Main Beach - Ista Weyr(#44RJa$)
     Hilly dunes slope down from the foot of the jungle, slow angles that soften as they greet the flat expanse of the black beach. Ebony sand stretches out in all directions, clinging to the coastline as the slow roll of incoming waves beat tirelessly against the shore. A few stubborn trees with great leafy fronds insist on growing here, providing meager shade that further darkens already richly dark sands. This breathtaking tableau, tucked against the wind-protected base of the Weyr, opens onto the sapphire sea, capped here and there with the white lace of curled breakers.
     It's a handsome cove that the Weyr's beach is nestled within, long and curving to form a definite if somewhat broken crescent that slows the tumult of waves to a more pleasant lapping. Curled between to sandbars that reach black fingers out into the blue sea, there's a fair amount of room here for any manner of seaside activity: Napping, swimming, picnicking, and playing are all frequent and viable passtimes. Just to the northwest, the sandy path that creeps back up through the dunes to the clearing of the jungle is visible. Due west, beyond another layer of sand dunes, the beaches continue with less protection than this little inlet offers.

So it's late. Time is immaterial when one is dealing with the whims of a green dragon. With a put upon sigh, Catti slides down from Reiseth's neck and says, "There they are. I told you the waves would still be here. Go on." The green complies, completely oblivious to her rider's grumbling as she waddles towards the whitecaps, leaving Catti behind to patiently scuff at the sand with a foot. "Evening, Yari..."

T'yari sits. He's good at that. Sitting doesn't require blushing or stuttering or other things that T'yari's usually afflicted with when he's in the presence of another person. Nediath sits -- no, lies -- too, and while her rider doesn't spy the intrusion of others, she does. And croons a greeting.

Well. At least, T'yari was oblivious until Catti had to go and say something. Then, head jerks up and over, and after a brief hesitation, he quirks a smile and offers a greeting. "Hey."

Trust Catti to always have something to say. Brightening up somewhat, the girl trots over and plops herself down right next to the other greenrider. Personal space? What's that? "You're looking all romantic and alone out here. Like a Harper's song or something," she remarks happily. "Evening, Nediath. You're as lovely as ever."

Trust Catti to always have something to say that'll make T'yari redden. She manages to do that without fail. Tonight's no exception. "Er. Um. Okay," he says uncertainly; it's probably better to agree than disagree, even if he doesn't really believe what she's talking about. Nediath fully agrees, however, and rumbles smugly -- of /course/ she's lovely. When isn't she? Yari falls back on a safer topic, mentioning, "She says Reiseth's looking well, too."

"It's a ploy, to make everyone give her compliments. She's being /horrible/," Catriona laments, crinkling the bridge of her nose up and looking out at the green frolicking in the water. "You wouldn't believe what she wanted me to wear the other day. As if I needed extra things to make me any more gorgeous than I am. At least Nediath never makes you dress up." No, she just drags her hapless rider into embarassing social situations is all.

"Nediath does that," the other greenrider remarks ruefully, sympathetically. "And she's /always/ horrible." Not just when she decides to be extra-awful and get an extra glow to her hide. Catriona is eyed a minute before, noncommittal, he decides on a careful, "Uh huh." Yari plays it safe. Right.
GAME: Disappearing into *between*. Please wait.
GAME: Emerging from *between*. Play on.

Catriona sighs, like the martyr she is, and leans forward, folding her elbows on drawn up knees. "I just wish she'd act like herself again. I'm getting tired of trying to figure out new ways to wear white... I can't afford that kind of wardrobe." Brightening up an instant later -- mood swing central -- she chirps, "So how've you been? I've missed you!"

"Nothing's wrong with white," T'yari volunteers helpfully, per Nediath-nudging and his own not-getting-it or knowing-enough-to-shut-up. "White's...nice." He glances towards Catriona, somewhat startled and at a loss, before thoughtfully considering his toes. "Oh, I'm okay. Thanks?" Or something like that. Toes are safe. Yari keeps looking at those toes.

"In small doses, maybe. But Reiseth likes a lot of white. And it gets so /dirty/ when you're doing stuff!" Catriona's nose continues to crinkle, which contrasts oddly with the grin her current mood has fixed on her face. "You're welcome. Why're you staring at your toes? Can I see?" Playfully, she reaches out and swats at Yari's feet. "You'd think after two Turns of knowing each other, you'd stop being all embarassed by being around me. I'm not that bad am I?" Be honest.

