[G] [O] 744.08.20 | Avoiding the Heat

Nonalia vaguely remembers one of her mother's sayings about early risers winning... something, attempting to persuade her to get out of bed in the mornings she just didn't want to. If only her mother could see her now, rising early enough that the day hadn't even begun yet, most of the weyr still quiet. She padded quietly through the weyr to reach the sand below, Laniath watching curiously from her ledge to see what her silly little rider was doing. The redheaded woman waved cheerfully up at her dragon, taking a few steps backward to peer up at her before continuing to walk one the warm sand.

Don't hurt yourself out there. The gold murmured softly, laying her head on her paws to watch the young woman frolick in the sand. Lia was happy, cheerful even, and that was enough for her to keep from being more overprotective than a walk needed to be. At least for now, when the rest of the weyr stirred, she might reevaluate that stance.

I'll be fine. No one is awake, the sun isn't even over the horizon, and the sand is soft instead of hot. You sure you don't want to join me? The sand was soft between her toes, cradling her feet with each step. It felt good, as opposed to uncomfortable when the temperature rose alongside the sun.

I'm sure. You enjoy your walk, just be back for breakfast and a bath before the day begins.

And she would. Probably. She's not paying much attention to anything other than where she's placing her feet, being mindful not to step on anything that is peeking up out of the sand. She won't go far, of course, there were still a few things that needed to be done this morning, and a long walk would only agitate Laniath. Well, that, and she hated to keep Lassalla waiting on her if she could help it. With her in mind, her thoughts wandered, trying to remember if there was something else she was supposed to do this morning before breakfast.

Her foot caught something buried in the sand, and she fell, arms thrown out to catch her fall but earning her a face full of sand. She was normally so much more graceful than this, and she hoped no one had been around to see that. It was embarassing enough to have done it to begin with. Her ankle throbbed painfully, twisted in the fall but not likely broken, still hurting enough to earn a few unladylike words from her lips.

The sun would be rising soon, which meant he'd be needed for Candidate crap like learning where he was needed to assist that morning before afternoon break. He hated mornings. They were meant to be slept through, but the sun was too hot in the afternoon to do most manual labour so early starts and late finishes were desired. Orgailian didn't mind the late end to the day so much since he stayed up and did most of his leisurely pleasures then--although some activities he didn't mind getting sweaty for during the day.

But that night, he had met up with a lover and then spent a little time in the budding library before finding his way to the sand to recline under the stars. It wasn't the most thrilling of things he could do with his time, but it was something he enjoyed all the same. Sometimes inspiration struck, though it hadn't that night and his journals remained tucked away in his bag. This moment was meant just for rejuvenation in the quiet before more people awoke to start their day.

Or at least it was supposed to be. He heard someone trip not too far from, though he was inclined to leave them alone--until the cursing began. He knew that voice and with a grin, Orgailian sat up and glanced around until he spotted the redhead that made up a portion of the leadership. "Such words for a lady, Nonalia," Orgailian teased, uncaring about not using her rank. They had never been the closest of friends but only a handful of years separated them so they grew up together in Katila and so he knew riling her up was fun.

Are you alright? The gold was already standing at her ledge, ready to take flight to bring Nonalia back to the weyr. She should have known small things like this would still easily worry the dragon.

I'm fine, it's probably just a sprain. Nothing broken. She pushed up onto her knees, brushing her skirt down beneath her so she could sit down in the sand and inspect her leg in the low light of the rising sun. Her knees were red from the fall, as we're the palms of her hands, and there was a small scrape along the top of her foot. Her ankle, though, was starting to swell a little, and the throbbing hadn't gone away. She should probably get up and make sure the healers at least looked at it.

Another voice drew her attention, and the goldrider huffed in Orgaillian's direction. "Well aren't you such a comedian, Gail. Maybe next time, I'll even remember to laugh." She shifted to put her good foot beneath her, putting most of her weight on that as she moved to stand. Putting weight on that leg did hurt a little, but only as much as she expected. "You couldn't have, I don't know, been helpful instead?" She was pouting now, she knew it, but she tried not to look in his direction and make it more obvious.

"What are you doing out here so early?"

"Being a goldrider doesn't mean you're made of glass and need me rushing to your side. Unless you're into playing the damsel in distress nowadays? Not that I'm kink-shaming you. Whatever gets you off, Lia." He sent Nonalia a wink, but Orgailian wasn't sure if she saw it as she focused on her pouting and collecting herself. At least, he assumed there was pouting attached to her words and the way she looked away so he couldn't see her face. That always gave her away and he smirked at how easily he got under her skin that day.

"More like, what am I still doing up. I haven't gone to bed yet," he replied when Nonalia tried to change the subject. He let her and he even got to his feet, taking his time to stretch before going over to her side. His mouth opened to share too much information about his night so he could make Nonalia blush on top of her pouting, but it instead turned to a soft curse under his breath as he saw how she stood.

