Welcome to Gaia! ::

Abigail had given the new riders the rest of the day and the following morning an opportunity to bond with theirs. Those first few hours were something not a single rider forgot - the feeling of completion, of wonder and hope and, in some cases, why me were so strong they tended to linger for a long time after.

And if she wanted them to be able to focus then, well, they needed some time for the reality of their Impression to set in. It was a healthy group, mostly good natured, and she was looking forward to seeing them grow. Oh, and praying certain individuals didn't spiral out of control in the coming months.

She and N'rak were standing at the entrance ready to greet the Junior Weyrlings as they began arriving. Each of the Weyrleaders took a moment to say hello and welcome and to slip the new rank knots on to the Weyrlings' shoulders. It was something both Malvren and Trine had taken up years ago, feeling it created a more personal bond and fostered loyalty with something as simple and personable as this.

Beyond them, the hall had several long tables with benches for seats and steaming, fragrant food spread out for hungry guests. Towards one side, a butcher had prepared special cuts for the young, voracious dragons should they wish to eat.

Many of Trine's riders were already present, including the Wingleaders and Wingseconds and a variety of the Wingriders. Benden riders had been invited as well, though their presence was under the condition of upstanding behaviour. The Weyrwoman took no chances with this lot.

The Healers were conspicuously absent from the feast, likely run off by the Weyrleaders. They could get their data at a later date - something the Healers had promised to do.

A few harpers played some light music in the corner opposite the butcher and the atmosphere was lively, just like the party it was supposed to be.

S'in for one, was more than ready to be among the procession to the feast. He couldn't imagine a partner more suited to him than Linnaeth, though the small brown was doggedly clinging to the tail of his shirt, his sleeve, his trouser cuff, whatever he happened to be able to reach at the time, which was hell on the nicer clothing he'd chosen to wear for the occasion.
Unlike N'ymi he'd dressed up a bit by choice, wearing his (infamous) favorite purple scarf in his hair and a clean off white shirt. The ends of his braids, although his long hair was mostly engulfed in cloth, showed a smattering of small colored beads, though their real colors didn't show up as clearly as they could against the brown of his hair, and they gave only occasional hints of color, which turned out to be purple and amber and smokey brown.
Fortunately he couldn't reach the brand new rank knots to sink teeth into them, because S'in was sure they would simply snap.
You're shredding my shirt!He pointed out to Linnaeth, who grunted indifferently as he trailed along.

You'll get lost. The brown announced, without releasing his grip.

I won't! He assured, though it was harder to mind with Linnaeth, and although maybe he was being a little too lenient with the small, stubborn brown, he'd been waiting for him so long.

Someone will try and take you. Linnaeth grumbled, eyes flashing with anger at these phantom, and entirely non existent villains.

No they won't, but if it makes you feel better... He assured. Lets get you some food, ok?

------

S'kagi, when he arrived, looked less certain, though he'd temporarily stopped trying to pull his hair until it looked longer, if only because he had his hands full with Luvith, who was marching staunchly ahead of him while she had the energy to do so, determined to get into the crowd and show off her partner and have fun. Not to mention be admired. Should they not be admired?
Hurry up, S'kagi!

I'm coming! "Don't wear yourself out! S'kagi wasn't used to the idea yet that he could hold entire conversations entirely in his head, let alone keeping up with Luvith's bursts of energy, and her steady enthusiasm.

Don't you want to joint the feast?

Y-yes but they're going to stare at me...He grimaced nervously, as others in front of him were pinned with their knots.

They should. They should look to us, they should admire us. Luvith noted, stubbornly. Perhaps not as much as they would admire the tiny gold, but never the less, she believed they too deserved admiration and respect.

Not that, at my face... He protested, starting to reach for his bangs and dropping his hand again at an encouraging 'whack' from a sturdy red tail. That was a trick that could only last so long, at least, otherwise she'd send him sailing later on.

I see only a map of the roads that led you to me. Luvith snorted boldly, as they fixed the knots to S'kagi's sleeve, and he reddened for both reasons.

Sorry Luvith...

STOP APOLOGIZING.

"S'in" Linnaeth and S'in corrected at once, though only S'in jumped in preemptively to provide Farellen's new honorific. "And F'ren. Easy to remember right? Sounds like Friend. G'brel huh? That should be easy to remember." He grinned brilliantly, proud to be here, proud to be with his partner, who released his shirt tail only long enough to sink teeth into the cuff of his pants.

"Linn..." He sighed, sounding faintly exasperated. "This is G'brel... she's a friend, and she has a partner..." He patted the small browns neck and shook his head, in a 'what can you do' gesture. "I did tell him I wasn't going to impress a bronze." He reminded her, teasingly. "We're having a great day so far, how about you? Proud to be wearing your knots?"

"S'in and F'ren. I can remember that," Gabriel replied with and smile. "And you'd be surprised. It too Fa-- F'ren Turns to even remember me at all, let alone my name."

Then why are you even friends with this 'F'ren' in the first place? the Blue asked curiously, unable to help himself.

