August 9, 2004
R'hyn encounters Jondeval and Emani in the galleries, and the latter indicates her ambitions.

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Emani comes up the steps from the anteroom.

R'hyn, his feet firmly on the bench in front of him, is sitting with a pile of hides right up by the front of the galleries. While apparently hard at work, the tip of his stylus is in his mouth - he's sucking quite calmly away, peering at the hide in front of him with an almost quizzical expression set onto his face.

Jondeval slips into the galleries and makes his way down to the very front to look at the eggs below. Giving R'hyn the barest acknowledgement the boy shifts from foot to foot before complaining "They still look all squishy, at the hatchings I've been to the eggs were hard. Whats wrong with 'em?"

Making her way up from the anteroom, Emani stops at the top of the steps to survey the area; there's a flicker of uncertainty when she spies the Weyrleader, but it passed quickly. She makes her way down the tiers of steps idly, just catching Jondeval's question. "Nothin' - they're just not hard yet," she answers.

R'hyn starts, dragged out of his reverie by Jondeval's question, and the sound of Emani's voice in response. "She's right," he says, glancing up for a moment, and speaking around the edge of his stylus. "They'll get hard soon enough. Arisvath says they're getting harder by the day."

Jondeval cranes his head back until he catches sight of Emani and gives her a doubtful shake of the head as if he doesn't quite believe her or the weyrleader. "How can he tell they are getting harder? Does he poke them with his foot every day or something?" A lock of Jon's shaggy brown hair droops into his eyes and the boy impatiently shoves it back before leaning over R'hyn's work nosily "What are you doing?"

Emani drops into a seat, leaning forward to rest elbows on knees, clasping hands loosely. In an oddly scholarly tone; "Siramyth'll move 'em around so they harden all over. They don't poke 'em - they just move 'em. And after time, it's less and less squishy. Shells get harder as the dragonet grows." Eyeing Jondeval pester R'hyn, she says dryly, "Haven't you read enough've other people's business lately?"

R'hyn shifts his position, pushing with his feet to prop himself up a bit more. Blandly, he agrees, "What she said. Arisvath helps with the moving, sometimes." He hastily rolls up his hides to try and - apparently - keep Jondeval from seeing what he's doing, his stylus twisted between his fingers. "I /was/ getting some work done. What's this about reading other people's business?" He finally glances up and across, smiling - albeit briefly - at Emani. "Congratulations, by the way. Belatedly."

Jondeval skips back from R'hyn's work and gives Emani a look of wide-eyed innocence "What are you talking about?" he asks. "T'ren already asked me 'bout that and I told him the truth. I didn't take his stupid letter." The boy shoots the hides R'hyn was working on a covetous look but quickly returns to his dissembling.

"Thanks." Emani nods over at R'hyn with a flash of a smile, then back to Jondeval - perhaps she doesn't want to disturb the bronzerider while he's working. The innocent act doesn't work on here; she just gives the boy a knowing smirk. "Yeah, okay. I know. But -still-. Surprised he didn't break your neck, kid."

R'hyn picks up the waterskin sitting on the ground beside him, and takes a swig, stowing it, and the hides, back beneath him. "Seems unlikely to me," he remarks, quietly - but with a dry note, all the same. "Wouldn't cross T'ren if I were you..." he trails off, perhaps lacking a name to conclude the sentence with, but adds, lamely, "My hides, well, they're just weyr business. Nothing interesting, I promise."

Jondeval looks between R'hyn and Emani suspiciously for a moment then his eyes widen in real surprise "Hey, you are a candidate? Wow, good luck or something at the Hatching." Emani's words has Jon giving her a wide grin showing off large adult teeth he hasn't grown into yet and some gaps in the rear of his mouth where the last of his baby teeth had fallen out. "I would have gotten away from him but say, wasn't it funny how red his face got?" R'hyn gets a shake of his head and a gusty sigh "My mum says that about her work too but I know there has to be some good stuff in there."

