Keris, now journeyman, decides to go visit his good friend Lis at High Reaches Weyr. And /how/ does he end up in the bowl, without Lis, but with two young women clinging to his hands, almost getting into a cat-fight?? Read on, read on, and thou shalt be enlightned ;-)
Gar Hold CourtYard
You stand on the porch of Gar Hold. Just inside you can see the elegant, yet simple design of this burgeoning hold. Outside, you have a beautiful view of the hold valley. Large trees line the trail here, creating a nice canopy of shade for the weiry traveller. A couple of paths diverge from the hold to follow their own paths. Each path is set with red brick cobblestone. Flower Beds line the porch creating a nice feeling of returning home. Several rockers, a bench or two, and a swing can be found on the porch, for those who wish to come out and enjoy the beauty of nature.
It is a summer afternoon.
You see a wagonmaster and Rocking Chair here.
Dawine is here.
Obvious exits:
Danak's Rabbit Field Fenced Lane Gar Hold Entry Hall Hold Field Gar Stables Orchard Path
Keris walks in.
From up on high, a large blue swoops down into the courtyard, backwinging for show. As soon as his beast is on the ground, the rider carefully swings down the riding straps. "H'lo there. Do you know where I could find a..." he pauses, peering at a bit of paper in one leather glove. "A Journeyman Keris?"
Keris stands from the bench he's perched at, moving towards the rider. "Hmm, that would be me," he tells. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, sir, you're to come with me!" the bluerider announces with a broad beam. "Lis sent for you," he adds with a broad wink. "I'm F'reud, by the way, and this blue over here is Sigmunth. Mount up, and we'll be on our way." His speech done, F'reud climbs up to the usual spot between Sigmunth's neckridges, presuming someone of Keris' height can haul themselves up.
Keris stares at the blue for a moment. "Uhm, Lis? Oh, well met, F'reud." The confused Crafter quickly mounts the dragon, rather ungracefully, but what...
Central Bowl
Seven spindles brush the clouds -- quite literally -- overhead, a jagged, spired cotillion grey-stoned majesty. The bowl from here is expansively large, extending a full half mile in both directions, and although sometimes a bit of a stretch, most of the hubs of activity can be easily observed. Hard-packed ground shows the common pathways, all of them meandering about the craggy bunch of boulders that form a centerpiece: carven, hand-worn and foothold-full, it gives a bit of centerpoint to the otherwise vast emptiness of the area.
To the north lie the hatching grounds and leadership weyrs, while the lows of herdbeasts mark the feeding pens to the northeast. A flurry of ever-present activity marks the living caverns to the west, and another time-traveled path the ground weyrs just adjacent to the southwest. Southeast, a glint of blue shows the lake, glittering and cold.
It is a summer afternoon.
Clinging to footholds in the boulder-mound are Zhaneel, Spice, Kier, Fiannan, Wilt, Tremayne, Quenn, Dratini, Tirone, Aria Moon, and Yolk.
Blue Mrrdynth, brown Azrieth, and green Alymath are here.
You see a wagonmaster, Emerald, and TumbleWeed here.
Lis is here.
Obvious exits:
Pens Northern Bowl Caverns Ground Weyrs Lakeside
Keris walks in.
Lis is checking over Alymath, the usual inspection for itchy, or even patchy spots. Not to mention the admiration of her dragon's hide. Muddy eyes look up suddenly to spot a familiar blue and his rider, suddenly taking note of the passenger strapped onto F'reud. Interesting...
Keris manages to get /off/ the blue without breaking anything. "Err, thanks," he calls upwards, peering around the bowl. Now wonder where Lis is.. all he sees is a green dragon over there...
Lis goes from Alymath's shoulder to her hindquarters, trying to wave 'round her lifemate's tail at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. Alymath, however, decides this would be the time to give her rider a tail-hug, neatly obscuring the girl's view of F'reud’s latest acquisition.
Keris blinks, beginning to recognize the girl behind the dragon. "Lis!" he calls out, almost stumbling as he hurries across the bowl. He pauses in front of Alymath though, not really intent on trying to hug the girl along with her dragon.
Faranth knows Alymath would love to see Keris try, but the green only cranes her neck so she can peer down at Keris with a curious blinkablink of eyes. Her tail uncurls from the body of her lifemate, Lis making a mad dash between the sitting dragon's forlegs. "Keris!"
"Lis!" Ok, so he already said that once, but hey, he's happy to see her! Arms are opened to Lis can throw herself at him if she so wishes - and he certainly hope she does.
Poor Keris, he knows Lis too well. A hop, a skip and what could practically be called a flying leap, the greenling flops into Keris' arms. "You! I haven't seen you in /ages/. Lookit you!" Short curls bob as she peers at the decoration on his shoulder. "A Journeyman, at long last."
