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 Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:58 pm
It was a quiet, early morning. A rare treat for the new weyrling, who for a change was without her eager new green companion. One, however, was wide awake and happy to curl around the girl's neck. A tiny green body poked from beneath the long blond hair as greenrider Inaari leisurely made her first morning pot of klah. She still quite maintained that while strong, she really did make the best klah in the Weyr! Eponath agreed, though for prudent reasons, had not tried the dark mixture.
Idly, the teen was passing scraps of meat up into her hair for the sprightly flitt, looking for the world as if she was simply shoving it into her hair. Normally, she was chatting with the workers around her, but for a change she was only enjoying the quiet bustle of a morning in the Caverns.
If she was lucky, she'd have some quiet time before Eponath roused and they started their active new routine.
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:14 pm
Early morning and already Therion had been up for two hours thanks to his pair of idiot flitts. They'd knocked over his most recent glasswares and the crash had jolted him from dead sleep to wide-eyed awareness; never mind the clean up that had made certain the big-hewn youth wouldn't be returning to his bed any time soon.
His flitts weren't with him, no - they were now hiding under his bed, fearful that he would plunge them into the fires that he spun his glasswares in - but that was likely for the best. After all the excitement, all Therion wanted was to sweet-talk some kitchen-dwelling female into giving him food and drink.
A happy expression fell onto his face when the thick, heady scent of klah tickled at his nose. "Hey, that smells good--" Cocky guy, just sauntering over to the freckled girl cooking without introducing himself first.
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:42 am
Startled out of her reverie, she dropped the spoon she was mixing and it fell to the sandy floor with the light clunk of wood to stone. The voice was unfamiliar to Inaari, and her body tensed, alerting Ryka. The teensy green peeked her head from under a fall of pale hair, chirruping in admonition to the young man behind her.
She did, however, retain her grip on the steaming beverage! Dropping a cup of good klah was akin to a near sin to the freckled teen, and in what was a habitual gesture, she held it out to the strange boy behind her. "I promise it's the best." As the proffered drink stood between them, she looked him from head to toe and smiled in her friendly manner.
"I haven't seen you before, and the tithe isn't here. Are you a new Candidate?" It was odd for her, to think of herself as something entirely different than that massive body. It was also not that great for the Weyr, bringing in more candidates!
But that didn't mean she wouldn't be friendly!
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:53 am
The tall young man did have the sense to take on a sheepish expression for having startled the girl so much (though he did not really feel sheepish, he was well aware that presenting himself as such was far, far more likely to earn him Points and the food-stuffs he wanted).
"The best huh?" Therion took the cup from Inaari and brought it to his nose for a closer sniff before taking a sip. It was good, very good. "A promise made, a promise kept. My thanks." As formal a thank-you as he could manage; he wasn't without manners, just...not entirely used to making use of them unless there was something to be gotten out of it.
"Yeah, I am. It's pretty crowded...I wasn't expecting that." This was something he'd noticed very quickly about the Weyr - there were more people than he'd ever imagined would be there. And to think, he and Lothan had just come there!
"I'm Therion, by the way."
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:54 am
It was the best possible thing he could've said to instantly win Inaari's generally easy friendship. Beaming from ear to freckled ear, she stroked Ryka with a fingertip as she eagerly engaged the young man. "It's dreadfully crowded, though with the recent clutch Hatching, it'll be a bit lighter in the barracks! Not so easy with the Weyrlings though, we've all been moved in together. Guess that's why they brought you all up, huh?" Her clear young voice chirped away, before she remembered herself, and blushed slightly, remembering the lack of introduction.
"OH! Pardon me! I'm Inaari, formerly of Fort Hold! My parents own a small cot not far, and I was sent there before they Searched me." The privacy of personal information about one's background was somewhat foreign to Inaari, and she still insisted on telling anyone that'd listen that she was Holdbred and proud! Even if her mother was somewhat backward.
