Dolphins and Duties

Monaco Bay Weyr - Docks
A thin, windy pathway lined with paper lanterns leads to the sturdy docks made of stone and wood that stretch out into the deep azure waters. A large wall of stone curves around the docks, protecting the small docking harbor from the weather. Nestled against the intersection of docks and land, a large hollow has been carved out of the rock, the formation intended for storage of smaller ships during the worst of Monaco's storm season.


It is a few hours in to the evening time here, most people are knocking off from there work heading into the Weyr proper for either dinner or just to have a drink. In the water though is a different story, Kalen is swimming with a large bull dolphin. Well chasing is a better term as the dolphin has some sort of fabric in his snout and is clicking happily. Kalen is paddling fast giving chase to the mammal as it seems to taunt him before bursting away again.

D'lei looks at first like he might be one of the people headed for a drink, out with a small cluster of people along the pier, but… halfway out, he breaks away from them. There's a pause, a moment of laughter, an affable clap on the shoulder, and then D'lei steps to the edge. He's still in a Deluge duty-wetsuit, and so… he dives right in, maybe not as graceful as a dolphineer but still clearly at home in the water.

The new person in the water gives Kalen the opening he needed to snatch the piece of cloth from the dolphins jaws as Atlas turns to look at who just entered into his domain. The dolphin will glide over to inspect the new person but not close enough to touch yet. Kalen moves with a quickness diving back under the water and then surfacing again he will give a wave to D'lei "Evening"

D'lei is a helper! Or a distraction. Either way. He swims under for a moment, then bobs to the surface again, with… oh, hey, a dolphin. Not unusual, but still worth noting… and then a person. D'lei nods, with a wave of his own to Kalen. "Evening! How's the water?"

Kalen grins "better now I got my suit back" yup no shame for this boy, Kalen will swim over to where Atlas is waiting and rest a gentle hand on the dolphin. "D'lei this is Atlas, Atlas this is D'lei." Atlas will inch forward to get a better look saying to the rider "You swim, nice"

D'lei laughs. "At least when the dolphins steal something, you know it's going to be in the ocean somewhere?" he muses. "Though I suppose that doesn't help much." It's a big ocean! He grins to 'neer - and dolphin. "Hi, Atlas." He flickers fingers against the water's surface in something like a wave.

Kalen shrugs and gives a merry grin "I wouldn't know, no dragon has stole my clothes." Motioning to the dolphin who is swimming closer to D'lei now "This one likes stealing my suit when I dont wear a wet suit. He thinks it will land me a playmate" Kalen rolls his eyes as Atlas will move up to poke the man in the hand with his snout, he clicks happily.

"Probably for the best, that." D'lei grins, then splays his fingers at the nudge from Atlas. "…heh," he says as he tries a scritch back along jaw. "You'll have to tell me if I'm doing it wrong, I haven't exactly given dolphins pets before." But he can extrapolate from dragons and canines! Or so he hopes. Kalen gets another glance, and a grin. "…so has his plan worked yet?"

Kalen eyes the man in the water and will say "I don't know, he seems to have caught me a nice looking specimen so far" he teases but there is still the obligatory checking out. When asking about how to pet him Kalen will move closer and rub the large forehead of the dolphin saying "this is the 'melon' and it is almost all dolphins favorite spot" Atlas for his part will close one eye at the attention he is getting from the two men and say in his higher pitched voice "nice…"

D'lei laughs. "Nice looking is hardly the same as playmate, of course…" he says. He seems amused, at least somewhat, and he adjusts his petting of Atlas to go over the melon where Kalen suggests. "…you know, I've never thought to ask before. What are dolphins like in terms of mating? I mean, dragons have their flights, we humans have all our complexities…"

Kalen laughs abit saying "your question is to board, but I understand it as most people will ask about it." He floats there one hand on his partner saying "dolphins are just as if not more like us humans in the fact that they will mate for fun as well as for the betterment of the species." He will grin and look over saying "and like some of us are not picky when it comes to gender."

"I mean, you could argue the same for dragons. Not like we get eggs when a green goes up." D'lei grins, with another rub along dolphin-melon. "But I see what you're getting at. One of the more promiscuous species we've got around!"