"Could be a down-side," T'yari agrees, burying those toes under the sand and out of swatting-reach. That's the purpose, anyways. "I'm not?" he tries. "That's just where my eyes were?" he hazards. "My toes are not that special." The blush begins to re-spread; even bringing up the fact that Yari is horridly bashful merits a flush in his cheeks. "Maybe?" he fudges.

"Sure they are. They're attached to you, aren't they?" No one said Catti has to make sense. Ever. The grin fades a moment later though, to be replaced by a rather suspicious pout. "How come? I don't want you to be embarassed around me. I like you, you know.. you shouldn't be embarassed by your friends. How can I fix that?"

T'yari doesn't get it. But still manages to blush. He just happens to be a little better at covering it up, this time. "I'm not embarrassed," he protests. "Who says I'm embarrassed?" Nediath just watches. And T'yari doesn't include her in his tally and prefers to not repeat comments she makes.

Nediath probably has a pretty good bead on what's going on. A shame Catti can't listen in. "If you're not embarassed, how come I always make you blush? /All/ of your friends make you blush, actually. I want you to be comfortable around me." The pout continues to grow in direct proportion to how pushy she's getting on this topic. "But you aren't. I can tell. That hurts my feelings..."

Nediath knows all. And makes lots of comments that T'yari ends up fidgeting from. Evil dragon. "It's Nediath," T'yari attempts, raising himself up from his lounging position momentarily to point at the green. When all else fails, blame the dragon. "It's her fault. She makes me blush." Yari just leaves out the unspoken 'and so does everyone else.' It probably wouldn't be very favorable to his case.

Catriona's eyes swivel to inspect the indicated green before turning back to scrutinize her rider. Uh-huh. "So what's she saying, then?" she presses, completely unwilling to give this up. Evil thing. But she can't be entirely held to blame... "It must be good, if it makes you squirm every time someone who likes you shows their face."

T'yari is not going to share /that./ No way. Besides, if he told Catti just what Nediath likes to say, it might end up backfiring and coming back to haunt him. Except that it'd be said aloud. Which only makes it worse. "Just -- you know. What she always says." T'yari tries out a smile, but it ends up somewhat flat. "Nothing new." Another bout of startlement causes Yari to peer towards the other greenrider, dubiously repeating, "Someone who likes me? But /I/ thought..." He comes up short, cutting off that phrase and offering instead another wobbly smile.

"But she doesn't talk to me, so I have no idea what she always says," Catriona argues reasonably, cocking her head to one side and flashing a hopeful grin. Maybe charm'll work the info out of him. Faranth knows she's just oozing with charm. "You thought what? I told you I like you, didn't I? You're my friend, silly. Like Q'rin, and G'nar, and Falina, and... well... everyone, really." Cmon, fess up. Sharing info is good for the soul. Really.

T'yari is charm-resistant. Or he tries to be, at least. In truth, Yari's spineless and just inserts a fake plastic rod in place of vertebrae. "Ask Reiseth to ask her, sometime?" T'yari suggests, regretting it the moment it's out -- that's actually a way to find out, and he doesn't want people to find out. Lucky for him that draconic memories are so short. He opts for an easy word that doesn't give away anything, either about Nediath-teasing or possible confessions. "Yeah."

Oooh. Good idea. Of course, Yari probably shouldn't have suggested it to the rider half of this pair. Catriona's memory is much better than Reiseth's, and you can trust that she'll suggest it to her lifemate at some point. She's grinning, just thinking about it. "I think I will. If /you're/ not going to open up and talk, maybe she will. Yeah what? Cmon, Yari, I'm your friend," she suggests sweetly, batting her eyes just a wee bit, "You've known me for Turns. I promise I won't tell."

T'yari plays innocent, which actually is the best route to go -- Yari's an innocent. Uncorrupted. Uncorruptable. Maybe. "You lost me," he informs. "I don't know what you're talking about." He does fidget a little at the eye-batting, though. Not that. Bad idea.

"No, you lost me. You said yeah... yeah to what?" Catriona starts laying on the charm thick, batting her eyes full tilt now and even throwing in a sweet little half-smile for extra effect. She can't claim any dimples, but the intent is there. "You're confusing me, now. And you're squirming again, so it must be something good..."

