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Z'ke blanched then blushed. This wasn't a date was it? He hadn't intended it to be a date. Sure it would be cool if it was... but he was only 12, but then he was 12. He was practically a teenager and he was a blue rider! Girls should like him! He'd just been trying to be nice, chivalrous was the word his father used. He let her push him towards the vendors. He did have enough marks to treat them and he wasn't about to take back his offer.

He took the distraction that was offered as Aelyn began to chatter about the dancers. He cleared his throat before speaking. "No, they shouldn't be fighting here. It's rude." He frowned at the adults for a moment before his eyes went blank as Aioth subtly drew his attention.

~ Moharth requests that we might take hers to get something with meat in it. According to Moharth she needs more curves on her hips.~.

Z'ke once again found himself blushing and glancing quickly at Aelyn. She had plenty of curves as far as he was concerned and he was too polite to mention so. He had to clear his throat again and even so his voice broke as he replied. "Food first. If they can't sort it out themselves then we can do something."

The flash of the knife wasn't lost on Z'ke but as soon as it had come out, another man and the original woman returned and looked like they were trying to dissuade the potential combatants. ~Aioth... should we tell the weyrlingmaster? ~

~ Consider it done, but I feel you are wise to stay out of it mine. ~

"Aioth says we should stay out of it for now. Let's go get something to eat." Wait... she fancied women?

Aioth paid little heed to the scene on the dance floor other than to pass the message along to the Weyrlingmaster's dragon. ~ Yours is acting just fine. Mine is just young an inexperienced in talking with females outside of the creche. ~

...and there was another approaching them. Z'ke's brows drew together as the older woman suggesting fighting with them. "Please excuse us. I really don't want to fight anyone right now." The woman breezed on anyways, forward, but despite the initial challenge not entirely unfriendly. Z'ke wasn't quite sure what to make of her but answered honestly. "Thank you. Pleased to meet you A'lin. I'm Z'ke and this is Aelyn and our bondmates are Moharth and Aioth."

"Get away from me," T'rel instructed G'deon, and Zofer. "Not interested," he added, in Zofer's direction. The man knew very well what drinking did to him, and he didn't fancy risking making such a mistake right after becoming Lute's--if in secret--potential Weyrmate. "This is none of your affair," he informed Zofer rather haughtily. R'yn tended to call this his 'Weyrleader' mode.

He shifted his gaze back to G'deon. "You. Stop bothering me. Show a little more respect, hm? For your former Weyrleader? For T'nus' second? Hm? Stop acting like a candidate and more like a dragonrider! Shards, you're not a teenager. You shouldn't be going around flirting with everything moving. You're not a proddy green firelizard."

He looked over his shoulder at Aelyn. "You'll keep your opinions to yourself!" he snapped. Shards, wasn't she a Weyrling? He thought he recognized her from lessons. "And you'll be cleaning latrines until I give you permission to stop!" That'd show her. Perhaps she hadn't recognized him as Weyrlingmaster; but cleaning latrines wasn't nearly as severe as many punishments. Perhaps he would have the next weyrling to dare cross him fetch fresh glows.

