Gestures

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 22nd March 2024

Characters: X'eri, Yasmeane
Description: X'eri and Yasmeane begin their unlikely partnership.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 15 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra

X'eri

Yasmeane

Yasmeane couldn't help the nerves fluttering in her stomach. It was
already awkward when she had sweep drills with _anyone_ in the Wing,
but now that she was being partnered to _X'eri_ for all duties?

**What will I have in common with a _bronzerider_? How could he ever
understand my position?** She sat down at the small vanity in her weyr
and began brushing her hair as she watched her reflection in the
mirror.

"How in Faranth's name are we even going to _talk_?" she said out loud
as she slammed her hairbrush down on the vanity.

"Maybe that's it, maybe that's my punishment," she continued talking
to herself as she began braiding her hair over her shoulder. "If they
pair me with a deaf guy I'll have to suffer in silence."

}:Are you ready yet? Kohath says you are supposed to be meeting his
rider in the Dining Cavern for breakfast.:{

**I'll get there when I get there.**

--

X'eri drummed his fingers on the table, isolated in his own little
bubble of silence as he studied the woodgrains. Where was that blasted
girl? He knew some women liked to be fashionably late but it wasn't as
if this were a date.

**Far from it. More like cruel and unusual punishment,** he thought.

}:Um... X'eri. Isaroth's rider would like to know if you are
purposefully ignoring her.:{ Kohath broke into his musings.

The bronzerider's head snapped up and he was a little startled to see
that Yasmeane was sitting across from him at the table. He'd been so
absorbed in keeping his eyes averted from the other dragonriders in
the Dining Cavern that he hadn't noticed her approach from his
peripherals.

[Sorry,] he signed.

The blonde greenrider tilted her head a little, brow furrowed in confusion.

**Translate,** he told Kohath.

}:It means, 'Sorry.':{ Kohath told Isaroth.

Yasmeane's reply was a shrug, which X'eri took to mean she wasn't too
upset about it. It was hard to tell. She looked upset a lot.

**Tell her we'll eat and then go down to the beach and work on some
hand signs.**

X'eri could see as Yasmeane listened to her lifemate, and then her jaw
clenched. This time he was sure she was angry, but he wasn't exactly
sure why. He wondered if she knew he was purposefully keeping them in
the public eye so there'd be no way she could accuse him of anything
untoward.

**He's just like the rest of them,** Yasmeane thought as she took tiny
bites from her bowl of fruit. She could see it in his judgemental
green eyes. **Well, at least we're both on the same page about this
'partnership',** she thought, biting down hard into a piece of
redfruit.

--

It was a nice day down on the beach with dragonrider pairs strung out
along the coastline bathing or just taking in some sun. Isaroth and
Kohath certainly wasted no time making wallows in the hot, powdery
sand above the tideline.

X'eri handed Yasmeane a note he'd written that morning.

"We're going to start with the basics," the note read, "including
simple greetings and questions."

Yasmeane nodded that she understood as she handed the note back to him.

[Good morning,] X'eri signed with exaggerated slowness. **Tell her.**

}:Good morning,:{ Kohath said directly to Yasmeane, skipping Isaroth
completely this time.

Surprise registered on the greenrider's face. She'd never had a dragon
other than Isaroth speak to her before. She wondered if Kohath's voice
was what X'eri's voice had sounded like before he quit speaking.

Yasmeane mimicked the hand gestures back to X'eri.

She watched intently as the bronzerider's hands moved again.

[How are you today?]

}:How are you today?:{ Kohath intoned.

Taking both of her hands and turning them in towards her chest,
Yasmeane then turned them over and pointed one finger at X'eri.

X'eri nodded to show she was doing it correctly. He then showed her
how to say "I am" and then several adjectives, "happy, sad, tired,
mad," and so on.

[How are you?] X'eri signed.

[How are you?] Yasmeane mimicked right back at him.

The bronzerider shook his head, waving his hand through the air.

[How are _you_?] he signed again, this time reaching out to actually
touch the tip of his finger to Yasmeane's shoulder.

Yasmeane stared at him for a moment. No one ever asked her that,
except her mindhealer and the Weyrwoman, and she knew she was just a
project to those two.

Looking down at her hands, Yasmeane focused on making the right
gestures. [I am tired... _Tired_.] She signed the last word again with
exaggeration. He saw her bottom lip tremble before she whipped her
face towards the ocean.

X'eri studied Yasmeane's profile. A muscle in her jaw was clenching
and unclenching. Her arms were wrapped around her knees which were
drawn to her chest. And then he saw it, a tear sliding from the corner
of her eye. She ducked her head quickly, brushing her cheek against
her arms.

He thought back to what Saibra had said about this being Yasmeane's last chance.

}:My rider would like to know if you're alright.:{ Kohath asked Yasmeane softly.

**I'm fine,** she shot back immediately.

X'eri rolled his eyes at the response.

}:He wants you to say it with your hands.:{

Yasmeane cut her eyes at X'eri, but quickly signed [I'm fine] with
sharp, jerky movements.

[Good,] X'eri signed, but he knew breakfast and the few hand signals
he'd taught her were going to be all they could do for the morning.
[I'll see you for dinner this evening. Don't be late this time.] He
stood and began dusting off sand while Kohath relayed the message.

Movement from the corner of his eye caught X'eri's attention, and he
realized that Yasmeane was giving him a hand gesture he hadn't taught
her, but he understood the intent well. He smirked a little as he
strode off the beach.

Last updated on the March 24th 2024

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Gestures