Emani offers Jondeval a bright smile, nodding. "Hey - thanks. We'll see what happens - done it before, so. Never know." But she's started eyeing those eggs with some interest - but who wouldn't? "Yeah, it was," she notes, grinning. A quick glance to R'hyn, then all responsible-like; "Er, but wrong. Very wrong." After, she mouths to Jon, 'But funny'.

"Plenty of people Impress on their second, or third tries," remarks R'hyn, vaguely. "Worth trying." Glancing first at Emani, and then at Jondeval, he entirely misses the whispered comment, but laughs all the same. "Something being wrong doesn't necessarily stop it being funny. I'd... almost like to see T'ren that disquieted."

Jondeval finds supporters in R'hyn and Emani and basking in their approval he takes a seat with them "He's so old it's funny to see him get all mad." The reaction Jon got from the Weyrsecond all but guarantees that he will do similar things over and over until T'ren does strangle him. "I guess he found the note and took it down...I didn't put it up there" he says quickly, brown eyes darting to make sure he won't get blamed for that too.

"He was more than disquieted, R'hyn," Emani notes with some amusement, turning towards both bronzerider and boy as she tucks a leg under her. She's a little less uneasy now. "He was -pissed-. And I know it's worth trying, which is why I'm giving it a go. Oh - that and seeing El's face if I do Impress'll be -awesome-." Her tone's not all that serious - much less annoyance with her sister now. "Oh, I don't doubt that you didn't put it up. Wonder who did - and damn, he's not -that- old. Just kinda old."

R'hyn looks - if only for a moment - positively delighted. "I'm not saying that it's /good/, but... It makes me feel better. The man's impossible! I just can't please him. Just be careful," he notes, towards the younger boy. "I wouldn't put it past him to think up some pretty creative punishments. Your sister doesn't think you ever will, Emani?"

Jondeval swings his legs as he gives Emani an envious look "I bet you Impress this time, if my mum would allow me to bet I would put a sixteenth marker on you. The boy puffs his chest out when Emani says that T'ren was pissed "Yeah, he grabbed my shoulders and was so mad he couldn't talk right." One filthy hand waves off all thoughts of creative punishments "He made me assist the harpers with their playing at dinnertime..fetching and carrying. He didn't even realize the harpers get the BEST food."

Emani wrinkles her nose at R'hyn. "He's not -impossible-. But I don't doubt that he's not makin' things easy on you - want me to, like, talk to him? Could see if he'll lay off some." She's hopeful, but not too much so - T'ren's just a grouchy guy sometimes. "And El - I think she's just more afraid I will, but I think she thinks - well. She's worried what I'd do." To Jondeval, with a grin; "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Hope so - though I dunno how long I'll manage this celibacy thing. It's really startin' to drive me nuts."

"I'm not sure," says R'hyn, apparently mulling this over. "You don't think it would, I don't know, make it worse? Make him think that I need someone else to interfere for me? Ah, sounds like a true sister," he adds, laughing. "Mine won't leave me alone-- claims I'm going to run Fort to the ground." He leaves that hanging, for a moment. "Just imagine what it'll be like if you Impress, Em. Nearly two turns." Head shaking, R'hyn gives Jondeval a long glance. "I see. Well. Just be careful, all the same."

Jondeval looks mildly interested and baffled when Emani mentions the word celibacy but like most boys his age he shrugs. "I think he's mean, he grabbed me by the shoulders hard. I bet he left some bruises or something." Jon looks up hopefully at R'hyn to see what the Weyrleader thinks about that. Listening to the pair talking the boy knows something is being spoken about over his head that he doesn't quite comprehend but after opening his mouth to ask then shutting it a couple of times Jondeval sighs and looks down at his booted feet.

Craftily, "Well, I wouldn't say that you said that you wanted me to talk to him." Emani is all conspiratorial - including Jon in her sneaky glances so the boy will hopefully feel part of the plan and keep his big mouth shut. "I already told him you were a decent guy. And she totally is, but you know her. And whatever - you didn't run Ista into the ground, yeah? I know you didn't want to do this again, but -" She cuts off, shrugging. Then, morosely, "I know, but tryin' not to think about that plus havin' to, like, salute my boyfriend and stuff."

