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After the lecture from a man younger than him----only a few Turns but, to C’ren, that was enough----the Greenrider made a beeline for the offerings of wine. Mm… good ol’ alcohol! A symbol of humankind’s never-ending spirit and their determination to get drunk or high off of whatever was available. Vox had reappeared once more, his little belly full of food and whatever else he had managed to beg off of Candidates. Since Pyrite was contentedly resting on one of C’ren’s shoulders, the fat blue took up place on the other one and trilled at his owner.

C’ren waved one hand idly and said, “Damn flits… more trouble than they’re worth, F’sey. They really are.” Seven nights of watch duty? And it wasn’t even as if anything was going to happen! That was what whers were for, for crying out loud. Not for dragonriders like himself.

Oh, C’ren… don’t be so bitter about it! Look at the bright side! It’s not seven nights of work. It’s seven nights to get to know Ialluth and Hers better! Seven nights of sharing and… and story-telling and learning and bonding! Ceylith refused to be put out about this. While she didn’t fully understand why Hers had gotten in trouble, she knew it had happened somehow.

But, this was just another glorious opportunity. Now, if only she could get C’ren to see it that way…

The Greenrider snorted at his dragon’s insistently cheerful thoughts. She just never shut up sometimes. And, all the while, C’ren kept an eye out for a likely victim. It was a good thing that the Greenrider didn’t see S’kagi, otherwise he might have ‘accidentally’ dropped a plateful of food on his stupid long hair. Man probably had lice too. Long hair seemed to attract it. Gathering up some food---and a few bottles of wine---- as quickly as he could, C’ren retreated back to the dragons and F’sey.

“I hear they’re no longer sending out active Searches,” he commented. And that was too bad, since it gave him something to do, and an excuse to get away from this lice-infested Weyr.

Ahh, the Feast. For the first time he could remember, he was really, genuinely looking forward to it. Not just for the food and the chance to admire the new dragonets... but to really be part of it. Amalenth walked at his side, a bit awkward in the way of all the newly-hatched, but steady and confident in her stride.

Kypak? she inquired, turning a green-and-blue gaze onto her rider. Are we going to meet the others now?

He nodded, then hesitated. "Yes... And, er, I guess it'd be K'pak now." He spoke aloud -- the telepathic communication between dragons and riders was still very new and unfamiliar, and while he could certainly hear Amalenth fine, for the moment it felt more comfortable to keep up his end of the conversation verbally, rather than just thinking at her. "Dragonriders shorten their names, you see, it's a tradition..." He didn't want to confuse her, but for the short time he'd known her, Amalenth seemed very quick on the uptake. Better to correct her now than to let it slide until she'd gotten used to using the other name.

Oh, I see... But a second later, her eyes flickered faintly yellow over their predominant hue, mild dismay entering her mental voice. But your name isn't any shorter now! It just has a 'kuh' in the front instead of a 'kai'. Is that all right? Will everyone still know that you are mine?

Briefly taken aback by her observation, K'pak nonetheless chuckled softly, reassurance in his steady voice. "I'm sure it'll be fine. My name was short to begin with, and it's more about the principle of the thing, from what I understand. Oh, look!" Spotting the two browns who had hatched just before his own Amalenth, he angled his way across the crowded hall towards them. The little green, apparently satisfied by this explanation (or just distracted by the people and delicious food-smells, or some combination of both) butted her head against K'pak's side, eyes back to that serene blue, and he obligingly reached a hand down to lightly rub her eyeridges.

Just as long as they know... I think it is a pretty name. Certainly better than just calling you 'Mine' all the time -- I know that you are mine, and you do too, I don't need to remind you all the time. Do you think that there will be some food for me, too? She probably didn't need any more, strictly speaking -- there had been plenty to go around at the Hatching -- but as she'd been among the last to hatch, Amalenth had told him on the way, she hadn't had quite as much time at the meat as her siblings had before they left for the feast. She certainly wouldn't say no to a few choice morsels...

