The second First Day.
RL Date: 7/29/09
IC Date: 5/1/20 --Log theft from T'rev.
Lakeshore, Fort Weyr
The lake's shore is a broad crescent of golden-hued sand, stretching from the southwest wall near the feeding grounds and arcing toward the southeast and overlooking the blue waters of the lake. Where the lake deepens, that water turns a murkier blue-green, hiding an untold number of perils in its depths. It is an oft-used location for dragons seeking a place to sun or for residents and riders who feel a need to take a stroll; the sand is generally kept pretty clean and while there are no shells, there are periodic bits of obsidian and other volcanic stones to be found if one feels like picking around.
Thank Faranth! The rain has taken a break long enough to let the Weyr celebrate something. First Day dawns clear after all that rain, rain rain and though the ground is still damp in places, it's dry enough to let the bonfire get laid and to set up for barbeque. Boards have been laid down to make a dance floor to one end of the lake's immediate curve, picnic tables set up for eating and a small array of gaming stalls with 'toss ball at object' type games to win little prizes. The food's been cooking all morning and as lunch gets into full swing, more and more of the Weyr's population starts to gather on the lake shore to have some fun. The stage is set too for the performance of the "Ballad of Moreta's Ride" and there's been some poetry recitation earlier in the day recounting the Weyr's history.
Jantha picks her way carefully along the lake shore, avoiding the muddy patches that still give evidence of the rain. Imoth is back there somewhere, but keeping his distance. Jantha pauses for a moment to watch some children throwing balls at a target, her face showing a faint smile, then she walks on, heading in the direction of the food.
The Weyrleader is down near the stage in conversation with some of the harpers who are on tap for the occasion and high laughter rings out, bright and merry for something one of the journeymen just said. "Yeah, I do like my Moreta stories," T'rev admits and nods. "I'm lookin' forward to the performance. Excuse me though, I'm thinkin' I need a drink." So saying, he turns to head over to that drinks table some distance away where the vintners and some kitchen staff are doing duty with barrels and kegs and pitchers and glasses.
It's a shame he had to show up alone. Poor W'ton without a lady on his arm. That will surely be rectified soon enough and he doesn't seem overly distraught about it. How can a man look down when he dressed so well? Despite the mud that lingers in places he's made it to the lake without a speck of it on him. A gift. He waves to someone in the crowd, but instead of making his way towards the other rider he goes to get himself a drink. The final accessory to his outfit after all is a glass of wine.
Jantha stops off at the drinks table on her way to the food, and finds herself struggling to get what she wants. "Just juice please - no, I - really, no! Juice! Thank you!" Shaking her head, but with her chosen beverage in hand, she turns away and greets the approaching bronzeriders with a smile. "Good day, Weyrleader. W'ton." W'ton's outfit gets a surreptitious glance.
Over at the drinks table, T'rev and W'ton have just walked up and the Weyrlingmaster is there with a glass of juice in her hand. "Jantha," T'rev greets politely with a nod and beams at the person serving. "Mug of ale, please, the darker kind," is the Weyrleader's request, delivered promptly enough and he looks over at Win as Jantha hails him. "W'ton, that's quite the get up." It's meant as a compliment really.
It's hard being the best dressed man around. W'ton seems to man up under the responsibility though! "Weyrleader, Weyrlingmaster," he greets the two of them with a wide grin. "And thank you. I've been holding on to it just waiting to bring it out for the right occasion. Although not that long because how does a man keep something like this put away for too long?" He looks at the table and then gestures towards the wine. "The red, please," he says with a wink. Once he has his drink he turns to Jantha, "If you're dancing later I will cry if you don't save a spot for me."
"I'll tell your mother and she'll box your ears, that's what," is Jaeyi's tsk-y remark for the kid trailing her heels, having her and the two kitchen girls with her holding their trays up higher than might be comfortable to avoid chubby hands grabbing at tasties. Most of lunch is out already, and the baker gives the trays of sandwiches a look-- somewhere between possessive and curious-- and puts down the new trays on a separate table, as these obviously are not simply lunch, these are puffy flaky cream-filled bits of dessert goodness. Then she smacks that kid's plump hand and ushers him away with a stern, "Goooo. Really."
Jantha nods at T'rev's comment, and agrees, "Very fine," before answering W'ton's request. "If they play some set-dances later on, I'll partner you in one," she agrees lightly. "I don't really do the other sort." She glances towards the baker and the children, and comments with some amusement, "What it is to be young and hungry!"
Bemused, T'rev observes this interaction between Weyrlingmaster and former weyrling, curls his hand around his mug of ale and has a healthy swallow that leaves his upper lip mustachioed. "First Day's definitely a good occasion for dressin' up," the Weyrleader says diplomatically and smiles over at Jantha. "I'm sure there'll be lively stuff along with all the rest, please save me one too?" The sound of a particular voice though reaches his ears and T'rev's gaze settles on Jaeyi rather than the shooed off child. "Neverendin' appetite," he muses, gives himself a little shake. "Those do look mighty tasty though." The desserts. Not the baker.
The rain has given Fort a fortunate break, and yet one Weaver seems to have been possessed by an imp of the perverse, choosing grey to attire herself in. But it does set off equally pale eyes to advantage. The drinks are over there, but Kaida's attention is first caught by the tray-bearing women. Or, well, one in particular. So, a hand lifts in a wave as her rough voice is raised to call out, "Jae."
With wine glass in one hand W'ton still manages to sketch a proper shallow bow towards the weyrlingmaster. "A set dance it is then, Jantha. I shall be looking for you when they do one." If his lips quirk up into an amused smile when he uses the weyrlingmaster's name there's nothing insulting about it, just amusement at the changed situation. "But I shall not monopolize your time now." Who wants to stand by the drinks all day after all. "Sir, ma'am," he says politely with a dip of his head. Then him, his wine, and his lace are headed off.
All set to guard, Jaeyi stays at the end of the desserts table-- probably also has something to do with all the compliments she intends to receive for them-- but it's toward the sandwiches she gestures so graciously. "Kay! See? Sandwiches, as promised. Though I thought..." Here, she outlines a square in the air somewhere along about chest-height for the Weaver. "What was it you said? Why would you want to wear something like that at Fort?" A glance, a smile, and a curl of her fingers suffice to greet the drinks-table-trio.
"Certainly," Jantha tells T'rev without a trace of hesitation. "Later, then, W'ton." She watches the young bronzerider go, lips pursed thoughtfully and a dubious expression on her face, then smiles. "That should be safe enough. I'm determined to have some fun today - last turn, I missed the concert because I was on duty, and left early when some young idiot ate himself sick and his dragon got upset. Mentioning no names." She smiles in response to Jaeyi's silent greeting.
"I'll look forward to that," T'rev says with another smile and nods as W'ton excuses himself. "Have fun, W'ton," the Weyrleader wishes sincerely and laughs a little at Jantha's following remark. "Then we'll have to make sure you get an excellent seat this turn, Weyrlingmaster, seeing as you're free and clear for a little while longer, of any young idiots with baby dragons," he continues, with good-natured humor. That curl of fingers is caught and T'rev lifts a hand in turn, eyes lingering on Jaeyi for a moment as Kaida joins her.