Keris giggles, almost getting knocked over by the flying Lis. What's the point of gettin' a dragon when she bounces like this? "Ah yes, but how did /you/ find out?" he asks teasingly, "seeing as you're stuck up here! How've you been? How's your dragon?" A quick peer on the green, Keris trying to remember the name. "Uhm, Alyth, is it?"
Lis leans back onto her heeled boots, trying to keep Keris fairly upright. "People from the hall come by from time to time for Adar, and they usually want to get a peek at 'Their' weyrling. 'Sides, I you know how Starcrafters - s'pecially the women," she teases with a wink, "love to gossip." Alymath prances over to her rider's new curiosity, muzzel floating just above Keris' head to get a good snnniffff of the boy. "/That/ is Alymath."
Keris grins, tilting his head slightly upwards. Eek, no slobbering, please... "Oh, yes, Alymath! Well I wasn't totally wrong then," he states with a bright grin, hugging Lis closer yet again. "It's so good to see you! You look great - cut your hair too, hmm?"
Lis peers up at the crafter with a smirk. Keris, wrong? Nah... "Yep. S'much easier to take care of while answering to Alymath's beck and call." As if excepting a reprimand for her behavior, Alymath shrinks back behind her rider. "You look great too, you know. Alymath says so." The Judge of Human Beauty just blinks her luminescent eyes.
Keris chuckles, sending the green a charming smile. "Well seeing how many goodlooking riders you probably have up here I'll take it as a compliment," he says, beaming down at Lis. "But tell me, what've happened in your life?? You riding in a wing yet?"
Another smirk appears on Lis' face, eyes rolling comically at the journeyman. "Well, the first few days were a blur. When you weren't oiling, you were feeding or bathing. But then your dragon's appetite slows down, and you can actually eat." Lis shakes her curls in a negative response to Keris' question. "'M barely even sitting on Alymath yet, and it'll be a month or so until she flies on her own."
Keris grimaces. "It takes that long?? Hmm, I thought they could fly almost instantly after the hatching?" Ok, so he doesn't know much about how dragon works, but that's what you have a dragonrider-friend for, right? "Hmm, she's rather big for a green though, isn't she? Looks bigger than some of the blues here."
Lis suddenly receives at large snout-of-Alymath in her rear. "Stopit!" she hisses to her green while scooting out of range. "Technically, they can. But we're not supposed to, 'cause it might damage the flight muscles," the greenrider-to-be explains, an arm stretching around Alymath's muzzle. No more snout in the back. "She's big, but it's really a good thing. Some of those blueriders just see red 'cause Alymath's bigger than their lifemates." Was that an evil smirk on her face?
Keris chuckles, peering at the green. She won't eat him, will she? "Hmm, I can imagine that," he grins, slowly making circles in the dust with his boots. "Hmm, can we go somewhere and get something to drink? That trip ::between:: made me thirsty."
"Sure!" Lis chirps with that squeaky alacrity she's picked up. Let's blame it on Alymath. "The living cavern's /always/ got something, and I know they've been making a batch of cookies. High Reaches cookies are almost as good as Gar cider," Lis adds in a somber voice before tugging Keris' hand towards the entrance.
Keris emits a sound somehwere between a snort and a chuckle. "With the same effect?" he inquires innocently, letting Lis pull him along.
Rolling her eyes the whole while, - whether Keris can see it or not - Lis replies: "Of /course/ not. Weyrlings aren't allowed to drink anyway!" One of many things they're not allowed to do.
"Aww, one glass couldn't harm?" Keris never as one for following rules...
Lis rolls her eyes again. "Not even one. 'Cause..." And now, her words drop to a soft whisper. "You never know when D'renn might show up. He's scary."
Keris frowns. "Who's D'renn?" comes the completely ignorant question. Hey, he doesn't live here. D'renn's reputation didn't reach the StarCraft Hall.
"The weyrlingmaster," Lis replies in one of her rare-heard reverent tones. "He can do pretty much /anything/ to the weyrlings, punishment-wise." At that, the weyrling shivers.
Keris chuckles lightly. "I see. Doesn't sound good at all."
Lis drops Keris' hand, her own going on her hips. "No, it doesn't. Now are we going to get something to drink or aren't we?" Alymath adds an irritated rumble to Lis' not-quite-exasperated speech.
Keris giggles. "We are, 'm waiting for you to lead the way," he says, grinning impishly.
"Oh, you!" Lis sure hasn't said /that/ in months. A huff, and she stalks away into the caverns on her own. So much for dragging Keris behind her.
Lis swishswishes in flare-legged pants to the Caverns.
You go to the Living Caverns.
