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“There’re other things that these modern men don’t know how to do too well” Elane murmured to him, falling into the patterns of the dance as easily as she would fall into a feather bed. He was handsome and muscled enough, and she didn’t want to hang around here too long if she didn’t have to. Politics was usually boring, and she doubted there'd be any firework displays this evening.

===

“No-one smashed any eggs” R’soua said innocently, bending to kiss him on the cheek. She was a good few inches taller then the green rider, and still growing on top of that. “I think that probably helped"

"Oh?" Ra'fe questioned, tone mild and slightly wondering how polite he could leave if it was something he rather not be a part of. The pattern of the dance was easy enough, a sort of muscle memory involved leaving him time to consider a number of less then pleasant 'other things' that Elane was hinting at.

“Didn’t know he was part of Kimmer’s fashion divas.” Jemi said, looking over the graceful if somewhat possibly snobby bronze and grinned. “You could use some new clothes to show off your looks. At least till you get to grow out your hair.” Cai had gorgeous hair, certainly more of a statement then her own flat black.

Lanceth chuckled, eyes whirling before slinking away to walk aside Jemi, proud from headknob to tail tip. She murmured to Laufeth.

~---------------------~

Well, that answered that question. Top on his list of not interested were intimate moments with a rider ten years his junior. The age was a minor note, in truth, he could not see any reason why Elane would care to have relations with him. “I would have to decline,” Ra’fe said politely, twirling his partner around.

"A lovely name for a lovely lady," Re'ka purred, "I'm Re'ka, my bondmate is brown Pycath.... And I must admit it's nice not to crick my neck looking at you." Most women were a lot shorter than Re'ka, Sarai was only a bit shorter. She liked small women too - Re'ka liked most women - but it was a pleasing change. Variety was the spice of life.

"I do my best, I'm glad you noticed," Re'ka continued, taking a deep drink of her wine and making bedroom eyes at Sarai over the top of her goblet. "You should see the matching contents, I keep it in a box in my weyr.... That's getting a bit ahead of ourselves though isn't it? I would love a dance, so shall we?" Re'ka finished her drink in one smooth movement, placed the goblet on the table, and offered her arm to Sarai.


"Nobody bit me either, I like that in a clutch," Bereck added with a wry grin and a shake of his head. He remembered when R'soua had been shorter than him, and vaguely wondered if she would ever stop getting taller. At this rate she'd end up as big as L'ris.

"Did you have wagers on the eggs?" Bereck added after a moment. He didn't usually indulge in that way himself but he had this time around, it had been impossible to resist.

“Pffhs,” Jemi replied lightly as they walked together. “It not about respect, we want you to be warm among other things.” Some colors just looked smoking on red heads. “And I like your hair color, I wish I had your hair color and that it was longer because I like running my fingers through hair.” It was silky and smooth and just would add a little tingle when she could loop orange hair behind a hair and make Cai blush.

“Ooh, and that does smell good.” She said. It smelt like cake and meat and more deliciousness then she could pick out.
Lanceth gently nudged Jemi’s mind.

Jemi flushed slightly, self consciously running her fingers through the short fuzz.

~-----------------~
“That, I don’t get that often,” Sarai said cheerfully. Occasionally, some of her partners remarked on that pleasure, but mainly it was her looking down to find her partner, if she felt like romancing a women. Sarai like both.

“I would love to, but yes, we are aren’t we.” Sarai set her goblet down and took Re’ka’s arm with a small grin. “I think we shall, if you would lead? I’m still figure out the steps to these dances.” They didn’t differ much but she did not care to stomp all over Re’ka’s feet.

She pulled away from him then, her mouth set in a tight line and her pale cheeks flushed red, forgetting the dance. “I offered because I thought it might be fun, you and I, and there’s no consequences for people like us”

Unlike when she’d been the Lord’s lover, and she’d taken precaution after precaution to ensure her womb never caught a child. She’d considered it, towards the end of their affair - if she’d been able to produce a boy for him… but he had been a tunnelsnake and she was well shot of him.

“But if you insist on being crude, then I don’t think I do want anything more to do with you tonight. Good evening, sir”

She turned on her heel and stalked off, winding her way through the dancers to find someone more sympathetic to her idea of a good time.

Well ok. That Cai couldn't argue against. It was blasted cold here in High Reaches sometimes and while the weyr's generous allowance of clothing for it's residents sufficed, well, Cai was not a creature built to weather the cold very well. They could argue Jemi's second point. Of which they did with a wicked grin despite the flush crawling up their neck. It had been a long time since Jemi had been able to run her hands through Cai's hair and at that point in their life...well Cai hadn't been interested in that sort of thing.

