My Dragon... Laundry?

Writers: Cali, Rochelle
Date Posted: 18th November 2006

Characters: F'melar, Karri, Sakime
Description: F'melar gets to meet his sister's friend Karri.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 12 of Turn 4

Karri raced into the weyr Sakime had just run into. Greenrider or not, when challenged to a race, she threw respectability out the window and flew down the corridor as fast as she could! She skidded on her heels and stopped herself just in time from smacking into the couch in front of her. "You win!" Karri huffed with a big smile on her face as she pointed to her friend. Sakime grinned, and thrust her fists in the air as a sign of victory. She was still breathing heavily, but very pleased with herself. She'd found her brother's new home without getting lost again, and had won the race as well! She flopped on the couch, and patted the seat beside her as she fumbled in her pocket for her slate and some chalk. The jacket was hanging on the chair instead of the hook, so her brother was home. She wanted Karri to meet him, but she hadn't taught Karri enough signs to understand that without writing it yet.

A brush of air crossed her cheek, and she looked up as her one of her brother's flits swooped through. Gesturing for Karri to wait, she followed the blue into the next room.

Karri wasn't in any hurry, so she waited patiently on the couch, taking the opportunity to look around. Seeing the riding straps hanging on the wall, she remembered that Sakime had told her she was living with a brother dragonrider, and that also explained the larger weyr. She wondered if they had a private bathing pool and was about to get up and take a peek when Sakime came back into the room. F'melar was putting away the small pot of oil he used to oil his flits when he heard Sakime race into the weyr. She'd never been quiet -she couldn't hear to know when she was noisy. Affi chirped from his perch near the ceiling, and swooped out of the room. Sakime's little bronze flit woke from his nap on the bed, and stretched as F'melar finished wiping his hands on a rag.

Affi swooped in with Sakime following, her face wreathed in smiles. He waved a greeting, and paused as she started signing excitedly at him. Then he groaned. She'd brought the friend she'd mentioned before. He should have known the footsteps were too loud to be just Sakime...

}:Stop it.:{ Oemorth advised with a mental yawn. }:She cannot hear at all. Why are you so angry when you still can?:{ F'melar took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out. Oemorth was right. And Sakime knew better than to mention his problem -not that it was easy when so few understood her signs long enough for her to pull out her slate. He needed to do this, for Sakime if not for himself. If they were to settle in, there was no point in hiding. Reluctantly, he gestured for Sakime to go ahead of him, and followed her into the other room with a sigh.

"Hi," Karri said brightly with a quick wave, "I'm Karri." Sakime was gesturing a quick explanation of how Karri had gotten into their weyr, and F'melar kept half an eye on her hands as he responded politely. "I'm F'melar, blue Oemorth's rider." Ah. They had been racing. He held up a waiting hand, and Sakime swirled off to the side, still celebrating her victory. F'melar couldn't blame her. "It's nice of you to spend some time with Sakime. We haven't been here long, and it's hard for her to meet people."

**It's not like it's a chore or anything...** Karri thought sarcastically but kept her smile plastered on her face. "Sakime's great! She kept me in stitches when we were working in the laundry rooms." He frowned in surprise. "I didn't think you would have much time to talk in the laundry." Not when Sakime had to use her hands for speaking _and_ working... "But I'm glad that she's found a friend. Did you know sign already?" He asked curiously. The headwoman had said there were a few people in the weyr who did, although he didn't think Sakime had been introduced yet.

"You don't have to talk to be humorous." she said admonishingly as she looked at Sakime and swayed her hips in imitation of the Headwoman's Assistant who frequented the laundry rooms. When Sakime joined in adding the woman's trademark scowl both girls erupted in laughter. Karri held up the hand sign for 'fat herdbeast' and had to get her giggles under control again before adding, "She taught me a little. She shows me a lot but I forget most of them, so..." she shrugged, she wished she remembered more, but she was doing the best she could. F'melar found himself relaxing a bit, certainly enough to smile faintly. Karri did seem to be a good thing for Sakime... "It takes a long time to learn, if you aren't used to thinking in visuals." He admitted. "But she's normally pretty understanding if you forgot. I had to get a refresher course about six months ago."

Sakime stamped her foot, the movement of her skirts and the slight tug of the rug under his foot catching his attention rather than the noise.
She didn't like when he talked over her. People did it to her all day, and he had no excuse. He signed a quick apology, and blinked when she finished her request in a flurry of handsigns. He turned back to Karri, uncertain what he felt about the request but seeing no reason to deny her. "She would like to know if you would mind eating with us."

"Sure!" she said brightly with a big smile. "I'd love to."

He translated the answer for Sakime before he continued, and she smiled radiantly at her friend. "We tend to eat later in the evening, after the rush. Or we bring it up here, so she can talk without elbowing anyone." **And so I don't have to worry about not hearing something.** He amended privately. Oemorth snorted. "Will that be a problem?"

"No, that's fine. Elliath was complaining for a bath anyways. I'll just come back afterwards and we can do whichever." To Sakime she said and signed, "Come with... my dragon..." and when she couldn't think of a sign for 'wash' she rolled her eyes and tried "laundry"?

Sakime watched Karri eagerly, but her confusion was evident. She looked to her brother for help, and F'melar's smile grew a bit wider. "Here." He said warmly as he translated Karri's intended meaning for Sakime, who nodded eagerly. "This is 'bath,' and this extra flourish means 'to bathe." He demonstrated the difference for Karri as Sakime stroked her little bronze when he swooped in to her shoulder.

Karri practiced the sign and hoped she wouldn't forget it. "Thanks. Sakime's chalkboard saves us a lot of confusion, but you're pretty handy too." she said teasing. "Coming?" she said to Sakime as she tilted her head at the door and started over. Sakime nodded, and with a quick glance at her brother, followed quickly after. F'melar laughed softly. "I was the chalkboard for a few years. If you work on it, you'll pick it up." Shards, but he was beginning to like this girl. She seemed to have Sakime's interests at heart, and was not just staying with her out of curiosity.

She followed the girl out the door, but popped her head back in before closing it, and added with a wave, "See you in a bit!"

Last updated on the November 19th 2006

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My Dragon... Laundry?