Living Caverns
The rough-hewn majesty of this cavern far outpaces any delight in the multitudes of curves that form its enclosure. The glabrous grey granite is shot through with translucent obsidian, lending subtly-veined sparkle to the walls and the foot-trodden smoothness of the floor that shows centuries-old placements of the scarred trestle tables; carven hollows give homes for the glow baskets and the coat-pegs that line the walls. No mosaics, no painting, no tiles: just a few well-done tapestries mark the pathway that lead to the kitchen to the north and the inner caverns to the west, and frame the nighthearth's stew and snacks, while a heavier strip of oiled canvas shields the unwary from the wind in the bowl.
Tucked into a glowlit niche are Kate, Sin, Brannt, Tangaloor, Kelpie, Azule, Rappa, Lava, Dogma, Yum-Yum, Yakshini, Zephyr, Tigger, Shaber, Bow-Wow, Kynance, Unicorn, Oren, Ceinwen, Warren, and Cavort.
You see Fantastic Triple Layer Bubbly Surprise, Tsunami Banner, Old Auntie sit-by-the-fire, Fluffernut, and Siai here.
Lis is here.
Obvious exits:
Bowl Kitchens Inner Caverns Crafting Area
Keris walks in, still giggling, and looks around for Lis.
Lis grumbles something from the hearth, a pair of klah mugs picked up in both hands. "Did you want klah?" the weyrling asks of Keris hopefully, sweetness bubbling up from the temporary condition of ruffled feathers.
Keris nods, sauntering towards Lis. "Sure, klah'll be fine," he smiles, finding a chair to perch on. "So this is where you spend your free time?"
"When I have enough time to actually walk out here, yes," Lis quips back with a smile as she hands a mug over to Keris. "Usually, I'm just up here for a quick cookie-raid. They don't serve 'em in the barracks, you know..." Her eyes peer at the cookie tray fondly. "D'ya want one?" Always polite to offer before you snatch up a bunch for yourself.
Keris chuckles and takes the mug. "Sure, didn't get much supper," he says, eyening the cookies too. Mm, looks yummy indeed. "So tell me how weyrling life is treating you?"
Lis paws a few of them off the tray, a bite taken from one of the bigger one before she replies. "Mmph. It's different. We do chores, still, but we've got a whole lifemate to take care of on top of it. Sometimes, it's too much..." At this, her eyes peer dully at the floor.
Pyrene wanders distractedly in from the Central Bowl.
You notice Pyrene giving you a good stare.
Keris nods thoughtfully. "Hmm, I guess it would be." He grins wryly, deciding on trying to cheer up Lis. "But hey, I thought I was going to be able to relax once I passed the test! And now I have even more things to do, and the difference is that I'm responsible for everything I do now." Eyes are rolled, as if this was completely unfair.
Pyrene trips blithely in. "Pretty night out there," she comments before registering Keris. He's a Stranger. "Who's your friend Lis? Didn't realised you were allowed visits from strange men as a weyrling." What, she can't tease?
Well, Lis can't argue with /that/. "Same thing goes for being a weyrling. Only we /knew/ what we were taking on beforehand." Most of us, anyway. "Oh, Pyrene, he's just a friend from Starcraft. Keris, this is Pyrene, head nanny of this weyr."
Rita arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
You notice Rita giving you a good stare.
Keris scrambles to his feet, trying to at least appear polite. "Pyrene, well met," he smiles. "Oh, don't worry, as if I'd do anything to get Lis into trouble." Yeah. Right.
Gavin, from his perch in a small crevice, chirps excitedly at Pyrene's entrance. Peering his head out and about, he notices another... aquaintance, and flaps out a bit awkwardly, cheeping and chattering away until he lands in a hover a bit over Pyrene's head. Hello!
Pyrene ahhs, nodding. "Just a friend, I get you." And she drops her left eyelid in a wink. "Nice to meet you Keris, staying long?" A wave is thrown to Rita, but Gavin is just eyed warily. "What do you want?" At least Kernow is readier with a friendly chirp.
Rita walks in casually, "LIS!!! Have you heard my news? Birlon and Perisienne adopted me! Isn't that great?!? Hey, Nanre...Pyrene." She grins at Pyrene and looks back at Lis, "I'm so happy!" She then turns to Keris, "Oh, hello, I'm Rita, formally a weyr-brat and I'm /16/ turns! YAY!!!!!!!!!" She grins and holds out a hand, "You are?"
Keris shakes his head. "No, I can't, I'm needed back at the Hall," he tells Pyrene, then turns towards Rita, blinking. Oh my. "Well met, Rita, 16 Turns," he says, smiling lopsidedly, "I'm Keris." He reaches out to shake the offered hand, throwing a 'help me' glance back at Lis. Afterall, she knows these people, right?
Rita grins and throws back her head with laughter, "Well met indeed!" Then turns back to Lis, "So, Lis? Isn't that great? They /adopted/ me!" She grins and skips over to the weyrling.
Pyrene knows Lis. Lis knows Pyrene. Pyrene is still not going to help. "So you just came all the way out here to visit Lis for a few hours?" she wonders, pouring herself a drink of redfruit juice (forgetting to offer a drink to anybody else) and watching him innocent-eyed for the answer.
