Relaxing (open)

[shadowreine]

Even on Pern the sight in the bowl would be unusual...for few of the Pernese were quite as dark as Loren Thomas, although some might have the hint of Asian about their features.

On Earth, of course, it would not be the girl's coloring that drew attention, but the bright blue dragon she was currently using as a backrest as she read, of all things, 'The Catcher in the Rye'. Likely this had some small thing to do with the fact that in the wider world beyond Rocky it was, in fact, Banned Books Week.

The dragon, being, of course, young Woruth, was two lids asleep and thus had no comment on this matter...neither would any Pernese person who came past. Others of Earth origin, however, might notice the fact that Loren, of all people, was *reading*.

[PhazonDragon]

Though he normally wouldn’t be up during this part of the day, considering his wher handler occupation, Keltin found it difficult to fall asleep for an afternoon nap. Slipping away from his quarters, Keltin left the brown wher behind, sleeping heavily, and navigated through the darkly-lit hallways until he reached the more populated regions of the weyr. Squinting, Keltin had one heck of a time getting outside. He had to run his hand along the wall to make sure he wasn’t going to run into anything. Such was the life of a wher handler. His sensitive eyes didn’t like the light anymore than a wher’s did.

He was feeling so much better since the wher hatching, and his wounds had healed, though he was left with a nasty scar on his chest, along with some cuts and bruises that persisted for a number of days. Keltisk had apologized the first days after his hatching, but the lack of memory that whers and dragons had was quick to creep up on them. The relationship between wher and handler was a bit rocky, but even Keltin couldn’t bring himself to remind the brown about what exactly happened that day.

Keltin stepped into the weyr bowl and immediately raised a hand to shield his eyes. The sunlight... Ugh... After taking a moment to get adjusted to the sudden brightness, Keltin’s eyes glanced about the expanse that was the weyr bowl. There were a few dragons sunning, and only a handful of riders about. One caught his attention--a young female rider that was using her pale blue dragon as a back rest. If only he could do that with his wher, and still have enough light to read a book.

As a Pernese resident of the weyr, Keltin didn’t see anything odd about her choice in book, but was genuinely interested. The mature-for-his-age handler took a chance and approached the weyrling (judging by the size of the blue dragon behind her). “Mind...” he started as he got closer, before pausing to clear his throat. “Mind if I ask what you’re reading?” Keltin wondered.

[shadowreine]

Loren grinned. "Oh, its a classic. Of course, if you're from Pern, it probably isn't one for you." Heck, some of the Pernese were barely literate. Most of them were fixing that pretty rapidly, of course. She suspected the reason was lack of books.

Woruth lifted his head, opened both lids, and rumbled at the wherhandler, very quietly. It was about all the noise likely to come from him, and he did not speak. He was too busy, right now, contemplating the man and the situation to comment on it. When he did have something to say, he would no doubt think it to be profound.

"Catcher in the Rye. It's...interesting." Explaining WHY she was reading it...the thought embarrassed her suddenly. After all, censorship, not exactly something humanity had to be proud of.

[PhazonDragon]

Letting out a little cough, Keltin folded his arms. “Not for me?” he asked, a tinge of hurt escaping into his voice. “I’m sure one from Pern would be able to enjoy a book, same as you...” He let his voice trail off, watching the blue dragon behind her. He seemed content to not say anything, though the thought of the weyrling talking wasn’t frightening to him.

"It's interesting? That's all you have to say about it?" the wher handler wondered, making a slight frown on his face. "You wouldn't be able to elaborate on it, would you? Or is it a difficult concept? Something that I would have to read on my own to understand?" A shame too, for he was interested in it. As long as he was confined to Earth, he'd try to get something good out of it.

[ooc: Ugh. Fail post. Sorry.]

[shadowreine]

Loren shook her head. "No, no. It wouldn't be a classic on Pern. Not wouldn't be something you'd want to read." She reached up to pat her blue, softly.

"It's kind of all about growing up...and how hard it can be sometimes." A Pernese person would understand that, surely. "You can borrow it when I'm done with it if you want. And I'm Loren...and this is Woruth."

She was assuming the guy could read, figuring it was far less embarrassing to think he could when he couldn't than to be caught assuming ignorance. (Besides, he wouldn't be ignorant. She was better off than most Earth kids, but she had also seen how a couple of the other candidates had reacted to having to cut up meat for baby dragons...

[PhazonDragon]

[ooc: Here you go... If you want to continue this. Sorry about the delay.]

Keltin tilted his head, a look of confusion on his face. “Not a classic...?” What did she mean by ‘classic’? And what was it about that book that wouldn’t make it interesting to him? The wher handler was incredibly curious now. “Oh... Growing up...” he repeated. “I don’t... Well, that doesn’t sound... Like something I could... Understand...” Keltin hesitated, recalling how he had to jump from child to adult in a number of days because of his own different past. He wouldn’t say that he ‘grew up’ so much as instantly changed.