The corners of R'hyn's lips twitch, and finally, he laughs. "Well. Give it a try, then. I won't count on anything, but... It'd be nice. Oh yes, I know Elwynn. I know... Saera just knows exactly how to make me worry. Keeps chiding me over abandoning my daughter, too, but at least Mother has that in hand. I'm sure," he adds, a little darkly - and with the beginnings of a flush - "your boyfriend would find that kind of sexy... and would frustrate him no end. T'ren's not /mean/, Jondeval. He's just not very subtle."

Jondeval grows bored of talk of boyfriends, saluting and celibacy and begins to fidgit for a full minute before sliding off the bench "I'm gonna go get something to eat" he announces. R'hyn's words to him are greeted with an expressive roll of his eyes "He's mean Weyrleader." Giving Emani a bright smile and R'hyn a mock salute the boy scampers off for mischief and mayhem elsewhere.

Emani nods, as if the whole thing's already taken care of. "Leave it to me." Jondeval's departure causes her to grin widely as she notes, "He reminds me of me, kinda - and shards, R'hyn. Your daughter's better off not being moved from all her friends - too much's changed for her already, y'know?" A slight smile at the flush, and she shrugs. "Yeah, he might, but that don't help anyone learn anything - but hey. Worry about that later." A pause, then casually; "So, is it, like, you're not allowed to do -anything-? Or is it just anything that may result in kids?" She's hopeful, but not overly so - she likely knows there's no loopholes to the whole thing.

"You're a gem," says R'hyn, smiling. "He-- no, nothing like me. I /bet/ you were just like that, though, yes." He nods, seriously, wrinkling his nose. "That's what I thought. Besides, I don't have the time." Shifting his shoulders to stress, he laughs. "It's pretty much everything, I'm sorry to say. Just... well, it'll make it all the more fun, once you are allowed to?"

Emani is unconvinced. "Yeah, right. This -sucks-," she whines. "I mean, wasn't so bad when I was just sleepin' around, but now-" A quiet cough - and is she blushing? Funny, one would think the dragonhealer has no shame. "Anyway. I'll try, with T'ren, I mean. He's really a good guy - he's been great to me. He's havin' a bit of a time these days, so."

R'hyn, admits, quietly, "I imagine it must be much harder, once you're older. I-- well. It made no difference to me. Cheer up - if you Impress, it'll be worth it. So... you and him, it's really - a proper relationship? You're still together?" He finally takes his feet down from the seat in front of him, and nods. "I'll take your word for it; guess he was never going to be /my/ friend. He is? I missed most of this... letter thing."

Emani shifts uneasily in her seat, looking out over the sands again. "Yeah, I suppose it will be. I really want to," she admits quietly, then moves on to other uncomfortable subjects. "Um. Yeah. Yeah, it is - and we are. I tried to break it off, what with the getting searched and all - but that didn't work." Not that she sounds upset - in fact, she's smiling a little as the fingers a shell on her bracelet. "He might be - I keep hopin' ya'll wll get along at some point. Startin' to feel kind of in the middle here. And the letter thing - well. He and Geraine - ugh. Long story."

"You're just unlucky to have been searched so early," says R'hyn, his own gaze heading back out onto the sands. "But I suppose it means you can prepare yourself, mentally - whatever that means." He heaves a long sigh, but has a smile for Emani; "That's really nice. I mean, I'd rather it be someone I could approve of, kind of, silly though that sounds," he babbles, a little, "but I'm happy for you. I'm sorry, for the whole putting you in the middle thing. It's not fair." His eyebrows raise, but he makes no comment in response to the concept of T'ren and Geraine.

"You're tellin' me," Emani says, dryly. "I kinda think B'den did it half on purpose - wouldn't put it past him, but important thing is I'll be Standing, right?" She glances over at R'hyn quizzically at his next remarks, but concedes, "I hated him at first too. Well, sorta. That's a long story too - point being, I'm sorry you're not gettin' along with most of these people." She waves a hands around generally - the Fortians. "And I can handle it, no worries. At least I have some people t' hang out with." As the Weyrleader's brown raise, she nods. Yeah, crazy, huh?

