[Log] Meeting.
Who: Leova, Dagany, others.
What: Dagany is strange. Leova is too, in different ways.
Where: East bowl, HRW.
When: ...
3/5/2008
Eastern Bowl, High Reaches Weyr(#840RIJs)
Standing on the eastern side of the bowl, you realize why this is one of the most striking Weyrs on Pern. Arrayed around the north rim of the bowl are the Seven Spindles: high crownlike points formed of old volcano flows which were eroded to sharp spikes. The bowl itself is a rough ovoid shape, with a large lake taking up a good portion of the southeastern part. The bowl seems to slant down to the lake shore, and the soil becomes a little looser in that direction. From the east, the slight aroma of herdbeast and wherry hide rises from the feeding grounds. The northeast section of the bowl is full of activity: training of dragons both young and old goes on in a large clearing near the entrance to the weyrling barracks and dragon infirmary. Several small boulders dot the area to the north, forming a winding path to the ledges leading into the weyrleaders' quarters.
The morning is clear, and the sun shines with a few small clouds floating past. It is completely still, no winds blow and the summer air is pleasantly warm.
The early morning sun may light the western bowl, but the eastern side is still swallowed in shadow. Several small groups of candidates have already headed off to breakfast but Leova is one of the last, her hands stuck in her jacket pockets, her low-held gaze not inviting company.
Not inviting company? Then surely she will get some! Dagany is not one to ignore someone seperated from the pack, as it were, especially if she's obviously being antisocial on purpose. It's all about body language, see, and it's these sorts of people he singles out. "Hi," chirps his too-cheerful voice from not far off. Where he came from is sort of unimportant at this point.
The chirp is a mark against him. He hasn't giggled yet, though, so that's neutral. And couldn't he be talking to someone else? Leova keeps walking without bothering to look or change that body language in any way.
He wasn't expecting to have to eat up some steps to catch up with her. Usually people at least pause to glance at him before opting for pretending he isn't there, that he isn't happening to them. Ah, but a challenge is always a welcome pleasure; Dagany does catch up to her, wearing a little smile and keeping his hands behind his back. "Hi," he says again.
Following her doesn't win him any points either. But persistence, which is not quite the same thing, gets him a sideways look. Taller than she is, but not much, and thin. Hands behind his back, that's something too. And as long as he doesn't get too close, Leova allows, "Morning."
Skinny, yes. Not wellfed perhaps. The look is generally 'puppy'. But optimistic apparently, for he does indeed persist. That utterance from her /is/ a point for him, even if he's the only one who knows it. Her pace is easy enough to match and Dagany does so while leaning a little to bow in motion and keep his dark eyes on her when he says, "Is it?"
So that's the first point. He can keep that one, though he risks it with that bow that gets him a peculiar look. Although maybe that counts as a point too. As might Leova rolling her eyes up without stopping: sky. Sun not yet visible, sun making shadows out of the cliff, shadows that can't quite reach all the way across the bowl. What else is it going to be?
Perceptive to her expressions even if he doesn't know how to read them (yet), Dagany lifts his own eyes to the sky and shadows and things also. And tilts his head to bring them back down to her. But don't think he's quite through yet. He has more questions. "What's your name?"
Unfortunately, he has etiquette on his side. Not that Leova holds as much to etiquette these days. And surely it's only old aunties who think giving names gives power, unless maybe it's dragons and their riders. Then again, Impression here is hardly likely. And it's not as though they're out in the middle of nowhere, exactly, even though the bowl is very large. She keeps walking, but she does finally say, "Leova." And she doesn't ask for his.
And she doesn't need to. And he doesn't /look/ like he has something on her now that he knows her name. Maybe he's just very good at hiding such indications. Maybe. "I'm Dagany." There, if he has hers, she has his, and they're equal, if that's the game of it. He keeps at her side but a respectful distance away, close enough so he needn't raise his voice to speak to her, with her. And neither does she. He'll spend a few more moments in silence, which could be a blessing, but she isn't given time enough. "Where are you going?"
