Welcome to Gaia! ::

Of course the phrasing 'better option' had been well aimed to needle the dark haired rider. Even when asking for her help Roana couldn't help it. Nicara had genuinely annoyed her earlier and that wasn't completely forgotten just yet. Still feeling a mix of relief, fear and just a little smugness the pirate totally legitimate sea crafter took shelter under the blue's wing.

Now she just had the blue to deal with, and yes, it had crossed her mind that the dragon would be hostile to her because of the stress she had caused his rider(that she totally deserved) but those fears were quickly allayed. Even though she knew little and nothing about dragons behavior it was very clear that he was trying to be comforting. She found a smile for the beast.

"Right, you're not so scary."

As if to confirm this she reached out to the great head with trembling fingers and touched them to each side of the runner like snout before running them along the undersides of his jaw in a gentle scratch. Then she hesitated, frowned and pulled away. Surley it was bad etiquette to try and win the dragons approval with the same pets and attentions she would offer a canine.

"sorry." she told the dragon, now feeling awkward.
"Right." shaking herself she straightened away from the dragon. "I want to see this other candidate you have managed to find." She told the blue firmly before ducking under his wing and neck, around the front of his chest to spy Nicara and the other harper she was talking to. Her brow rose and she chuckled before giving the blue dragon a stern and suspicious side eye.

"Searching candidates huh?" she mused.
"Sure you don't just have a thing for red heads?"

Eyelids began to close slowly at the scratch under his jaw but quickly cleared themselves when the blue realized that she was done. Contrary to belief he did enjoy attention, though he recieved quite a bit from his lovingly attentive rider, and did not make any moves to pull away. Diesteth chuckled gently when she pulled away in confusion, it was very clear that she wasn't used to giving attention to dragons. It seemed that it was time to reassure her but the big dragon was not at all known for talking to other humans. He sighed.

That unease you feel will change with time.

Knowing that the girl might recoil from the new voice in her head and not wanting her to do so while in view of so many, Diesteth wrapped his large wings around the front of her and lifted his head up to survey the area for any threats. He would never allow something to happen to one of the Candidates that he'd found and there was still the threat of the man... His head moved so that he could glance down at her suddenly.

Had she just claimed that he had a thing for redheads?

Trying to suppress a snort of laughter for her dragon's predicament, Nicara barely wasted even a moment on the pair as she focused her entire attention on Ryala. She was polite, years in the Harper Hall could do that, she was also direct and there was a kindness that she had been looking for.

Yes, a very good choice. If another redhead. Her chuckle was swallowed without surfacing as she stood a little taller and grasped Ryala's hand to shake it.

"I'm glad that it's been surprising, would you like it to be more so?" The words were almost impish but she meant them kindly. " There's nothing better than that first look you'll get of the Weyr when you arrive as a new Candidate."

Ryala smiled warmly. "I would be delighted to!" she replied... and suddenly yawned. "Sorry, it's been a long day for me," she admitted sheepishly. And really, it had been... the usual routine for a senior apprentice at the Hall, followed by the trip to Rivercrest, performing for the Gather, unexpectedly Impressing a firelizard, and now this.

And to top it all off, her stomach rumbled. Loudly. A reminder that Ghost had finished the majority of her meal...

Roana got herself under control after some effort and cleared away the pearls of laughter tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, I guess you looked surprised and bemused and a little bit annoyed all at the same time, its not an expression I have ever seen on a beast before. I've only ever seen people make faces that can be read more than one way, and well. I guess seeing it on a beasts face, dragon or not, was just so strange I found it funny. Like I said, you and you're kin will take a bit of getting used to for me." She told the Blue.

"I hope you weren't offended." she added as an after thought before holding up her arms to welcome to blue's gentle head back down towards her. Feeling braver all the time around the great winged protector of pern she stepped forward and placed kiss on the end of his nose.

"You know, you're rider isn't bad, not really but I think I find you a lot more agreeable."