R'hyn has an immediate reaction to mention of B'den - his whole face contorts. "Um. Yeah. No, that sounds like him," he agrees, though he nods quickly. "Exactly. I-- you did? I guess I didn't arrive until it was well past that. I hope, eventually, we can all get along. I mean, this is home for all of us, so it'll be better, generally, if we do. I just don't know." His expression remains slightly pained at this, though he's quick to add, "Good. You're not bad at all this." Crazy. That's only the half of it; R'hyn shakes his head in disbelief.

Emani is a little surprised at R'hyn's last; she blinks wide blue eyes at him, asking, "Am I? Huh. Who'dve thought I could be, like, diplomatic? Or maybe it's just that I'm cute and charming and all of that." Yeah, and the brawling really helps diplomatic efforts too. In any case, she continues; "Yeah. Didn't last long. Sorta changed at the gether - we stopped sniping long enough to talk, I guess." As if she hadn't noticed the extreme reactions, she notes, "B'den's not all that bad. He's got problems too. Guess everyone does, right now. I think we can all settle in eventually - just gonna take a lot of time. People're still mourning."

"Well, the fact that you've been sleeping with one of the more vocal dissidents? Helps. But, I don't know what you're doing, except that it seems to be working. Aside from the brawling, of course." R'hyn doesn't even bother to make that last statement meaningful; instead, he nods, listening. "Wish we could all do that. I kind of stuck my foot in it, with B'den. With everyone, perhaps. It's always hard to take up leadership. Harder still, when it's all new, and people-- are, yeah. Mourning, still. I don't blame them."

"Not sleeping with anymore," Emani adds unnecessarily, looking rather annoyed about it. "It's too bad too, 'cause..." A pause. "Er - I don't think you wanna hear about that. Anyway! I'm just tryin' to be decent to most of 'em. Girls all hate me, though, except maybe Geraine." She lets out a long breath, then; "Well. Goes both ways, R'hyn. You may have tripped up, but he's gotta get past it. And same with everyone. I try to tell N'thri, but you know - he doesn't want to listen right now. And I don't blame 'em either."

R'hyn's eyebrows raise again, but he doesn't ask - in fact, his cheeks flush just slightly, even in what is probably only the briefest of mental images. "Most girls don't like you to begin with. You're too good looking. I'm sure it helps with the men, too," he muses, nodding quickly. "True. It's just going to take some time. Hopefully, with the hatching of this lot, we'll start getting somewhere."

Emani doesn't elaborate either, but her grin shows it wasn't going anywhere appropriate, though perhaps interesting. "Well, that's true. And I think that's more of it than the Ista thing, y'know? Like it's -my- fault and like I'm an awful person for using what I have." She sniffs irritably. "I'm lucky, sure - but I ain't gonna hide it. And I hope so too - hatchings always get people in a good mood." A pause, and a little -too- casually;

Emani says, "And a gold egg."

R'hyn's flush darkens, at Emani's grin, though he recovers his composure fairly quickly. "It wouldn't surprise me," he agrees. "You're new, you're prettier than all of them and thus taking all the attention - and then you're Ista, as well. Spells disaster, really." His gaze slides back towards the eggs, though only for a moment; Emani's oh-so-casual mention - apparently - rings alarm bells. "Don't you dare Impress that gold, Emani. Leave it to a good, solid Fortian girl who can make everyone happy."

"But I can't -make- it happen or -not- happen!" Emani protests - but who knows, with her - which is where the Weyrleader's alarm might come from. "What, you want me to, like, run away? Or what? I can't stop it anymore than I could decide to Impress." A heavy sigh, and grudgingly, "You're right, though. It'd be easier that way." There's a moment, then she beams at R'hyn in reward for the compliment. "I'm prettier than everyone - it's too bad, but it's how it is." No ego there, really. Just a fact.

N'thri comes up the stairs and out the tunnel from the living cavern.