Kalen nods and grins "and by far the most playful too, everything is a game to these ones." Atlas floats there basking in the affection, he will now bump his beak like snout into D'lei trying for more attention. This causes Kalen to chuckle "and they love attention from anyone who will give it to them."

D'lei grins, and nods, with a laugh as Atlas demands more pets… and he provides it, because, hey. He's a sucker, apparently? "Do they, mmh. I mean, if they're flexible in terms of who they mate, and they love attention… does that ever cross the species barrier?"

Kalen will look at D'lei, the man as asked a question he has heard ever since he came to this Weyr, and give a weary grin "Not that I know of, Why? You looking to be the first?"

D'lei laughs. "Nah. But maybe he is. I mean, stealing your shorts? That's definitely a step along the way to some naughty fun." He grins, probably teasing but… who knows? "Maybe he's just hoping that you'll find a playmate in him."

Kalen laughs and grins "From what the old stories tell us Earth dolphins were known to mate with any and everything they could. But these guys were enhanced? I guess is the word so now they aren't as much a slave to those basic instincts" Atlas will spray D'lei with water from his blow hole, showing just what he thinks of that line of thought.

D'lei huhs, and nods to Kalen, his fingers moving back along Atlas's melon…. and then he laughs as he gets a spray of water, giving his head a shake. "Okay, okay, objection noted. I'll stop making implications about you and your species. But you are shameless about the pettings, you're not going to get yourself out of that one."

Atlas will whistle and go back to lounging in the attention, while Kalen just has to grin "Well they are a social species, and the more people want to play with them the more they want attention." The youngman will swim over and add to the petting saying "This one also enjoys it right here where the jaw stops on the under belly" As he rubs the spot Atlas will start clicking almost like a purring noise. "So what brings out out this evening, or are you just like me and would rather be in the water than above it?"

D'lei adjusts fingers to pet the other place Kalen shows him on Atlas, going for some symmetry as they get him at both sides. "There was a canine at the hold like that, when I was a kid. Just… happy waggy whenever somebody came to visit, because hi new friend." He laughs at the memory, then… heh. "Just keeping myself used to it, really. Never know when I might get tossed in the water."

Kalen nods "always a good thing to know, and there is always me or my sister Lyzaen here to help if ya need a remedial course" he teases lightly but will grin over at the man and add "I heard rumors of a change in your wing, are they sending you away again?"

"Maybe we could make a whole thing of it. Remedial swimming for everyone…." D'ei muses, then… laughs. "Nah. I mean, yeah, you heard correctly, but… nobody's being sent away. Just a bit of a change in ordering. Which is to say… I'm in charge now." A crooked grin.

Kalen tilts his head and laughs "I wouldn't mind getting more people out here working with the dolphins." Atlas has actually fallen asleep against the bronzerider overloaded on affection. "So how does that feel now to be in charge? I can't imagine the paperwork got lighter"

D'lei petted so good! He nods to Kalen, though. "Do you know who I'd talk to about a joint exercise? We could make it a game, see how many rescue dummies the dragons and the dolphins could each get." He grins, then… laughs at the paperwork. "I'm telling myself it'll go faster once I get used to it."

Kalen laughs and nods "Yeah that is what I told my self now i am a journeyman and my sister beats me over the head with it till I do it." When asked who to talk to he shrugs "Probably me since I am the Search and Rescue trained one. Unless they finally station a master here which won't likely happen anytime soon."

D'lei laughs. "Me, I don't have a sister. Might be for the best, I get enough beatings without one." He grins, then… nods. "Well then, consider the idea put in your head. I mean, we've got the same goals, at least somewhat… might as well work on them together!" Another grin, and then a sigh. "Though for now… I probably should stop avoiding next week's wing rotas and actually do that." A wave. "It was nice swimming with the both of you."

Kalen grins and nods giving a wave saying "Defiantly, we will see you around" Atlas will do a flip in the air the dolphins own way of saying good by and thanks for all the attention. Kalen grins and will say to the bull dolphin "See you might get new playmates soon enough".


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