Oh. He felt a bit of a lump in his throat at both statements, scratching the back of his head again. So... in one more Turn, that'd be it for him. And then, like the man had asked, he didn't know what he'd do. Would he go home? Most likely... but could he really face his father? His tongue clicked against his teeth for a moment before the young man shook his head, his long face unusually solemn. "S'all you can do, I suppose. M'glad this Hatching went well then." Better for the dragons' sake, then. "Ah, I'm Jiriar. Bit of a deadglow to begin with, and drinking doesn't help." He offered his hand for the other to shake, musing to himself.

S'van frowned slightly, picking up on how anxious H'dra seemed about seeing F'sey. Hmmm. Well, there was one way to solve that little problem, wasn't there? "Here, why don't you see if you can't find your friend... F'sey, was it? It sounds like you have some catching up to do." Which was, of course, his polite way of shooing the bluerider. It wasn't that he didn't like meeting new people, or anything like that, but it did seem that H'dra was a little preoccupied, and he would rather the lad found the friend he was looking for.

"Sure, I'll let Galliath know that Dievath wants to talk with him, how's that?" Hello, the brown said, greeting the blue with a certain self contained dignity. S'van snorted. Show off. Giving H'dra a gentle shove in the direction of the greenriders (much like Galliath had given him a shove), S'van headed toward Jiriar and his drinking companion. The latter looked rather familiar, though S'van couldn't quite place him. "Jiriar! How good to see you again. Am I interrupting?"

Annelie admitted that she hadn't been a very good narrator to Yansanth during the hatching... so she didn't really have much to fall on when the gold told her quite adamantly that they were going to go to the Hatching Feast.

But I thought you didn't like the feasts? You only hid the whole time at our own...

I did, Mine? Yansanth questioned honestly.

Yes...?

Oh... WELL OH WELL, you better be down there, Anneelieee, because I'm coming! There was a distinct laugh in Yansanth's tone, and Annelie only knew that it meant that she really was doing as she said.

So the young woman made it down to the Weyr bowl, scuttling around the quickly growing crowds. She stood off in a slightly empty -- or well, a slightly less crowded -- spot that was still near enough to the tables, but also about the inner fringes, hoping that there would somehow be enough room for the ever growing gold. ...Though if there were adult dragons about already, there probably wouldn't be too much of a problem.... hopefully.

Even though it was dark, it was still hard to miss Yansanth as she suddenly came into the bowl and into the OMGHUGEASS throng of human bodies. The young gold paused momentarily and her previous explosion of excitement and happiness drained out and was replaced with confusion and some uneasiness. Her eyes swirled about in a mix of yellow and green and she turned her head to watch the now chattering Gnattie fly about her wings and then zoom off.

Anneelieeeee...Where are you? Gnattie fly away! The dragon whimpered, both mentally and aloud.

I see you. Just come straight... and don't step on anyone or anything. watch th--! Annelie cringed a little as she watched Yansanth bump into a person and then a bench. The poor guy fell back onto his butt, and Yansanth looked doubly worried, but Annelie willed her to keep going, and the weyrling tiptoed along.

Edit:
Annelie... everyone's staring...

Well yeah... you kinda just took some guy out and you are a bit taller than everyone else, Dear.

Yansanth gave a worried grumble and kept picking her way towards her Mine. Granted more people seemed to part before her, and in a way it was kinda like the whole Moses thing. ... Thusly kinda comical. She could see Annelie now, though, in the pale light of the glows, and she picked up speed when she thought she was in the clear.

'Thought' being the key word there. She didn't see S'en and small Kanath, and she wouldn't knocked into one of them if she hadn't heard some noise and paid attention. She swerved and danced up onto her hind feet, then came down a good length away. She quickly turned to sprint straight to Annelie and hopefully dodge any reprimands... but something cute caught her eye. Kanath.

Ooooh, look at you you're so small! Yansanth suddenly cooed, completely oblivious to the fact that dragonets were quite coherent and that she had once been that small too.