"I just had to see this novelty for myself," Kaida notes teasingly with a crooked smile as she crosses the last bit of distance to that dessert table. Though unlike most of all people who will be approaching over the course of the festivities, she's got zero interest in the food. "Are you actually working or do you get to enjoy yourself a little bit?" she asks further of Jaeyi. An eyebrow wings its way upward and the smile fades into a smirk, "All the time. This is a special occasion." A briefly curious glance follows the Baker's wave, though it's likely Jantha more than T'rev she'll direct a polite nod towards if eye contact happens to be made.
Jaeyi echoes with a little fake gasp, "See? The idea isn't to /see/ them, silly girl. The idea is to /eat/ them." So saying, she beckons with her fingers tapping along the edge of the table, headed away from the sweets toward the savories, head tilted to indicate Kaida might want to follow along? "You know, the way you asked that, kinda makes it sound like working and enjoying one's self are mutually exclusive. I'm certainly finding this particular special occasion enjoyable." Nothing to do with the direction of her eyes and Kaida's bustline, either.
Jantha raises her glass to T'rev, for all it's only got juice in it. "Your very good health." She takes a sip, then continues, "Well, I think some food is in order. Would you care to join me?" She begins to make her way towards the food tables, pausing to glance at those newly arrived pastries. "Those look excellent, but I'm going to wait until I've had something else," she comments, and heads towards the savouries in Jaeyi's wake.
Over nearer the fire, there's barbecued meat and skewers laden with wherry cubes and vegetables in addition to other yummy things all along those tables of foods. T'rev takes another swig from his beer, lifts it in return and nods at Jantha's invitation. "Be delighted, startin' to feel a little peckish m'self." A half step is waited then the Weyrleader follows after the Weyrlingmaster, apparently completely not averse to helping himself to dessert before lunch as he picks up one of those pastries, then tags onward with a sunny smile for both Jaeyi and Kaida as they draw near. "Ladies, happy First Day. Jae, the pastries are /great/ and you both look absolutely lovely." Sincere as ever.
Kaida, thus beckoned, at least seems inclined to follow along willingly enough. "Would you blame me for not entirely trusting you not to have concocted some way to make even sandwiches sweet?" she asks, though again with that teasing note to her voice. "I guess it depends upon the work. I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck out here turning up hems. Not that I probably won't end up doing so at some point anyway." So goes life, after all, and hems pick the worst times to drop. A bit of a quickstep and a low mutter, "Look up, dear, before you trip and fall on them." Ahem. Turning her head, a warm smile is offered up for T'rev. "And to you." Professional pride dictates the sweep of her eyes that takes him from top to toe, an approving nod. "It'll do."
W'ton wanders about stopping to chat with this person or that. He doesn't seem to be going anywhere or seeking anyone in particular. Quite likely then he's just working the crowd and accepting the occasional compliment for his outfit. As for the more rare and more sly comments about how he managed to afford such an outfit? Those remarks just make him smile and raise his glass in a toast remarking how a man has to have his secrets.
Jantha opts for a kebab and some savoury tartlets with a cheese-and-vegetable filling, as well as some salad-stuff. Not necessarily the easiest to eat while standing up, but she's managing, juggling the plate and her drink with the skill born of practice. "You made some of these?" she asks Jaeyi, pointing at one of the little tarts. "It's a fine spread, that's for sure: everyone's done Fort proud." Taking in Kaida's inspection of T'rev, she grins. "And everyone's turned out in their finest: I feel quite drab - but that's probably just as well."
To the Weyrlingmaster first, Jaeyi offers an honest, "Indeed, I made some of these, ma'am. And not just the sugary ones, contrary to popular belief." Jaeyi indicates, with a knock of her knuckles, the table with sandwiches, not pastries, thanks. The aside is for Kaida, in case anyone needed that spelled out; "I'd let you turn up my hem if you wanted to." That has nothing to do with the plate and the couple quarter-pieces of sandwich with which she attempts to ply the weaver, eat eat eat, woman. "Happy Firstday, Weyrleader. Nice duds."
With his hands full, pastry in one, beer in the other, T'rev can only grin back at Kaida. "The weavers did themselves proud, I think it's better'n 'it'll do', Kaida," is the Weyrleaders' answer there. "I dunno about drab, Jantha, different styles for different people, right?" He takes another bite of pastry and then strikes a little bit of a pose for Jaeyi's benefit. "Thank you most kindly, Apprentice." You know, when his mouth isn't full.
"Finest?" Kaida shakes her head in denial of Jantha's assessment, but it's with a slight, amused smile. Continuing, genuinely, "You shouldn't. It's the person wearing the clothes that makes the outfit. Attitude and comfort can often make up for a lack of flash." And does, in the Weyrlingmaster's case, is the unspoken implication. Slanting a glance across to Jaeyi, a wide grin precedes a laugh. "Don't." Flirt? Tease? Tempt? All of the above? And since those offered sandwiches don't seem to be glazed or oozing syrup, the attempt to ply her with food is met with success, one of those quarter-pieces lifted with hopefully gratifying promptness for a bite to be taken. Mouth full, she just winks cheekily at T'rev. Seeing as how she's one of those Weavers, and all.
Don't. "Howcome?" It's not like they're in public or anything. Jaeyi flutters her lashes at Kaida a few times, persistent that those'll work on her sooner or later, dangit! With the hand not currently possessive of her own quarter-sandwich, she flutters her fingers over her heart at T'rev's posing, paired with a dramatic eye-roll. "Gosh, you do know how to take a girl's breath away. When are they going to finish over there, anyway?" Over there being the barbecue region, as that's what she rocks onto her toes to glimpse, right before she eats some sandwich.
"Already some stuff all done," T'rev notes with a nod to Jantha's skewer. Ribs're still on though. You know how that goes," the Weyrleader says to the baker and takes another bite out of his pastry. Kaida's wink earns her a chipmunk-cheeked smile followed by a hasty swallow. "I'm collectin' dances today too, please say you'll both save me at least one? The good Weyrlingmaster's already agreed."
Jantha grins at Kaida. "Now that sounds like a good philosophy to me. I shall wear my trous with a clear conscience." With a surprisingly evil chuckle, she adds, "And leave the ruffles to W'ton, who seems to have the necessary panache." She lifts her kebab. "I can recommend these. Barbecue's always better if you get it at just the right point - not raw, and not charcoal."
Kaida's reaction to Jaeyi's lashes should be predictable by now. A lifted eyebrow, a faint curl at one corner of her mouth and she rolls her eyes up towards the sky. Yeah, okay. Ignoring the question, "I think I'll wait a little bit longer until the ribs are ready." Risky though attempting to eat them may be to her outfit. "Only if it's a good reel," she puts conditions on her promise of saving T'rev a dance. And continuing on the aside to Jantha, somehow managing to keep up the easy cheer instead of falling back on stiff formality, "Fashion can be so terribly overrated. Ruffles? Seriously?" Cue the curious glancing around in an attempt to spot them.
Absent-seeming, Jaeyi asks, "Does panache mean, 'really really really likes to be the center of attention?'" Having already been on her toes, it's not so hard to skim a glance over the black-ruffled bronzerider, brows raised amusedly. Her attention lands on Jantha's edibles then, giving it a contemplative frown compared to her sandwich, and she echoes Kaida's, "I'll wait for the ribs." T'rev's dance-question earns him a grin, and-- since the eyelashes didn't work on the weaver-- she sends them thataway for accompaniment. "At least one. Though, are you sure you'll have time?" What with a good portion of the feminine population appraising the Weyrleader and working up the nerve to go over there, no, you go first!
