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It was very hard to suppress the joy and nerves of a Candidate, even hours after a Touching. Soon the eggs might be hard enough to hatch, and when they did, this horrible tension would lift from the Weyr. Candidates would be Riders, or would return to their old chores and jobs with some dejection in their hearts. Until next time, when they would try again and again until they Impressed their proper partner. This was how the auburn-haired teen thought of a Hatching, and it was keeping her spirits high.

It also didn't hurt that she was slowly developing friends in the Weyr, first and foremost being the glassworker, Therion. Her mealtime duties had passed not long ago, and now she was simply preparing a smaller, more personal meal. He'd promised after they left the sands that he would try his best to sneak down into the Lower Caverns to meet her. Inaari wasn't entirely confident that he might manage this, but if not, there were always the barracks!

Optimism, that was her! After all, she was free, wasn't she? Able to climb the Weyr as often as she wanted, move about outside unhindered, not worry about weaving in a dark room forever! She could never Impress, and she would remain happy at the Weyr. It was simply better living!

It was amusing and exasperating all at once, the way that her friend and his 'brother' were absolutely forbidden the kitchens. Fingers reached up to stroke the smooth blue beads around her neck, reminding her of the ocean water near her home. Inaari had barely spoken to Therion more than twice before he'd presented her with the present, causing her to color up quite prettily and stammer out thanks. Now the meals were her way of thanking him, and getting some time alone with someone interesting.

Very interesting.

Just the memory made her pink up again, and the Candidate was grateful for the excuse of a fire as she looked first left, and right, before beckoning in the direction of the voice. "C'mon! I set up a convenient large stack of barrels for you to hide behind, we'll hear anyone coming." Really, nobody had ever officially informed her of the boys not being allowed in the kitchens, so she wasn't breaking any rules! But it wouldn't be good for her if they were discovered, and hopefully they could take the meal outside the Cavern as soon as possible.

She voiced this, with a bright smile. "We can take it out of here and eat, you'll get caught otherwise and that's the end of our dinners." As before, when she had worked up the courage to talk to him, his easy smile emerged first and encouraged her own. Ther really was so nice!

Inaari's grin was swift and she nudged Therion lightly with her round hips as the food was gathered into an old glowbasket and she handed him an old door tapestry. "If only every girl in the Weyr had a boy bending over backwards for her!" she teased him, brown eyes twinkling with it. Sure, he wasn't backwards, but that wasn't important. Nobody would see him, so she could tell whatever story she wanted in the sewing circle, couldn't she? There were some girls that took to Weyr life and Weyr liberality like fish in the sea, but Inaari had held back. She was bred in the Holds, and had a harder time letting go of her morality. Though sometimes, she did wish that Therion was a bit serious about their dinners.

That would always be nice.

"A bit sore? That's a bit of an understatement! Lucky for you, you have the best connection in the world." Trying to be subtle, she linked an arm through Ther's, dragging him out towards the twilight setting over Mavren. It was an absolutely perfect night and there was almost no chance of the dragons keening for a Hatching so close to the Touching. Indicating a spot imperiously, she stood over him like a general. "Right here. Gotta sit here, so we can watch the light and the Weyr." It was a good place, overlooking most of the weyr in all it's blazing glory. Dragons slept on their ledges, and it looked to her like the best place in the world.

Pausing to look out over the Weyr, Inaari pulled her hair from the braided bun she used for cooking, the mahogony waves spilling down to her waist. It looked casual but was totally planned to catch Therion's attention and frame her face in what she hoped was an attractive way. It was nerve-wracking, liking a boy and being a Candidate. He might go on to ride a bronze, be bound to a queen, might even be Weyrleader one day. It was why they were discouraged from forming attachments, and forbidden to do anything that teenagers normally did.

Inaari wasn't interested at all in the latter, but the former was incredibly important to her. After all, what was life without friends? Sinking to the blanket, she flipped the lid on the basket and pulled out a haunch of wherry, glazed and covered in with her own blend of herbs. She was a simple Candidate and given small tasks, so this had never before been tasted in the weyr. There was also a mix of several vegetables, and a fruit pie that she hadn't even touched yet. It was covered from his eyes, a special surprise that she would only pull out if things were going well. Or badly. It was situational.

"I love it up here, this is a place I really only come by myself. There's another empty weyr further up that you have to climb to get to, we should go sometime if you can climb. But...I thought you'd like it." The smile was a little shy and a lot wide, eyes downcast and only looking over at the light-haired young man out of the corner of her eyes. "Dinner, as promised!" Her hands clasped in her lap, eyes rose, and the food steamed lightly in the evening. "I hope you like it!" The smile remained, but warped just a bit as teeth worried her bottom lip for only a moment.

