All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.

02-11-01: Boy Toy
Ilara is sitting at a table near a hearth, working on some mending -- seems to be someone's riding leathers,...

Ilara is sitting at a table near a hearth, working on some mending -- seems to be someone's riding leathers, by the look of it. Her tongue sticks out of the corner of her mouth slightly while she works, slowly and methodicly.

So this is Relian. Striding, somewhat aimlessly, about the perimeter of the caverns, this particular young man ends up near the hearth, and, therefore, fairly near Ilara -- to whom he gives a smile. "Oh, ugh, they have you mending, as well?"

Ilara doesn't look up from her work, intent on getting the stitches right, but does not a bit. "Yeah, mending too. Which I don't mind, so that's alright." Then again, she has yet to profess to minding /any/ of the chores given her. She backstitches carefully, following the holes previously made in the leather, and then finishes the seam off. "There, that's one part fixed..." Large leatherworking needle is stuck in her mouth while she looks for the next part and more string. Finally, she looks up. "Relian, right?" she asks around the needle. "How're you?"

Namah walks over and gets some klah and a few meat rolls

"Correct. Relian. And you're Ilara. I'm well, thank you. Yourself?" He places name to face with a firm bob of his head, appropriating the bench at the other side of the table with a swift movement, sliding his limbs over the wooden seat. "I can't stand mending, myself. My mother says that every man should be able to do it, but me, I'm more of the opinion that women's fingers are smaller, and therefore it's easier. I think I break more than I mend, even when I try." Ilara's work is watched, his head twisting to the side, as he queries, "Are there any chores you really don't like?"

Namah moves over to the table with her food and drink. Sitting carefully with a nodd to each of the other people "Hello" She says before sipping her klah and handing fire eyes a meatroll.

Fire Eyes snapps up the offered meatroll and swallows it almost whole.

Ilara was about to indicate that he sit on the very bench he claimed, so she puts her hand down and pretends she wasn't going to do any such thing. The next split seam is found, and Lar bussies herself with pulling out the old torn rawhide to be replaced. "I'm alright," she replies, keeping her head bent over her work. "I'm of two minds about mending your own things. On the one hand, if you're horrible at it, its embarassing to have to wear the product of your work." She shrugs a bit as she struggles getting the needle through the first hole. eventually she resorts to pulling on it with her teeth, to some good effect. "On the other hand... like making someone eat his own cooking, you get better a /lot/ faster when you know you'll be wearing what you sew. And not really, because everything has to be done by /someone/ right?"

With an idle nod, Namah is greeted by Relian, who, instead of making idle chitchat, focuses his attention firmly upon Ilara, and this present - somewhat peculiar - topic of conversation. "That's so," he agrees, "But if you're so awful that you're never, ever going to get any better, someone really might as well do it, just to save embarrassment. But minor things, I reckon, you should do yourself." This he punctuates with a firm, unyeilding nod. "But why should it be you?" he counters, assessing her with a glance. "I mean, why shouldn't I have to do it, or someone else?"

"Well, I'm a candidate, and... candidates are given lots of chores. I guess so we don't get in working-folk's way, or so we don't get idle and lazy, or something," Ilara shrugs as she works, not letting the conversation distract her from her neat little stitches.

"Or prank," offers Relian, as another alternative, with a roll of his eyes. "I suppose so. It may well prepare you for the life of drudgery weyrlinghood is suppose to be, too, although," he admits, hazily, "I don't really know how that works."

Ilara stops mid-stitch to look up at him, startled and hurt. Why does everyone keep mentioning pranks and implying that she'd be behind any? She tries her best, really she does, to do as she's supposed to... where does she get this reputation from? How can they think so low of her? "I'd never prank," she mutters quietly, finding sudden intense interest in finishing her work. The rest of his statements recieve a noncommital, despondant shrug.

Relian's expression alters dramatically, and he winces. "Sorry," he notes, even as she continues to talk, although in a low, quiet voice. "I'm sure you wouldn't. I mean, though, the general candidate body - it seems like that's what heaps are trying, or hoping, or whatever. And what all the riders talk about, when they think of *their* candidacies." Flushing, he notes, "I know you wouldn't, really I do. You're too--responsible."

Ilara laughs hollowly, shaking off the apology. "Thanks, I think." There's no sarcasm in her tone, but it seems a bit... too light. "I haven't heard of anyone else doing pranks either... yet." That could easily change, though. But they probably wouldn't tell a nonentity like herself about it. Which is just as well; ignorance is the best defense. "I guess they might.