“I would like that. Thank you, Loren,” Keltin responded, decided that it couldn’t hurt to try and read it. “I’m Keltin, and I’m handler to brown Keltisk.” He again glanced at the blue that she was sitting by. He was young, a weyrling, like he determined moments ago. “You Impressed at that hatchling last past, correct?” That hatching happened not long after he arrived, and he vaguely recalled it, but he had just bonded to Keltisk beforehand, and, recalling the little scuffle during the hatching, he was in no shape to attend the dragon hatching.

[shadowreine]

"I did. You're one of the wher types."

They generally kept to themselves, Loren had noted, no doubt because whers preferred not to be out and about during the day. Dragons, of course, were completely diurnal creatures. Woruth, she had noticed, was none to keen on going anywhere at night.

Very sight-reliant, like birds, she thought. Of course, the blue's eyes weren't exactly small.

"What are they like? I haven't really had any interaction with them, I just know they're smaller than dragons and prefer the night."

[PhazonDragon]

He shrugged. “One of the wher types... Yes, I do have a wher... I guess you could call me one of those... But I can say the same for you. You’re one of the dragon types, are you not?” Keltin responded, gesturing to Loren with an open hand, and a nod of his head, but the question was fairly rhetorical. “What are whers like?” The handler listened to the weyrling’s words, nodding when she finished.

“They are smaller than dragons, yes, and they do prefer the night. It has something to do with their eyes, or so I’m told. They reflect light into their eyes more than a dragon’s would.” Keltin reached up to rub at his chin, looking off to the side. “Whers are not as intelligent as dragons. I’m sure most people know that... At least, those from Pern would know. And they can be very territorial. Handlers form a blood-bond with them, and that’s pretty much what keeps us protected. Anyone who gets too close for a wher’s comfort is liable to be attacked by said wher, and that goes for wild whers as well as tamed ones.”

Keltin made a motion with his shoulders that could constitute for a half-hearted shrug. “They’re not bad. I never had a chance to Stand for a dragon, so I decided to Stand for the wher hatching that was going to happen at Rocky. That’s why I have a wher, though I must admit that I would prefer to get back home; back to Pern. Not that Rocky is bad... There is nothing keeping me here, other than the fact that Keltisk is still a wherling.”

[shadowreine]

Loren took that in. "I wouldn't have wanted a wher...never did do well with staying up all night and sleeping all day."

She did, however, have an increased respect for the young man. Bonding a creature like Woruth, that could be trusted, that was possibly as intelligent as she was struck her as far saner than... Than partnering a dangerous beast.

Which meant she admired him, although the quiet girl was not about to admit to that. "Keltisk. What color is he?" Obviously not a question she would need to answer herself, with her young blue right here.

She did wonder what Pern was like. She might be able to go there, but then...she was not sure she would fit in. There were many decisions and other thoughts to deal with. And Woruth was a complicating factor on all of them.

[PhazonDragon]

At Loren’s mention of sleeping all day, and being up all night, Keltin shrugged. “I guess. I’m used to it. I slowly became adjusted to the night life while back home,” he started to explain. Of course, he had to wonder as to how far he should go into his own biography. His wasn’t exactly the kind that children would need to know about. “I... Would spend a lot of time with... Riders, after Flights. If you know what I mean. And often times it would get very late.”

But that wasn’t important. All that mattered was that he was physically capable of staying up late with a wher. “Ah, brown. Keltisk is a brown,” Keltin found himself repeating, vaguely recalling that he already mentioned it. But eh. Maybe she honestly forgot. He wasn’t going to hold that against her. “He’s sleeping now--” he nodded to the sky, “--otherwise I would introduce you. He usually isn’t as territorial as other whers are.”

He closed his mouth, feeling that he was talking too much. “What about you,” Keltin suddenly asked, “You’re from Earth, correct? Why did you want to Impress a dragon... Though I suppose Earthians would want to because dragons are considered a ‘myth’ here...”

[shadowreine]

Loren considered that. "Because I've always wanted to fly...and Woruth here beats a plane any day of the week." She flickered a grin.

"My dad's none too pleased, but he's coming around. I think he's finally understanding that I'm just not the army type."

Of course, the Pernese had no true armies...only the various guards...but. "And you have to admit, he's quite the handsome fellow."

She patted the blue shoulder she leaned against, gently. She hadn't really expected a blue or not expected one. She had to admit she had only partially understood what color meant, but she was quite happy with Woruth. Would be hard not to be happy with one's dragon...