"It's an obnoxious color." Cai raised an eyebrow. "Stands out terribly and combined with my freckles makes me look like a carrot grown limbs. Not to mention I would never do well in say Wing 3-2. Imagine trying to disguise this? I can pull off 'skinny redhead with freckles' and that's about it. Nothing subtle there. The only ambiguous thing about me is my gender." There Cai smirked before looking quizzically at Jemi and Lanceth. "What did she say?"

~....................~

Pagerell blinked in surprise as he was addressed by one of his fellow weyrlings. Well he was a sight out of uniform! "Hello Yevalee! I am thank you! I just needed a breath after the last dance" He quickly folded the sleeveless tunic he'd removed and set it aside. A drudge would find it and return it to his weyr shortly he was sure. If not well, he would take care of that problem later. For now his doublet, navy with detailing in black with a thin edge in white piping (the weyrs colors he liked so very much) and his undershirt were more than enough to keep him comfortable. The doublet was just long enough not to be indecent without a codpiece and his black hose were new and unfaded. He had little in the way of decoration as money was something he found himself lacking in for the first time in his life, but he was a child of Kimmer, born and bred and had made do with what was available to him.

Yeva on the other hand looked absolutely splendid (if a little extravagant, but Page didn't fault him on that.) "You cut the impressive figure this evening!" He smiled cheerfully, running a hand over his short (only just short enough to pass muster) pale blond hair. The contrast of dark clothing only made his natural fairness look white in the dim light. "The dancing? Well... I can still tell where the roots of most of the dances come from, and I can follow well enough. It will take some practice though to get used to the new forms. Really they haven't changed much in the basic steps but the subtleties and flourishes have evolved quite significantly. May I?" He had closed the gap between the two of them and reached carefully for Yeva's pendant to get a better look at it. He didn't bother to wait for Yeva's answer as he touched the jade stone and it's inlay.

~..................~

Ja'line had just knocked back the last of her latest drink (only a half glass of wine this time. The torches were glowing ever so nicely now!) when another offer to dance came her way. She turned with a bright smile, an acceptance on her lips and started when she saw the figure standing before her. "Wow!" She breathed before extending her hand to take his. "Yes of course!" Who he was or where he'd come from she hadn't the faintest idea but he was either a weyrling or a candidate judging by the freshly shaved head. Not that it mattered but it fed her ego that the 'kiddies' wanted to dance with her.

Cai eyed Jemi's hair, then her face, then smiled. "Well she is correct." She wanted to make Cai blush? Cai could do the same. They could also take subtle hints and as soon as they were inside, they steered the pair towards the tables still laden high with food and drink.

"Not particularly. Though it just means one less combat wing I may be eligible for." Cai had squired to 3-1 for a short time before being switched to Re'ka and second wing. "Honestly the work of 4-1 and 2 I feel is the most rewarding and does the most good, but the pay is better in the higher wings and I have always intended on sending what marks I can back home to the sofianists to help their cause. I have the most experience with Wing two because of Re'ka, though Wing 3-1 was fascinating while I was under my first squire. I don't know if I could tolerate the ego's of Wing one." They couldn't. Maybe that was the influence of Ko'ren speaking but Cai knew for a fact that if they were offered a spot among wing one they would get into a fight within the first month. They'd accept of course, even a month's worth of wing one's pay would go far and a demotion would only see them in a wing that better suited their tastes. Cai had their eyes set on wing 3-1 ideally, or one of the 4th wings. Especially if Weyrleader O'ail was able to produce the changes she promised.

Laufeth's eyes flashed and he snorted derisively. You are my rider and we do not settle for less. If Wing one does not suit your tastes then we will make it suit. His tail curled behind him, the tips twitching back and forth as he eyed the swirling crowd of dancers.

~.............~

"It was warmer than I expected in there." Page said as an explanation to his lack of fur. Indeed the dark colors while close to their weyrling uniform, in fact chosen along the same color scheme, and lack of bulk made Page look almost half as small as he usually did.

Page barely registered Yeva's shock as he delicately fingered the necklace. "The silver isn't bad. I tend to prefer it with green stones." He flipped it over to look at the backing, then back to eye the carving in the shell insert. "It would match better in gold, but as it's only the back it's hardly noticeable." He could tell the grade and materials weren't the highest but didn't comment. "Where did you get it?" He let it rest back on Yeva's chest before letting go. At least he wasn't going to let it drop or yank against it's cord.

~................~

Ja'line grinned in a very unladylike manner and eyed him up and down as he kissed her hand. Well wasn't this fixing to be just the best of evenings! Sure she didn't outshine Rukbat herself (unlike the Lady Shylla over there) but hey apparently the right dress could make even her pretty on occasion! (No her parents were not right. She'd never be a good demure girl and proper marriage material but HAH she could be a pretty lady AND a dragonrider and worth a fardling great deal more than they'd been willing to pay to marry her off!)

Ja'line spun to the side and winked back at him as she gave a tug towards the dance floor. "Let's see what you've got!"