"This little one is Ryka, my flitt. And as for the crowding. Well. You'll get used to that soon! There a lot more slipups and accidents than there used to be.." her voice trailed off in dismay as she recalled them. "Well! No bother! You Impress and you move on, and crowding doesn't matter. You can just be closer to your dragon!" Certainly cuddling up to Eponath at night was a bit of a dream for Inaari. "Right?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:31 am
Therion would happily listen to Inaari's chattering on while sipping the klah she'd offered to him; it wasn't food but it was damned good and he could probably peer around for easily accessible food without seeming too rude.
"I guess so, they didn't tell us it was gonna be this tight here." 'Us' was Therion and Lothan (not that Inaari would have known that at all). "It's good to meet you Inaari, formerly of Fort Hold...and you, Ryka." Adorable little flitt - seemed a good bit calmer than his pair of dreadful - but well loved - flitts.
The blond nodded his head, grinning in a charming manner. "Hopefully I'll Impress. Loth and I - my friend, he came up too...he's a weaver but I do glass - we're both pretty hopeful." A pause as he looked Inaari thoughtfully. "What about you? Are you a Rider?" Certainly it was a possibility, though it didn't really fit his mental image of a DragonRider to be fixing klah in a common area...
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Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:39 am
This was one subject where the young blond could go on forever. Her face immediately lit from underneath her skin with a delighted glow. "I finally am, actually!" Ryka nuzzled her diminutive face across Inaari's cheek as she gushed about the recent change in her life. "This most recent hatching, Cheoth's clutch. I got the most lovely little green, and she's such a sweetheart! She's Eponath, and maybe you can meet her! She'd love to meet you, she loves new people! More than I do, which is quite something really." Stopping for a breath, pink stained her cheeks as Inaari realized how she really was blathering endlessly.
"You came with a friend though? That should make something so much easier for you! I didn't really know anyone here, made it harder. I can't say I've ever met a glassmaker before...and a weaver? Oh, how lucky!" Thinking of her latest obsession with the Vera dresses, Inaari was ecstatic at finding a new weaver had come to the Weyr. "Hopefully you do Impress, we could use some good guys! There's a good few of them, but there can always be more! Certainly not as many bronzes as there should be, but a lot of blues...."
Inaari's voice trailed off as she remembered the poor little blue that had gone between, and the egg that had never hatched. Had a bronze been in that egg? What life would those little ones have had? Her chipper front chipped slightly under the memories, and her shoulders slumped slightly with the burden of it.
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Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:15 am
With the way that the pale-faced, freckled girl lit up from within, Therion knew that she had Impressed even before the words were out of her pert little mouth. "Eponath, huh? What a pretty name, I'd love to meet your green." Blathering was okay; he figured that should he ever Impress, he'd be doing the same thing. Going on and on as if sotted...oh yeah, he could totally understand her excitement and wont to share.
"Kind of. I mean, we both came here about the same time, but we didn't travel together. We were apprenticed to different places and came from there. But it is great, having someone here that I'm familiar with." Best friends and blood brothers, to be exact, but that wasn't something to tell a girl you just met! "Loth is a pretty damned good weaver, if you don't mind my saying it so plain..." He wasn't going to 'toot his own horn' so he'd just let his work speak for itself - though that required an invitation to see some of it! "I'd be happy to introduce you, show you some of our work sometime."
Therion cocked his head and swirled the remaining klah in it's cup thoughtfully; Inaari's whole demeanor changed - so, the faint hum of rumors that two hatchlings had gone a Bad Way was true. Since he hadn't been there to see it, he couldn't confirm -- and long ago Ther had learned to take most of what he heard with a grain of saltpeter. "Not so many bronzes? But I thought we had quite a few golds..." Usually, more bronze than gold...but then, she said there were a lot of blues...so were there many males interested in the same sex? That's what it implied.
"C'mon now, don't look so sad. There'll be more bronzes and things'll even out. And hey, don't you have a dragon to feed?" His own stomach made quite the loud protest - mayhap he was part dragon too? Or at least his stomach was trying to pretend it was!