Gavin cheeples excitedly at Kernow, the irredemable gossip making his noisy entrance. Still, once claw lifts a bit to acknowledge Pyrene, in a rather human-like gesture. Then his attentions shift entirely to the gold on her shoulder, and he fires inquisitive chatter tail over wings.
once=one
Quara saunters calmly in from the Central Bowl.
Lis shrugs back at Keris, evil smile tossed in his direction from the weyrling. She's not helping the boy. "That's /wonderful/ Rita..." Lis states as her grin mutates into a congratualatory shadow if it's original self. "Well, actually, 'Rene, I sent for him. Jaibyrd was tweeping about something at the hall, so I had F'reud bring back my favorite gossip." 'Sides, he's just Lis' plain favorite.
Keris watches Pyrene for a moment, deciding she looks pretty harmless. Looks. "Uhm, yeah, a bluerider picked me up," he explains. This really ought to impress a nanny, right?
Pyrene settles down, eyes flitting briefly to Quara with about as much enthusiasm as for her lizard. "He's a gossip? Interesting... not that I know any people at the starcraft hall now that you've Impressed Lis... I don't think anyway. I lose track of who gets Searched from where... Are you counting on that bluerider to take you back again, Keris? Because they're not that reliable." Kernow at least doesn't share her prejudices, quite ready to chitter curiously back at Gavin.
Perisienne arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Bouncing red curls herald the arrival of Gavin's bigger, louder, and generally more vivid, humanpet-cum-blueling. "Heyhey! Py! Gavin said you and Kernow were down... How go things with C'lan?" That question's innuendo, accompanied by an exaggerated wink, follows swift on the heels of greetings. "And Alarth, too, of course," she adds, a bit too quickly. Then pausing for a moment, she eyes the chattering blue and his current conversation-partner, long enough to catch Pyrene's comment. "Hey! We are too," she protests.
Ooops. Dat was Quara.
Keris blinks at Pyrene. "Reliable? Why not?" he asks, a tad confused. "Well, at least he betweened to the right place." A fact this StarCrafter is very happy about... "And Lis! I'm not a gossip," he protests, finally getting it. "Not anymore than you." That ought to do it.. he's a gossip.
Lis settles into a seat, a bit overwhelemed by Rita, Pyrene, Keris, and Pyrene-at-Keris. "Hah. Well, you're still my favorite 'connection' to Starcraft, if you'd like that better." The greenling lounges sideways in her favorite armchair, peering at Pyrene. "This bluerider is my friend, F'reud. I've got him at the snap of my fingers, especially since the Hatching..." Her mouth curls into a self-satisfied grin of evilness. Muahahah. "'Lo, Quara!" Lis actually fairly chirps, almost happy to see her.
Perisienne bounces in her stomach making her seem like a wave of rippleing fat. A deft nod is cast her at her boss, head Nanrene. She waddles like a fat dreybreast, to a seat near a full pitcher of Klah, one of her natural nessecities. She gris at he newly adopted daughter, Rita and sighs restlessly, she looks as if she just ran a sprint with an agile runner with droplets of perspiration adorning her forehead, when in acctuality she waddled from her room in the brat caves, after a short nap to he living caverns.
Pyrene's attention gets dragged very swiftly if unwillingly to Quara then. "I don't know Quara... I don't know where C'lan is..." she says a little self-consciously and suddenly terribly interested in her redfruit juice. But there's Lis with a handy subject change--or resumption. "F'reud? He's /such/ a bore... and he thinks he's so wise and empathic. Ugh. What's he doing at the snap of your fingers?"
Rita laughs lightly and waves to Peri, "Hey, Nansienn...Uhhh...What DO I call you now, Peri?" She peers and cocks her head then runs over to embrace her new "mom".
Keris leans back in his chair, giving Pyrene an odd look. Scary... "Hmm, I thought he was rather charming," StarCrafter says then, sending Pyrene a bright smile. Afterall, what could she do to harm him? Hmm?
Quara springs over to the klah, pouring herself a mug that nearly overflows. Then, bringing it back fearlessly, she sets it down with nary a splash on the table before she plops into a seat herself. Taking a long gulp of the hot drink, she sighs contentedly. "Heyas, Lis!" She chuckles, eyeing Keris. "A friend, right?" That twinkle's back in her eye... beware.
And on top of everything else, Alymath lets out her juvenile version of a bugle. "Why?" Lis whines as she drops her klah, cookie stuffed into her mouth as the attends to her dragon's needs. Poor Keris, left all alone at the mercy of Lis' friends...
Lis exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.
Pyrene watches Lis go in some curiosity, before glancing around. This leaves her with a bluerider, a pregnant woman and a former brat. And Keris. So her attention is swiveled onto him, "Known Lis long?" she wonders, a glint in her eye to rival Quara's.