"Damnit, Lia. You should have said something. You know an injury isn't something I'm going to mock," at least not since his own near-death experience. Sure, a couple of years ago he may have teased her for injuring herself by tripping over her own feet, but being wracked with pain and fear of what might come next had a way of curing that habit. It was also only in the last several months that every healer that looked in his direction stopped trying to shove food down his throat and admitted he was of a decent weight again. Orgailian didn't think he'd ever have back his full hearty appetite, but he was eating more in a day than he used to after the attack.

Orgailian switched his bag to the other side so he could comfortably step in close and put his arm around Nonalia's waist. "C'mon. Lean into me so I can give you that damsel fantasy while helping you to a healer." While he was serious about helping, he figured some light banter would help keep the goldrider focused on something other than any pain she was in.

She sighed softly, and would have glared at him if she could properly see him. "You know, not everything is because I'm a goldrider. I was a needy little shit before I impressed Laniath, thank you, she just made it into a skill rather than an annoyance." See, she can joke back. She is very pointedly ignoring the 'kink' comment, however, not even giving a hint of acknowledgement that she had heard it. Why give him more fuel to add to the fire?

The woman sighed softly. "Careful doing that too often. I'm not a snitch or anything, but I can't speak for anyone else. If you're not standing for Laniath's first clutch because you got in trouble, I will take that as a personal slight." Her arms crossed over her chest, but there's a little hint of a smirk on her lips. Maybe not a personal slight, but she'd make sure her disappointment got back to him somehow.

Shit. "Okay, so needy was maybe a little bit of an exaggeration. I'm fine, it's just a sprain." Probably. She wasn't a healer, so she wasn't entirely sure. Just mostly sure. "It just... didn't come up. I'm sure it'll be fine in a few hours." Sit at the desk, just work on the paperwork she was given, and she'd be fine. Even if she was sure Laniath would keep suggesting visiting the healers every hour or so. She'd had worse injuries, and a habit of stumbling over her feet, so she wasn't even surprised she had done so. She'd almost faceplanted when she realized that the gold was talking to her at her hatching, so really, it was probably foreshadowing how the rest of her life was going to go.

Another sigh, this one a bit more exasperated, but she complies, throwing an arm around the man's shoulder. "If you wanted to touch me so badly, you could have just asked. Just get me to my weyr, I don't need-" Lia. "Ugh, do you both have to be buzzkills right now? It's going to be hot out by the time they let me out... " So much for enjoying the cooler early morning.

"Glad to see your ability to whine wasn't injured in the fall," Orgailian replied, completely ignoring how often he complained about being trapped in a bed in the infirmary of what hadn't even been his home Weyr. But at least he was actually went to one. Not that he had a choice in the matter, but that also didn't need to be pointed out. While he figured Nonalia could go to her weyr and call for a healer to attend her and leave her cooped up in her own space, Orgailian also wasn't her lover or brother so he wasn't going to push his very good advice on the goldrider.

"Fine; I'll help you back to your weyr," he let Nonalia believe she had won because he wasn't in the mood to exert so much energy over something she could still have someone look at later in the day if the pain continued. "But I will take your word that if any of my annoying brothers ask, you'll tell them I was an incredible help and my good deed for the day has been satisfied. Oh and speaking of brothers..."

Orgailian shifted his hold on Nonalia's waist as they started walking, "I'm related to the Weyrsecond and practically related to the Weyrleader thanks to Mylorah so I doubt I need to worry too much about being awake when it's cooler out." Probably. Most likely. He could also see K'dar making an example out of him for that very reason. Easier to get others to respect him if he was willing to dole out punishments to relatives, but Orgailian was confident he'd be able to talk his way out of it all the same.

"Brave words for someone within elbowing distance." She grumbled softly, but didn't intend to make good on her threat. She'd chalk it up to being in pain later, maybe even try to make it up to him, but her bark had always been worse than her bite. Lia hated the healers. While they did good work, they also always seemed to put her on edge in a way she couldn't really explain. Laniath would see to it that one came to her anyway, tended to her ankle and set her on the path to recovery in a week or so, her anxiety would surely shine through the entire encounter. She half wished one of her siblings had transferred to Igen, if only to have someone sit with her while the healers fussed.

She's quiet for a moment before uttering a soft-spoken ‘thank you’ as they change trajectory. Laniath hadn’t started to find a healer yet, but she was sure that would be something that changed the moment they got back to her weyr. At least being somewhere that had become familiar might ease that anxiety a little. “Oh, if they ask, you were a great help, I didn’t have to pull rank, and not seeing the healers was my decision. It’s not like that’s a lie; it probably would have sucked to walk back on my own.” Uneven sand, the long walk back to her weyr, she probably would have hurt herself more if she even tried.