At first he hadn't known that a feast was held in celebration. But then...after going to grab a bite to eat, how could he miss it? Dorinelic was utterly thrilled with this new way of life. Grabbing a glass of wine, (or rather, sneaking it away), he made his way to a half empty table. Sitting himself down, he pulled out two objects he anyways kept on hand. A small chunk of wood, and a pocket knife. Thus, he began to whittle at the wood, occasionally sipping from his wine.

S'en is actually rather adept at dodging people. A dislike of dense crowds as strong as his tends to do that. By relation, Kanath is too, still following closely alongside him as he is. The obstruction added by the dragonet hardly seems to impede their careful progress. Careful, that is, because while S'en tries vehemently to avoid absolutely everyone between him and food, his bronze is being very mindful of his not inadvertently bumping into anyone. He'd hate to hurt somebody…

Which is perhaps why, when a half-grown gold comes… well, bumbling through, the little bronze notices immediately, before even His has reason to turn around and see what caused the commotion. He watches with wide eyes, captivated mostly by his own concern. What if─ Well, too late, really. She ran into someone. S'en feels something like a wince in Kanath's demeanor; he reaches to lightly pat the thin neck in reassurance. "Don't worry." His glancing over his shoulder revealed no major damage, so he figures no real harm's been done, and so long as his dragonet is at ease, sets himself back to what he came here for originally: food. Kanath, far from a needy beast, seems to require no further coddling, and with one last glance at the Queen, returns to his bonded's side. There are no howls of pain; he decides it must be okay.

The new bronzerider had been so close to relieving a table of some of its edible burden when he heard the scape of a large, shifting weight, and a very faintly startled chirp. She… She is bigger up close than she had been over there, Kanath tells S'en as he wheels around. Not as big as his mother had been on the sands, but still big. Big enough to hurt him if she stepped on him, as she very nearly had. Or worse, hurt His! That idea has his eyes momentarily whirling yellow-green, though he seems to comfort himself quickly with the knowledge she hadn't. S'en pats him again, just to be sure. It's a subtle, not altogether affectionate gesture, as one might expect, but the dragonet doesn't appear to mind.

He's too busy looking up at the elder gold to protest, even if he had minded. His awkwardness in being startled seems to have left him; he doesn't look at all intimidated, despite how dwarfed he is before her. If anything, he seems… perplexed. Confused, perhaps, by how she calls him small, biggest of his clutch as he is. But then, compared to her, he probably does seem it more than a little. I will grow, he tells her, sure as he's sure she's a lot bigger than he is. Some day, he will be big too.

Oh... Oh, yes, you're right! Yansanth replied, sitting her bottom down on the ground. Her previous goal of getting to Annelie had completely flown from her head -- this little dragon was much cuter.

I was little, then I grew too! We all do ... though... Aren't the big bronzes and golds quite scary? the young queen asked, bringing her head down closer to Kanath. Those big dragons honestly did intimidate her... they were just so huge!

Annelie couldn't help but slump her shoulders and lift her head to her forehead. Gnattie gave a croon from her shoulder, but the flit went unacknowledged for the time being. Yansanth...

Oh, that reminds me, what is your name? I'm Yansanth! My Mine is Annelie!

Yansanth...

... she's somewhere around here, maybe she'll come by.

The young woman gave up. Apparently the dragonet was -that- interesting.

Sighing, Annelie did what she had to -- she trudged over as quietly as she could and tapped the gold, trying her best to not be genuinely noticed... by anyone....

Yansanth immediately lifted and turned her head to look down at her Mine, giving an audible and rumbling croon. OH, there you are, Annelie! You smell nice!

Yes... smelled like lavender for more than a week now, but thank you she replied dryly. She was sure that most people smelled like some sort of oil nowadays, thanks to the lice... Nasty little critters.

Now can we move to over there?

Oh, but Annelie, look at the cute dragonet! Can we keep him?

What? No. Yansanth, he has a bonded.

But Annelie!

"Yansanth..."