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It was Adriaetta's first evening at the Weyr, her first dinner in that great dining hall among all the fuss and bustle. So far, after sliding off dragon-back (which had been exhilarating, and oh so exciting!) she hadn't been all that impressed with the Weyr itself. Oh, it was fine, she guessed. If you were into that sort of thing. Quaint, even. But the accomidations weren't exactly what she'd call suitable and it had been explained to her rather rudely, she thought, that she'd be expected to do chores!

Chores! Why there were plenty of perfectly able bodied men and women for that thing already, weren't there? Someone had see to other things, had to add a little fun to things. And why shouldn't that be her? That was chore enough, as far as she was concerned. Plenty of people were perfectly dreadful at knowing when to having fun.

Now, having procured a plate of food, she pushed her way through the crowd, trying to ignore those that tread on the lovely new dress she'd changed in just for the evening (such a brilliant shade of blue and with such charming tiers of lace), she managed to find a seat in a semi-empty table, noting her dining companions only after she'd gotten settled.

"Now, isn't this just a lovely evening?" She said, to the one across from her. "It has been such a day! You can't imagine. I do adore flying, don't you? When I impress, I fully intend to fly every day. It's really an activity we don't get nearly enough of!"

Smile, flutter, munch. "Now then, I'm Adriaetta, and I just got here today, can you imagine? And not a friend in the world. All by my lonesome and the things they expect! So you just must tell me all about yourself."

All this, without breathing, and if her eyes had ever really focused on her apparent 'new friend' they'd only done so briefly.

It wasn't until Kelos began to reply, and more to the point, said the right things, that Adriaetta began to take stock of her dining companion. Well, wasn't she a doll, then? Adriaetta had just known that she'd make friends at the Weyr, and here she was, her first night, and already she'd met just the sort of person she liked to spend time with. That is-- a person prepared to pander to and fawn over her.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest thing! I just knew when I saw you that we were going to be friends, and I'm so glad I was right! Everyone's seemed so grumpy since I got here to the Weyr, it's nice to know I'm not the only one that knows how to smile." And she did just that, a wide, warm expression. If she wasn't aware of the undertones to Kelos's thoughts, she was bright enough to recognize the sorts of phrases that indicated someone she could count on to act with chivalry.

"I would just love to be shown around the Weyr. My sense of direction, well, you really can't imagine. I get lost in my own wardrobe, most days." Her eyes were wide and she fluttered her hands in a delicate display of her helplessness. "A place like this I just know I'll try to get to bed and end up lost in the pantry!"

"Oh, Kelos, what would I have done if I hadn't met you?" Adriaetta asked, and it was hard to mistake the sincerity in her voice. Sure, she expected good things to happen to her. Life was grand and she expected to enjoy it to the fullest. But even she was capable of recognizing that fantasy and reality did not always overlap as they should. And the Weyr, the Weyr had started to seem like it offered a certain level of disappoint. But Kelos, Kelos changed all that. Why, if there was someone to look after her, she'd be able to have a marvelous time!

And, if Adriaetta was entitled (and she was) she wasn't above praising her enablers. She was grateful in the same pure way she was anything. It was easy to enjoy things to the fullest when you didn't allow yourself to think of things as complicated.

"Why, if I'd known I was going to meet you here, I'd have come to the Weyr earlier, just for the chance." She lowered her head for a moment addressing her food with dainty little nibbles. "As to the chores, well, I wouldn't want you to think ill of me. That'd just break my heart. But I am accustom to, say, more delicate tasks."

Suddenly, and unexpectedly, feeling insecure at this confession, she blushed. "I do hair, you know. I can do some lovely things with hair. I even know a bit of sewing."

"Oh, I'm sure you had such lovely hair." Adriaetta leaned forward, getting into Kelos's personal space without any apparent concern that she might make her companion uncomfortable. It wasn't often that she worried about other's comfort. "Blonde, too."

She touched her own careful curls, affecting a minor pout as she did so. "Dark hair is so-- common, I think. But one plays the hand dealt them."

She was still leaning, peering at Kelos from this new, close, and curious range. Gazing so, it was quickly coming apparent that Kelos was quite lovely, something she hadn't realized while they'd chatted. Oh, such a pity she had cut off her hair! There were even some dresses that Adriaetta would have been happy to give her. But, somehow, looking at her, that seemed not the suggestion to make.

"It suits you," she said, instead. "The short cut. It's quite dashing. Though I'd never be so daring! I've had curls as long as I can remember."

Sitting back, twisting one of those curls around her tiny fingers, she considered the possibility of holding a harp in her hands. "I did always like to sing," she admitted, giggling a little at the idea of running off to the harper hall. "Daddy would be so angry if I tried my hands at a trade. He's only letting me here because he doesn't realize I'm going to Impress."

"Oh, of course he will!" Adriaetta said with the absolute confidence of someone who has never actually born the weight of disapproval. "Daddy's going to be so thrilled to have a dragonrider in the family. I don't believe we've ever had one before. I think my great-uncle was searched, though he didn't stand. I wish he had. It'll be so lonely here without any family about."

For a moment, she was the picture of dejection, but almost as quickly the smile was back, "But, I shall make friends." Impulsively, she reached out, intending to take hold of Kelos's hand and give it an affectionate squeeze, "And I have, haven't I. I have you, already."

Switching gears at the dragon question, Adriaetta hesitated, stopping to think, perhaps for the first time in the conversation. Maybe ever. "Oh, they're all just lovely as jewels. I'd hardly say no to any color. Though, I just can't imagine impressing gold. The poor Weyrwomen, this whole place on their shoulders. I'd rather one of those lovely silvers. And the blues, they come in such gorgeous shades."

Oh it'd be so fun when she impressed! She'd need a whole new wardrobe, matched to her dragon's hide.

It was then that Sweet appeared, the little firelizard popping out of between and landing neatly on Adriaetta's shoulder with a demanding little chirp. With a laugh, Adriaetta broke off a bit of meat and held it out to the flit, "Of course, I've nothing against greens, darling." She spoke more to the flit than to Kelos.

That question, oddly enough, got a very genuine blush out of Adriaetta, and it seemed at first that she might not answer, might preen over the firelizard and pretend not to have heard.

But eventually, with a bit of a sigh, she turned her attention back toward Kelos. "I was just a little thing when I got her, you know. And wouldn't it be lovely if I had the sense to name her something fancy? I might have called her Emerald. Or Gem. But tell a little girl to think of something special and what does she think of? Sweets. This is Sweet. Not at all the noble name for a dragonriders flit."

The blush was fading and Adriaetta gave the firelizard another fond little scratch. There was clearly a lot of love for the creature, regardless of how she felt about the name she'd chosen. "She's just about as excited as I am about the Weyr. I think she's convinced she's going to grow up to be a dragon, now she's seen the greens."