Perisienne grunts under the younger girl's weight and emabraces her loosly, "Hello Rita," She greets her, "You aren't a brat anymore," she reminds her, "You can call me mom or Peri, or anything you wish, as long as it doesn't include fat." Her klah is garded and she takes ona digusted look, "What da you think this lump'll be?" She wonders aloud poking her personal table and looking at Pyrene and then back to Rita.
Rita peers, "Uhh..mom then." SHe laughs.
Keris doesn't look too thrilled about Lis leaving either, almost squirming in his chair. "Hmm, for some Turns, yeah," he answers to Pyrene's question, giving Quara a look as well. Uh oh, another one. "Yeah, a friend," he mumbles, quickly taking a sip from his klah. Why does he feel like he did something wrong?
Quara smiles, a vague hint of the demonic barely visible 'neath the attractive grin. "Yes, how long have you known her? Before she was Searched, that is, of course," she adds. "Oh, friends, that's good," she adds, as Gavin flutters over to perch on her shoulder, eagerly examining Keris for himself.
Pyrene flicks a look to Peri thoughtfully. "I believe that it's going to be a brat, Peri..." by great effort she manages to bite back any comment that she may want to make. "So you knew her before she got Searched the first time, Keris?" she wonders with interest.
Keris grimaces towards Quara. Gee, thanks. Women. "About two Turns I'd guess," he retorts lightly, "/before/ she was Searched. And yes, friends are very good," he continues, smiling innocently enough, but there's just that hint of sarcasm he tends to pull off. "Any friend of Lis'..." He nods at Pyrene then. "Yes, I did, thought I'd just joined the Hall when she was Searched first time."
Quara smiles and leans in, eagerly, and the impression of a hunting cat intent on her prey may be gathered. "Ah, so you got to know her after she came back, then?" is inquired. "Oh, of course, any friend of Lis's." The hint of sarcasm that touches her voice is the equal of his.
Arizona walks into the living carverns, eyes searching breifly over those present.
Pyrene sips her drink, nodding and missing out on any sarcasm flying about the room. "I suppose it worked out well for you then that she didn't Impress back then?" she suggests innocently, a wave and smile is given to Arizona and a sympathetic look to Peri, followed by: "Peri? Do you want me to get you anything?" Maybe Pyrene /does/ have feelings?
Perisienne she nods, and squirms in her chair, "Mom then..." She grins and she twirls her mug around slowly in an act of nervous fidgiting. Her eyes wander as she regards Pyrene and tries to uncover a crack in which to enter the conversation. She leaves her concious self listening in and she stares at her stomach in weak pride, boy or girl. Perilon or Sienia, the name chosen for each gender, Peilon for male and obviously Sienia for female. She looks in an agitated gaze at Pyrene, "Well of course." She mutters, "What're you gonna say,” she prods. Knowing anything of Pyrene is a helpful defense.
Keris blanches at all the questions. "Err, uhm, of course I got to know her when she got back," he answers, confused, not sure who asked the question. "It's a small Hall." He pauses, sipping from his mug. "People gossip a lot, too, though I suppose it can happen to big Weyrs too...?"
Rita peers at Peri, "Mom is kinda wierd but I'll get used to it I guess. Do I call Birlon dad then????" She asks and cocks her head curiously.
Quara nods. "Oh, quite. And large Holds, too. Especially if you're in the right places," she adds, helpfully. "Like the taverns." Then, pausing for a moment, she considers. "No, It worked out well for /us/, Pyrene," she adds.
Perisienne grins at her...daughter, no longer a brat, but still seems one in her eyes, "Yeah," She shrugs, "As long as Birlon's okay with it, but he'll prolly love it."
Pyrene blinks curiously at Quara. "Worked out well for us? For you maybe, since you got to be a candidate and weyrling with her. I missed her when she went back to the hall." Sort of, anyway. Of course, she's used to making friends for the duration of a candidacy and then never seeing them again.
Keris relaxes slightly as the predator-women seem to have forgotten him for a while. StarCrafter concentrates on looking around the big cave, only having been here once before.
Quara blinks. "No, no, this Search. And she's still here, anyway. And if I didn't hate brats so much..." Blushing, she trails off and looks about, self-consciously, at the pair of nannys and 'brat. Oops.
Rita giggles, "If I were still a 'brat I'd be mad but I'm not, I'm weyrfolk now." SHe laughs lightly, "Yer lucky."
Perisienne grins at Quara, "Really most of us don't like brat's either, like Pyrene for example." She flichs her fingers in Py's direction...
Quara giggles sheepishly. "Well, true, but..." Trailing off again, she looks about. "Ah, yes, Keris. So, Have you heard anything from Keroon lately?" Not that he should have, but... you never know.