T'yari tries his best not to squirm, since it's been noticed and pointed out to him. Nediath happens to find this all very amusing, drawing and diverting her lifemate's attention long enough for him to throw a faintly irritated and alarmed glance at her, hissing, "/Nediath!/ Don't you dare." Her interruption gives a little boost to his weakening (nonexistent?) spine, for he straightens, insisting, "Yeah nothing. Wrong word. I didn't mean anything by it." Yari does avoid eye-contact, however, glaring fiercely at the green for a minute before moodily peering at the water-line.

Oh, this is just too good to be passed up. Deciding to pull out all of the stops, Catriona looks out towards the water and grins faintly. At least she's quiet for the moment. Of course, that glazed look in her eye can only mean that the girl is talking to the playing Reiseth. Out among the waves, the green pauses in her splashing and looks back towards shore. Even at a distance, her inquiring warble carries well -- and is directed immediately towards Nediath. Here it comes... << Nediath, Catriona wants to know what is making T'yari blush and squirm so much. >>

Nediath /likes/ playing games, though, so the immediate response is suitably vague: << I haven't the slightest notion what you're talking about. >> It's all a way to prolong T'yari's suffering, of course, but Reiseth doesn't have to know that. << Take a guess. >> More evil-eye-esque glowers are sent between the green and her lifemate, latter lapsing into faintly fidgety silence.

Reiseth, being a lady who is completely unsuited to Nediath's level of evil, is taken aback. Guess? << I'm not very good at guessing. Catriona thinks it has something to do with why his friends make him nervous, though? >> she ventures. As for the rider mentioned, /she/ is being quite innocent. Look...she's even started to whistle quietly while guilelessly surveying the ocean scene spread out before her. Not a thing that inspires much trust in the faint of heart.

<< Well, dear, there's just so /many/ things that make him nervous... >> Nediath leaves that tantalizing phrase half-finished and dangling; she's out to catch some fish. Present company included. All three of them. "Nediath, stop it," T'yari requests in a pained tone, giving it away that either he's been listening in or Nediath's letting him hear her part of the conversation. Nediath has absolutely no intentions of stopping, however, and turns her gaze away from her lifemate. Poor Yari.

"What? She's just sitting there," Catti puts in, having absolutely no intention of letting Yari mess up this interrogation. Although Reiseth is the absolute worst when it comes to interrogating. She's no where near as nosy as her rider. << Well... what's he being nervous about now, Catriona wants to know. >> The little green is uncomfortable with having to pry like this, but ever the sweetheart, she lets Catriona push on this issue. There will be revenge had at a later date, no doubt. There was that lovely ruffly, poofy white creation/dress she'd seen not long ago...

"Yeah, innocent as a Bitran scheming to get your money," T'yari mutters. Nediath takes that as a compliment, no doubt. Or at least she doesn't let up any. << Ah. Well. Yes. That. Oops, I'm afraid it just slipped my mind... >> Nediath positively gloats. She has power. And relishes it. << But maybe if you guess correctly, it'll help me remember. >>

<Public> T'yari watches Nediath take a life of her own. She's /evil./
Reiseth pauses to let Catti fill her in on what she should guess. << He has a crush on someone? Or... he thinks Catriona likes him in the way she likes G'nar? >> Ooooh. That's what the girl is after now. Reiseth sounds positively scandalized -- this is not proper dinner time conversation! -- but the grin spreading over Catti's face matches Nediath's sassy evil. "Hey, I'm not a Bitran! And Nedi is just being... sweet," she rises to the green's defense, practically chortling over how much fun this is.

Nediath's reply? It comes in a teasing sing-song that actually makes T'yari wince. << Maaay-be. I don't know. You said it, not me. I'm afraid I can't help you any, doll. >> If Reiseth's scandalized, Yari's doubly so. "Maybe you should've been," he grumbles out. "/She/ should've been. She is not sweet. She doesn't know /how/ to be sweet. The moment she's sweet is the moment that I...stop blushing."

<< That's not fair! >> Always one to stick by the rules, Reiseth starts to wade back in, properly shocked that Nediath isn't living up to her end of the bargain. << You said you would remember if we guessed right! >> Catriona is likewise unhappy with the other green's teasing, and makes a face at Nediath before turning to T'yari. "So... is that what it is? You're frightened of me having a crush on you?" Better to bypass this dragon to dragon stuff and go right to the source. Provided the source doesn't curl up and die upon being asked.