It's only just enough time to begin to relax. Which makes Leova's, "Breakfast," that much terser. She keeps looking at the bowl, not at him, gauging the angle she's walking with what's becoming habit. Almost out of the shadows. Almost into the sun. "You live here?"
"Oh, breakfast. I'm starving." But not, apparently, suffering for it, mood-wise. Dagany keeps his smile, in spite of his companion's obvious not wanting him here. Or anyone here. He doesn't mind. /Her/ question isn't a surprise. He answers it like she's been talkative this whole time. "Here. There. I've lived all over." And, now that /he's/ talking more, the soft, gentle quality of his voice comes through. "What about you?" His hands are in his pockets now, his shoulders are hunched.
Laylia comes out of the candidate barracks with a long languid stretch and a drawn out yawn. Lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the daylight, she sighs and trudges her way through the bowl to see Leova and some man she doesn't recognize talking, perhaps? "Hey, Leova? Morning!" She calls out, and then looks at her companion with a curious expression.
That gentler quality may make up for vagueness to some degree, or maybe it's the way he makes himself smaller, or more of that politeness again. Leova taps her shoulder in any case, the one with that candidate's knot. "For now." Over her shoulder, "Laylia. Come on!" So she doesn't miss breakfast either, or so Leova's not alone?
Shoulder tap. Hm? /Oh/. His eyebrows lifted, Dagany inspects the knot in what light he has, for now, until they clear the shadows of the eastern part of the bowl. "Wow," is all he says, at first, for that. Maybe because Laylia's here now, and she's looking at him, and maybe there's a part of him that finally realizes how strange he's being. "Hi," he calls, his smile broadening, becoming a bright grin. Maybe not.
Appearing on the edge of her ledge, Satiet's languid stretch as she observes the activity of the bowl casts a short morning shadow over those in the vicinity. A pivot and then light steps down the stairs eventually turn into a path that leads the white-clad woman towards the morning crowd, though her amble seems purposeless in her approach of Leova and Dagany. It's Laylia's call, and the return from a tawny woman that catch her attention before she pauses and ventures her own cool greetings to the group she's near. "Good morning."
Laylia is certainly not well rested, darker circles grace her eyes and she's trying to put her hair up as she crosses the bowl. It's a arduous process, as bits of her red hair keep flying away and eventually she just gives up and puts it up as it is, with a jutting strand here or there. Dagany gets an odd look, and a comment of, "I haven't seen you before." Then her attention turns to Leova and she offers a quicker smile. "Going for breakfast? I got stable mucking today, which I'm /so/ looking forward to." She says, and arches a brow as she sees the Weyrwoman coming out as well. "Morning, ma'am." She offers quietly, but loud enough to be heard.
"This Dagany says he's lived here. There. All over," Leova tells Laylia. "Dishes for me." At his grin at Laylia, the corners of her mouth turn up, and suddenly she's far too pleased. "Striking, isn't she." Looking up, "Morning, Weyrwoman." Also striking. Does Dagany have a chance?
Niena wanders out as chores are being enumerated. "Firestone bagging -- I think I'll gain a new appreciation for the concept of "pain" today." She is probably the plainest person here, and also the least likely to try to attract notice.
Striking though the ladies in his company might be, but Dagany doesn't seem at all perturbed or disturbed or unsettled or, even, interested. In their faces, anyway. "I'm--" Dagany. He is. But Leova's beaten him to it so, without something further to say, he just quirks his mouth and ducks his head. Yep.
A beat skips as the raven-haired woman takes in Dagany's reaction, following his bright grinning expression to find Laylia, and just beyond the red-haired candidate to find Niena. Her own mouth shapes, the driest of smirks curving crooked, a fleeting glance of pale blue returning to Dagany at his failed attempt at introduction. "Please," utters the cool alto, a heightened sense of some amusement flicking to Leova and her pleasure. "Don't let me interrupt."
Laylia knits her brows at the suggestion that she's striking, and gives an even more curious expression to Leova before looking once more at Dagany - who doesn't even seem interested. She attempts to get close enough to Leova so she can ask her something privately, then quirks a smile to Satiet. "No interruption, ma'am. We're just heading to the living cavern for some breakfast." She insists, and waves at Niena when she catches her too. "Coming, too, Niena? I wanted to ask you about that perfume you got."