"If you didn't hate brats so much, what?" Pyrene wonders, not at all bothered by the lack of affection on Quara's part.
Keris jumps slightly, hearing his name. "Err, Keroon?" he asks, staring at Quara. "I've never been to Keroon... Lis has been there," he says, then shuts up, as if he said something secretive.
Quara chuckles in response to Pyrene's comment. "If I didn't hate brats so much, I'd visit more often. But..." she giggles, trailing off. Then, "Lis's been to Keroon? She never told me that..." is remarked as she whirls back to Keris. "I'll have to ask her about that... Unless you'll tell me, of course," she appends, smiling.
Keris sends Quara a wry grin. "Do I have any choice?" he asks, then quickly continues. "She was there for a short while, being Apprenticed to her mentor. She moved back to the Hall shortly before she was Searched the second time though, 'cause her mentor moved back." StarCrafter shrugs. "That's all I know."
Pyrene grows quiet for her. Why? She's hoping for scandal, gossip, intrigue. She's watching Quara and Keris in the faint hope that something will either happen or be revealed.
Quara pouts slightly, her full upper lip extending. "That's /all/?" She sighs despondently. "Are you absolutely sure?" Extending every ounce of acting ability she has, now, she sighs again, that pout trembling slightly as she does.
M'rin shuffles quietly in from the Central Bowl.
And he can't help it, really, he's a male for Faranth's sake! "I'm sure. Though if there's anything else you'd like to know..." Keris smiles brightly, resting his elbows on the table as he leans forward to gaze at Quara.
Pyrene raises curious eyes to M'rin and smiles gently at him. "Don't see you around much... not since you've Impressed I don't think..." she observes in distracted amusement. And one ear is still kept on Quara and Keris. This has... potential.
Sighing again, Quara flutters her eyelashes a bit, going full flirt. That utterly feminine face is turned to M'rin, and she smiles. "Hello, M'rin. How're you?" she asks, smiling slightly. Men beware, she's on the prowl.
M'rin /had/ been trying to sneak in unnoticed, and almost succeeded. Almost. Sharded Pyrene...;) Oh no. Another woman. Hopefully she won't bite...or hug...like some women he knows...Blue eyes widen slightly, skittering briefly from Pyrene to Quara and back again. "E-eh?" Were they talking to him? Or was it (hopefully) his imagination?
Keris turns his head slightly to give the greeted M'rin a look, nodding his head in greeting. Must be another weyrling judging from his age... Sighing, the StarCrafter leans back again as the only subject not looking ready to kill him seems to have lost her interest in him. M'rin gets a sympathetic look though.
Rita peers at Quara and then to Keris and smiles slightly to herself, she walks up causually to Keris and lowers her eyes becomingly, looking up at him, "What was your name again? Keris, right?" She asks transforming from brat to flirtious young woman.
Quara chuckles, eyeing M'rin. "Uh-huh. Nice," she remarks, noncommittally, turning back to Keris. "So... StarCrafter... What rank?" she asks, smiling, a twinkle in her emerald-green eyes. Still, a tiny glare is aimed at Rita momentarily before she returns her attentions to Keris.
Keris nods at Rita, grinning slightly. "That's right, Keris. And I'm a Journeyman," he tells Quara, "was just promoted a few days ago."
Rita sniffs, you can't have BOTH of them, selfish. However she ignores her and turns back to Keris, "Journeyman? Really?" Her eyes twinkle, "Wow, I don't know much about the StarCraft...isn't it like looking at the stars and stuff?" She looks up at him.
Pyrene continues to observe with interest. Rita. Flirting. "Congratulations on your promotion, Keris," she suddenly interjects. They'd almost forgotten she was there. right?
Edaeyn arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
You notice Edaeyn giving you a good stare.
Quara's smile brightens. "Oh, really? Lovely. I assume you've not gotten your post yet, then?" she adds, ignoring Rita rather blatantly now. "Any specific places you'd like to be?" She glances to Pyrene momentarily, a bit startled, then looks back to Keris, shifting slightly closer.
Edaeyn steps into the shadows that lead back into the Weyr.
Keris' eyes dart from one female to another. "Ah yes, that's correct," he tells Rita, smirking. "We look at stars and do charts'n all that... uhm thanks, Pr.. Pyrene," he says then, trying to smile friendly at Pyrene while looking flirtingly at Quara. Not easy, but he manages. "Err no, I haven't yet. And I'd prefer staying at the Hall actually. Well, this is a nice place, but you already have Adar up here," he says, hint of regret in his voice.
M'rin is...forgotten? Phew...The small rider continues shuffling slowly on his way, gently shushing his quartet of 'lizards as the chirp and chitter at others. "Shh, Lys, shh..." The tiniest blue is held affectionately in cupped palms. A curious, flickering glance is shot back at the trio of women, and one male. Flirting. Hum bah-bug. Just the thought brings a touch of shy color to his cheeks and he hastily draws his blue wrought gaze away, picking out a clear path between the complex maze of chairs and tables.