"Don't leave me with him, Cesa," he complained to his friend, not bothering to answer her question. He put his knife back into its sheath on his belt, taking her hand. "I'd like to dance," he smiled at her. "Then we can go through the stalls. I'll buy you something."

~~~~

R'yn had stopped to purchase drinks when he caught sight of a crying weyrbrat hiding behind a barrel. He was fond of Ionan--and all weyrbrats, having been one himself. "Hey Ionan," he greeted the boy. "You alright? Lost? Hungry? Hey, listen. I have an extra mark here. I'll give it to you if you can manage a smile for me."

Ionan, to his credit--did attempt a smile. A wet, wobbly smile, before latching onto the Weyrleader. "R'yn! G'non's mad at me. And I only forgot a few chores! I was excited to see Noa and the Turnover Ghosts and he's not being fair! I escaped from him because he was gonna punish me and I helped Ilyiana with finding the bubblypie booth and I was good all sevenday! I was! I helped Ticene with Calith and I washed and I even peeled tubers like Cesa taught me! I was good!" He clung to R'yn, and made no protest when the man picked him up.

"Well, let's see. How about I explain to G'non that all weyrbrats, candidates, and weyrlings were given the day off?" R'yn ruffled the boy's hair. "And the mark's yours, kiddo. You going to try and stay up for the 'ghosts? They're supposed to be brightest this turn."

She in no way endorsed the idea that this gather was in any way related to her becoming the size of a drafbeast by carrying about a child. Shards, if she planned on throwing a Gather purely for her and R'yn in celebration of having a baby, she'd have made someone else plan it. There was one thing that this baby didn't get in the way of and that was planning. Even with R'yn and a few others hovering over her, insisting she sit down, or eat, or whatever else she still got to enjoy her mountains of records and paperwork. How delightful that the least pleasant part of her job be the most stubborn. Saying that, if this Gather were for her and not in fact for Turnover, she'd have planned it after having the baby. She was still a few weeks away from when she had been told the baby was due.

Still, she was glad people were enjoying themselves. Although hoped she wouldn't have to deal with too many disorderly individuals who claimed that their drinking and such was on her behalf. Calith however found the idea to be a good one, in her eyes the Weyr should celebrate her rider's offspring, they celebrated when she clutched, why not when Ticene did? The woman had long since given up on trying to explain why it was different. Children were born in the Weyr constantly, they couldn't hold a gather for every one of them and despite Calith's claims that the baby was linked to her and therefore special, Ticene still stuck to the idea that her baby would be treated no differently than any other child in the Weyr. Even if that did mean reining R'yn in every candlemark or so.

Speaking of R'yn, she did wonder where he had gotten to. Probably leading the celebrations if she knew him, which she likes to think she did. Ticene wasn't actively looking for R'yn. Instead she was moving, all be it slowly, from stall to stall. Looking over wares and checking that all was well and business was going along nicely. She chatted for a while with vendors she knew well and occasionally with those she didn't that seemed friendly. She tried her best to stay on good terms with people as much as she could. Even so, with the hormones shooting around her system her already bad temper had become even worse. If she was lucky though, nothing would mean she would get angry today.

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It was hard to measure the amount of relief that Cesa felt when T'rel put his knife away. She considered simply taking it away from him, but didn't see that ending well if he was in a volatile mood. True, upon getting closer, she had noticed that the blade was rather dull, but it wasn't a good plan to get into the habit of threatening with knives. Cesa had little experience with a violent T'rel and so was really just trying to be as delicate with the situation as possible. Something had to have sparked this off; she'd never seen T'rel get so agitated so quickly before. She wasn't sure what the reason was though and had no intention of prying into it with emotions still so possibly frayed.

It was good to see T'rel smile again and if dancing with him was enough to sooth the situation then it was more easily solved than she had previously thought. "Oh, you don't have to do that." Cesa didn't want him spending marks on her. If anything she should be getting him something, she had an unfortunate feeling that a good amount of this had been her doing. She wasn't certain what she had done or how what she'd done had caused this riled up situation, but she could examine that later and make a note to not do whatever it was again. Cesa really would rather T'rel didn't pull knives on people.

Cesa didn't butt in when an offer was made to T'rel by yet another male who appeared in the short space she was gone. She couldn't say that he made a very good first impression on her though. He seemed rather arrogant in the way he spoke and modesty clearly escaped him when it came to how many marks he had. The cook turned rider would rather not have anything bought by him. She'd worked the majority of her life to pay her own way and that was just the way she liked it. Still, it was T'rel's choice in the end. Cesa turned grey eyes to T'rel, ready to follow whatever course of action her friend chose to take.

Shards, it would seem he just had no luck today, didn't it? One moment he was able to get a shot at sharing drinks with not only his favorite brozerider, but a rather handsome stranger as well and the next T'rel's woman was returning once again, dashing that possible scenario as it seemed she was more then ready to get involved with the little scuffle between himself and T'rel, not seeming as though he had really been worried in the least bit about it or the knife that had been branished at him, "Come now everyone, I promise you there isn't anything to worry about, T'rel here is far to sweet to go stabbing anyone." He really didn't think that he had it in him to do so, he was too soft if you asked him. When the girl invited T'rel to go with her to dance he gave the slightest sigh, well there went his current chance to try to catch up with the bronzerider... not that T'rel seemed in the catching up mood.