Laylia mutters to Leova, "... know this... I rushed over?"
"As you say, Weyrwoman." Though Leova finally stops walking, but it's to turn to Niena, not with her name this time, with the barest glance to see whether Dagany keeps walking. "There you are. Talk over breakfast?" Which conveniently makes it easier for Laylia to catch her ear, to which whisper she gives an emphatic shake of her head and a short whisper of her own.
Niena says "breakfast sounds inordinately good. The perfume is in my press, but I can grab some napkins on the way back for the dab." At Leova's whisper her eyes go wide and, being the master or subtlety, she points to Satiet quickly and murmurs something back."
If he doesn't look uncomfortable, surrounded by females, Dagany doesn't look completely capable of handling the situation either. He's tensed some, and glances from Leova to Laylia when she comes over, his smile returning for the red-haired candidate but, when he turns out not to be the target, fades some. He /does/ stop walking and, when the girls start whispering to one another, edges away from them, looking somewhat chagrined. But Niena and Satiet are still present and, it seems, unattached to one another. So he keeps his place and says, "Are we all going to breakfast then?" Read: oblivious.
The mention of perfume tilts Satiet's head, though she doesn't look to Niena. As the group of candidates plus one singularly not-unsettled man move towards breakfast, the raven-haired woman is left with a choice. Her toes wriggle and her barefeet shuffle idly on the floor as she considers her options: the blue vista of the Weyr lake so close, or the prospect of an indulgent, teenage conversation filled morning. It's either being in a good mood, or particularly ornery and eavesdroppy that makes Satiet's decision for her, for while she doesn't hover, per se, her own path turns just off to the distance, aiming for unintrusive, but still headed to the living cavern herself.
"I can get it later, no big rush." Laylia says to Niena, with an idle shrug of her shoulders. An arch of her brows accompanies the fact that the Weyrwoman appears to be interested in following a bunch of whispering, not all teenage girls, towards the living cavern - but even Weyrwomen need breakfast, assuredly. She does ask a rather pointed, "That perfume Niena says she has is yours, right? I'd hate to get my group duped.." while the other candidates are whispering amongst themselves. A look is given to the relatively disheveled looking man, "We are, we only have so much time before we got to start with chores.."
"Guess so." Being about as disheveled as Dagany doesn't stop Leova from giving him a dry look as well. "How long you been here?" She doesn't step into Laylia's question, either, though she does add to the other women, "Wonder whether the coordinators have arranged for the samples to be sniffed. To see if they're right, and all..."
Niena looks stunned at Laylia's question, even managing a "Lylia, you're my *friend*. I wouldn't trick you." Coming from someone else this might be spurious, but Niena is genuinely aghast at the thought.
Yep, Dagany's pretty disheveled. It's almost like he and Leova are a matching set! Not that he seems to notice. Nor does he seem to notice that Satiet's joining them might be strange. He doesn't know her, see. But he does know that he's hungry, and seeing as how the other girls aren't, ah, against his joining them -- outright anyway -- he angles his body in an awkward way and starts to mosy towards where food must be. Follow the weyrwoman, she must know where she's going.
Following the weyrwoman might not be the best of ideas as after a few steps tagging along, Satiet's steps veer sharply towards the dragon infirmary, the amble turning into a brisk jog.
Laylia shrugs her shoulders at Niena, "I'd just hate to waste the time, and a day off is a high prize for tired candidates." She admits, and then thumbs off towards the living cavern. "I'm just going to grab what I can and run off to the stables, easier to clean when they're exercising the runners in the early morning." She says, and gives Dagany a long look, as though memorizing him for later recount. "Nice meeting you. Sorry, I have to run off." She says, and gives a sheepish smile to Niena. "Sorry I doubted you, but you know rumors are bound to stir about the Weyrwoman just handing you a /whole/ vial." She softens it up with a smile, and then traipses off to the living cavern to grab her quick breakfast.
