Lake Shore
Fine black grains mingle with the pale sand that blankets the shore, sparkling in both the sun and the moons' light.  Soft to the touch and warm where the shallow water strokes its edges, the beach offers a view only hindered when the winter calls forth clouds of mist from the lake itself.  A portion of the lake and bowl is marred by a giant landslide of ages past, its rubble ruining the symmetry of the caldera.  Tooth Crag reaches skyward to the northeast, but directly to the south, the soothing waters beckon with their gentle lapping.
The leaves on the trees start to turn and change colour as welcome sea breezes bring much needed autumn rain to the parched Fort Area.
Kerryn and J'lia are here.

"Graduation? Finally...Faranth, it was more than that, Kerryn." J'lia watches the pebbles with less interest than the queenrider, but does so with nothing better to focus on. "At least a Turn ago. More than that, I'm sure."

Kerryn acks in a burst of irritation as a windgust disrupts the careful alignment of inconsequential pebbles.  "Hey!   A Turn?  At least?  No...that can't be right, they...oh...hm.  Maybe..  Oh bother."  Hey, newcomer...  Peek.  "Hello!  Look, she's green.  Well, the dragon, anyway."

Gwyneth's landing is, perhaps, a bit ungraceful as wings beat to steady herself.  Audible mutters sound from her rider as she busies herself with dismounting.  Others are noted; the greenrider looses a hand to wave and awknowledges the riders with a simple, "Hi."

Gwyneth crouches for convenience as you easily slip down her shoulder, landing on the ground with a light thud.  A tendril of loving green accompianies, securely wrapping itself hither and yon in your mind - Gwyneth is there.

Eew, green. "Hiya." J'lia eyes the lady dragon with a hint of wariness, as if checking to make /sure/ that she's not glowy. Wouldn't do at all, especially since Anuith hasn't chased anything for months. The brown rumbles a greeting, more courteous than his rider. "Why couldn't you keep any kids, anyhow, Kerryn?" A detail that's been nagging at the former nanny with a vengeance.

A good question, and an easy answer.  "What in messy tendon juice would -I- do with kids?" comes Kerryn's baffled reply.  Kym's presence is greeted with a bright smile and a pebble-laden wave.  "C'mon over.  Want kids?"

Umm. J'lia blinks a moment. "Raise 'em? Nurture 'em? Enjoy being a part of something that will eventually leave you to become an independent entity one day..." Okay, maybe that's not so good. An odd glance is sent Kerryn's way at her query of Kym.

Kym slants a foul glance back up towards the ledges situated above the lake before attention refocuses upon the Fortians.  Over she strolls, eyebrows quirking as she hears the question.  "No.  They're messy."

Kerryn beams.  Another excellent answer.  "They are.  They are?" Pause.  "Did I know that?  I think so.  I saw messy kids."  She blinks innocently at J'lia and observes, "You're outvoted."

So she is. Brownrider mutters something, and turns back Anuith's way. "Well, then. Me and Nuith have some stuff to do, anyhow. See you later." And with that she's climbing up dragon's side, the dragon taking off.

"They take time, too," Kym adds.  "Who has time for kids?"  She offers out a smile and an introduction.  "I'm Kym.  Visiting from Xanadu."  She doesn't seem so pleased about the last bit of information, however -- the smile fades a bit and another annoyed glance is sent skywards.  Behind, the green lifemate rumbles.  "And that's Gwyneth."

Kym belatedly calls out her farewell to J'lia before she stuffs hands in riding jacket pockets and peers back at Kerryn.

Kerryn peers back at Kym.  J'lia gets a brief wave.  Kym gets a long peer.  And a bemused, "You seem...bothered by something.  Grumpy?"

"Yeah, maybe," comes the Xanadian greenrider's irritable reply.  She grimaces.  "Vacationing isn't fun anymore."  Kym's feet scuff at the sand some and gaze drops away to peruse laced-up boots and flying particles of grit.

Kerryn nods sagely.  "Why not?"  Nosy time.  Pry, pry, pry.  "You're upset with Fort?  Or just someone at Fort?"

Kym mumbles a reply, dragging eyes back to prying Kerryn.  "P'vias."  The greenrider spits out the name out as if it's got a dirty taste before elaborating a wee bit: "He's the most arrogant, annoying person I've ever met."

Kerryn nods quite agreeably.  "Popu.  Yes, he is, isn't he."  This said with the air of someone who actually endured the sands with P'vias a few Turns back.  "What'd he do this time?"

"He thinks I'm his weyrmate," comes Kym's near-wail of a response.  "His bronze caught Gwyn, there."

"Ahhhhhh.  I see." If she does or not is moot.  Kerryn's intrigued.  "So...are you?"

Kym vehemently intones, "/No./"  She contains a small shudder.  "I'm just taking a break from Xanadu for a bit.  I won't be staying here much longer.  But he doesn't listen to me, of course."

Kerryn thusly ponders.  Thus.  "Well, of course he doesn't.  You'll leave or you won't.  If you leave, he'll be hurt and confused.  If you stay, he'll be insufferable as always."  Ponder.  Thusly.  "You actually...y'know...-slept- with him?  Even if it -was- a flight..."

"Flights," Kym firmly says, "are quite different than anything else."  She rolls her eyes.  "I only came back up here to yell at him, you know.  And then he..made his decision.  And I figured I might as well take a break for awhile."

Kerryn nods sagely all over again and decides abruptly, "You like him, don't you."

Kym regards Kerryn with something akin to shock.  "P'vias?  Him?  Never."

Too late.  Damage done.  Idea caught and held.  Deny it at your own risk.  Kerryn merely nods more.  "You do.  It's okay, I won't tell anyone, since that'd be gossip and stuff.  Your secret's safe."  Beam.

"But..but..but I /don't!/"  Kym, aghast, just stares at the Fortian.  "He's the most horrible person ever.  Why would I like him?"

Kerryn hops to her feet and starts to stroll off.  "Beats me.  You're the one who likes him, not me.  Maybe he's better in bed than we give him credit for? Or maybe he just--" voice trails off as she meanders away.

Kym yells after Kerryn one phrase: "I don't like him!"  And then she stalks away, too, in the opposite direction.