She shrugged once, “I mean, it’s not like there’s much to do during the day that can’t be done at night anyway. I’m pretty sure half the leadership has become nocturnal, at this point, it’s just not something that comes easy to me.” She didn’t know if it really mattered, as new as Igen was and as relaxed as things seemed there. She still wasn't entirely sure what rules there were for candidates. She really ought to look into that. "You're smart enough to not get caught if it is a rule. I don't see why it would be, though, as hot as this place gets. Night time is the only time it's bearable. Gorgeous views, but fuck, that heat is relenting."

Orgailian glanced at Nonalia as he wondered whether a goldrider knowing some of his tricks was a good thing or not. Then again, she only knew he was smart enough not to get caught, not how he managed such things so it was probably fine and that earned her a little grin, though none of the details. He already had to worry about A'tay and K'dar knowing him so well that he didn't need to add the Junior Weyrwoman to the list as well. Although, given Nonalia's own early morning wanderings, maybe she could become a potential ally for his mischief. Something to consider for later.

"You'd think we'd be used to it, coming from Ista and living in Katila for so long, but this is a whole different kind of beast." The dry heat wouldn't have been so bad if it didn't get so intense and made it feel like your skin was roasting. Humidity wasn't much better if he was being honest, but it was something he was used to and sometimes he thought about transferring back to Ista. He never followed through with it thanks to four brothers living in Igen Weyr and Lord Igen himself. Their little hook-ups would be harder to have if he left the region, not to mention Orgailian wasn't comfortable with the idea of leaving Zoremet alone with the Lord. Then again, Zor shouldn't have been left alone with him either given how bad of an influence he was.

"How are you holding up?" He asked after a few minutes of slow-going travel. "Because I'm warning you now, I don't think I can carry you the rest of the way. You'd probably snap me in half if I tried and we'd both be miserable messes on the ground."

She needed a hobby, really. As much as Laniath continuously reminded her that holing herself up in their weyr was not going to do her any favors, you'd think she would have listened. She didn't know Igen all that well, and that was part of the problem. She had a responsibility to know the weyr, inside and out, for many different reasons. Laniath was right, of course, she usually was; Lia needed friends, especially now that it seemed like she had more solid footing somewhere. Making them was a whole other ordeal for the more quiet and shy woman, which may be why she has so few to begin with. It was never to late to try, Laniath was always telling her.

"It's because it's so damned dry. The moment you open your mouth during the day, it feels like the desert has already crawled inside." The weather was nice for just about two reasons; an excuse to stay in during the day, and the little sundresses she was so fond of could be worn all year round. Other than that, it was at least better than snow. She found pretty quickly at Fort that she didn't like snow.

"I'll be fine." It hurt now, but she was more thank likely to just sleep once Laniath had seen the healers out of her weyr. She'd be fine, at least in the long run. "I... should I be offended by that? That sounds like I should be offended by that."

Have you seen the boy? I'm sure a hatchling flit could break him in two. That almost made Lia laugh, but she was able to keep it to herself. Unless he was looking at her, of course.

"If you're that close to crumbling, I can probably make it from here..."

It actually took Orgailian a moment to catch up to what he had said that might be offensive. Being discreet or sensitive wasn't something he cared much about and didn't aim for it for anyone, but perhaps an injured Junior Weyrwoman was someone he should consider trying it for. He briefly debated pointing out that he was a dry stick in the desert, but she didn't truly seem offended and he wasn't going to waste his breath on pointless and obvious things.

Instead, he rolled his eyes as Nonalia tried to give him an out or possibly guilt him into continuing to give the help he had already decided to see to the end. "You know Aradissicath likes to threaten people with sitting on them and Malvayth is a loud shrieking ball... I know better than to go against a gold dragon." He was only guessing that Laniath was still fussing and would be very disgruntled with him if he didn't continue doing his part. "I do have some survival instincts still ingrained in me. Clearly not that many since I'm about to point out that their riders have a harder time motivating me."

A lopsided grin tugged at his lips as Orgailian glanced at Nonalia for her reaction. He was still within easy elbowing distance to be teasing her as he was, but it was too much fun. There were little hints that the girl he knew before she Impressed was still alive and well and being a goldrider hadn't sucked all of the fun out of her. Not that every goldrider before her was afflicted by such a thing as he only had to look at his sisters for proof of that. Then again, he hadn't seen Mylorah for a few months, but he was confident she wouldn't let a dragon boss her around and change her personality or mind on anything.

After a pause in baiting each other, Orgailian asked a genuine question since talking seemed to make the journey go by quicker and they were almost to their destination. "So, what's the plan after I dump you on a mountain of pillows? Are you going to try recruiting me as your errand boy that fetches food, drink, and paperwork?" The playful grin was back as he added, "I could strip down to give you a nice view while I fan you, Your Goldness." He managed a very small bow as best as he could while still holding up Nonalia, his free hand giving a little twirl for further emphasis.