Niena sighs and shakes her head, as if unable to comprehend the idea, but breakfast has a strong pull. She nods to Leova and hurries toward the Weyrhall.
In trots the wild haired Fraya, humming softly as she almost skips on through but comes to a stop, peering curiously at those gathered in the bowl with a quirk of her brow.
Leova, quite predictably, gets distracted by Laylia's talk of the stables: enough that she's smiling, just a little, as the other candidate gives Dagany that look. Not so much, however, that she doesn't hurry after Niena and, once she's reached her, keep pace.
(Travel deleted.)
Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr(#1000RIJs)
The impressive living cavern is seemingly as large as the bowl that cradles the hatching sands. Rivers of polished wood tables and benches arrow towards a raised platform crowned with a compact version of their sturdy design. Neatly crafted pegs, some fancifully carved, are tapped into holes in the wall and support clothing dangling like lazy sleepers. Woven baskets, both useful and decorative, hang along another wall. Piles of summer fruit give off a shimmer of color and a waft of sweet aromas from their cradling bowls. Hanging sheaves of herbs and spices rustle in the breeze, adding their fragrance as well. Banners worked with the designs of Holds and Halls beholden to the weyr cascade down the walls high above, interspersed with several brilliantly colored tapestries. Small groups gather here and there in the cavern, relaxing over a snack of freshly baked goodies as they cheerfully gossip.
Niena is scrounging what's left of breakfast, sitting at an empty table with Leova and listening attentively.
Leova's counting on greasy fingers, and eating the rest of her toast-and-sausage "sandwich" in large bites whenever she's not talking. "...So that's that. Meet you for lunch?"
A little late but no less enthusiastic, Dagany strolls in at a languid pace and searches briefly for-- aha. Leova isn't hard to find, hopefully she wasn't trying, and it's her table he finds himself at after making quick work of closing the distance. He gives Niena a little smile while pulling a chair out and settling into it.
Fraya trots into the living caverns, after the group and she hops over towards Niena. "Niena. Niiiea..." A grin is on her lips and she peeks at Leova. "I have something to /show/ you but it can only be after the scavenger hunt!" She exclaims, grinning widely before she trots to fetch herself some food. Once she returns, she gives Dagany a curious look before grinning. "Hey there. I'm Fray. Well met, what's your name." She offers, giggling to herself and she begins to eat quietly.
Niena smiles politely, businesslike, perhaps even nanny-like at Dagany. "Welcome, I'm Niena." She then turns to listen to Leova's comment and nods. When she hears Fraya call her name she looks over quickly, then appears exceedeingly curious. She also looks like someone who should never play dragon poker.
"That's Dagany," Leova says between bites, since he's being all inoffensive and all. Other than sitting down, which is hard to begrudge a man. Which isn't to say that Leova is incapable of it. "Dagany, meet Tease." Otherwise known as Fraya.
The grin that Dagany gives Leova is half-shy, half-longsuffering. They've known each other so long, see, and she always introduces him for him. 'Tease' receives a glance, questioning. "Tease?" He must know. "Dagany," he returns for Niena, in case she hadn't already gotten it. /Amused/.
Fraya grins happily at Niena, giggling. "It's /amazing/. We can conduct more experiments there." A small laugh and she tilts her head to Leova with a gasp. "Tease? How /odd/, Leova. That doesn't sound like my name at /all/." She winks, giggling softly and she turns her gaze to Dagany. "Fraya. Now, I'm apparently Tease.. I think she's just mad cause I won't tell my amazing secret until /after/ we're done looking for things in the scavenger hunt." A snicker and she peers at the other two.
Niena finishes her breakfast and gets up. "I need to get to bagging that firestone. I've heard from Jaeni how long it takes, and I don't want to get in trouble for not filling enough today." Oddly enough, she heads for the lower caverns rather than for the bowl.
So long, it seems like an eternity! Leova scrubs face and hands on her napkin and picks up her plate. No fork. "That's right. I'm holding a grudge." But she's smiling when she says it, even just for a moment. She adds, "Later," before leaving the two of them to each other and disappearing after Niena. Quickly.