<< Aw, sweets, but it's no fun to play by rules. >> Nediath's not in the least bit sympathetic. << That's /my/ rule. My game. You play by my rule in my game. Better luck next time, maybe. >> T'yari actually breathes a sigh of relief; Nediath just earned herself right back into his good graces. Good dragon. She won't have to sleep elsewhere tonight. "I don't know what you're talking about, Cat." Lie, lie. Yari takes his cue from Nediath.

Reiseth, being the sort she is, decides not to charge into an argument. She settles instead for stepping from the water and crouching on the sand nearby, eyes whirling an annoyed yellow as they regard her clutchsib. "Sure you do, Yari. You're frightened that I'm going to try to crawl into your bed, like I did with G'nar," Catriona continues on cheerfully, her own mood restored by the fact that -- in her own mind -- she's winning. "Or maybe... you want me to?" Oooh. She awaits the answer with nothing but grinning anticipation.

If T'yari didn't want to curl up and die before, he does now. Nediath was bad. Bad Nediath. Too much information, Nediath. Nediath doesn't like the idea of losing at her own game and so decides to help out her poor rider -- or maybe she just wants to have a place to spend the night. It's easier to sun on a ledge than in the Bowl. "I think," T'yari drawls out, "that Reiseth's gotten to your head." He indicates the green with a flick of his wrist. "There's /reasons,/ you know, that she always wants you to wear white." He pauses for effect, then adds, "She's /proddy./" Dear Faranth. T'yari can actually say the word without blushing? Nediath /is/ good for something, after all. "Which means that you are, too. Have you considered that maybe you're reading...things into innocent, harmless situations?" Cough, cough.

Innocent? Harmless? Even when not proddy, Catriona can not be considered either of these things. And she adores reading into situations. It livens up what might otherwise be a dull routine, betwixt and between flying against thread. "Oh, she's not /that/ proddy," Catti dismisses this excuse with a flick of her hand, trying to sound all breezy about it. For her part, Reiseth doesn't say a word -- she is, after all, guilty of such a condition. But she's leaving this particular conversation entirely up to her rider. "Cmon... tell me. Do you like me? Or do you not want me to like you. It's a simple question!"

Anson comes over the dunes and down the path from the jungle clearing.

Catriona is seated right next to T'yari. In fact, she's leaning towards him in a rather insistant manner, as if doing her best to get the poor fellow to share some soul-deep secret. The expectant grin on her face backs that theory up nicely. Nearby, drying on the black sands, is Reiseth who looks somewhat less pleased than her rider. The little green is currently staring unhappily at Nediath, eyes somewhat yellowed by strong emotion.

Anson walks toward the beach and his greenrider beacon goes off. Spotting Catti and T'yari together, the man's eyes widen. Retreat Retreat!! Despite the alarms going off in his head, the candidate quickly quiets the alarms going off and walks toward the two. "G'eve Greenriders."

"Yeah right." T'yari eyes the offending party critically. "That's like saying 'I'm not /that/ ugly.' It's never true. It's either one or the other. No half-ways." T'yari is not, for the record, saying that he's ugly. "If you're so smart, you can figure it out by yourself," the greenrider cheerily tells Catriona with one of those little secretive half-smiles that only pop into place with Nediath decides to grace her rider by being on his side. Yari shoots another grin -- a smug one -- towards the green, who lies a little ways away with tail neatly curled around her apple-green side before noticing Anson -- or being noticed -- and calling over his ambivilant greeting. "Hi."

Anson smiles faintly at T'yari, "Evening T'yari. How's Nediath this beautiful night?"

Catriona blinks slowly, trying to figure out just how in the world Yari managed to get off an answer like that without dying of embarassment. "But... oh cmon, you /have/ to tell me," she pleads, utterly off balance with this Nediath-assisted greenrider she's having to deal with. "Anson, tell him he has to tell me!" Notice that she's not filling the unfortunate candidate in on just what information she's looking for. It's best to keep one's allies as clueless as possible. "Come sit over here!" A sudden grin causes her face to light up, while she pats the sand at her side.

Anson raises a brow and shakes his head, "I won't tell him anything until you tell me what you are talking about. Besides, I shouldn't even be here. The others would have a fit if they knew I was here. I shouldn't have left the weyr anyways...but I needed to stretch my legs out."