"They well. I'd bet, but I don't have much to bet with." So sayeth Relian, with the firmest of nods. "Oh, you're quite welcome. I mean, I admire your diligence - sort of. I don't think I'd manage to be like that, if it were me. I hardly manage all my chores, as it is."

Teza slinks quietly in from the Southeastern Bowl.

Kita quietly pads in from the Southeastern Bowl.

Ilara shrugs it off. "I just do what I'm supposed to. I don't... I don't want to anger anyone." She's been assured that its pretty unlikely that she'll get sent home, but that doesn't mean that something else wont happen. Like being made to clean latrines /right/ when the hatching starts so she misses it, just because she neglected some chores. Besides, she just wants to please. How else would she get anyone to like someone as unpleasant as /her/?

Even immortal legends, such as the great and almighty -- cough! -- Teza have to eat, and in she sweeps in search of lunch. The greenrider sweeps past everyone's favorite gaggle of blueriders, blowing the boys a kiss at the catcalls that seem their only sound as she slips past on her way to the food, knife out as she pokes through in search of something edible. "Good day," she calls over to the other occupants, pausing in her prodding of the meats to snag fruit instead.

Rolling his his, Relian leans back in his chair, his long legs outstretched in front of him, as he emits a sigh. "Honestly, Ilara, I don't think you *could* anger anyone, if you tried, except by being too obliging." He taps out a pattern upon the table with his fingertips, head automatically shifting as Teza arrives, her greeting echoed by one of his own. "Same to you, Teza-ish type." The table by the hearth is his, and Ilara's, she with her mending, he with his idle hands.

Kita follows not far behind the greenrider, looking to be in an amicable mood as she sweeps her mass of hair back from her face. The brownrider blinks a few times as her eyes adjust to the dimmer light, and she makes out the forms of the people within. She spys Tez, a Candidate, the fellow from the other night...and oh no...blueriders. Kita turns on her heels and is about to walk back out (blueriders and Tez- what a combination..again!!) except a large brown head blocks the exit with a gentle croon. Kita growls low in her throat and marches to the hearth, ignoring all within.

"I'm not too obliging," Ilara mutters, obstinate. She's not. Really. Its true. No, really, we mean it. "Anyway," Lar mutters, attempting to turn the conversation towards somethign else, anything else that isn't about her. "Mending is nice and soothing. You can think to yourself while you work without worrying about getting a hoof in your skull." Finishing off the last of it, she checks the leathers to make sure they're whole and sound, then offers nods to Kita and Teza as they enter, though the later ignores them. "'Lo."

"She hasn't angered me yet, if it helps," Teza says lightly, a grin flashed over at Ilara as she spears a bit of cheese as well. Dumping the foods on a plate, she takes it over to claim a chair at the table next to the other's, feet kicked up on a nearby chair. Manners, manners - wherever did they go? Knife slicing into the flesh of the fruit, she spots Kita and aborts that to lift knife-holding hand in a cheerful wave, calling out a bright, "Hallooooo, Kita! How's Djarreth today?"

Well, there goes Kita's attempt at ignoring the entire room- it's easier to ignore that rowdy bunch of blueriders that way. With a small accepting sigh, Kita turns around to face the people she knows, and blatantly turn her back on that immature little group in the far corner. "Big," she answers simply with a smile, pushing herself off the edge of a table and coming to join the more intelligent group. Ilara's and Relian's. ;) And Teza's too, of course... "And how is Briganth? She was very...interesting the other night..." Finally Kita looks over to Ilara, facing that which she had been slightly avoiding. "How's the leg?"

Relian's fingers are lifted from the table to straighten his rumpled hair, smoothing through the obstinate tresses. "Sure you're not, Ilara," he agrees, amiably, a grin crossing his face. "I s'pose that's true, as well. Then again, I don't imagine my mind is kept on my work all that much, either, no matter the type." Kita's arrival is met with another nod, the young man offering, "Afternoon."

Ilara is quietly pleased at Teza's remark, though she doesn't say anything about it. She simply smiles and nods while the two riders come over and sit. Kita's question catches her off guard, causing her cheeks to flush with embarassment about the incident -- and the fact that the rider even remembers. "Er, its much better, thanks. My ankle bothered me for a few days, but I'm alright now."

"Briganth's wonderful. A bit crowded, she says, what with the two new weyrmates and all, but pretty good all told," Teza says idly, going back to cutting her fruit to bits, then slowly lifted to her lips, one by one. Blueriders can be heard to make dissapointed sounds as Kita passes them by, then promptly settle to avidly watch the group at the hearth, sure someone will start something worth cat-calling over. "Oh, that's right! It was you with the ankle, wasn't it?" Some memory, eh? "Glad it's better, though. Briganth rather thought you all were just delightful. Even you, Relian."