R'hyn manages a fairly calm smile, and nods. "Oh, of course not. Just - I'd watch any ambitions. It's not as though you've more than a vague chance, really; thirty girls, there'll be, probably, in the end." His hands, however, are tense, his fingers clutching the edge of his shirt, as if he's quite worried about this all the same. "I think you'd make a better greenrider, anyway. Yes, that's how it is," he concludes, lamely, but not without a smile for the girl's confidence.

Emani is sitting not too far from the Weyrleader, one leg tucked under her. They seem to be deep in conversation; R'hyn perhaps a mite tense about something, Em looking a touch defensive now. "Not planning my life around it, if that's what you're getting at - but I doubt you -are-. Damn, R'hyn - you look like El when I mention the idea." That should give the dragonhealer the hint, but no. "Everyone says that," she says grouchily, "But El's got Laicath, and we're nothing alike."

"I'm telling you, a quarter mark is hardly gonna strain your pockets. Oh, fine. Think about it some more." N'thri is still rolling his eyes after that exchange as he comes up the tunnel from the living cavern. Dismissively, he tosses a wave back at whoever he was talking to then takes a long look around the galleries, surveying the tiers with a squint before his eyes light on Emani and R'hyn. And - let's be brutally honest here - his face falls. For the moment, he makes no moves to greet or engage either.

R'hyn stretches his legs out in front of him, as if making some attempt to appear a little more relaxed. "No, I'm not. I just-- really? Probably for different reasons, though. All greens are different, though," he says, with a shrug. "And I think you'd prefer not to have the responsibilities of a gold, really. Paperwork, all day long? Doesn't really sound like you." Mostly facing the eggs, with only half an eye on his companion, R'hyn remains oblivious to N'thri. Probably for the best, really.

"Ainsley told me that you can get other people to do that for you," says Emani dismissively. She hasn't noticed the bluerider either just yet, turned away from him. "I get other people to do it for me - er." A pause, then responsibly, "I mean, I do paperwork -already-." Clearly. "Every dragon's different - so, like, how can you peg anyone for an anything-rider anyway? And did you guess Kiora?" I mean, seriously. Did -anyone-?

N'thri continues with the creepy-stalker behavior, though - so it doesn't look /too/ suspicious - he does leave the tunnel from the living cavern behind. He descends several rows of benches, finally stopping on one about two-thirds of the way between the aforementioned tunnel and where Emani and R'hyn are seated. There, he sits and proceeds to feign interest in sorting through his pockets. With one ear cocked to the conversation.

"Not at Fort you can't," says R'hyn, firmly, his expression serious. "Not with me. Ask Kiora som--" he breaks off; it's his turn to shut his mouth quickly. "There's a lot more than paperwork to it. Early morning meetings, late night meetings, dealing with people who want something you can't give, begging, even." He shakes his head, concluding, "Well, I meant more that I think you'd prefer a female dragon - I can't see you with a brown. So." Eyes falling back towards the sands, and Siramyth in particular, he laughs. "No, I didn't guess Kiora. You have to feel for her, though. Some people do better than others."

Emani doesn't look too worried about work or lack thereof - it's all just potential now. "Yeah, well. Fine. It's proabably not gonna happen, so don't get so freaked out about the idea." But it's almost the stuff of nightmares, in this situation. She sighs and concedes, "Well, right on that - female's better for sure - as if I have any say in the matter." Her nose wrinkles and she nods to R'hyn, admitting, "I do - but she won't let me give her an hand with anything. I would, too - I've known Ki a long time, and it's nice to have some girls to talk to once in awhile."

N'thri's counting marks quietly into a little leather purse. Please continue to ignore him, because it's easier that way.

R'hyn leans down to pick up his waterskin and roll of hides, and shrugs. "Just thinking ahead, is all. We're talking worst possible scenario - for the weyr, at least. I can't help it." He nods, tucking the hides under one arm, "That's what I thought. But who knows. Ki-- well. I'm not sure. I'll mention it to her, not that you should worry yourself with it. She's doing okay, really. We may even be able to stop our early morning meetings, soon." Hope, in his expression there. "I need to get going. Report to finish, by tonight." He may pass N'thri on his way out, but he doesn't seem to see the bluerider.

You head down the steps to the anteroom.

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