With great style (and panache!) W'ton is currently absenting himself from the center of the party to skirt around the edges. He stalks quietly over to a pair of elderly women and when he reaches them slings an arm around both their shoulders. They must know him because there are no shrieks of complaint and the bronzerider releases them after a peck on the cheek each and lingers there to chat them up and let them tease him about his clothes.
"It's a very nice red, W'ton's jacket," the Weyrleader notes squinting towards where Ruffles is making the rounds and he points helpfully with his glass for Kaida's benefit. "Dunno about a reel, but it'll be lively, Kay," T'rev promises. "It might in Win's case," he tells Jaeyi and finishes off his pastry, licks a bit of filling off of his fingers. "I'll have time," he assures her with a quick-flashed smile. No-you-go-first isn't acknowledged at this time.
There's a conversation taking place near one of the food tables; the participants are eating various pastries and barbecued items, while W'ton is circulating and chatting up old ladies. "Perhaps 'ruffle' isn't the technical term," Jantha concedes, unrepentant. She attempts to illustrate, but it's hard to gesture with a plate in one hand an a beaker in the other, so she gives up without doing more than waving her drink in the vicinity of her wrist. "Not my area of expertise." She continues to eat her kebab with as much decorum as kebabs permit.
Going up on her own toes, and looking over in the direction indicated by that glass, Kaida's voice goes off-handedly dismissive. "Oh. Him. He wanted that ridiculous pink hat I saw Rhodya wearing this winter." Memorable for his commission not for himself, poor W'ton. A quick glance towards Jantha and then a more pointed peer. "Mmmn, no, ruffles works. That sort of tailoring I never much paid attention to. Too... fussy." Shaking her head in disbelief as she rocks back down on to her heels, she continues, "Almost enough to make one consider uniforms?" It might be a joke. Might.
Someone, somewhere, somewhen, must have let on that Hattie really isn't as scary as she sometimes seems. Either that, or it's just a very unwise child that's decided to stalk her through the crowds, trotting along and hiding behind someone every time she looks round. Perhaps she's been playing along for a while, since she does smile when she turns and make a show of being unable to find her little shadow. However, enough is eventually enough and whoever it is that she catches sight of first, it's Jantha that she soon winds up next to, though her joking plea of, "Hide me," goes out to anyone.
At the hide-me, Jaeyi leans to peer at whatever it is that Hattie's hiding from. Ah-- "Sometimes you can bait them, like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs only..." She points down from the sandwich-table, where they've all clustered, to the dessert table, where kids are being kept at by by the likes of fearsome aunties. She doesn't specifically move to distract Hattie's stalker, but she clearly entertains the notion for a while before tossing on a cheerful afterthought; "Happy First Day." Beam. Talk of ruffles abandoned, she answers T'rev's smile, pointedly not looking at all the finger-licking, and offers back, "It's a deal, then. Is Kwei not here?" Like there's a chance of finding a three-apples-high harper in these festivities.
"Yeah, too fussy for me too. I like clean lines," T'rev says with a look down at his own get-up, smiles back up at Kaida and as Hattie nears, his brows quirk together. "Stalked by a kid, tough start to a party," but he gives the weyrwoman a little bow. "Excellent," T'rev tells Jaeyi at that acceptance, then looks back towards the harpers. "I didn't see him when I was down there earlier, all journeymen but I'm sure he'll be playing for the "Ballad" at least.
"Trying to shake off an admirer?" Jantha laughs at Hattie's request. "You could shelter behind my skirts," she obligingly offers, then spoils the effect with the evident truth, "But I haven't got any. Maybe if you get some food and ignore him, he'll go away. How is Elaruth?"
Kaida lifts a finger, takes a breath, but no words actually make it out of her mouth as she looks at T'rev. She just subsides into a crooked smile and plucks at her own sleeve, as if that'll fill in her silence. "Tuck yourself next to me and we might blend together enough to fool them?" Seeing as she and Hattie are both in grey. And she's just being way too easily sociable today, really. There wasn't even a dubious hesitation or anything.
Hattie leans a little and peers towards the dessert table, then back to make some sort of reply, but her shadow spots the desserts and hey, they're infinitely more fascinating than traipsing about after somebody. The kid goes tearing past without giving her a second glance, leaving her to breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she directs at Jaeyi, since the pointing may well have instructed the child where to go. "They're pretty harmless," of kids, "I hope." And still she shuffles a bit closer to Kaida anyway, suggestion to be taken literally or not. "Oh, she's... trying not to get overwhelmed by the noise and everything," she replies to Jantha, smiling in a rather strained manner. "But anyway, did I miss anything before I escaped my little stalker?"
Jaeyi, as if hurt, turns big-sad-eyes toward Kaida; "She gets to tuck in and I don't?" She even pouts some, though the effect is somewhat ruined when she finishes off her sandwich promptly afterward. "You missed the Weyrleader doling out dances. Best you get your name in before the line's a mile long." A nod indicates the girls on the periphery, likely kept at bay by the fact that the Weyrleader is, in fact, currently surrounded by girls. Intimidation factor never fails.
"Camouflage by weaver?" T'rev questions with amusement and sniffs the air as the distinct scent of ribs and pulled pork starts to rise in earnest. "Be honored for a turn about the floor, Hattie, when your card ain't full," the Weyrleader keeps up the good manners. "Hope Elaruth's handling it all all right. There'll be music a little bit later if she likes it."
Still making the rounds of this person or that W'ton's slowly edging himself back to the drink table to get a refill on his wine. He doesn't seem in any huge rush though because he stops again this time to chat with a couple of men from stores who rib him ceaselessly about his outfit. Their plainer fare gets it right back from him however so all is good.
Too prompt, "Collect yourself a stalker and you can, too, Jae." Kaida's tone doesn't match her actions though. There's a one-armed hug on offer for the Baker if she wants it, after the plate that had been mostly forgotten up until now gets plunked back onto the table. T'rev's surrounded by women and it's the Weaver who gets a pretty lass to either side? The world just isn't a fair place, is it? "Whatever works," she notes across to the Weyrleader, amusement lacing its way through her low voice. But really, by now there's enough people that she's content to listen to the chatter happen around her.
Jantha shoots a curious look at Jaeyi and Kaida, but then suggests to Hattie, "You could take her some flowers, when all this is done? It'd be a shame to let the decorations go to waste, anyway." She gestures towards the flowers at the edge of the harpers' platform, then takes a moment to watch the comings and goings, shaking her head a little at the sight of T'rev's admiring audience.
"That sounds like a name you could put to a collection of clothing. Camouflage by Kaida," she muses, despite her sudden frown and an expression that drifts towards, 'did I say that out loud?' "I suppose I could oblige you," the goldrider tells the Weyrleader, reply balanced a bit by a more proper smile and a glance towards the girls being kept at bay. And still, "Elaruth'll feel better when there's music. It'll give her something to focus on." She grins at Jantha's suggestion and says just a little too gleefully, "Yes, I could steal her some flowers away." Definitely too much glee, so she goes right back to serious-mode in a flash, which probably just ends up looking more comical than natural.