Kita looks honestly relieved. "Oh Ilara, I'm glad. And so is Djarreth. He was frantic with worry- it took all my willpower to forbid him to follow you and the Healers to the Infirmary. Not that he could have fitted in there if he wanted. He desperately wanted to know that you were going to be okay." As if confirming her words, a joyful dragon bugle can be heard, the light dimming in the room slightly as Djarreth peers in. Kita pulls a face at the blueriders, and quietly commands her dragon to 'eat them.' Which of course, he doesn't. "You have /two/ weyrmates Tez? I didn't know you even had one." This is news for the brownrider, who sips her klah and continues to look puzzled at her over the rim. The young man is greeted with a returned smile and a nod. "I think Briganth liked everyone that night," she grins still looking to him with a wink. "But Djarreth seemed rather taken to you as well."

"Then I'm honoured," Relian avers, his tone holding only the faintest trace of amusement. He slides around on his seat, rising to head for the hi--kitchens, returning, plate in hands. "Imagine, Briganth thinking I was wonderful.-- Djarreth, too?" His expression, if anything, is faintly proud, although he tempers that with his lazy movements, sinking back into his seat. "Two weyrmates? Impressive."

"Yeah, it was me. I'm terribly sorry for tripping over the his wing" -- Ilara cant remember which rider rides which dragon, and never did get his name, besides -- "and causing a fuss like that." She /hates/ scenes, aspecially when she causes them. Kita is blinked at, surprised twice in a row -- this time that the rider (who is probably busy with many other things) remembers her name. Its not like there aren't a dozen other new candies too; how does she remember all of them?? "Er, thank him for his worry, please?" THat answers whose dragon it was, at least. "I hope I didn't hurt his wing when I tripped." Teza is out-right stared at. She knows what a weyrmate is, but... two? She /has/ to ask, she's that surprised. "How do you have /two/?"

"Uhm, four, actually," Teza drawls innocently, attention focused on the edge of the blade of her knife as she lifts a bit of fruit from with a faint curve of her lips. "First there was Lli, then Sya, and just of late Naomi and with her Lib. I had a dolphincrafter a while back, plus this darling Harper, but for Turns it's been Lli and Sya, and now those two." Beam. Five greenriders. One weyr. Fear. "It's quite cozy, actually." Only know do her eyes lift, mischief dancing almost visibly within by the lightening of amber sparks in the dark eyes.

Annie treads in from the Southeastern Bowl.

Annie enters, bare feet slapping against the stone of the cavern's floor. Why barefoot? Can't you tell -- Ista is /hot/ in summer! She catches sight of one of her preferred drudges (though she still doesn't recall his name) and waves him down. "Chilled wine, white please, um... you." He nods obligingly at the goldrider and goes off in search of the request. Annie goes to sit at the dias' edge -- not in her seat at the table as usual, but on the edge of the raised stone. The drudge brings her wine. She sips. She stares -- her green eyes are wide, peering owlishly at those present.

"Now," Relian begins, very slowly, "You're scaring me. Is that five greenriders, in one bed, or scattered about, in communal industry?" Holdbred morals make for flushing cheeks, although he instead concentrates his attentions upon scooping refried beans onto his fork, and transferring the lot to his mouth without dropping anything.

Kita claps a hand to her mouth- she knew Tez was...frisky, but...four?! "Four?!!?" she blurts out, a little too loudly in her surprise. She winces at her volume, then leans in a little closer and hisses, "four?!" again. For someone who has never had even one, four is quite...substantial. "That must be very....interesting," she nods safely, unable to find words to express her surprise. Ilara is gratefully looked to- the girl probably has no idea how happy Kita is to latch onto her subject. "Oh no, his wing is fine. It's a trick he likes to play. He uses it on me all the time. The result is often me being landed on my butt, but I guess he forgot non riders aren't always as nimble. I am /so/ glad you are okay," and indeed she is, for maybe she'll get some sleep now. Kita looks sidelong to Teza, still a little unsure of what to make of all of this. Of course, the blueriders in the corner are stamping and cheering at Teza's news, whooping and causing a great clamour. "Hey luv! Yer got room for a blueridin' man in there too? I coulda teach ya all a thang.." one calls, bringing raucous laughter from his mates.

"Four what?" Annie's voice pipes up, /just/ audible, over her glass of wine. She crosses one bare leg over the other, smoothing her fluffy white shorts free of wrinkles fussily. She eyes the blueriders warily, lips twisted, eyes narrowed. Hmph. Dragonriding /men/.