What: Dagany is strange. Leova is too, in different ways.
Where: East bowl, HRW.
When: ...
3/5/2008
Eastern Bowl, High Reaches Weyr(#840RIJs)
Standing on the eastern side of the bowl, you realize why this is one of the most striking Weyrs on Pern. Arrayed around the north rim of the bowl are the Seven Spindles: high crownlike points formed of old volcano flows which were eroded to sharp spikes. The bowl itself is a rough ovoid shape, with a large lake taking up a good portion of the southeastern part. The bowl seems to slant down to the lake shore, and the soil becomes a little looser in that direction. From the east, the slight aroma of herdbeast and wherry hide rises from the feeding grounds. The northeast section of the bowl is full of activity: training of dragons both young and old goes on in a large clearing near the entrance to the weyrling barracks and dragon infirmary. Several small boulders dot the area to the north, forming a winding path to the ledges leading into the weyrleaders' quarters.
The morning is clear, and the sun shines with a few small clouds floating past. It is completely still, no winds blow and the summer air is pleasantly warm.
The early morning sun may light the western bowl, but the eastern side is still swallowed in shadow. Several small groups of candidates have already headed off to breakfast but Leova is one of the last, her hands stuck in her jacket pockets, her low-held gaze not inviting company.
Not inviting company? Then surely she will get some! Dagany is not one to ignore someone seperated from the pack, as it were, especially if she's obviously being antisocial on purpose. It's all about body language, see, and it's these sorts of people he singles out. "Hi," chirps his too-cheerful voice from not far off. Where he came from is sort of unimportant at this point.
The chirp is a mark against him. He hasn't giggled yet, though, so that's neutral. And couldn't he be talking to someone else? Leova keeps walking without bothering to look or change that body language in any way.
He wasn't expecting to have to eat up some steps to catch up with her. Usually people at least pause to glance at him before opting for pretending he isn't there, that he isn't happening to them. Ah, but a challenge is always a welcome pleasure; Dagany does catch up to her, wearing a little smile and keeping his hands behind his back. "Hi," he says again.
Following her doesn't win him any points either. But persistence, which is not quite the same thing, gets him a sideways look. Taller than she is, but not much, and thin. Hands behind his back, that's something too. And as long as he doesn't get too close, Leova allows, "Morning."
Skinny, yes. Not wellfed perhaps. The look is generally 'puppy'. But optimistic apparently, for he does indeed persist. That utterance from her /is/ a point for him, even if he's the only one who knows it. Her pace is easy enough to match and Dagany does so while leaning a little to bow in motion and keep his dark eyes on her when he says, "Is it?"
So that's the first point. He can keep that one, though he risks it with that bow that gets him a peculiar look. Although maybe that counts as a point too. As might Leova rolling her eyes up without stopping: sky. Sun not yet visible, sun making shadows out of the cliff, shadows that can't quite reach all the way across the bowl. What else is it going to be?
Perceptive to her expressions even if he doesn't know how to read them (yet), Dagany lifts his own eyes to the sky and shadows and things also. And tilts his head to bring them back down to her. But don't think he's quite through yet. He has more questions. "What's your name?"
Unfortunately, he has etiquette on his side. Not that Leova holds as much to etiquette these days. And surely it's only old aunties who think giving names gives power, unless maybe it's dragons and their riders. Then again, Impression here is hardly likely. And it's not as though they're out in the middle of nowhere, exactly, even though the bowl is very large. She keeps walking, but she does finally say, "Leova." And she doesn't ask for his.
And she doesn't need to. And he doesn't /look/ like he has something on her now that he knows her name. Maybe he's just very good at hiding such indications. Maybe. "I'm Dagany." There, if he has hers, she has his, and they're equal, if that's the game of it. He keeps at her side but a respectful distance away, close enough so he needn't raise his voice to speak to her, with her. And neither does she. He'll spend a few more moments in silence, which could be a blessing, but she isn't given time enough. "Where are you going?"