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:32 am
"Mind? Hehe, I guess I've been away from the Holds too long to be concerned with frankness anymore. It was a real shock, to come to the Weyr and find out that everyone just said what they wanted! No very careful language, no modesty. I'm still trying to learn how to be that way." Inaari wasn't too concerned with being so incredibly frank, but sometimes in a group it was hard to tiptoe around a subject. Especially with Nandeli.
"I would love to see any of your work! I've never really seen a glasscrafter before, though at the Hold there were a few stalls. Nothing up close, I was always a bit too young for those things." It'd been hard to believe that she'd been at the Weyr for three hatchings now! The young girl from a small holding near the coast of Pern was now a dragonrider. How extraordinary! "And well...I am a girl. I wouldn't ever turn down the chance to talk with a weaver." Giggling lightly, she tilted her head thoughtfully at his question about the golds.
"Recently, there are three. Yasanth, who hatched right before I came to the Weyr, Reneneth, and the newest Arioth. She was the queen of my Eponath's clutch." It was still hard to believe such a violent queen could even exist. "Personally, I hope we never have a hatching like that again. I doubt we will, there is so much going on from that sharding.." Shutting her lips tight, the blond heard an audible growl. It hadn't come from Ryka, so it could only be the man's stomach in front of her.
Laughing, cheered by this chance to be useful, Inaari snagged his wrist. "Eponath hasn't roused to be fed yet, so I guess I can just feed you instead!" Pointing to a rough-hewn counter chair, the rider bustled to work around the large food cavern, gathering a warm breakfast. A few things, such as the fresh bread and fruit were doubled, presumably for her to share. After all, she needed her strength too.
Hopping back over, she slid the heaping hot plate in front of him with a large grin. "Look like enough?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:28 pm
"Yeah, I kind of had a hard time with keeping my mouth shut. It's good to know here I don't have to." Therion grinned at the blond, enjoying not only her klah, but also her frankness and apparently good attitude. Maybe she wasn't stacked (the way he tended to prefer) but she seemed so damned nice...he couldn't help liking her.
"So maybe later today, when your Eponath is done with you, we can get together and I will show you? I think I've got a necklace that'd look good on you." And absolutely he would get Loth involved -- maybe between the two of them, they could make a fast-friend of Inaari...and pimp their wares out a bit by having a model. He chuckled at the girl's mention of always wanting to meet a weaver. "He's not as handsome as I am, but he makes quality stuff."
While Inaari spoke of the trio of golds and that unfortunate clutch with the violent Arioth -- he was quiet save for a little low rumbling in his stomach. It was serious stuff; usually things like that didn't happen with Touching though... "Man, it sounds like I missed out a lot of information, not having been here...you've gotta fill me in."
Therion settled at the counter chair when gestured to it; he watched the green rider flitting about the kitchen gathering food for them both to share. "Looks like a good start. I probably don't as much as your dragon, but...you never know."
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:32 pm
"Oh, I don't know. I think a few of my friends might be able to tuck in about as much as Eponath!" If they all ate at once, perhaps. Not even the indulgent J'ri could tuck away as much food as a baby dragon, and for that she was thankful. If they had to cook for dragons?! It would be an utter disaster for any kitchen staff!
"As for time and information, I can give you some later. Not much, since I think there's a lesson later, but some. If not, I am usually here most mornings you're welcome to disturb me. They don't give us Weyrlings much responsibility, it feels odd to be so out of it." Smiling down into her plate, Inaari plucked a redfruit from the plate and nibbled thoughtfully into it. "As for information, I only know the rumors. Supposedly one of the candidate girls, I think her name was Kyllae? She snuck onto the sands."
Inaari had to fill her mouth then, so that she could silently chew over the names and epithets that came to the forefront when she thought of the young woman. "Only the Queen found out! I mean, how foolish is that, thinking you can outsmart a dragon? Cheoth was so enraged, she wouldn't allow ANYONE to come near the eggs after that. Thankfully her Weyrwoman talked sense into her, or I'm not sure she would've let anyone down there to Impress!" The last sentence ended slightly up in pitch, emotional at the idea that she would be without Hers if not for a rider's good sense.