Ilara continues to stare. Teza may as well be a disgusting little trundlebug the way Ilara looks at her, at least until she remembers her manners. All that keeps her from exclaiming about the number is her sense of manners and the fact that Kita does it for her. With a(nother) flush, she finds a sudden interest in her hands, finding them vastly amusing. Annie is watched curiously through her lashes, wondering who she is that she sits on the edge of the dias. Too far away to see the knot, but she guesses it has a gold thread in it. Relian's comment makes her keep her head down, until someone /thankfully/ changes the topic! Kita is turned to, grateful in turn. "Oh. Well, it was my fault, I should have jumped higher." Chewing on her lip, she hesitates, then adds, "I liked playing with him? Sort of. I don't know if he was playing or not, but.. well... dragons aren't scary like people.

"One weyr, one -big- bed - and a bunch of pillows," Teza agrees brightly to Relian, settling back in her chair with the smuggest of expressions on her face. A drop of juice is licked daintily from the blade of her knife as she regards Kita for a moment, grinning faintly. "It is interesting. Imagine them all going proddy together!" Or, y'know, -don't-. "And no, boys - we still have standards, after all!" she calls over towards the blueriders, lips set in a faint smirk. "Besides, I like the girls better," she adds, leaning over to flutter her eyelashes outrageously at Kita, only then answering the goldrider. "Weyrmates." Short 'n sweet.

Annie's owlish eyes go wider -- big as saucers, here we come -- at Teza's statement. She takes another, larger gulp of wine and shakes her head sadly. "How do you stand it? If Serath and I didn't have our weyr to be alone in, we'd... we'd... /perish/!" A little drama, eh? She rolls muddy green eyes back in her head for a moment, shaking her head again. Then, a shrug: "/Green/riders."

Relian doesn't die - he merely nods, rapidly. "I guess having a man about would really frustrate the whole thing. Although I'm hurt. Standards, indeed." He mock pouts, Teza's explanation met with a cheerfully considering smile. He busies himself with his meal, ducking glances up to those about the room -- Annie, Ilara, Kita, even Teza, although with more hesitation. She's weird.

C'ran wriggles on his way, shake it groove thang, shake it groove thang, yeah yeah in from the Southeastern Bowl.

Naomi bounces in from the Southeastern Bowl.

Ilara might be seen to twitch a bit as she can't help but hear the conversation go on. /Five/ greenriders. Females. In the same weyr. In the same bed. Going /proddy/ together. This, perhaps, takes the cake for the reddest Ilara's ever been. Which says something, considering how often she goes red. She does a lovely impression of a scarlet fish though, as her mouth opens and closes soundlessly. In fact, she would flee right now, but for the fact that she's so... broken that she can't quite remember how to move at the moment.

Teza idly swallows another bit of fruit with a short nod for Annie and a slight grin. "With a dragon, it's not that hard to get away if you really need some quiet, no?" she points out, before a grin is slanted at Relian. "You, my dear, I'd make an exception for, since even Briganth likes you. But those blueriders? Ick, no class." Ilara is eyed with only the deepest of consideration from the dark eyes, head tipping to the side curiously. "Are you a'right, dear? You look like you've got a horrid fever, perhaps. Is it too hot for you?" Blink, blink. And a smirk. Everyone loves -a- greenrider, why not five?

C'ran enters the room, the classiest of blueriders. A rather amused 'ahem' in responce to Teza's words.

Annie manages to tolerate one greenrider; five would send her to an early grave. Or the funny farm. "Serath and I need to be /all/ alone," she mutters into her wineglass before taking another sip. C'ran's entrance eilicits a scowl from the goldrider, and Naomi's brings out just a hint of wariness. More greenriders? She shifts her bony rear end on the stone step of the dias, sips again of the wine, then flags down her favorite drudge. "More?" Again, he obliges.

Kita's face erupts in a bloom of colour at Teza's playful flirting- the brownrider couldn't be more comfortable around her, but when someone flirts...and she drops her head, holding her klah mug a little higher as if trying to hide behind it. The cavern echoes with the deafening sounds of cheering men- oh yes, they /like/ the thought of five greenriders all together...and seem to have a thing for a certain brownrider to get involved too. "Hey luv! Why don' ya go join 'em, and we'll come an' watch!" one yells out, only to receive a /very/ dangerous glare from Kita. Foolishly, one of the riders approaches Annie, a swagger in his step with arrogant male confidence. When he realises who she is, the man blanches, and returns to his group.

Relian's dark eyes peer at Ilara, a veritable grin wafting across his face as he indulges in her expression. Teza's comment, however, earns an even broader smile, as he makes a respectful bob of a bow in her direction; "How sweet. I'm tickled that that changes my status so much." Talking about a face splitting beam - although his eyes twinkle, as they do, with mirth. This doesn't mean that he, too, hasn't indulged in a blush of his own; once you start, you just can't stop.