It's only just enough time to begin to relax. Which makes Leova's, "Breakfast," that much terser. She keeps looking at the bowl, not at him, gauging the angle she's walking with what's becoming habit. Almost out of the shadows. Almost into the sun. "You live here?"
"Oh, breakfast. I'm starving." But not, apparently, suffering for it, mood-wise. Dagany keeps his smile, in spite of his companion's obvious not wanting him here. Or anyone here. He doesn't mind. /Her/ question isn't a surprise. He answers it like she's been talkative this whole time. "Here. There. I've lived all over." And, now that /he's/ talking more, the soft, gentle quality of his voice comes through. "What about you?" His hands are in his pockets now, his shoulders are hunched.
Laylia comes out of the candidate barracks with a long languid stretch and a drawn out yawn. Lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the daylight, she sighs and trudges her way through the bowl to see Leova and some man she doesn't recognize talking, perhaps? "Hey, Leova? Morning!" She calls out, and then looks at her companion with a curious expression.
That gentler quality may make up for vagueness to some degree, or maybe it's the way he makes himself smaller, or more of that politeness again. Leova taps her shoulder in any case, the one with that candidate's knot. "For now." Over her shoulder, "Laylia. Come on!" So she doesn't miss breakfast either, or so Leova's not alone?
Shoulder tap. Hm? /Oh/. His eyebrows lifted, Dagany inspects the knot in what light he has, for now, until they clear the shadows of the eastern part of the bowl. "Wow," is all he says, at first, for that. Maybe because Laylia's here now, and she's looking at him, and maybe there's a part of him that finally realizes how strange he's being. "Hi," he calls, his smile broadening, becoming a bright grin. Maybe not.
Appearing on the edge of her ledge, Satiet's languid stretch as she observes the activity of the bowl casts a short morning shadow over those in the vicinity. A pivot and then light steps down the stairs eventually turn into a path that leads the white-clad woman towards the morning crowd, though her amble seems purposeless in her approach of Leova and Dagany. It's Laylia's call, and the return from a tawny woman that catch her attention before she pauses and ventures her own cool greetings to the group she's near. "Good morning."
Laylia is certainly not well rested, darker circles grace her eyes and she's trying to put her hair up as she crosses the bowl. It's a arduous process, as bits of her red hair keep flying away and eventually she just gives up and puts it up as it is, with a jutting strand here or there. Dagany gets an odd look, and a comment of, "I haven't seen you before." Then her attention turns to Leova and she offers a quicker smile. "Going for breakfast? I got stable mucking today, which I'm /so/ looking forward to." She says, and arches a brow as she sees the Weyrwoman coming out as well. "Morning, ma'am." She offers quietly, but loud enough to be heard.
"This Dagany says he's lived here. There. All over," Leova tells Laylia. "Dishes for me." At his grin at Laylia, the corners of her mouth turn up, and suddenly she's far too pleased. "Striking, isn't she." Looking up, "Morning, Weyrwoman." Also striking. Does Dagany have a chance?
Niena wanders out as chores are being enumerated. "Firestone bagging -- I think I'll gain a new appreciation for the concept of "pain" today." She is probably the plainest person here, and also the least likely to try to attract notice.
Striking though the ladies in his company might be, but Dagany doesn't seem at all perturbed or disturbed or unsettled or, even, interested. In their faces, anyway. "I'm--" Dagany. He is. But Leova's beaten him to it so, without something further to say, he just quirks his mouth and ducks his head. Yep.
A beat skips as the raven-haired woman takes in Dagany's reaction, following his bright grinning expression to find Laylia, and just beyond the red-haired candidate to find Niena. Her own mouth shapes, the driest of smirks curving crooked, a fleeting glance of pale blue returning to Dagany at his failed attempt at introduction. "Please," utters the cool alto, a heightened sense of some amusement flicking to Leova and her pleasure. "Don't let me interrupt."
Laylia knits her brows at the suggestion that she's striking, and gives an even more curious expression to Leova before looking once more at Dagany - who doesn't even seem interested. She attempts to get close enough to Leova so she can ask her something privately, then quirks a smile to Satiet. "No interruption, ma'am. We're just heading to the living cavern for some breakfast." She insists, and waves at Niena when she catches her too. "Coming, too, Niena? I wanted to ask you about that perfume you got."