"I'm sure at least one person here would be perfectly happy to stalk me." The fact that Jaeyi's now getting a hug, albeit one-armed, by bodice-- by Kaida really can't hurt that case, either. Fortunately, she has the grace to dust crumbs off her fingers before putting them around the weaver's waist, all smiles now. "I imagine," she begins, giving a look to the floral decorations, "that they'd let you just take them? Goldrider, they're not really gonna be using them after today. Instead of stealing."
"Hey there you go Kay. Maybe desert camouflage?" he suggests with a smile that crinkles up the corners of his eyes. "Good, good about the music, Hattie. I know the noise really gets to her," the Weyrleader adds sympathetically to Hattie. "If you even need it, you got my permission to take stuff after the party's died down some, Hattie," T'rev puts in and tilts his mug up, finishes off his ale. There's mischief dancing in his eyes as he looks over the rim at Jaeyi, but all he says is: "Jae, almost anyone in their right might would stalk you." The mug is put down empty, his hanky pulled from his pocket to dab off his mouth. "I smell ribs and pulled pork. Anyone want me to bring a plate?"
Kaida blinks at Hattie, eyebrows disappearing up under her bangs. Amusement, that eventually finds firmer outlet in an actual laugh. "Maybe I'll float that idea past the Masters back at the hall some day. After I make Journeyrank." But she's not exactly joking, not fully anyway, as she takes another look of the goldrider's dress. "Maybe not camouflage, but the complimentary contrast might make for some interesting sets...." Eyes flicker up again, and if Jaeyi's making herself comfy the Weaver will just keep her arm in place. To T'rev, "I couldn't really knit that though. Desert camouflage. And I'm wanting to pretty much stay away from tailoring, remember?" And she not laughing at them, honest. Not out loud, at least, but her eyes are practically dancing with humour as she looks between Jae and T'rev.
W'ton slaps the men on the back he was talking to and walks away. The bronzerider makes a slight adjustment to one of his cuffs and then flicks a bit of nothing from one sleeve before he sets off through the crowd once more.
Jantha grins. "Well, I'm more interested in /dessert/ camouflage - as in, making sure there are some of those pastries left by the time I get to them. Excuse me." She leaves the little knot of people and, taking her now-empty plate, heads off to retrieve one of Jaeyi's sweet creations. It's a few minutes before she returns.
The sound of instruments tuning lifts up in the background along with that still increasing and delicious scent of barbecued pork ribs. Sounds like the music is about to actually start sometime in the near future. There's food galore, sun shines down and there's a cluster of people near the sandwiches and sweets that Jaeyi brought out earlier. The barbecue proper is nearer to the large bonfire on one end of this curve of the lake, while the dance boards and the harper's stage are down on the far end with the tables of food and places to sit and eat set up in between. A few gaming booths line the space too, mostly for kids to win prizes.
She's not laughing at them, maybe, but Jaeyi's still in a good position to give Kaida's waist a pinch for the merry eyes, completely under cover of being cuddly. Still, giggles are the reaction to Jantha's joke, precisely the kind she'd find stupidly funny, though the woman's slipped off before there's any time to congratulate the pun. "You can get me a plate, under pretense of being a good stalker, then," she answers T'rev happily. "Sir." That last is tacked on strictly for irony's sake, since cuddling up to Kaida's probably not going to get her wrist slapped but... "When? Are you gonna make journeyman?"
Laughter from Hattie breaks serious-mode pretty quickly and she says, "I'm getting encouragement and peoples' blessing to steal - well, not anymore - things: I'm not going to argue," she states, smiling as she glances between Baker and Weyrleader. "Thank you," she adds, more seriously. She only nods and grins at Kaida, quite free with her smiles and laughter today, it would seem. Quite predictably, she's excusing herself in the next moment with, "I'm just going to go check in with Shevena..." and heads off through the crowds, minus her stalker this time.
B'kaiv comes up between the ring toss and the 'fishing hole', pauses just this side of a group of happily shrieking children and tugs at his collar while frowning absently at the crowd. He's got no one on his arm (or back), though one of Flint's other greenriders waves at him as she's towed past by a determined youngster, and he waves back, bemused. After a few more seconds he ambles toward the people near the sandwiches, though it's with the abstracted look of a man walking to walk, and not walking to get anywhere in particular.
"Can't knit it? Really? Huh. Well you learn somethin' knew every day." Solemnly, T'rev salutes. "One plate at least, comin' right up, from a very dutiful stalker," the Weyrleader jokes and smiles warmly at both weaver apprentice and baker and peels away from the shrinking group to go get plates down by the fire.
Kaida doesn't bother asking because she can pretty much guess why, but she does shoot Jaeyi a sharp look and twitches a hip into a nudge. Ouch. The Baker can laugh enough for the both of them, since puns just generally make her have to fight down the urge to cringe. "Earliest they'll let me walk the tables is next spring, I think. But I did apprentice late, so. Can't really say for sure." A faint frown pulls at her brow, bemused. "I think we're possibly thinking two different things," she notes to T'rev, though it's as he's leaving so any further clarification will have to wait, if it gets pursued at all. Once they've gotten one of those convenient lulls where it's just the two of them for a few moments, back to Jae, quietly, "And your own promotion? Told him yet?"
Jaeyi's smile and the, "Thanks," that accompany it are a lot brighter than just sending someone off to fetch food really necessitates, but it gets nipped when she's half-shoving back at the weaver. "Be nice. And no, I haven't. Since I haven't /got/ a promotion, it seems a little premature. I didn't know you apprenticed late-- or maybe I knew and forgot. Anyway. I think I can see B'kaiv over there." As he does cut a very distinct silhouette. "Think we might be able to cut and run? But then my barbecue..." Oh, the agony of such a decision!
The music finally peals forth, a bright lively tune to open up the dancing. Even though there's plenty of people still eating their ribs and other yummies, several pairs head out onto the boards to start spinning to and fro. Down by the fire, T'rev's managed by dint of charm and some wielding of his knot, to get two plates loaded down with ribs and succulent pulled pork, crispy skin, rolls, beans and potato salad. This bounty is presently on its way back towards the two apprentices, the Weyrleader walking carefully to avoid making a mess out of his pretty clothes.
B'kaiv pauses to not run over a woman towing her protesting man onto the dance floor, neither one of them looking where they're going. He catches sight of the Weyrleader's path and jerks his chin up at the man, angles through the crowd to intercept him and those plates of food. "You want a hand, sir? Where you going?" It's true that paths seem to open before and after the greenrider, but that's probably just because of his warm smile and winning personality.
It's a party and the whole Weyr's been invited! Friends and couples, families and wingmates, familiar faces and non, and likely some foreign visitors traipsing about as well. Sooo it won't really stretch the imagination all that much when there's a head of dark hair amongst many. A flash of blue shirt, far dressier than normal but well within the norm of what's being worn today. Laughing eyes and a slow smile. Why yes, over there talking to a pretty, if pouty young brunette girl, stands a certain bluerider. Yes. THAT bluerider.