"Tez/AH/!" cries a voice from just outside in the bowl, so loud it seems to strain the speaker -- yeller? -- to the point of near-choking. "Teza! Lib took my /pillow/! And I swear that Sya chick has body odor..." Ah, the joys of living with four other people. Naomi seems to be living it up, of course, wearing not her clothes, not her bathrobe, but /Lib's/ leathers, and backwards, to boot. "Oh, hello everybody," comes an almost demure greeting to the others, as she shuffles along towards Teza. "Kita, you look lovely today. Where've you been hiding from me all these days?" Relian is merely squinted at. "Ooh, Tez, what's that?"

"Except for C'ran. He's welcome anytime." One time wingmate is spied with a grin, Teza's fingers wiggling over the little gathering by hearth by way of greeting as she tips a wink at the bluerider with her called words. Catcalling men get a light laugh as if she couldn't care more, but it's obvious from her smirk she's pleased. And -- ooh! Speak of the devil(s), in comes Naomi, also greeted with a delighted finger wiggle. "Naomi-darling! Just beat Lib over the head a few times until she lets go. I think Lli did that when Sya took her pillow the first night. And Sya's a dear, deep down. Dump her in the bath next time you see her. And this--" Point at Relian. "--is Briganth's latest boytoy. I think she's infatuated." Okay, so -now- she exaggerates. Hopefully.

Ilara slumps down in her seat, looking like she is perhaps trying to make herself small and unnoticable. Or maybe she just wants to crawl under the table and hide. "Can we /please", she chokes out, "talk about something else in mixed company?" The 'mixed' company, of coruse, being Kita and herself verses the rest of these weird freaks. Luckily, Lar doesn't even hear the blueriders' calls.

Kita seems a little lost in this room with the wafting hormones: she seems to press herself back into her chair as if trying to get away from it all. "Um..I do?" she squeaks to Naomi, looking down at herself as if seeing herself for the first time. "And I haven't been hiding-" she begins to protest, then shakes her head with an air of 'oh what's the point!' The brownrider glances over to Ilara and smiles in mutual understanding of her predicament. Kita used to be just like that...a few years at the Weyr helps water it all down a little, but the overall effect is still there. As a stray bluerider calls out something particularly crude, Kita grabs a cloth from a nearby table and hurls it in their direction.

C'ran smiles widely, showing those pearly whites. "Yer always so good to me Teza m'love." he steps jauntily through the tables, putting an extra little wiggle in his walk. The catcalls may not be for him, but he's determined that by the time he gets over there they should be. And if they aren't, he'll give the boys even more of a show. Upon reaching the table, the bluerider slides fingertips through Teza's hair and tilts her head back and to the side. With a warm smile and a wink in Kita's direction, he leans down to claim a long deep kiss from his old wingmate.

Relian, once cheerful, is now quite, quite fearful. He stares, obliquely, at Naomi, an unreadable expression listing across his face. Hands are dug into pockets, a more reasonable expression denoting itself upon Teza's response. "Relian, Briganth's boy toy at your service." Unpained expression reigns, now, his plate abandoned to more reasonable activities, such as smiling, as any good boy toy should, although he comments, "I think I'm a bit small to be hers, though. She might squash me in one, fell swoop. -- Oh, sorry, Ilara."

Annie's drudge returns with a fresh glass of wine, and the goldrider smiles at him thankfully. Really, they should give goldriders and other such sane creatures their own cavern to relax in. Or a whole other Weyr. A sip, a wrinkle of the nose as Serath comments on her drinking midday. "Hush, lovey," comes a mumbled response, and she returns her attention to the rowdy, frightening crowd at the hearth. She sees a kiss, C'ran and Teza, and her nose wrinkles more. Euch, blueriders. Euch, C'ran.

Teza slants a laughing look over at Ilara, having no pity in her heart - but lots, and -lots- of amusement, as C'ran makes his way over. Few things can shut up this greenrider, but this would be one of them - a good old-fashioned kiss. Arms wrap around C'ran's neck playfully as catcalls do indeed rise from the blue boys, aimed at someone -other- than Kita for once - their fellow bluerider, C'ran. She let's go and pulls back with a bright smile and a wink, "I'm good to you only becuase you deserve it, dearest," to flash a bright smile at Annie as well. Relian gets a grin and an amused, "I think she just wants you to stand, though, in the hopes you Impress a dragon just like you."