He entertains me. "Shards yeah I'm proud of these knots," G'brel said with a laugh. "WHo wouldn't be? Our day has been very pleasant and interesting. And it is nice to meet you, 'Linn'. Although I am sure that is not your full name." Everyone knew that dragon's names always ended in th after all.

"Zevra behave! please will you just let me get dressed!" he said loudly to the silver flit who had been generally making a nuisance of himself all morning. F'ren had been trying to get ready for the hatching feast, but Zevra decided that he would just take his hairbrush, his thongs for tying his hair back and prevent F'ren from looking his best.

Finally he'd had to get Toulonth to make the flit behave, F'ren thought it strange of the flit that he'd fawned over the Green Dragon the moment F'ren had fetched his things from the candidate barracks, the silver fire lizard had spent the night curled with Toulonth, in between her and F'ren. He likes your attention F'ren Mine, that is why he behaves like he does, he just wants your approval. F'ren sighed, and had to admit that his Dragon was most likely right, he really should take more time to give his flit the right attention.

F'ren bowed slightly to the Weyrleaders as he recieved his weyrling knots "Thank you Weyleaders, i'm thankful that Toulonth chose me i promise i will do what i can for our Weyr" he said eyeing the Benden riders. Thank you Weyrwoman, Weyleader, i am glad to have found Mine we will serve the Weyr well i know Mine will do well. Toulonth bespoke the Weyrleaders directly, before F'ren led her off to go over to S'in and G'brel.

Spotting his friends he went over in time to hear them talk about him. "Hey! it wasn't TURNS" he said to G'brel keeping one hand on Toulonths head. He practially glared in the direction of the nearest Benden rider. Mine? why do you hate that man, he is a dragonrider, did he do something?
No Toulonth, not HIM, another he said to her "Benden shouldn't BE here" he said out loud without thinking, forgetting that the Benden was within earshot.

Linnaeth didn't let go of Salin's trouser leg, though he did at least turn his head slightly to look at G'brel in acknowledgment, chirping brightly around his mouthful of cloth.

"It's Linnaeth" He explained, apologetically. "Did it really? He remembered my name pretty quickly." He noted with surprise. But then again... F'ren had...also had another interest apparently. "Must have been the hair." He joked, gesturing at his mass of braids, and flashed an impish grin at F'ren. "Wasn't it?" He added, in amusement. "G'brel said it was turns. Who am I supposed to believe here?"

----

"They look friendly. Plexith and his." Luvith noted catching the flash of movement from D'lin and his enthusiastic partner, and S'kagi followed his partners stare toward the enthusiastic, determined bronze, marching through the crowd in search of an audience. "We can go talk to them." She decided. After all, she and hers would be strong fighters, not unlike the bronzes, and it couldn't hurt, she figured, to encourage a meeting between someone S'kagi might someday be working with.

Wait...I thought we were getting you some food? S'kagi blinked in surprise as Luvith veered off course to steer toward the little bronze with a determined strut of her own.

"We will in a minute."

Sharp amber eyes caught on F'ren the instant the words were out of the lad's mouth. "Oh? Is that a fact, weyrling?" There was no mistaking the Green dragonet that looked to the young man. "Benden is here to pay our respects to the newly Impressed Trine riders, and to the Weyrleaders. If you have a problem with that, you might consider taking it up with the Weyrwoman." She, after all, had invited them. His voice was incredibly level, and even polite. S'raid did not go out of his way to be offensive, as a general rule. It was only some people who brought that out in him.

"I expect that I am to extend to you congratulations, then. A fine young beast," he said, not at all feeling rebuffed by the weyrling's behavior. Children would be children after all, and this one was feeling indignant. He wondered if the boy could see his rank knots from where he stood. Most Trine weyrfolk seemed to find his rank all the more offensive, as he was the Bronzerider who had replaced the idiot who had caused the trouble to begin with. He didn't much care. His duty was to the healers, and to his own Wing, and then to Pern. If the Weyrwoman hadn't wanted them there, she wouldn't have invited them... whatever her reasoning might be.

Though he hadn't Impressed, Jalarant's reason for being at the feast was much like the Benden riders: To pay his respects to those who had. Not that he knew many of their names; he knew them far better by their actions. Singing girl, Rude Queen Impressed Girl, Back Talks to O'rer, ect. The only one he knew by name was Nayumi. She'd Impressed a Blue, if he remembered correctly. Would she take a rider's name since she had a fighting dragon? He knew many Queenriders didn't take the Honorific, but they weren't fighting dragons so much as the rest of the Weyr. No firestone for them!

He entered in a group of people, trying not to draw attention to himself. He could already hear one of the boys sass a Benden rider. Shards, if they're here that likely means the Weyrwoman invited them. He thought sourly. He understood the dislike of Benden, he really did. The Crimson's death had hurt everyone in the Weyr. But these riders had not done it, and they were all behaving themselves. Could no one show at least courtesy towards a rider or rank?

Bah. Jalarant shook his head and sulked away to watch the others. He didn't expect anyone to talk to him; he expected he'd gotten a reputation for being a quiet, hard to talk to person. But at least he liked to watch people. They made him nervous in large groups; he'd likely be sick by the end of the night. But it was still nice to watch them go by.