Laylia mutters to Leova, "... know this... I rushed over?"
"As you say, Weyrwoman." Though Leova finally stops walking, but it's to turn to Niena, not with her name this time, with the barest glance to see whether Dagany keeps walking. "There you are. Talk over breakfast?" Which conveniently makes it easier for Laylia to catch her ear, to which whisper she gives an emphatic shake of her head and a short whisper of her own.
Niena says "breakfast sounds inordinately good. The perfume is in my press, but I can grab some napkins on the way back for the dab." At Leova's whisper her eyes go wide and, being the master or subtlety, she points to Satiet quickly and murmurs something back."
If he doesn't look uncomfortable, surrounded by females, Dagany doesn't look completely capable of handling the situation either. He's tensed some, and glances from Leova to Laylia when she comes over, his smile returning for the red-haired candidate but, when he turns out not to be the target, fades some. He /does/ stop walking and, when the girls start whispering to one another, edges away from them, looking somewhat chagrined. But Niena and Satiet are still present and, it seems, unattached to one another. So he keeps his place and says, "Are we all going to breakfast then?" Read: oblivious.
The mention of perfume tilts Satiet's head, though she doesn't look to Niena. As the group of candidates plus one singularly not-unsettled man move towards breakfast, the raven-haired woman is left with a choice. Her toes wriggle and her barefeet shuffle idly on the floor as she considers her options: the blue vista of the Weyr lake so close, or the prospect of an indulgent, teenage conversation filled morning. It's either being in a good mood, or particularly ornery and eavesdroppy that makes Satiet's decision for her, for while she doesn't hover, per se, her own path turns just off to the distance, aiming for unintrusive, but still headed to the living cavern herself.
"I can get it later, no big rush." Laylia says to Niena, with an idle shrug of her shoulders. An arch of her brows accompanies the fact that the Weyrwoman appears to be interested in following a bunch of whispering, not all teenage girls, towards the living cavern - but even Weyrwomen need breakfast, assuredly. She does ask a rather pointed, "That perfume Niena says she has is yours, right? I'd hate to get my group duped.." while the other candidates are whispering amongst themselves. A look is given to the relatively disheveled looking man, "We are, we only have so much time before we got to start with chores.."
"Guess so." Being about as disheveled as Dagany doesn't stop Leova from giving him a dry look as well. "How long you been here?" She doesn't step into Laylia's question, either, though she does add to the other women, "Wonder whether the coordinators have arranged for the samples to be sniffed. To see if they're right, and all..."
Niena looks stunned at Laylia's question, even managing a "Lylia, you're my *friend*. I wouldn't trick you." Coming from someone else this might be spurious, but Niena is genuinely aghast at the thought.
Yep, Dagany's pretty disheveled. It's almost like he and Leova are a matching set! Not that he seems to notice. Nor does he seem to notice that Satiet's joining them might be strange. He doesn't know her, see. But he does know that he's hungry, and seeing as how the other girls aren't, ah, against his joining them -- outright anyway -- he angles his body in an awkward way and starts to mosy towards where food must be. Follow the weyrwoman, she must know where she's going.
Following the weyrwoman might not be the best of ideas as after a few steps tagging along, Satiet's steps veer sharply towards the dragon infirmary, the amble turning into a brisk jog.
Laylia shrugs her shoulders at Niena, "I'd just hate to waste the time, and a day off is a high prize for tired candidates." She admits, and then thumbs off towards the living cavern. "I'm just going to grab what I can and run off to the stables, easier to clean when they're exercising the runners in the early morning." She says, and gives Dagany a long look, as though memorizing him for later recount. "Nice meeting you. Sorry, I have to run off." She says, and gives a sheepish smile to Niena. "Sorry I doubted you, but you know rumors are bound to stir about the Weyrwoman just handing you a /whole/ vial." She softens it up with a smile, and then traipses off to the living cavern to grab her quick breakfast.