"It went all wrong though. Arioth and Ormeteth, the queen and a large brown, absolutely were furious! Screaming and ripping at the Candidates! Had they not Impressed when they did, they might've torn each other to bits! Could you just imagine such a thing?!" Inaari wasn't entirely sure he could, not quite knowing the backround of this craftsman. But still! "So many were mauled! A few after Eponath, my green, was a blue and...he..he just." Her voice hitched, and the blond had to busy her hands at cleaning something to get through the words still. "He went between. Utterly gone. Just like that. One of the little eggs, it didn't even hatch. Some fool tried to go hug it, like that'd make it come back to life! Cheoth nearly ate him right then and there. If she could've flamed him, I think she would have."
Pale freckled hands brushed sorrowful tears away from the teen's eyes as she smiled tremulously at the man across from her. "I'm sorry to ramble so, but..nobody will talk about it. Something so awful, you can't really." In her mind, a sleepy coo called her name. Inaarimine? Where are you? Your Eponath is hungry. I itch. Bath? This had an immediate effect, and she hopped from her stool, smiling again.
"Eponath is up...I really must go! You can come with me if you'd like! She loves meeting new people. If you're busy though, I am sure we can talk later when she's asleep again. They sleep so much in the afternoon, it's quite surprising!"
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:50 am
Ther grinned broadly before stuffing some of the food into his mouth in a manner only slightly more "polite" than a starving dragon attacking it's meal. "I'd sure try - but it'd probably take me, Loth and a few other guys to eat that much. You must spend hours getting Eponath's meals ready." Being a weyr-brat, he was quite well versed on how much dragonets ate.
"That'd be great - I'd appreciate it, whenever you can. I know you're busy training and all that fun stuff." There, he was being charming again - because he was very interested and that such and it seemed that Inaari was going to be an excellent source of such information, not to mention that she was friendly and the big-boned teen found her easy to talk with. "Rumors usually hold some truth, but it's usually best to uh, take 'em with a grain of salt." Ther knew this very well as there had been some "rumors" about his close bond with Lothan a good while back -- all untrue.
Oh lord, but if someone snuck onto the sands...! The blond whistled between his teeth and shook his head some. "Of course the Queen found out! What was wrong with that girl, was she born daft? Any child knows better than to go sneaking about a clutch in the sands." He sounded annoyed and kind of appalled, as would any weyr-bred person -- hell, anyone with half a brain and an inkling of how things worked in the Weyr knew better! "Ah...so that's why everyone looks so...off when they talk about that hatching." It was so sad, so very sad to hear that one went between, and worse yet - one hadn't hatched!
"What a terrible waste..."
Despite being a big, somewhat silly male, Therion was kind enough to know that a little pat on the hand was in order - Inaari looked so very sad as bravely tried to smile at him and brushed away those tears. Tears and women made him go a big rubbery one, dammit.
Of course, that immediate 180-degree switch from sorrow to bright-smiling happiness had his head spinning a little; good lord she was mercurial! Fiesty and caring too - definitely someone he could respect and like.
"I'd love to meet her, I've got nothing going on this morning - but later I'll be working...so this fits perfect for me. You can come watch me work while we talk, if you want too."
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 4:56 am
Mine, where are you? I think you are very far away. Eponath's voice raised slightly in pitch, uneasy to be so far from her rider. Inaari mentally reassured her little love that she and Ryka would be coming soon to feed and bathe her, and they would be bringing a guest! This soothed the green, who was indeed quite fond of the little firelizard and had adopted her as a companion for when Inaari had to eat. Even as she thought this, the flitt went between, no doubt to keep company until the human pair could make their way up to the barracks.
"Thankfully, they have big manly butchers to cut the meat for us! I'm tall, but I'm not too strong yet. Been working on it though! Eponath is slightly impatient, but you'll absolutely love her, she's one of the friendliest dragons I've met! And I'm not just saying that you know!" Inaari was adamant about stressing the fine points of her lifepartner, as any rider would be of her dragon. "Just make sure to not get between her and her food, and everything should be fine! She gets just a little nippy if your hand gets in the way first thing in the morning, greedy thing." One pale arm came up, showing a pinkish wound that was slowly healing. "I made this mistake early on."