Kaida arches an eyebrow at Jaeyi, but gives her shoulders a small squeeze that's meant to be comforting. "Sorry, but if I don't laugh I'll glare, and in case you haven't noticed I'm attempting to be somewhat sociable," she mutters to the younger girl. "You sounded pretty certain of it when you told -me.- Had a timeline and everything. Has something happened?" But she's diverted then, puzzled as she turns her head to follow the line of the Baker's gaze. "Oh. B'kaiv." And she doesn't actually spit the name like it leaves a foul taste in her mouth. Surprise? "Don't run. And don't taunt, either."
Her food intercepted by said silhouette, Jaeyi purses her lips and utters a dismal little undertone; "I'll be as nice as he is, how's that?" With a breath, with a shrug of her comforted shoulders and a corresponding squeeze for Kaida's waist, she answers, "Nothing's happened, no. I'd just rather have things official first, you know? Like, disappointment and delay are kinda the last things..." She trails off, seeing as everyone's headed back thisaway. "Wait, does that mean you're not gonna taunt either?" she asks beneath the veneer of a perfect sunshiney totally not hateful smile.
"Hey Kai, sure, thanks!" T'rev says and passes one of the plates over. "For Jae and Kay and some for me too, I mean, got plenty y'know?" the Weyrleader says with a smile. "Should go get some for yourself too, in a minute. Good stuff." And provided Kai takes the plate, he resumes his path back to the two lovely apprentices.
B'kaiv says, "Yeah," whether he does or not, and perhaps there's a little flicker of resignation at the apprentices' names. But he takes the plate like a good little wingrider and traipses after, his eyes scanning the crowd. "I been lookin' for Su, but I ain't seen her yet. Don't s'pose you know where. You seen her." There isn't a physical hesitation to go with the verbal mis-step, but the greenrider's eyes linger for just a second on that flash of blue. "I, uh - should keep lookin'."
The petulant brunette stamps her foot, lower lip jutting out far enough for Chielyth to land on. Surely they can't be related, but she looks to be the right age and that long suffering/bemused/pained expression on G'dri's face is one that fathers the world over perfect the same instant they realise their daughters have hit puberty. They, more specifically he, remain at a distance for now, the ebb and flow of the crowd closing around them and hiding them from view. "If that's the best I'm going to get I'll take it," Kaida sighs. A moment's concideration and an understanding nod, see, she can be sympathetic. But following the trailed-off cue, she doesn't pursue the topic. Instead: "Yes, it does. So pinch me again if I start, alright? I cannot seem to hold my temper around that man." But oh they're getting closer and so while several watts less bright than Jae's, her own smile finds its way back onto her face. The truce is about to be tested.
Unsuprising; "Can I pinch you anyway? Or will you pinch me? If all it takes is losing my temper with Kai, I think I'm gonna need a lot of pinches." Quiet, so as not to reach ears other than the weaver's. Jaeyi withdraws her arm then, not without the trail of fingers over spine and hips, of course, which leaves her waiting to receive one of those plates. "We should go sit some place and eat like civilized people," she adds, lifting her voice now to reach T'rev and B'kaiv and probably G'dri and his maybe-daughter, too.
"Nope, ain't seen her she hasn't been at the drinks tables, but I know she was comin'. Might be down listening to the music now?" T'rev suggests to the greenrider, not totally oblivious to the stuttering in Kai's speech, but not understanding its provenance. And hey, apprentices! "Yeah, tables over yonder, big enough to fit a bunch of folks," the Weyrleader tells Jaeyi with a warm smile as he passes her the plate.
Here's Kai, delivering plates but barely paying attention to whose hand he's depositing the thing into. "Hey," he greets Kaida and Jaeyi absently, looking past them at the crowd rather than at either one. "Either'f you seen Su?"
"You pinch, I bite," Kaida reminds, low down and quick before the men get into range, but rather lacking in threat. Jaeyi'll catch the shiver, just before the Weaver's own arm is dropping away from the Baker's shoulders. Definitely without trailing fingers, however. Chuckling, "What, you mean we're not just supposed to roll up our sleeves and gnaw on bones?" Like watchwhers in a cave, yes, such an attractive image. Eyebrows lift and she tips her head in a 'what are we waiting for then?' sort of gesture. Not that any of them are likely to notice, but maybe if she just starts walking away they'll be obliged to follow? "Not yet. Enjoying the celebration?" she asks B'kaiv. When the crowd shifts again, both brunette and bluerider will have disappeared. The girl possibly permanently, but questing eyes might suddenly pick out G'dri several steps closer as he treads a course that'll intercept their own, though with blue eyes focused further along towards the drinks table, it's unlikely he's actually aiming for that interception.
There's a look but no words-- bite! please!-- before Jaeyi takes the plate with another beamy smile, falls in a half-step behind Kaida; someone noticed, at least. To answer the greenrider; "I've seen her." A couple of steps. "But not today. Sorry." But not really. "I think this plate weighs as much as I do," she adds happily, oblivious to the fact that B'kaiv's the one with a stalker now.
T'rev turning to follow after both girls, T'rev clasps his hands behind his back because he is a good little boy and wouldn't be thinking at all about resting his hand in the small of Jaeyi's back at all. No siree. "She'll turn up Kai, gonna go eat though, you're welcome to come along, or I can take that other plate there," the Weyrleader offers, pausing, "if you want to go look s'more," he notes, hand held out for the plate.
No one's taking Kai's plate? He doesn't really seem to care about that, either, because his attention snaps to focus at Jaeyi's first three words, only to turn stormcloud sullen at her chain-yanking. "Shells." It sounds quite a lot like some other, expletive-ridden word. "--No." That for Kaida's question, and with the hunch of his shoulders and set of his jaw, the man might just as well be contemplating mayhem rather than enjoying a Spring festival. "Think this is yours," he adds, tapping the Weaver on the shoulder and trying to offer first her, then T'rev the plate. He's given up on his search for either the bluerider or the Vintner for the moment, concentrating more on the little group he's with. "I ain't hungry. --Sir."
"Jae." Kaida doesn't turn her head to glance over her shoulder, but a ripple works its way down the fall of black hair at her back as she does give an aggrieved shake. No taunting. Yeesh. The tap on the shoulder does bring a pause in her steps, however, "What's mine?" being asked in puzzled tones since she never did actually take T'rev up on the offer of fetching food and so wasn't really expecting any for herself to be brought back. But since the greenrider is promptly offering the plate back across to the Weyrleader, she doesn't reach for it. Just sidesteps to clear out of Jaeyi's way and falls back a step to end up next to B'kaiv and looking at him with a faint frown narrowing her eyes. The search is given up by one party, hadn't even been undertaken by the other, but finding was bound to happen eventually. Just a called greeting, G'dri separated from the little group by a pack of beribboned adolescent girls moving en masse towards the dance floor. "Kai? Good day to you!" With of course a polite nod for anyone else who looks over, deeper respect for T'rev obviously.
So innocent, Jaeyi notes, "He didn't specify when." One hand under the plate, the other free to curl in a hi-there wave for the bluerider, she doesn't follow up with the verbal greeting, seeing as he's all-up-on Kai already. That her hand drops afterward, all fingers-fluttering behind her back toward T'rev, is so totally discreet. Presently, she plops her plate on the table, herself on the bench, and intends to put a dent in the monstrous pile of food.