Niena sighs and shakes her head, as if unable to comprehend the idea, but breakfast has a strong pull. She nods to Leova and hurries toward the Weyrhall.
In trots the wild haired Fraya, humming softly as she almost skips on through but comes to a stop, peering curiously at those gathered in the bowl with a quirk of her brow.
Leova, quite predictably, gets distracted by Laylia's talk of the stables: enough that she's smiling, just a little, as the other candidate gives Dagany that look. Not so much, however, that she doesn't hurry after Niena and, once she's reached her, keep pace.
(Travel deleted.)
Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr(#1000RIJs)
The impressive living cavern is seemingly as large as the bowl that cradles the hatching sands. Rivers of polished wood tables and benches arrow towards a raised platform crowned with a compact version of their sturdy design. Neatly crafted pegs, some fancifully carved, are tapped into holes in the wall and support clothing dangling like lazy sleepers. Woven baskets, both useful and decorative, hang along another wall. Piles of summer fruit give off a shimmer of color and a waft of sweet aromas from their cradling bowls. Hanging sheaves of herbs and spices rustle in the breeze, adding their fragrance as well. Banners worked with the designs of Holds and Halls beholden to the weyr cascade down the walls high above, interspersed with several brilliantly colored tapestries. Small groups gather here and there in the cavern, relaxing over a snack of freshly baked goodies as they cheerfully gossip.
Niena is scrounging what's left of breakfast, sitting at an empty table with Leova and listening attentively.
Leova's counting on greasy fingers, and eating the rest of her toast-and-sausage "sandwich" in large bites whenever she's not talking. "...So that's that. Meet you for lunch?"
A little late but no less enthusiastic, Dagany strolls in at a languid pace and searches briefly for-- aha. Leova isn't hard to find, hopefully she wasn't trying, and it's her table he finds himself at after making quick work of closing the distance. He gives Niena a little smile while pulling a chair out and settling into it.
Fraya trots into the living caverns, after the group and she hops over towards Niena. "Niena. Niiiea..." A grin is on her lips and she peeks at Leova. "I have something to /show/ you but it can only be after the scavenger hunt!" She exclaims, grinning widely before she trots to fetch herself some food. Once she returns, she gives Dagany a curious look before grinning. "Hey there. I'm Fray. Well met, what's your name." She offers, giggling to herself and she begins to eat quietly.
Niena smiles politely, businesslike, perhaps even nanny-like at Dagany. "Welcome, I'm Niena." She then turns to listen to Leova's comment and nods. When she hears Fraya call her name she looks over quickly, then appears exceedeingly curious. She also looks like someone who should never play dragon poker.
"That's Dagany," Leova says between bites, since he's being all inoffensive and all. Other than sitting down, which is hard to begrudge a man. Which isn't to say that Leova is incapable of it. "Dagany, meet Tease." Otherwise known as Fraya.
The grin that Dagany gives Leova is half-shy, half-longsuffering. They've known each other so long, see, and she always introduces him for him. 'Tease' receives a glance, questioning. "Tease?" He must know. "Dagany," he returns for Niena, in case she hadn't already gotten it. /Amused/.
Fraya grins happily at Niena, giggling. "It's /amazing/. We can conduct more experiments there." A small laugh and she tilts her head to Leova with a gasp. "Tease? How /odd/, Leova. That doesn't sound like my name at /all/." She winks, giggling softly and she turns her gaze to Dagany. "Fraya. Now, I'm apparently Tease.. I think she's just mad cause I won't tell my amazing secret until /after/ we're done looking for things in the scavenger hunt." A snicker and she peers at the other two.
Niena finishes her breakfast and gets up. "I need to get to bagging that firestone. I've heard from Jaeni how long it takes, and I don't want to get in trouble for not filling enough today." Oddly enough, she heads for the lower caverns rather than for the bowl.
So long, it seems like an eternity! Leova scrubs face and hands on her napkin and picks up her plate. No fork. "That's right. I'm holding a grudge." But she's smiling when she says it, even just for a moment. She adds, "Later," before leaving the two of them to each other and disappearing after Niena. Quickly.