Hope for the Future

Writers: Eimi, Rochelle
Date Posted: 13th November 2006

Characters: R'mer, Eleada
Description: R'mer finds the inspiration to continue his flirting lessons with Eleada
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 26 of Turn 3

Eleada grinned as she spotted R'mer walking toward her. She wasn't sure if he wanted to continue the flirting lessons now that he was a senior weyrling, but it didn't mean that he no longer needed them...

"Hi handsome!" She called cheerfully.

"Hey," he waved a hand as he walked towards her, his other jammed firmly in his pocket. "I saw you and I thought I'd say 'hi'."

"Well then, hello!" She said cheerfully. "How's Hanunth?"

"I think he's starting to notice girls," R'mer chuckled. "He's starting to pay attention when mating flights are overhead. I think it won't be too long before he tries it for himself."

"It will be a while before he catches anyone." Eleada said seriously, her eyebrows raising. "Do you think you're ready?"

"For a mating flight? I think so," he shrugged. "They told us what to expect if we win, or if we lose. I just hope he doesn't catch a male greenrider first."

"Knowing what to expect isn't the same as experiencing it." She warned him, but let the comment about male greenriders slide. What happened, happened, and it would happen eventually. "Just remember to be polite to whoever you wake up with. It's really easy to hurt someone in a mating flight." She felt her stomach twist, remembering her brother T'ledyr's second flight. It had been won by an exceptionally cruel brownrider, and afterwards her brother had crept back to her mother and spent candlmarks crying in her lap.

"What do you mean?" Wasn't it over once they woke up? Didn't the riders just... part ways? "Sometimes... a greenrider won't be happy after a flight. They might be upset that the winner isn't who they wanted, or they're shy, or even nervous or scared. It isn't easy being a greenrider sometimes, R'mer."
She said with a sigh. "We don't have the option of jumping in the sea to cool off if we lose. If it's a bad flight it helps if the person we wake with isn't trying to be mean."

"Well, I wouldn't be _mean_," R'mer said, almost indignant that she would think he might. She smiled. "I wasn't saying you would be. Just be aware that not everyone is comfortable with the situation." **Ah, why not...?** She leaned forward, her voice low, almost purring. "And I'm sure you will be the perfect flight partner..." She trailed off suggestively.

R'mer could feel the heat rising slightly to his face. "You're flirting with me again."

"Very good!" She said approvingly, leaning away from him with a light laugh. "You're getting better."

"So how do I know when you want to..." He could feel his face grow even hotter, but she was the only person he knew he could ask. At least he thought he could... "You know... Do more than flirt?"

She raised an eyebrow. This was certainly daring of him, but as a dragonrider he certainly would need to learn... "Good question. And the answer is it depends on the person. Some people will just hint, and you have to guess. Others will say it straight out. Most fall somewhere between, and there are a lot of euphemisms used for sex. I like tumble, for example. But a surefire way to tell is if they start to mention broom closets and weyrs in a suggestive tone."

"Well, I would think a tumble in a broomcloset wouldn't be all that comfortable." R'mer would much prefer a sofa to a cramped closet.

She chuckled. "If you're in a hurry, anywhere will do. Or you might not want to be spotted leaving someone else's weyr. You can get quite inventive in broomclosets, supply rooms, beaches..." She trailed off with a grin, cocked her head to one side then cuddled up to R'mer. "I'm sure you'll understand what I mean..." She purred into his ear.

He couldn't help scrunching up his shoulder a bit as her breath tickled his skin. "Yeah, maybe..." R'mer knew she was doing it on purpose.

Eleada laughed softly. "You really are getting better at this, R'mer."
She said encouragingly, pulling back. "But as for sex, have you gotten any practice since you became a senior weyrling, or are you not sure how to go about it?" She asked. She really had no idea how far he'd gotten on that track -it was the first time he'd been willing to talk to her about it.

"Well, there is one girl," he admitted shyly. "But she found me before we Impressed. I really didn't _do_ anything to... start anything..." "Sometimes you don't need to." She said understandingly. "Is this the same girl you said you liked?"

"Yeah, I do like her," R'mer nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips at the thought of her. "I like being with her. And not just... you know, _being_ with her..."

She smiled softly. Young love... She still thought fondly of her first crush. "I know what you mean. That's a good thing. You need to enjoy people for who they are, not just what you can do together." Something she regretted not doing enough of in her teen years...