Naomi's eyes grow a bit wider as she hears the word 'boytoy', eyeing Relian out of pure, undiluted curiosity. "/Really/... that's fascinating. At my service? Can I hold you to that?" She leans over the table, on her stomach, propping her chin up in her palms and her elbows on the tabletop. "Briganth doesn't need you, really. But I might." Head cocks to the side, her eyes falling upon C'ran and Teza, and her lip seems to quiver a bit. Silence holds her tongue, for however she might go about professing her love to other boys, girls, animals, vegetables... er, well, it's still not /right/ for Teza to be getting /anything/ from anyone else. She doesn't seem to catch the last phrase her newly-made weyrmate speaks, instead moving over to try and drape her arms oh-so-casually about Relian.

Ilara thinks maybe the blue and greenriders should just have their own caverns. You know. Down in southern or somewhere. And they can have all their weyrmate fun where /she/ doesn't have to hear about it. Just move all the weirdos /far/ far away from here. She still can't wrap her mind around /five/... and now here's another, a male this time, kissing her right at the table... What if someone had been eating? They'd lose their lunch! Scoot, scoot. Lar gets a little closer to being under the table, though not quite there. "Erruhm... er... uh... " That's about all she can say at this point, since they refuse to change the topic. "Five... and... now a blue... uhm..."

"Buh?" Relian, with an expression like a fish, jaw dropped, merely peers at Teza. In an attempt to try and return to casual nonchalance, he smiles charmingly at Naomi; "If that's what you wish. I hardly--" Know what to say? Draping arms aren't quite avoided - perhaps it's the whole shock-thing, or perhaps that's just Relian's normal attitude - so instead he sits there, quite uncomfortably, although that's possibly more thanks to Teza than her weyrmate, merely peering.

Annie wrinkles her nose at Teza's bright smile, post-liplock. If Annie keeps it up, she's going to have wrinkles /so/ soon. Wine. Sip. She scoots back, leaning against the stout leg of the Weyr's leaders' table, bare legs still crossed at the ankle, stretched before her. She cradles the wineglass between a pair of bone-thin, time-worn hands. Why does she even bother to come down here at all?

Kita is sitting /way/ too close to the action here. In fact, right next to it. She blushes as she is winked at, and blushes even more as her wingmate is quite thoroughly kissed, eyes nearly popping at C'ran's brazen act. As he draws away, Kita's mouth works silently, trying to get words out but none come. Instead, she opts to suddenly find a spot on her klah mug and lifts it to examine it critically. "I can't believe he just did that!" the brownrider whispers aside to Tez, still holding the mug up to the light. She blinks a few times, looking intently at the young man whose name she still doesn't know...maybe she needs some lessons in manners from Ilara.

"I can. He's quite the good kisser, you should give him a try, m'dear," Teza stage-whispers in Kita's direction with a grin. The greenrider then slides from her chair to drape on Naomi with an arm sliding down to in an attempt to rest it on Relian's shoulder. A grin is tipped at Ilara and a simple explanation follows: "No, no. He's not a weyrmate, just a friend." A friend. Yup. Everyone loves a weyr. Now, back to the boy toy. "What, don't you like the idea? You're cute enough to stand, I guess." That's right, she's only after the cute ones. Go figure.

C'ran gives a little rumbling mmm, almost a purr, licking his lips as he straightens as if to savor the taste. "Well, as always I am at your service wingrider." service with a smile, just don't ask whether its a verb or a noun. But now his attention turns to another of his old wingmates. "And Kita... why I'm sorry, how absolutely rude of me to leave you out. Please you must forgive me, in fact you must let me make it up to you?" quick as a whip he slides over to stand behind Kita, or rather kneel as he sinks down, sliding his arms around her waist and laying his head on her shoulder. "Shall we retire to my weyr? I can show you just how good a kisser I am?" his fingertips slide lightly upon the leather covering her stomach, a barely heard rasping sound that seems to hint at things only done in the dark.

"/Stand/? No, Teza, no. You got that one--" Naomi lifts a finger delicately to point C'ran-wards, continuing, "--so this one gets to be mine. 'Sides, you told me I wasn't allowed to take any of the /candidates/, so I think we should leave this one as he is. He's so pretty..." Finger is brushed against Relian's chin, a bright smile on her face. "C'mon, Tez, you know this one'd serve better off the sands than on 'em. Briganth makes mistakes, right? She's /old/, like you..."

Annie's lips press together tight -- has the Weyr lost all its morals? Where are the legions of celibate, proud riders, ready to join Annie's Puritanical Brigade? Is she all alone in this? "Psst!" The goldrider makes a hissing sound at the young, female candidate of red-hued cheeks. "Psst, you!" She waves her hand over at Ilara. "Come here!" She takes another quick gulp of wine.