"You're the first person I've cooked for in a long time, I didn't exactly do much at the Hold but I did a lot at home. Please tell me how it is? If it's bad, I promise you won't have to eat it and we can try something else!" Confidence, Inaari had very little.

If she could hear the litany of unsaid compliments, Inaari would have grinned, blushed, and added on the fact that she also was a decent embroiderer. She'd woven on a small loom before, her mother having studied Weavercraft in the brief time before wedding the girl's father. Instead, Therion just got the first two before she simply started to peel off some of the meat and nibble. Her stomach was lightly unsettled, knotted with excitement. She liked Ther. A few girls did, but here he was, up on the edge of the Weyr with her. That meant something, right?

"Then it's a date, alright? After the Hatching, when everything is settled, we'll climb up there and have dinner again, so you can keep eating well, and maybe they'll let you back in the kitchens. I'm sure the Weyrlingmaster will let you out when you Impress." For herself, she didn't speak. The brunette was confident, of course, but to voice such things aloud was inviting bad luck. It had been hard enough to not lust after that beautiful golden egg, to think about how marvelous it would be to ride a queen. It was instead tuned to how lovely it would be to ride any dragon, which helped immensely. But still, she wanted to Impress.

Fingers picked at vegetables, and a giant canteen of klah had made its appearance from out next to the pie. Lazy, watching the colors in the sky and the dragons flying overhead along with a few dozen flits, Inaari fell back to lay on the tapestry and stare up at the sky as she chewed. "What do you think you'll get, Ther? Do you think I stand a chance?" Her voice was soft and hesitant, unsure of herself.

Inaari had started to consider the idea of Therion Impressing a bronze when he stroked her hair in a gentle touch, wiping a good portion of her brain out of commission. She wasn't stupid, the Holdbred girl was old enough and smart enough to know about boys and girls. It was just that no boys had ever interested her past an escort to Gather before, and she was a bit wild for their sophisticated tastes. But the Weyr-bred glass maker had something about him that was appealing. She had a good feeling that it was his sense of adventure and joviality that drew her attention.

Skirts rustled as Inaari turned on her side, smiling with a look that was both joking and hopeful. "I think it's not too unlikely, unless you know...you're not like that. I think you'd be a good Bronzerider, you're not really afraid of anything Ther. I'm not sure what I have that a dragon wants, but I must have something. I mean, who knows? Maybe I'll be the newest Queenrider." Chocolate eyes danced and 'Naari cradled her head on her bicep to look straight over at her companion. "Or maybe you'll just get a White, and be hopping all around Where and When so that they'll have to put a guard on you to make sure you stay put. I can see that happening." And she was eager for that as well. Moving between, into the dark space that she'd felt on Search. It was terrifying and exhilarating, she craved that adventure, and to have that other being that relied solely on her.

Inaari desperately needed to be needed.

It also had occurred to her how close Therion was, but while the Holder's daughter was incredibly brave, she wasn't entirely bold enough to make the move that would bring them that close. She did inch a bit closer though, shifting in what she hoped was a casual move, the sun setting behind the Weyr and lengthening the shadows. The pair were draped in one now, and soon the stars would come out - it was her favorite thing to do some nights on this ledge.

"You with a white, your friend with a black, me with...well whatever I get. Imagine the trouble that would be? I'd spend all my time being sent across Pern to find you both!" Her tone suggested that this might be a bad thing, but Inaari was laughing and smiling, fingers winding into her hair. "Knowing my luck I'd be babysitting the flits while you ran off on grand adventures. But that's alright...I'm allowed in the kitchens." Now her smile was lightly smug and teasing, trying very hard to not giggle. Really, she hadn't had this much fun in a very long time.

Blushing and nervous now, Inaari looked down when the glassworker made a quip about how trouble wasn't worth it, because then they couldn't spend free time together. It was strange, unsettling, and amazing all at once to have a young man interested in her! While her stomach was dancing like a whole Gather picking up the most popular Harper tunes, she was cresting on excited happiness as fingers pulled her chin up and closer to his.

When he leaned in to kiss her, she tried very hard to not jump with the light surprise of not only the fact that it was a kiss, but it was her first kiss. She'd never been popular with the foster boys in the Holds, Inaari was always far too bold for them. Apparently here at the Weyr, she was just the right speed for at least one of them! So lightly the teen leaned into his hand and returned the kiss for a few moments, before pulling back and blushing a deep red beneath all her freckles. "I..I'm glad you like my smile. I like being up here with you. A lot." It was very hard to not simply blurt out that she liked him just as much, if not more.

Their faces were still close, close enough that he could count her freckles with his eyes if he chose, or even kiss her again. Inaari would object to neither, and her smile was just as wide and beautiful as before. In fact, she was radiant. Things were going very well.