"Yeah, but, I have the feeling that I'm not as... interesting to her. And I don't blame her. There's lots of smarter and more flirty guys out there." But that didn't mean he liked the idea.

"You're smart, R'mer." She said sternly. "And never think otherwise.
Anyone who can't appreciate you isn't worth spending time with." She'd seen too many new riders with the same idea, and sometimes it led to disaster. Better to stamp it out now. "And as for you're friend, if she found you _before_ you Impressed, I don't think you have much to worry about. She obviously likes you even if you aren't as flirty as some.
Although if you wanted, you could change that." She added with a smile.

"Well, I'm trying." And probably not succeeding very well. "I'm just not... I'm not even sure what the word would be. Smooth, maybe."

Her smile grew, and a warning sparkle rose in her eyes. "Well, some people flirt naturally, R'mer, and some need to practice. Why don't you show me what you mean. Flirt with me."

"Would flirting with you do any good?" he asked suspiciously. Though she had been his flirting teacher, she still didn't seem interested in being anything more. Sometimes he wondered why she took the time.

"It would be a safe way to practice." She pointed out. "Now that you've got an idea when others are flirting, it's the next obvious step. And I can certainly tell you how well you're doing."

"But wouldn't it having an effect tell me how well I was doing more?" "That's true." She agreed. "But it is easier with practice, and if you can affect me, I'd say you're doing well, wouldn't you? Just because I learned to control myself doesn't mean I can't be affected."

"And if I get an effect, what will you do about it?" he asked, finally looking up to meet her eye.

"How about a kiss?" She suggested with a smile. "That would certainly let you know."

"How do I know one of your kisses is worth all the trouble?" he asked, blushing only slightly.

"Are you saying you want a freebie?" She asked in mock outrage, unable to keep her grin off her face.

"Maybe," he shrugged, a grin starting to creep across his face. "Maybe I just want to know if you're as good as you think you are."

"Well, that would be for you to decide, wouldn't it?" She said with a grin, then relented. R'mer had probably never kissed anyone other than his family and the one girl. Might as well give him a taste. "All right then. But this is your only freebie." She warned. "After this, you work for it."

"I can live with that." His heart still gave a huge bump in his chest. He wasn't sure at first if he was supposed to kiss her, or if she was supposed to kiss him. Shards, Isie had initiated their first kiss. She had just stood on tip-toe, pressed against him and suddenly they were kissing. It had been so easy on his part. He reached out to wrap his fingers around her waist and pulled her closer. R'mer couldn't look her in the eye as he leaned down to tentitively press his lips to hers.
**Shells, I hope I don't look completely clueless!**

He was warm... Suddenly she ached for male companionship, but she shoved the feeling down. Instead, she molded herself against him, running her hands up his chest and around his neck. Inexperienced, yes, but she didn't mind. It was a demonstration, after all. Slowly so as not to spook him, she took control, balling her hands in his hair and shirt and letting him taste her loneliness, drawing him deeper into the need she refused to give into with the soft but willing touch of her lips. Something told him this kiss held some kind of deeper meaning he was not familiar with. Isie had never been this slow and soft. She knew what she wanted and was not shy about leading him exactly where she wanted to go. This was different. New and really kind of nice. He unconsciously pulled her closer as he followed her pace and slowly opened up to her the way he had always done with Isie. R'mer wanted to know more.

She felt his arms tighten around her, his warm smell and touch surrounding her. It had been sooo long, and she let that longing funnel a soft passion into the kiss as he opened to her, a hint of suggestion as she moved her hands to run down his back and shoulders... But she couldn't. She wanted to continue, but she stamped down the feeling with turns of practice and reluctantly ended the kiss when she came up for air.
She sighed heavily to herself, still in his arms. "Well?" She whispered.

"So," his voice rounded a little rough even to his own ears and he cleared his throat self-consiously though he made no move to release her, "if I keep working on it, we can do that again?"

Eleada chuckled softly. "That's the idea, isn't it?" She turned her head up to face him. "If you think it's worth the trouble."

"I do," he admited with a shy grin. "But if I was able to weedle a kiss out of you once, I figure that gives me some hope for the future, right?"

She laughed. "I would certainly say so."

Last updated on the November 14th 2006

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