Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was incredibly comforting these days, to take time for herself and do chores in the Lower Caverns. Things however had been slow on the afternoon shift, and so the junior weyrwoman had been sent to clean out what she could from the main Hall. There were a few older riders there who nodded in greeting to Inaari, and a boy that she didn't recognize. He didn't wear the knots of a wingrider, and she knew every Weyrling by name and sight. Nor would he be a weyrbrat at his age, which meant Candidate. Were they searching so soon?

A mental calculation surprised the brunette - she'd been at the Weyr for almost a year now. A wonderful year, and mentally the girl reached out to her sleeping beauty back on the ledge high above them. There was little to do, and Eirlyn would hardly scold her for being friendly, and so it was that Inaari stepped over and took a seat on the long bench next to the young man sipping klah.

"Hullo there, I'm Inaari. I don't remember seeing you around, are you from the Weyr?"

With almost a Harper's timing for the theatrical, almost as soon as Jarest waved at her freckled shoulder, a little blue head poked its head out from beneath her thick curtain of hair with a chirp. "Ah, so you are a Candidate then?" A quick smile flashed across her face and Puddle fell from her shoulder onto the table with a bit of a thud. "Oh! And this is Puddle. Don't mind him, I think I dropped his egg before he hatched." An elbow came up on the table like the best of unmannered children, chin in her elbow as chocolate eyes regarded the nervous boy with a bit of sadness and interest.

"So you're from around Malvren then? I came from the main continent on Fort, Searched to stand when there was a gold on the Sands." Fingers reached over to her knots with a dreamy look in her eyes, and then she reached out to lightly stroke the flit's head. "That's my Ianath now, the junior queen." Puddle, extraordinarily, walked on toes over towards him, chirping with interest at Jarest. Inaari blinked as the flit then tried to climb up his arm, and she moved to scold.

"Oh! Puddle what are you doing?! He's never...done that before. He'll climb on T'ron but oh! Oh let me grab him. I'm sorry!"

She was taken aback by that, sitting up a bit straighter for a second before smiling and easing back down with a light shake of her head. "Oh, I'm sorry! I noticed I was making you uncomfortable, and that happens quite a bit these days. Weyrwoman Eirlyn says it comes with being a weyrwoman and a goldrider, but it's just not something I'm very used to yet." A finger reached out again to pet the flit who was curiously about to settle against Jarest's shoulder with a happy chirp.

"Oh no, he never bites! If you look at their eyes you can tell how they're feeling. He won't ever bite you unless his eyes are red, and see how they're that pretty teal color right now? That means he's pretty happy, and a lot curious. He crawls to get to your shoulder, because he's pretty lazy when it comes to flying. Puddle will always climb up Ianath instead of fly, until she nips at him." Pausing, she remembered what he said about healing and beamed. "A healer is great though! With Thread coming, we'll need all the healer-riders we can get, and if you've an affinity for animals...well. Guess it's only a matter of time until you Impress then. Maybe, if things work, it'll be one of my beauty's eggs!" Sadness was banished at the idea, and she beamed.

Inaari loved the idea of populating the weyr through her beautiful dragon, though the idea of flights was still a bit of a sore subject. "We're going to learn to between soon, and everyone's getting so big! But hah, listen to me nattering on. I'm guessing you've never seen firelizards before?" The way he was reacting at least, signaled something similar.

Inaari's forehead ended up pressed firmly against her forearm for a second with a lightly exasperated sigh. "I know how they are in the Holds, my father is a cotholder and I spent quite a bit of time in Fort where I was Searched. I know it doesn't show, but I can be a proper lady..sometimes." There was a laugh, and a settling of shoulders so that for a moment she looked rather prim and proper, before settling back into her relaxed stance. "I would not let that be your guide for life in the weyr, however. No one here would ever do something like that unless the person were willing, and they are very discrete." It was a friendly warning, not a criticism as Puddle settled himself against the apprentice's neck.

"As for Puddle, I think he'd be upset if you didn't pet him. But you should also not think of yourself as less than a weyrbrat. Some dragons prefer those from outside the Weyr, it's just rarer that a Holder Impresses because they don't much Search them unless there's a deficit. Feynath's clutches have been most Impressive, though the double clutch at Trine has put her a bit to shame...even with that tragedy." Remembering the beautiful funeral, Inaari sighed and smiled again.

"It will be very interesting when Ianath finally clutches. She's very obsessed with being as best as she can, I think she's convinced herself she'll lay only golds." Another laugh. "That would be interesting for you, wouldn't it?"

Another shake, Inaari liked to fling her hair around when making her points known. "They would have tried, if she'd let them near her. Alumanth fell and broke her leg, and then was so exhausted and stressed that she went almost immediately between. Usually only wing trauma is the most fatal, but..." Her face was truly regretful thinking of the pair, and it was a tragedy that was still fresh in everyone's mind. Reaching over, she lightly patted Jarest's hand in understanding and smiled.

"That poor gold wouldn't know which was was up, but don't worry. Not even Ianath is that wonderful and gifted...I think you're safe." Eyes crinkled and her leg swung back and forth on the bench. "However, you might end up with a green, which I am told can sometimes be just as bad. Or a clutching crimson, as Alumanth was." Now she was really smiling, with a memory. "The Weyrlingmaster has one. When she's proddy, it's absolutely enthralling to see him." The sarcasm was there, but affectionate.

Inaari was torn between giggles and guilt at the look on the poor healer's face when she talked of a man on a proddy Crimson, and she patted his hand again in comfort. "I've never heard of a dragon Impressing to someone who was truly unwilling to take their part in a flight." Then again, Inaari didn't know half the riders in her own Weyr, let alone on Pern, but she had indeed never heard of such a thing! That did not, however, mean it never happened. But she was not about to tell Jarest that! After all, she was having issues with the idea of Flights herself, but was slowly becoming more comforted with the fact by striking up a friendship with S'dekai. And of course, there was always T'ron. Always.

Pondering the boy for a moment, she nodded. "But I think you would suit a blue well. They're very sturdy creatures, useful, something that could be used to aid any dragon that was hurt while you healed their rider. How are you with command?" White teeth showed in her adorably freckled face as she interrogated him more, interested in this Holder that reminded her so much of home.

Inaari giggled at the idea of being a good leader, and shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "I'm not sure about being a good leader, but I grew up with eight brothers and sisters, plus several nieces and nephews since I'm the fifth. They work in the fields of the cot and that sorta left me to take care of six, seven, eight, and my older siblings' children. Then I went to the Hold and learned how to manage a household of bigger size - I think it's that which Ianath liked in me. I can manage, micromanage, and direct all without too much trouble. It's valuable in a weyrwoman, especially seeing as Eirlyn is fairly young herself and I'm not likely to ever really need to lead anyone." This was a great comfort to the girl from Fort who didn't think she had anything else to recommend herself and had absolutely no desire to stand out.

Looking at the mug in front of Jarest, she pointed and smiled. "Here, I'll show you my talent. Would you like some more klah? I make the best in the Weyr!" Eyebrows raised in suggestiveness, Inaari already rising. "You hang onto Puddle, I'll be right back!"