Edaeyn arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Edaeyn exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.
Pyrene smirks. Look at that, she distracted him from flirtation. She's going to be getting quite the swelled head at this rate. "You've not tasted our cookies yet, Keris?" she wonders sweetly. "If you had, you'd not want to return..." She's not really flirting with him of course, troublestirring on the other hand... "M'rin, have you met Keris? He's an old flame of Lis' apparently... come to visit her and lingering for Quara." Slander, lies, but oh the heightened interest!
Rita gives a sharp glare at Quara and looks up at Keris flirtiously, "How intresting. How long have you been a StarCrafter? It sounds really great." She smiles sweetly at him and watches his face.
Gulinz arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Keris grins slightly towards Pyrene. "Actually, I just did, and they were lo... flame?" comes the utterly surprised exclamation then. "I'm not..." Uh oh, what to say /now/. So the Crafter stares at M'rin, hoping the boy'll be a good distraction for the predator-females. "M'rin! Well met," he rambles, peering back at Rita. "Oh, around three Turns. And it is, yeah," he says, smiling in the same was as someone about to be eaten by a dragon.
Quara gives Rita a superior glance for a moment, smirking, before she takes a small sip of klah. "Oh, yes, of course, but certainly we could have more than one here... The stars are so lovely up here, and the sky is so clear, there'd be lots to do for two, wouldn't there?" she inquires, slightly innocently, with no regard for Pyrene at all.
M'rin is seen! Oh! Eek! Ack! Ook...Aug? Still, a ghost of a smile and a timid nod is offered to Keris, all the while his finger fidgeting nervously with hem of his tunic. "W-w-well met, K-keris..." He pauses a moment longer, hoping to be dismissed. After all, women make him nervous...
Rita grins her teeth but continues to ignore her and goes back to her tactics, "Really? That's so great. It sounds like alot of fun, you'll hafta point out all the stars to me sometime, Do you think you could? Maybe even tonight?" She looks up innocently, "Could you, I'd really like that."
Pyrene chuckles and shakes her head, rising suddenly. Her work here is done. Confusion and blushes reign--on the men's side anyway. "I ought to go and check that the brats haven't painted any rude pictures..." she comments by way of an excuse as she makes her way out.
Keris eyes Quara. "Hmm, you don't really need more than two," he says reassuringly. "Uhm, I guess I could," he says hesitantly, looking at Rita. "Err, right now?"
Pyrene goes home.
Rita glances about, "Well, it's 8:30...would the stars be very clear around now?" She asks with a flirtious smile.
Quara blinks, eyeing Rita. "Oh, now would be lovely. Surely you could teach two?" she inquires, tilting her chin up slightly and smiling. "Certainly you'd lend us the priviledge?" That question, though, has more than a hint of a royal plural to it, as if Rita didn't exist.
Keris smirks. "I believe they would," he says, peering at Quara. "Hmm, Adar never showed you guys the constellations? Uhm, of course," he adds hastily, "I taught an evening class to 5 people just a few days back..."
Rita bites her lip and sighs, "Where would be best do you think, Maybe the Plateau?" She considers and shoots a bitter glare at Quara who seems to have the higher rank.
Nah, weyrling's are little better than the dragon-dung they shovel. Everybody knows that.
And blue weyrlings are even lower down the ladder...
Quara chuckles. "I've been far too busy with classes these days, and I'm from Keroon before that," she explains, her tone stating clearly that it's not /her/ fault, after all... "The storms and clouds are nice during the day, but we can't see the stars so well," she adds, in a bit of explanation and excuse.
Keris shrugs slightly. "I'm not familiar around here. You lead the way and I'll just follow..."
But then they gather gossip so well, blackmail is easy.
Rita nods, "I'll lead." She decides, leaving no room for protest and smiles sweetly at Keris, slipping her hand into his and leading the way with a smug smirk at Quara.
Rita exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.
Bundle up 'gainst snow or sun! The bowl is open to seasons' wrath.
Central Bowl
Seven spindles brush the clouds -- quite literally -- overhead, a jagged, spired cotillion grey-stoned majesty. The bowl from here is expansively large, extending a full half mile in both directions, and although sometimes a bit of a stretch, most of the hubs of activity can be easily observed. Hard-packed ground shows the common pathways, all of them meandering about the craggy bunch of boulders that form a centerpiece: carven, hand-worn and foothold-full, it gives a bit of centerpoint to the otherwise vast emptiness of the area.
To the north lie the hatching grounds and leadership weyrs, while the lows of herdbeasts mark the feeding pens to the northeast. A flurry of ever-present activity marks the living caverns to the west, and another time-traveled path the ground weyrs just adjacent to the southwest. Southeast, a glint of blue shows the lake, glittering and cold.
