A Study in Blue

Writers: Heather, Yvonne
Date Posted: 19th February 2025

Characters: H'run, Esiah
Description: Esiah finds a subject for a painting study, and H'run makes a new acquaintance.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 12 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: K'mai

H'run

Esiah

~~Water! Water! Swimming!~~ Peri sent multiple images of the surf and waves and of his own blue body bursting through the cresting foam.

**Yes, we're going to the beach,** Esiah confirmed to his firelizard as he finished packing his canvas and paints.

Once he was set up in the powdery sand above the tidemark, all that was left to do was choose his victim for the day. His blue eyes slowly roved over the beach and the smattering of people up and down either side. There was usually always someone or something that caught his eye, that _made_ him want to paint.

One time it had been a child holding a shell to his ear, another had been a canine and his master splashing through the surf together, and sometimes, rarely, it was just the waves themselves.

His eyes zeroed in on a lone dragonrider and his blue. Esiah studied the droop of the man's shoulders and the tilt of his head. The way the blue dragon beside him offered strength and companionship.

**Bingo.**

He set about mixing the perfect shade of blue to match that of the unsuspecting dragon and his rider.

}:I like the warm.:{ Calcifeth stretched his wings, oblivious of the man with the paintbrush further down the beach. }:I want to see a dolphin. I have heard that there are many dolphins here.:{

H'run couldn't help but smile a bit at his dragon's good cheer. It was frustratingly hard to stay angry and depressed when the sun was so bright and he could feel Calcifeth's contentment radiating through their bond. Life was so simple for dragons. He wished that he could let himself enjoy the beach and its endless parade that passed their spot in the shade the same way Calcifeth was. Some of the people were even intriguingly naked.

Instead he glanced at the sky every time the shadow of a dragon's wings crossed over them. Every time he was disappointed anew when it wasn't Sebeth. Half-formed fantasties where K'mai followed him from Dragonsfall to apologize and grovel, and say that this whole hurtful business had shown him that it was really _H'run_ that he was in love with... they faded into wisps in the bright, tropical light. K'mai wasn't coming.

}:We could swim together?:{ Calcifeth said coaxingly. }:I won't even splash you and get your hair wet.:{

H'run snorted. **You will too, and then you'll say you forgot.**

The dragon narrowed his eyes in mock outrage. }:I would never!:{

**I don't believe you.** H'run stretched. **Besides, I am too hot to swim. I think I am melting. Maybe we should move here permanently...** His eyes followed the sway of a young woman's bottom as she walked past him on the beach. Less clothing meant bare bodies to appreciate, but if they moved to Dolphin Cove half of his fabulous wardrobe would never again see the light of day. It was a dilemma.

Back up the beach, Peri was perched on Esiah's shoulder, watching every stroke of the painter's brush with quizzical twists of his knobby little head.

~~Dragon play?~~ He sent images to Esiah of him fluttering over and perching on the blue dragon's head knob.

"I'm not sure he would like that," Esiah chuckled to the flit. Some dragons tolerated Peri better than others. "Let's wait until my painting is finished first, hm?"

Peri let out an audible huff against Esiah's cheek, but tucked his wings in more tightly to his spine to wait.

It was Esiah's good fortune that the dragon and his rider stayed until he was done with the painting. He sat back and surveyed it with the critical eye of a mastercrafter. The entire painting, from the dragon, to the rider, to the skies and ocean waves, had been done in various shades of blue.

"Let's go see if they want it," he said to Peri. The blue flit rocketed off his human friend's shoulder, stoked to finally be moving at last.

Picking the canvas up, Esiah carried it carefully over to the man and his lifemate. "Hello there, sorry to disturb you." Up close, now that he could really see the dragonrider's face, Esiah was struck by how handsome he was, especially with those startling green eyes. Esiah had guessed they would be brown, but the surprise was pleasant. "I've been painting you and your dragon and thought, well, that you might like to have it?" He extended the canvas toward the other man.

H'run held the painting gingerly by the corners as he examined it. It was a study, but beautiful work nonetheless. Thoughtful brushstrokes, balanced composition-- **I look so sad...** When he looked back up at the man, H'run was unsurprised to see his knots. "Thank you, Master Harper! This is... very kind."