Relian, weighed down with the arms of all these greenriders - he's one lucky boy toy, if ever there was one - manages to make further grunting noises, as Teza mentions the whole standing thing *again*. Distinctly uncomfortable, especially now that Naomi's fingers brush at his chin, he mumbles, "Now I think I'm really confused. Er -- I don't know your name --" he notes, towards Naomi, "But I think Teza got to me first. Maybe after, then you can," pause, "have me." Frightening.

Ilara isn't being quiet because of manners. She's being quiet because Teza is just so... /wrong/? Annie is looked to as a savior, hoping the goldrider has some new chore to give her that will get her /away/ from all these... ammoral weirdos. /Five!/ Unfathomable to Lar. So she vacates her seat with /great/ haste, barely managing not to /run/ over to Annie. "Yes'm?"

C'ran perks up, his attention drawn away from Kita for a moment "Wait a second, he's up for bid. I want him too. Teza, I can have him can't I?" eyes glow merrily, quite certain that the greenrider'll be willing to share her toys. The distraction isn't to last long though, after all it wouldn't be polite not to keep his attention with Kita.

Whiiiiine! "But he's already a rider!" Naomi, it seems, has the unenviable talent of bringing out Teza's most immature side, while Kita her most flirtatious. "And I'm not old at all; don't make me prove -that- to you again." Again? Don't ask. Finger's walk along Relian's shoulders with a delighted smile as he speaks, weyrmate Naomi and once-wingmate C'ran getting a smirk. "Me first, then we can share. But he's going to stand, too. Briganth says that comes above all else or she's throwing my wine off the ledge." And -that- is a dire threat.

Kita suddenly looks /distinctly/ uncomfortable at Teza's suggestion about C'ran, nearly dropping her mug in the process. And she's unable to look anywhere in his direction. Too bad browny girl, for it seems his attentions are now directed towards you. With a little gasp, eyes wide, Kita backs away as he approaches, stuttering: "No no that's fine C'ran, I'm not feeling left out at all, you do as you will-" The tirade ends in a squeak as she suddenly finds herself wrapped up. She jerks at his words and the feel of his fingers tickling her stomach, and looks to Teza for help. Somewhat pointless, no? A strangled "Djarreth?" is heard, the response only being an amused draconic croon. Eventually, Kita tries again: "C'ran! People are watching!"

Annie's thin lips curve slowly into a smile as Ilara comes almost running. Aah, the first recruit. "You poor dear," she begins, smiling cloyingly at the young woman. "A candidate, are you?" A pause, a sip. "I'm Annie, rider of Ista's very own gold Serath, loveliest dragon you'll ever see. Have they been frightening you?" She nods to the hooligans at the hearth. "They're utter miscreants."

C'ran hmphs a bit and supposes that's fair "Well alright, but I get the next cute one first, deal? Then I'll share them with you, I promise." ah, but now Kita's responded, and there's only one thing he can do. "Excuse me everyone." he calls out quite loudly, gettings people's gazes turned in their direction "Would you mind not looking over here while I seduce Kita, its making her quite uncomfortable. Thank you all!" he tilts his head a little to the side, meeting Kita's eyes and trying to look cutely innocently "There now, no one is watching, feel better?"

Ilara nods her head repeatedly, relieved that she doesn't agree with Teza's (and her cohorts) views. "I-- they-- I've never known anyone to do such things! And /admit/ it, proudly! In public, in polite company..." Okay, well, Lar is polite. She's not sure if anyone else is. But that's good enough for her. She coughs, realizing that the statement may be taken the wrong way. "I mean, er, if-- if that's what's acceptable, then er, I'll try to.. get used to it, or... stay out of the way or..." Hide. Yes. She'll just hide from greenriders from now on. "Yes'm, I'm a candidate. Ilara, from Gar's stables." ... That didn't quite come out right. Oh well.

"I'll stand," agrees Relian, casting glances about the argumentative riders around him, the natural blush pressing its colour upon his 'pretty' face. "No need to argue over me, really." His hands move to rest, somewhat stiffly, in his lap, held there by the sheer tension that pervades his muscles, and holds him in his chair. "I mean..."

Kita looks about ready to almost bite the bluerider holding her, her face flaming in embarrassment as he manages to alert the entire room. "C'ran!" she hisses, trying to look daggers at him and completely unable to meet his eyes. "Do you mind?! People are..." Well, they're no longer watching...or so he says, so that won't work... "People are getting uncomfortable, I'm sure..." Just for good measure, Kita gives a small struggle, not particularly useful as she's not the largest girl in the world. "I swear C'ran, one of these days..."