It is a summer evening.
Clinging to footholds in the boulder-mound are Zhaneel, Spice, Kier, Fiannan, Wilt, Tremayne, Quenn, Dratini, and Tirone.
Blue Mrrdynth, brown Azrieth, and green Alymath are here.
You see a wagonmaster, Emerald, and TumbleWeed here.
Rita is here.
Obvious exits:
Pens Northern Bowl Caverns Ground Weyrs Lakeside
Quara steps out from the Weyr's living caverns.
Quara slides her hand into Keris's free one, smiling, and looks up slightly. "Don't leave without lil' old me," she murmurs coyly, chuckling.
Keris sends Quara a wry grin. "I wouldn't dream of it," he assures. "But well, the look is fine from here."
Quara looks up, examining the sky. "Mm-hmm, so it is. D'you have a favorite constellation?" she inquires quietly, tilting her gaze to look at Keris instead.
Rita smiles flirtiously at Keris and forcingly at Quara, "Which is that?" She asks as one hand follows the sky to a particularily bright star and her other hand is left in his hand.
Keris peers upwards. "Well, there's Love in the Sky," he mumbles, trying to point, but finds it rather difficult with one girl attached to each hand.
Rita delibrately leaves her hand there and tilts her head to look at Keris, "IS it part of any kinda constellation?" She asks and subtly steps nearer to him, looking at Quara bitterly from behind his back and sighing.
Quara smiles, batting her eyelashes slightly. "Love in the sky? How appropriate," she murmurs, shifting slightly closer. "I've heard a few of the names, from the sailors in the tavern, but not enough to remember them," she remarks, her voice tinged with envy.
Keris tries to make himself slimmer, but it just won't work, so he's practically trapped between the two girls. "Err, Love in the Sky is a constellation;" he points out, smiling at Rita. "And uh, there's a lot of 'em," he says, nodding at Quara. Her appropriate remark is subtly being overheard.
Rita flutters her eyelashes as her head is cocked ooc :hasta go...sorry. Bye. Umm...you can kinda guess what Rita would do. ;P Quara can even NPC her if she likes or @emit or whatever as long as you keep it believable. ;)
Quara can't back off now, not with Rita there. "Oh, quite. The... anchor is one of them, yes?" she asks, thinking slightly.
OOC: Rita pokes, wanna Quara?
OOC: Rita says "Needta know befor' I go."
OOC: Quara hmms... Keris'd better. I'm a sloow typist.
Keris **will do :)
OOC: Rita says "Keris then, keep it believable, Rita is flirting with you and doesn't know much about stars....
Rita falls asleep.
Rita has disconnected.
Keris narrows his eyes. "Hmm, yeah, probably," he tells Quara, trying to loosen Rita's grip on his hand. Doesn't help. Oh well. "So-err, you have anything you wanna know?"
Quara looks up at the sky, peering at the expanse of stars. "Oh, just some of the common ones, I suppose. Like the ones sailors use for navigation," she adds, steering the conversation back to herself.
Keris nods. "So-eh, you know navigators I take it?" he asks Quara, being curious after all. "Heh, no, we don't have a name for every star," he tells Rita as she whispers a question to him.
Quara blinks. "A few of them... Mostly the regulars at the 'Post when they were in," she explains, smiling. "Oh, my, that'd be too many names to remember by far," she remarks, in Rita's direction.
Keris grins. "It would, yes. We do have a lot, though," he adds, peering upwards again. "There's the Gather Circle," he informs them both, nodding towards the constellation. "It has a funny story behind it..."
Quara smiles, batting her eyelashes. "Really? Do tell. I simply love stories," she remarks, coyly, sliding a tiny bit closer.
Keris smiles wryly. "Yes, I'd bet," he mumbles, nodding at Rita. "Yes, it had something to do with a Gather. Two men were geting drunk, and then they saw those stars and thought it looked like them." he shrugs. "And so, it's the Gather Circle."
Quara looks up at the constellation. "They must've been either really drunk, or really ugly," she remarks, eyeing the stars. "Unlike you," she murmurs, barely audible.
Keris **wil just assume Rita is whispering to him all the time ;)
Quara * will, too. ;)
Keris laughs at that. "Ah, true," he chuckles, then eyes Quara. "Well I'm not drunk," he says lightly, winking at her.
Quara smiles. "And not ugly, either," she adds, looking up at him and winking as well. Then, grimacing, she glances north. "Oh, bother. I'm afraid I've got to go," she remarks. "I'm terribly sorry, Keris. But I'll certainly catch you around, yes?" she inquires, smiling, before she regretfully leaves, dashing off with a wave and blown kiss, both aimed directly at Keris, on her way.
OOC: Quara pouts and gets booted... ;)
Quara calls to Gavin, who flies over and lands on her shoulder.
Quara goes home.