His attention turned then to T'rel himself when it seemed that he was going attack, not with his blade but instead with words, lashing out at him to tell him he needed to 'show respect' to his former Weyrleard and T'nus's second, so it was going to be like that was it? Crossing his arms over his chest he gave a snort, "I haven't once been disrespectful to you, T'rel, and at the moment when you are acting more like a hissy, temperamental tunnelsnake then either of those past titles you are hiding behind, I see no reason why I should." He said, eyes narrowing so slightly as the other continued to throw insults his way, telling him to act like a rider, not a teenager or a proddy green flit he gave a snort. He really was a pain, wasn't he? Seemed as though he was so sweet and cute with everyone but him, such a bother... and while he wanted to give him a good shake for it he decided it was best not to do so here, he didn't want to be the one to ruin a Gather nor did he want R'yn to hear that he was causing trouble at a second Gather in a row else he might find himself getting a swift kick in the backside as well as some less then enjoyable punishments for it.

Lifting a hand he waved it at T'rel, "If you decide to slum it come find me, love." He called after the retreating T'rel, finding it almost amusing that he was fleeing with his girlfriend at the moment. Did the guy really hate him so much? Shaking his head he turned to look over at Zofer, "So, Handsome, still up for that pint or was that just an attempt at a peace keeping mission on your part?" He asked of the man standing near to him.

Zofer wasn't sold on the 'sweet' description of T'rel but he'd only just met the guy. From what he could gather though this was probably a lovers feud... between more than one couple... or one three way. With dragonriders you couldn't be sure. Zofer was positive if he Impressed he'd never act like that though. You'd think they'd know not to get attached if their dragons are just going to fly others willy nilly every sevenday.

As T'rel departed Zofer turned an amiable smile back to G'deon. "Mostly peacekeeping but I'm not about to take it back. Sure, I'll stand you to a drink." He held out his hand for a firm shake. "Zofer, Journeyman Seacrafter." He introduced himself.

"So! What's your poison?"

"Making friends, I see, T'rel." said the Weyrsecond in a dissaprroving tone as he arrived with his weyrmate. He had seen the commotion from afar and come to sort it out when he was somehow not at all surprised to find his own second right in the middle of it.

"Oh shush, T'nus. Be nice!" Lavi whispered, ducking under his arm to give T'rel a warm hug. T'rel was now one of Lavi's closest (and only) friends in the Weyr (much to her partner's annoyance). Certainly the only one she would hug. T'nus folded his arms and tried not to look upset. He may not approve of her choice of friends but he'd learned to keep his mouth shut about it. Instead he shifted his gaze somewhere else. "Evening, Cesa." he said, politely. "Are you enjoying the gather?"

Navi was napping now (good thing! They didn't want him seeing this kind of fight again, like last time) watched over by a friend who they'd promised to trade with a little later in the night. Right now big gathers were just a little too overwhelming for him in their entirety. He could handle a little bit, but not the whole night.

Lavi let go of T'rel and went back to T'nus. He looked around. Once again, it seemed hed'd arrived right as the conflict was already ending, but he felt he ought to do something. "So.. what- Oh, forget it." he said, changing his mind. "I'd ask, but I'm going to bet I don't want to know." And why dwell on it when this was supposed to be a celebration? "In any case, I trust whatever it was, it is now definitively and peacefully resolved?" he added with a look at T'rel that said 'dont think I didn't see that knife'.

It seemed like T'rel and Cesa were about to go to dance, so he waved them off. "Well, enjoy the gather. Try to behave." he added in a low tone, just to T'rel. When they had gone, T'nus went back to the two other riders while Lavi went off ahead to look at some of the stalls.

"Everything alright here?" he asked, with a touch of concern. It looked like nothing had come down to blows, but he had to check. After all, it wasn't every day that one rider pulled a knife on another in the middle of a gather. Well... at least not until everyone was significantly more drunk.

"I feel like a father," R'yn grinned at N'rin. "Hoping to foster this one." He ruffled Ionan's hair. "Great kid. Should see him helping Ticene. Going to watch the turnover ghosts tonight, N'rin? I know someone who's been wanting to see you."

"Just that the weyrbrats are off duty today," R'yn said cheerfully, glancing to G'non. "Ionan seems quite upset. Something about being unable to attend the gather? Now, I was just about to treat Ionan to a bubblypie to get him smiling again--perhaps you'd like to join us?" He flashed a smile at the older man, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, Ionan," he set the boy down on the ground. "I see someone you know."

He gestured with a tilt of his head in Ticene's direction, grinning. "Why don't you go give Ticene a tour of the gather, hm? I bet she'd like that. Yes, I'm sure she would. You could buy her something with that mark, I bet. Something for you, too!" He pushed the boy gently in the direction of his weyrmate. "Go on!" When the boy took off to attach himself to Ticene, R'yn glanced back up at G'non. "Take it easy on the boy, G'non. He's been having nightmares. Ticene and I found him in G'deon's weyr a few nights ago. Seems he's been nightmaring about Thread for the last several sevendays. T'rel mentioned that he's been up late at night in the kitchens, too." The bronzerider paused.

"I've seen it myself," he said. "I've found him in the early morning, just outside our weyr. Sleeping. I've brought him inside a few times--but I'm concerned, G'non. Something's troubling him. Let him enjoy the Gather. It's once a turn, what's the harm? He can be given extra chores tomorrow. He's been well behaved all sevenday."

~~~~

"Tic, Tic!" Ionan cried, running up to the Weyrwoman. "R'yn gave me a whole mark to spend on us! Let's go get something okay? We can have bubblypies or get toys or I can buy you something really pretty!" He took Ticene's hand, beaming up at her. "R'yn says I have to give you a tour of the whole gather," he informed her.

"Let's go, Tic! We'll find something you like and we'll get something to eat and R'yn is very nice! I was sad because Papa was being all mean but R'yn saved me!" He beamed up at the Weyrwoman. "I got you something for Turnover, Tic," he said. He pulled a strand of wooden beads out of his pocket and offered them to her. "See? I made it for you! I bought the beads though."