept pace with Grith, dipping and turning gracefully as she set their course. Temsaith and Ilveriath were worthy opponents that day but Ayyonth was determined to be the victor and have the honour of being with the beautiful green that shone brightly even with the paint coating her hide and threatening to mark him in splatters. It would be worth it! With a rumble of determination that R’nd emulated with a low throaty growl, Ayyonth pulled in his wings to dive as soon as he saw Grith doing the same and readied himself to make the claim he knew was just within reach.

Grith spun, swooping beneath Ilveriath's belly, crooning her admiration at his skills in the air. She felt his need, his desire as she passed and it tempted her. Her movements brought her closer to Ayyonth, whom she eyed with peculiar interest. She knew this one, he who lay with Larrikith. He was determined though, eager to catch the living canvas and Grith knew that, Par'a knew that even though R'nd had initially displayed shock. Or was it distaste? She didn't care. To sway another from distaste to such lust and eagerness enticed them, it was a challenge both woman and dragon were willing to accept. Under flightlust, anyway.

The compliments uttered by various riders were heard by Grith and she screamed her pleasure into the clouded sky. Of course she was beautiful! She never flew anything but. Shooting up higher yet again she glanced back, her lusty red eyes sending a calculating gaze across the closest males. One of these would be the winner, the one who followed her movements and kept close. A Blue, of course. But which one?

Ilveriath, wispy and dainty like a Green.

Ayyonth, small and of the brightest blue.

Temsaith, a stocky cloud in pursuit.

When she hit a certain height she angled her wings and let herself hang in the air for a few seconds. Then she fell. Who would reach her first?

Both Grith and Par'a seemed to know the answer to the question before it happened, as Grith stared at the Blue while Par'a reached for his rider. Her hands pre-emptively reached out to him, taking his hands in her own. They ran up strong arms, trailed teasingly across the collarbone. When Blue twined with Green she crushed herself against him, barely giving herself the time to whisper his name before their lips met.

In the sky Grith felt them looming. They were coming, closer and closer. One was closer than the rest, his desire burning the air between them so intensely she could feel it on her hide even through the paint. She was no newborn Green, trying to flee her pursuers. She would be caught willingly by he who strove for it. When he arrived, he would be slathered in red along his belly, purple and orange on his neck, green on his tail and then pink, yellow and blue on his wings. A rainbow falling to the earth.

Poor I'shan, ever the captive of his dragon's desires. Ilveriath took to greens from the moment he broke shell, and now all these turns later, his hunger for them burned brightly as ever. I'shan was unable to resist the dragon's hot-blooded desires. Helpless, the rider waited anxiously and miserably on his knees.

The clouds were so lovely today. Grith was so vibrant, Par'a was so...so...

With a sudden cry, I'shan leaped forward. He scrambled past his competitors and pitched himself at Par'a, body tense and mind alight with Ilveriath's rapturous descent. The dragon's emotions spilled into I'shan's mind and heart  like a flood, something I'shan was helpless against. In those moments though, he did not care. He wrapped his arms around her willingly, unknowingly, and sank down.

I will make it up to you

I'shan woke some time later. He was dizzy from residual flightlust, tired and just a little bit confused. He blinked and looked around. He didn't immediately recognize the hut, but...

His eyes widened as he glanced at the form beside him. Par'a?

His eyes watered as he realized what had happened. Not only had he failed to control Ilveriath, which he was certain N'gelt would be angry at him for...but he'd slept with a woman!

It wasn't that he had anything against women as people, but...women were for making friends with, not this! The little bluerider shuddered and wiped his eyes, trying desperately not to cry. He tried to rise to his feet and escape, but his legs were like jelly beneath him.

THUMP, face first on the floor.

Grith bugled with her glee and pride as they fell to the earth below, somehow she knew that Ilveriath was one dragon with whom she had not flown before. Why she didn't know and didn't care, now they were entwined and that was all she cared for.

Par'a reflected her dragon's sentiments and snatched at I'shan as he finally threw himself to her, holding him close, so close. They were a new rainbow, falling to the earth the way they had been born. Skin sparked as it touched skin, burning hotter than the heart of a naked flame. That heat drove Par'a, drove her mind and her hands as she claimed the man who's dragon had claimed her own. This day would be glorious!

la dee da fadey fade

Slumped beneath the furs and satiated beyond what she had lusted for, Par'a didn't wake when I'shan did. No... it wasn't his shocked awakening nor his attempt to get out of bed that roused her, but the crack of his face hitting the floor.

"Grith!" She shrieked, bolting upright.

Pell! Look what I got!

Ilveriath's smooth blue hide was projected into Par'a's mind, it took only seconds for her to identify the Blue and who rode it. Raising an eyebrow in confusion she glanced around, finding not a man in her bed but instead legs and my... what nice legs they were. "Oh my..." She whispered, tilting her head and staring at the view for a few moments, absorbing the sight she would likely never see again and storing it in her memory. Leaning over a little she ran a stubby finger down the sole of his closer foot, ready to jerk back incase he decided to kick out reflexively.

"You know, that's not the smartest way to get out of a bed." She commented smoothly. Getting up she approached the collection of clothes that had been tossed down the second they touched, picking up what looked to be a shirt and pulling it on. Looking down she frowned a little before laughing. "Well I guess I'm going to be keeping this for a bit." She tugged at the bottom of the shirt, which clearly wasn't her own as it reached almost down to her knees. Whether I'shan wanted the shirt back or not wasn't a valid point right now as Par'a knew his opinions on women and she suspected he would prefer her clothed rather than naked. Not to mention she sure as hell wasn't going to get properly dressed now! Certainly not after that lusty flight.

Walking over to crouch before I'shan she stared at him with wide, mirth-filled eyes. "How about we get you onto your feet? Or perhaps back into the bed?" She toyed, grinning widely at him. She had no intentions of returning to bed with him, though it would be nice if he just loosened up for once!

Well, she was talking. I'shan swallowed hard, realizing at once that he had no choice other than to turn around and face his doom. His face was streaked with tears and his lithe body was tense with discomfort and misgiving as he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position and inching around in a circle, gradually turning to face her without leaving the floor.

"Hi, Par'a," he mumbled, hanging his head in almost comical shame. While totally aghast with the horror of sleeping with a woman, he was also completely ashamed of himself for crying over it. Par'a was his friend! He didn't want to hurt her feelings.

He swallowed hard and looked up at her. He didn't fail to notice that she was wearing his shirt, but it seemed like a small point on a long bulleted list of problems at this point.

You are in trouble. You BEAST.

Shel, dear? You are complaining particularly bitterly today

I'shan produced a massive frown.

"Um...okay," he said at length, not sure what else to do. After all, he was refusing to talk to his dragon and Para' was holding his shirt hostage. What else could he do? He slowly crawled into the bed and discreetly pulled the sheet over his lap. It was one of perhaps a half-dozen moments in his life that he'd ever shown even a small degree of shame over such things.

He offered he an awkward smile. Oh shards, what was he supposed to say? He'd just run in terror from the mothers of his flightkids. He couldn't run in terror from Par'a, though!

He sniffled.