"You and your dragon were the perfect subjects today. Your lifemate is the most beautiful shade of blue." Esiah said all this while Peri inched across his shoulders until he was as close to flying over and landing on Calcifeth as possible.

"Usually I'm the only one who thinks that. Thank you." H'run hesitated, his desire for company warring with the raw way he still felt. Then he gestured for the other man to join him. He was a Master Harper, and when opportunity knocked to cultivate someone with pull within the Craft, H'run would be a fool to say no. "I'm not really from here and I'm afraid I don't know your name, Master...?"

"Esiah. Please, just Esiah." He sat down, as he would never turn down an invitation from an attractive man. "I normally paint portraits, so I come down to the beach to just... Experiment."

Portraiture, while in demand, was an exacting practice. H'run had been passable enough at painting to earn his knots but hadn't had enough of an interest in the discipline to study it beyond what was required. Esiah, on the other hand, had just given him a quick tonal study that was worthy of a place on a wall. No wonder he was a Master and H'run had stalled out on his studies with just a Junior Journeyman's knots. Perhaps it was time to pick up his Craft again.

"Your experiments are far better than what I could do," the bluerider admitted. "But tell me more of your work. I do love an artist with an eye for colour."

"Well, portraits are my first love. I love capturing exactly what I see on canvas. Other times, I like to capture the feeling, the aura, I gather from a certain scene." He propped his elbows on his knees, the wind from the waves ruffling his hair. "Your portrait, for example. There was a sweet sadness, but companionship between you and your dragon. I wanted to capture it. It was beautiful."

"Oh Faranth, don't make me cry." H'run set the portrait carefully on the blanket between them and pressed his fingertips against his eyes as Calcifeth made a low, almost inaudible crooning noise. "It's been a terrible few days and this is just too much kindness."

"I'm sorry," Esiah murmured. "I know we just met, but you seem like the type of person who is easy to be kind to... So I hope you don't mind if I try." Over his shoulder the painter noticed that Peri had finally worked his way to Calcifeth's head knob and was now perched there, eyes whirling bright.

H'run laughed a bit at that. "Do I mind? Certainly not. I appreciate the effort very much, Master Esiah." Even if it was misplaced. Another shadow passed overhead-- blue wings, but not Sebeth's. H'run's smile slipped. "Perhaps you could do me the good turn of telling me which bathing pool here is best? I've only discovered the one so far, this morning."

Esiah smiled, although the shadow he noticed was the one in H'run's eyes. "I do in fact know of a good bathing pool. It also tends to be graced by appropriately attractive people, which I find important to a good bath sometimes."

"I do enjoy a bath with a view!" H'run said lightly. "What are you doing this evening? I can offer a lovely scented soap in exchange for a little company. Although... it would just be company for the bath." He hesitated, suddenly wishing that he hadn't brought up baths at all. "I'm not up for... I'm not good company at the moment, and I think more than a bath would be overly exhausting for us both."

The painter lifted his hands. "Just a bath. I'll even save you from being remotely attracted to me during said bath by telling you every joke I know." There was a teasing glint in Esiah's eyes.

**You need company. You should go with him,** Calcifeth encouraged. The dragon gently nudged his rider with his head.

}:You're only saying that because you like wearing a firelizard as a hat,:{ H'run told him.

**Well... yes. I do.**

"What's your firelizard's name?" H'run asked.

"Oh," Esiah huffed out a laugh. "That's Peri. He's obsessed with dragons. Head knobs, specifically."

"How odd." H'run paused. "Well, Calcifeth appreciates an accessory..."

"Peri is quite honored, you have no idea. He won't quit sending me feelings of happiness. Calcifeth has picked up a new worshiper, no doubt."

**If only it were so easy for the rest of us...** H'run kept the thought to himself. "Perhaps an after dinner soak, then? Where should I meet you? I admit that I just came from Dragonsfall Weyr yesterday so my ability to stay up late is embarrassingly limited..."

"I'll meet you in the Weyrbowl, and I promise you'll be in your new weyr in your comfortable jammies in no time."

Last updated on the February 21st 2025

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A Study in Blue