T'rev takes that plate back and looks over as G'dri nears, nods once politely. "G'dri, happy First Day," he wishes sincerely, but there's fluttering fingers to follow and with a brief look between the others he nods towards the table where JAeyi just sat down. "I'm going to go have a bite. Kay if you're hungry still, feel free to pick off of this plate," he hefts the one in his hand then tracks after Jae to sit beside the baker with just barely enough appropriate space between them.
Sulisah has arrived, all done up in her formal vintner wear and looking a little uncomfortable in it - one finger wormed in under the collar in a vague attempt at stretching it so she doesn't die of clothing strangulation. First port of call is the stage, looking for Kwei, after which she starts hunting friends instead.
A party means there's going to be music, and music means there's going to be dancing, and dancing means that Rhodya's brown Gedroth is stalking the outskirts of the party hoping to catch a glimpse. The woman herself, however, is much harder to spot - mostly because she doesn't look like a woman. Not in her navy blue tailcoat and breeches, anyway. But at least somebody recognizes her, and F'sen's enthusiastic "Rhodya!" is loud enough to be heard a good distance away. With an excited squeal, the woman so-named rushes forward to hug her favorite bluerider, and chatter at him for a minute or two about her outfit. "Didn't it come out /well/?"
"Hey," B'kaiv tells Kaida when she falls back beside him, adding a chin jerk for further greeting. He had more to say, but the sound of his voice followed by the Weyrleader's seconding jerks the greenrider's head over so his eyes rattle but finally settle on G'dri. "Hey," he seconds, and glances down at Kaida before back to the bluerider. "How's, uh, Khameth? This is Kaida," he adds, jerking his head at her. "Kaida, G'dri," with a jerk the other way. Wasn't that a lovely introduction? Jantha would be so proud. T'rev and Jaeyi both (maybe even Jaeyi especially) slip out from his radar, leaving the greenrider adrift beside the Weaver. He doesn't even notice the minor hubbub of Rhodya's arrival, though surely Chielyth has spotted Gedroth.
There is in fact, music playing, the lively kind still, as opposed to the rendition of the Ballad of Moreta' Ride that's expected for a bit later. The afternoon is starting to progress from right around lunch time to full on afternoon-time. The bonfire's on one end of this curve of the lake with tables of food and places to eat spread between it and the dance floor which consists of boards laid out in a square in front of the temporary harpers' stage. The scents of rib and pulled pork fill the air a the kitchen staff continue to carve the roasting pigs by the flames. Other items include sandwiches, kebabs and sweets laid out on the food tables and there's drinks aplenty from wine and beer, to mixed to juice and water.
Out of radar is a-okay. Jaeyi's got a big plate of food, barely-appropriate distance between herself and the Weyrleader, and now she can point out happily, "He looks uncomfortable." She starts to pick at something, which leaves a greasy finger pointing toward B'kaiv. "Especially uncomfortable, I mean." No, she shouldn't sound cheerful about it, but she kinda does anyway. Maybe that's the food and the company, though? Benefit of the doubt?
Kaida's narrow eyes narrow still further at Jaeyi, a deep - well, okay, a half-breath taken and blown back out in a plea-for-patience sigh. Flickering a glance for T'rev, she just makes a shooing motion with both hands at him. Go on, chase your sweetie-pie. Only once they're both safely out of earshot does she mutter, "Lost my appetite." Poor pretty Baker, G'dri doesn't spare her anything more than that polite glance, for all the winsome curl of her fingers. "And a very happy First Day to you as well, Weyrleader," the bluerider returns. Once the last straggling pair of girls is finally out of the way, he dives gamely into the clear patch that formed to cross the distance between himself and B'kaiv and the third-wheel. "Khameth is quite well, thank you. Cheilyth?" A pause for the introductions, eyebrows lifting, "Ah, yes, the Weaver. Good day." And polite nods are exchanged between the pair, though G'dri at least has a smile. "I was just on my way to get a drink, perhaps I can fetch you all something?" Assuming perhaps that the now-split group will be reforming.
Digging into ribs first, T'rev continues to be careful not to spill onto his clotes though h e's munching away with obvious appetite at that half-rack in his hands. His gaze followes Jaeyi's greasy pointing and while he's chewing his eye narrow a little on Kai, taking in the body language in that particular trio. Chew. Swallow. "Huh. You're right. Played poker with him and G'dri the one time ..." he trails off. "Nice fella, G'dri."
It's the greeting of Rhodya that first grabs Sulisah's attention - friends that direction. She 'scuse me, pardon me's her way through the crowd, heading in the vague direction of that greeting, pausing now and then to make sure she's still heading in the right direction. The joys of being short.
"She's good," B'kaiv admits about his green, and sends Kaida another unreadable look. 'Help me'? 'Go away'? 'Stay here forever'? To G'dri, though, he mutters sidelong, "Yeah, that'd be good. I'm, uh, lookin' f'r Su." He's not quite sure what to do with his arms, and tries folding them both high and low, tries hooking his thumbs into beltloops, probably considers something like parade rest, and finally settles on folding them across his belly. "Kaida does knittin'. --Knitting." Realized he lost his Gs, did he? "She's a weaver." And promptly grimaces for the stupidity.
After admiring the outfit appropriately, F'sen excuses himself to find a dance partner, leaving Rhodya to scan the crowd. She spies a tiny ripple of activity that seems to be coming her way - and oh! "Is that Sulisah?" she questions loudly, having caught just a glimpse of the vintner when a fat greenrider shifted out of the way. She puts her hands on her knees and crouches slightly, in search of a clear line of sight. And yes, it is Sulisah! She waves enthusiastically through the window of elbows and bodies she's found, then straightens to head in that direction. And soon they shall meet!
"Maybe they'll fight." Jaeyi keeps her eyes tuned to them, in case. A few seconds of attention is enough to realize, "No, probably not. Oh well. Kaida should've come over here with us, then maybe they would. This is pretty all right, really." The last comment seems to be about the food, which she contemplates briefly in between wishful-thinking about violence.
The look is unreadable! And returned with an inscrutable one of Kaida's own. She's probably not going to be very helpful, and she doesn't look like she's entirely willing to go away. Option C! Especially since all those aborted arm motions are absolutely fascinating. "If Su does show up she'll wind up by the drinks table sooner or later, so it can't hurt to go check?" Helpful, yesno? G'dri shares some level of puzzlement, but as ever it's contained beneath that calm exterior, nothing more than a questioning tilt of his head. A gesture of his hand, shall they walk then? "I don't believe you've ever fully described her to me, but I would happy to help you look while we collect the drinks." Kaida nods confirmation to the curious look she receives after the comment about knitting, but it looks like Weaver and bluerider are going to wind up positioning B'kaiv between them all by accident. Lucky him!
"G'dri and B'kaiv? I don't think so, they seem to get along pretty well," T'rev says and leans over to nudge Jaeyi gently. "If you want to see him fight someone, I've got a slip of paper I can make good on for a no holds barred sparrin' session," the Weyrleader notes in an undertone and waves a nearly denuded rib. "I think it's great. But I don't have the professonal interest." Then he's taking up a fork to put together bites of beans, pulled pork and potato salad after stripping that rib the rest of the way down.