A quick hand flip dismisses the idea of Catti tattling in any way on Anson's weyr departure. "Oh pooh. Those rules're silly anyways. Besides... I'm kind of chilly. You can help keep me warm," she beams. Yup, cuddled right between Anson and this new bold T'yari. Catriona can handle that. "I want Yari to fess up on whether or not he's scared of me liking him, or whether he wants me to like him. He's being stubborn." She adds a pout to that last statement for emphasis. "You like me, don't you Anson?"

"No I don't," T'yari replies simply. "Who said?" Yari didn't. Nediath didn't. "I won't tell on you," T'yari remarks to Anson, "if you don't ask any more questions about what she's talking about. Or say anything about it. Or even mention that you heard anything." The greenrider languidly propels himself to his feet -- no cuddling for him. Yari's off-limits. One of Nediath's stipulations. He mimes a yawn, stating, "/I/ am going to bed."

"You /can't/ go to bed, you haven't answered my question yet!" All indignant-like, Catriona bounces to her feet and props balled hands on hips. "Yari! This is /not/ fair! I want to know, sharditall." Wow. Cue the foot-stomping. "Anson, tell him! Please? I want to know and it's no fair for him not to tell... and I'm /not/ that proddy." Just ignore the tense set of the green dragon resting behind her, please. Those are not yellow and violet highlights you're seeing in her eyes.

Anson glances to Catti and wrinkles his nose only slightly. "Yes, Catriona, I like you. And whether he tells you if he likes you or not is his own perogative. Don't pressure him."

"I can do whatever I want!" T'yari shoots back to Catti sans blushing. "/Make/ me. Make me stay." Nediath gathers herself up from her sprawled position in the meantime, shaking sand from wings and sending a smug little croon in Reiseth's direction. Thank you. Come again next time. The games will be new and improved.

Catriona will pressure whom she pleases, thank you. Seeing as how Anson has turned against her -- he obviously doesn't like her -- the girl falls back on the ultimate weapon. Cuddliness. "You really want me to make you stay?" she perks, seeing a thousand and one opportunities here. "You witnessed it, Anson! Right?" With that, she pounces towards the other greenrider. He's either going to have to run to Nediath, or stay and be... well... pounced. And then who knows /what/ might happen.

Er. That wasn't the intent. Rather, T'yari just wanted to send Catriona off-guard again and make his escape into the wild blue yonder. Although that blue is quickly turning to black. Whimper. Nediath finds this the perfect time to desert T'yari. "Um." Too late.

Anson blinks. Head for the hills! It's at this point when Anson quickly yammers "I think it's time for me to get going..G'bye!" he then hightails it out of the beach and back toward the sanctuary of the weyr itself. He really isn't supposed to be here anyways.
Anson follows the path up toward the jungle, disappearing over the brough of a sand dune.

Seeing as how Nediath withdrew her support at this most crucial of moments, Catriona opens wide the door of opportunity and throws herself on Yari. What follows is no doubt excruitiatingly painful for the young man: wrapping her arms around him, she squeezes as tight as she can, and plants a rather noisy kiss. Thankfully, what with her trying to hurry so he won't leave, her aim is off and the kiss lands on his cheek instead. Then, beaming with smug pride, she steps back and chirps, "There. Now will you stay?" Any one else would...

"Um." That's basically all a very red T'yari can manage at the moment. Nediath is evil. Evil dragon. She's finding her own ledge to sleep on. For the next five sevendays. "Um." At least he hasn't fainted yet. Yet. He'd probably like to run right about now, but it's a bit hard when one's legs refuse to work properly. Taking a face-plant in the sand is not T'yari's idea of a good time.
And Yari, for the record, isn't anyone else.

Catriona cants her head to the right and smiles her best sugar and spice smile. "That's a good um, right?" The fact that he's not running proves it, no matter what lie he may claim next. "See, that wasn't so bad. Except next time, you should hug back," she instructs cheerfully. "I knew you liked me." She's going to be insufferable for a very very long time. Or at least until Reiseth goes up.

Okay. /Now/ T'yari runs. Or, rather, makes up some phony excuse that just comes out as another "Um" before stumbling off. And yelling, "Ne/di/ath!" Someone's green is in very very big trouble. Part of her rules are breaking the rules, though, and she happens to think she came out on top. Even if she's homeless for awhile.