Unable to think of any other warnings, she just flitted along, chattering gaily as they wound their way up towards the Weyrling barracks. "That should work well for all of us. You can do your important things while I bathe Eponath." Her gaze here made it clear that no, he could not watch! "Then when she beds down again, we can come and talk more. Maybe I can meet your friend then?" More people to meet! More friends! Inaari was absolutely radiant with happiness. She was not so strange, for a Weyr, and acceptance came so much easier! The wild streak her family had tried so hard to curb was carefully nurtured here, and her sharp tongue had almost dulled.
Almost.
Scooting up into the barracks, the blond squared her shoulders, and lifted two very large buckets stuffed to the brim with juicy uncooked herdbeast. "Eponath, I'm coming!" She sang out, waddling as fast as she could under the weight. Slipping in, she was immediately bombarded by a deep green snout shoving deep into one of the buckets, and a tiny little green body flying around her face in excitement. Feeding time was always hectic!
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:43 am
The big-boned youth finished up with the food quickly, knowing very well that they would soon be going to Inaari's Eponath. Being Weyr-breed meant that Therion was well used to the concept of Dragons First for Riders; it was something he'd grown up respecting and he likely would have lost some of the respect he held for the blond Green-rider.
"Yes, I remember thinking once that the men cutting the meat must be huge." Perhaps he was related to one of the butchers, what with his large size and formidible appearance (unless smiling or looking pitiful because he happened to be hungry). Didn't cross his mind too much though, instead he was pleased with having gotten food and a low frission of excitement at getting to meet the girl's Dragon.
He laughed at the warning of Eponath being nippy and tsked a little bit; Inaari had her scars, so too did he -- though his were not from a hungry dragonette; but from his apprenticeship. "Seems people learn best from experience, I know I did." Therion chuckled again and was appropriately attentive while they walked and the freckled girl talked; mostly he just listened - but did interject a few things, of course.
"Sounds good, I'm sure I can lure Loth out of hiding with the promise of a pretty girl to meet." Aw c'mon, didn't she want to show off for the big ol' boy? He would have teased his newly made friend about getting to watch Eponath's bath, but he caught the look in her eyes and wisely kept his wide mouth shut.
Instead of simply watching Inaari snag her baskets, Therion reached for a third as he preferred to be useful but knew better than to try doing her her work for her; that would get her in trouble...but one bucket of meal probably wouldn't. Anyone seeing him carry it would likely chalk it up to some guy trying to impress a girl he wanted to - eventually - sleep with.
"Hello beautiful~" Oh, the green was really lovely, even with her stubby limbs and exuberant eating habits.
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:06 am
A look of utter gratefulness beamed from her chocolate eyes as Eponath went through the two buckets she had hauled over with almost alarming speed. Almost blindly, her deep forest nose had dipped into Therion's bucket, eyes whirling with that delighted azure colour. Mine, who is this one? He is not Ianquith's or Galliath's or Miith's or Ormeteth's. Though the little dragon was quite happy to meet someone new, he was not a rider, and as such, she had no frame of reference on him.
Rubbing Eponath's eye ridges with amusement, the young girl smiled wryly and introduced the glassworker. "This is Therion, Eponath. I met him downstairs. He's a new Candidate! I mentioned you, and he really wanted to meet you." Mentally, she reminded her dragon about how he'd said she was beautiful, something Eponath had not quite forgotten.
She was growing drowsy now, but that didn't prevent her from stretching out her juvenile neck and placing it on the newcomer's arm so he could scratch her eye ridges. Sleepy eyes assessed the large male, and from his comment on her attractiveness, decided to like him immediately. That means he is very smart, mine. Can you tell him to scratch me?
Inaari relayed this with some amusement. "She would like it very much if you would scratch her. I have to bathe and oil her, so I think she's a little itchy on her neck, and they always love to have their ridges done."
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