"Rho!" Bounce-wave goes Sulisah, giving her collar another tug when she lands and then making a more determined path through the remaining bodies. Once there's a space free she practically runs at Rhodya, hug on offer mostly for saving her from being lost completely. "You look great! How are you? How's Gedroth? Have you seen the others?" Quite which others she doesn't specify yet, though a guess probably wouldn't be too hard.
Sulisah's so tiny! Rhodya has to bend to hug her back, but she does so with a grin. "Thanks! You too!" she offers back, though the rapid steamrolling of questions gets away from her after that. Straightening up with a laugh, she attempts to go back through the questions, counting them one one by one on her fingers. "I'm great, he's fantastic. But the only person I've seen since I got here is F'sen, and I don't think you two know each other." Sadly. "You lookin' for Kai? I could have Gedroth ask Chielyth where he is."
B'kaiv says, "Yeah, I guess," which isn't exactly a yesno, but it's better than just standing here for all and sundry to gape at. As they start for the drinks, moving slowly because three people abreast don't move as easily as one, he continues, "She's, uh, short." Another grimace and he reluctantly withdraws one arm from the origami to mark the Vintner's approximate height, but then it slides right back. Reminded, he scans the crowd again, but it's easy to lose short people in them. He does linger on one dark head with, "That Rho?" but it's not pressing enough to break off their migration. "And, uh. Kaida's her roommate." Because -that- fact does such a fabulous job of description.
Jaeyi's vote of confidence: "And watch him beat the snot out of you?" She essays an I-don't-think-so look at that, one which is soon followed by her making a face and starting to duck down beneath the horizon of people. "Will you hate me forever if I ditch you? I promised the dishwasher I'd dance with him, and I figure I better get it out of the way. You know, so I can dance with better people later." No one in particular, really! "Oh, and remind me to remind you to explain the mark?" Already pushing to her feet at that, snagging just a couple more bites off the plate on the way, so graceful.
Kaida blinks at B'kaiv, but is really doing an admirable job of controlling her expression in the midst of all these people. Lifted eyebrows, and she leans a little to catch G'dri's eye on the other side. No need to reiterate short. "Black hair, straight. Long, but normal long not...." Her ridiculous mane. "Gorgeous amber eyes. Slender as a reed and most likely wearing something so bright you'll need to shade your eyes too look at her full on." Just ignore the turn towards fond that warms her voice about twenty degrees, turning the rasp into something that really shouldn't be heard in polite, ahem, company. Good thing G'dri's not the type who wears his thoughts on his face for anyone to read, blue eyes glancing from Weaver and then up to B'kaiv. His voice remains measured and pleasant, "She does indeed sound like a lovely girl. You're quite lucky, Kai."
Sulisah nods. "And Kaida. I'm pretty sure I saw T'rev earlier, though I should actually try speaking to him and thank him again for taking care of my snake problem." The latter part is said more to herself, a reminder rather than an explanation. "F'sen? I... don't think I know him, but I'm terrible with names as it is." Finger makes the collar trip again, tugging with a slightly exaggerated choking face. "Formal clothes, absolute pain. But I'm supposed to be working soon so it's needed, apparently."
Rhodya leans back, getting a second, better look at Sulisah's outfit. "Vintner has nice colors," she remarks. Big surprise - the stodgy formality of vintner-wear appeals to Rhodya in her current, cross-dressing mood. "I guess they don't look comfy, though." For that she'll set a hand on Sulisah's shoulder and give her a sympathetic pat. "I ought to introduce you to F'sen sometime. He's just the funniest, sweetest man, I love him to bits. Hang on, Gedroth says - uh." She blinks a few times, looking extremely puzzled as she looks over the crowd. In the end, it's probably Kai's height more than dragon hints that helps her single him out, and she stabs a finger in that direction. "I see him!" she declares, and just like that she sets off through the crowd. Being tall, and weirdly dressed, she creates a nice wake for Sulisah to follow.
B'kaiv sends Kaida a look of relief, plain and simple, when she can give the man more than 'short'. "Yeah. She's got this green dr-. Uh." Dragon? Maybe. Probably not. "I dunno what she's wearing t'day, I ain't seen her yet." But then, oh thank Faranth and all her offspring, they arrive at the table for drinks, ignorant of the impending brownrider. He blinks at the man who wants to know what they want and gruffly orders a beer. "Chielyth's real happy, an' all." Because both Kaida and G'dri are panting after his green's mental state, honest.
"Won't necessarily be that uneven," T'rev protest, a little stung by that no-confidence vote. He looks a little crestfallen by the word 'ditching' and there might be an under-the-table grab for hand or knee, unobtrusively before she goes. "Won't ever hate you," the Weyrleader answers confidently and his mouth pulls up a little at the corner. "I will," he promises. "While we dancin'." He rises for that matter, gentlemanly, half-bows as the apprentice excuses herself then sits back down to finish off the contents of his own plate.
"/That/ uneven," echoes Jaeyi, and the might-be-grab meets a pat-pat on the hand. Poor guy. Off she goes, only a brief look to the Kai-Kay-bluerider trio before she dances with the stupid dishwasher, and probably a few other people after.
IC Date: 5/1/20 --Log theft from T'rev.
Lakeshore, Fort Weyr
The lake's shore is a broad crescent of golden-hued sand, stretching from the southwest wall near the feeding grounds and arcing toward the southeast and overlooking the blue waters of the lake. Where the lake deepens, that water turns a murkier blue-green, hiding an untold number of perils in its depths. It is an oft-used location for dragons seeking a place to sun or for residents and riders who feel a need to take a stroll; the sand is generally kept pretty clean and while there are no shells, there are periodic bits of obsidian and other volcanic stones to be found if one feels like picking around.
Thank Faranth! The rain has taken a break long enough to let the Weyr celebrate something. First Day dawns clear after all that rain, rain rain and though the ground is still damp in places, it's dry enough to let the bonfire get laid and to set up for barbeque. Boards have been laid down to make a dance floor to one end of the lake's immediate curve, picnic tables set up for eating and a small array of gaming stalls with 'toss ball at object' type games to win little prizes. The food's been cooking all morning and as lunch gets into full swing, more and more of the Weyr's population starts to gather on the lake shore to have some fun. The stage is set too for the performance of the "Ballad of Moreta's Ride" and there's been some poetry recitation earlier in the day recounting the Weyr's history.
Jantha picks her way carefully along the lake shore, avoiding the muddy patches that still give evidence of the rain. Imoth is back there somewhere, but keeping his distance. Jantha pauses for a moment to watch some children throwing balls at a target, her face showing a faint smile, then she walks on, heading in the direction of the food.
The Weyrleader is down near the stage in conversation with some of the harpers who are on tap for the occasion and high laughter rings out, bright and merry for something one of the journeymen just said. "Yeah, I do like my Moreta stories," T'rev admits and nods. "I'm lookin' forward to the performance. Excuse me though, I'm thinkin' I need a drink." So saying, he turns to head over to that drinks table some distance away where the vintners and some kitchen staff are doing duty with barrels and kegs and pitchers and glasses.
It's a shame he had to show up alone. Poor W'ton without a lady on his arm. That will surely be rectified soon enough and he doesn't seem overly distraught about it. How can a man look down when he dressed so well? Despite the mud that lingers in places he's made it to the lake without a speck of it on him. A gift. He waves to someone in the crowd, but instead of making his way towards the other rider he goes to get himself a drink. The final accessory to his outfit after all is a glass of wine.