"I don't know /what/ to do with them," Annie sighs, taking another long, slow sip of her wine. "/I/, personally, find their behavior atrocious. They're riders! They should act accordingly!" She raises her voice slightly, hoping that they overhear. Nevermind that Annie wonders around the Weyr barefoot in shortpants and a camisole; that's reasonable. It's hot out. "You really should just ignore them, dear, and hope that you Impress. They Weyr could use riders like you." Pause. Sip. "Good, solid, /sane/ riders like you." She raises her voice slightly again, to be heard.

Breena walks in from the South Caverns.

Teza's eyes lift and fasten on Kita with a bright smile, calling right back at C'ran, "No thank you, I rather like the view over there!" Kita gets a wink as she says that, fingers pausing in their walking as she pats Relian's shoulder. Attention shifts off Kita to Ilara with a wicked little smile, calling over, "Nothing to be ashamed of, m'dears! And Annie, you're always welcome for a visit as well." With that, she grins fit to blind someone before her gaze shifts to Relian with a delighted smile. "Wonderful! And I got you first, though. Come now, let's go set you up in the dorms while the prudes are being prudish and C'ran is seducing Kita." Get him away from fellow weyrmate: good. All hers. Mwuah.

Annie glowers very pointedly at Teza.

Kiyna strides in from the South Caverns.

C'ran's eyes alight with amusement "Really? Which one? If you tell me I'll have my weyr prepared with wine and sisal sheets?" should be careful what you say around the boy. "And see, Teza certainly isn't uncomfortable, she seems to be enjoying it... so tell me, which day shall I expect you?"

Breena heads straight for a wall. She's never seen so many people in here before. Glancing around quickly and only spoting one person whom she barely knows Breena decides it's safer to slide along the wall to kitchen in order to find anything to eat. A little snicker escapes her lips as she catches the last few comments.

Relian stumbles to his feet, a mute nod made to affirm Teza's words. The barracks have got to be saner than the caverns, right? His lips manage to smile; broadly, filling his face, as, apparently, the reality of this comes into being, and he can move without tripping over limbs that really shouldn't cause a detriment to moveability. "All right. You got me first, I can deal with that. It's only fair, I think." He digs his hands into his pockets, shuffling his feet; "You really are all pretty weird, though."

Ilara blushes, more, if at all possible. But at least this time, its out of embarassed pride. "Thank you, I'm glad you think I'm sane," she mumbles, seeming to lose her voice at the compliment. "I hope I Impress too, I... don't really want to go back to Gar if I don't." Actually, she'll probably fall over and drop dead of embarassment and shame if she doesn't. All those eyes on her at the hatching, and she's just left standing there -- how horrifying! Of course, it will be bad enough, just having those people watching her in the first place. So she's just not going to think about that, or the hatching, at all. "But its a long time off, she hasn't even clutched yet..." A pause, and she finds the nerve to ask, "I don't think I got your name, ma'am goldrider?"

Teza slinks quietly to the Southern Caverns.

You go to the South Caverns.

You go to the Candidate's Barracks.

"So, there you are m'dear," Teza comments as a drudge returns with the cot, fixing a grin on Relian. A sudden thought occurs and a mock pout fits itself on her face, hands set on her hips. "But now you have to behave!" Oh, the horror of it. "Eeesh. They've redecorated since I was a candidate. Anyway, get your stuff together and move it over sometime?"

Relian, his expression rueful, digs his hands deeper into his pockets. "Oh dear. Behaving myself. Is that possible?" He glances about, shrugging, "I guess they would. Enough people live in here - at times. Um," he hesitates, then nods, "Thank you, I think."

Teza shifts to attempt and loop a companionable arm around Relian's shoulder with a faint smirk. "You're most welcome," she says with a grin, before her head tips outwards once more. "Care to go back and join the throng or did you want to poke around in here for a bit? Chores will start in the morning, unless a rider catches you and has something for you to do before the."

Relian hesitates, but takes a careful step backwards. "I think I'll stay here, and try and settle in, first. I'll come back out, later." When he's in a better frame of mind to deal with the--sheer oddity. "Oh, all right. Chores, in the morning. I can handle that much."

Teza nods in an almost businesslike manner as she slips away with a grin, blowing a kiss over her shoulder. "Right then. See you around, I'm sure. Maybe you can help that other boy clean for me. Never did catch him around." Ah, the fun of candidacy. "And if Naomi tries claiming your -hers-, remember that Briganth was the one who claimed you!" For the sands, but what of it? And then the greenrider is gone, slinking out with a light cheer. Beam.

Teza slinks quietly to the Caverns.