Jantha stops off at the drinks table on her way to the food, and finds herself struggling to get what she wants. "Just juice please - no, I - really, no! Juice! Thank you!" Shaking her head, but with her chosen beverage in hand, she turns away and greets the approaching bronzeriders with a smile. "Good day, Weyrleader. W'ton." W'ton's outfit gets a surreptitious glance.
Over at the drinks table, T'rev and W'ton have just walked up and the Weyrlingmaster is there with a glass of juice in her hand. "Jantha," T'rev greets politely with a nod and beams at the person serving. "Mug of ale, please, the darker kind," is the Weyrleader's request, delivered promptly enough and he looks over at Win as Jantha hails him. "W'ton, that's quite the get up." It's meant as a compliment really.
It's hard being the best dressed man around. W'ton seems to man up under the responsibility though! "Weyrleader, Weyrlingmaster," he greets the two of them with a wide grin. "And thank you. I've been holding on to it just waiting to bring it out for the right occasion. Although not that long because how does a man keep something like this put away for too long?" He looks at the table and then gestures towards the wine. "The red, please," he says with a wink. Once he has his drink he turns to Jantha, "If you're dancing later I will cry if you don't save a spot for me."
"I'll tell your mother and she'll box your ears, that's what," is Jaeyi's tsk-y remark for the kid trailing her heels, having her and the two kitchen girls with her holding their trays up higher than might be comfortable to avoid chubby hands grabbing at tasties. Most of lunch is out already, and the baker gives the trays of sandwiches a look-- somewhere between possessive and curious-- and puts down the new trays on a separate table, as these obviously are not simply lunch, these are puffy flaky cream-filled bits of dessert goodness. Then she smacks that kid's plump hand and ushers him away with a stern, "Goooo. Really."
Jantha nods at T'rev's comment, and agrees, "Very fine," before answering W'ton's request. "If they play some set-dances later on, I'll partner you in one," she agrees lightly. "I don't really do the other sort." She glances towards the baker and the children, and comments with some amusement, "What it is to be young and hungry!"
Bemused, T'rev observes this interaction between Weyrlingmaster and former weyrling, curls his hand around his mug of ale and has a healthy swallow that leaves his upper lip mustachioed. "First Day's definitely a good occasion for dressin' up," the Weyrleader says diplomatically and smiles over at Jantha. "I'm sure there'll be lively stuff along with all the rest, please save me one too?" The sound of a particular voice though reaches his ears and T'rev's gaze settles on Jaeyi rather than the shooed off child. "Neverendin' appetite," he muses, gives himself a little shake. "Those do look mighty tasty though." The desserts. Not the baker.
The rain has given Fort a fortunate break, and yet one Weaver seems to have been possessed by an imp of the perverse, choosing grey to attire herself in. But it does set off equally pale eyes to advantage. The drinks are over there, but Kaida's attention is first caught by the tray-bearing women. Or, well, one in particular. So, a hand lifts in a wave as her rough voice is raised to call out, "Jae."
With wine glass in one hand W'ton still manages to sketch a proper shallow bow towards the weyrlingmaster. "A set dance it is then, Jantha. I shall be looking for you when they do one." If his lips quirk up into an amused smile when he uses the weyrlingmaster's name there's nothing insulting about it, just amusement at the changed situation. "But I shall not monopolize your time now." Who wants to stand by the drinks all day after all. "Sir, ma'am," he says politely with a dip of his head. Then him, his wine, and his lace are headed off.
All set to guard, Jaeyi stays at the end of the desserts table-- probably also has something to do with all the compliments she intends to receive for them-- but it's toward the sandwiches she gestures so graciously. "Kay! See? Sandwiches, as promised. Though I thought..." Here, she outlines a square in the air somewhere along about chest-height for the Weaver. "What was it you said? Why would you want to wear something like that at Fort?" A glance, a smile, and a curl of her fingers suffice to greet the drinks-table-trio.
"Certainly," Jantha tells T'rev without a trace of hesitation. "Later, then, W'ton." She watches the young bronzerider go, lips pursed thoughtfully and a dubious expression on her face, then smiles. "That should be safe enough. I'm determined to have some fun today - last turn, I missed the concert because I was on duty, and left early when some young idiot ate himself sick and his dragon got upset. Mentioning no names." She smiles in response to Jaeyi's silent greeting.
"I'll look forward to that," T'rev says with another smile and nods as W'ton excuses himself. "Have fun, W'ton," the Weyrleader wishes sincerely and laughs a little at Jantha's following remark. "Then we'll have to make sure you get an excellent seat this turn, Weyrlingmaster, seeing as you're free and clear for a little while longer, of any young idiots with baby dragons," he continues, with good-natured humor. That curl of fingers is caught and T'rev lifts a hand in turn, eyes lingering on Jaeyi for a moment as Kaida joins her.
"I just had to see this novelty for myself," Kaida notes teasingly with a crooked smile as she crosses the last bit of distance to that dessert table. Though unlike most of all people who will be approaching over the course of the festivities, she's got zero interest in the food. "Are you actually working or do you get to enjoy yourself a little bit?" she asks further of Jaeyi. An eyebrow wings its way upward and the smile fades into a smirk, "All the time. This is a special occasion." A briefly curious glance follows the Baker's wave, though it's likely Jantha more than T'rev she'll direct a polite nod towards if eye contact happens to be made.
Jaeyi echoes with a little fake gasp, "See? The idea isn't to /see/ them, silly girl. The idea is to /eat/ them." So saying, she beckons with her fingers tapping along the edge of the table, headed away from the sweets toward the savories, head tilted to indicate Kaida might want to follow along? "You know, the way you asked that, kinda makes it sound like working and enjoying one's self are mutually exclusive. I'm certainly finding this particular special occasion enjoyable." Nothing to do with the direction of her eyes and Kaida's bustline, either.
Jantha raises her glass to T'rev, for all it's only got juice in it. "Your very good health." She takes a sip, then continues, "Well, I think some food is in order. Would you care to join me?" She begins to make her way towards the food tables, pausing to glance at those newly arrived pastries. "Those look excellent, but I'm going to wait until I've had something else," she comments, and heads towards the savouries in Jaeyi's wake.
Over nearer the fire, there's barbecued meat and skewers laden with wherry cubes and vegetables in addition to other yummy things all along those tables of foods. T'rev takes another swig from his beer, lifts it in return and nods at Jantha's invitation. "Be delighted, startin' to feel a little peckish m'self." A half step is waited then the Weyrleader follows after the Weyrlingmaster, apparently completely not averse to helping himself to dessert before lunch as he picks up one of those pastries, then tags onward with a sunny smile for both Jaeyi and Kaida as they draw near. "Ladies, happy First Day. Jae, the pastries are /great/ and you both look absolutely lovely." Sincere as ever.
Kaida, thus beckoned, at least seems inclined to follow along willingly enough. "Would you blame me for not entirely trusting you not to have concocted some way to make even sandwiches sweet?" she asks, though again with that teasing note to her voice. "I guess it depends upon the work. I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck out here turning up hems. Not that I probably won't end up doing so at some point anyway." So goes life, after all, and hems pick the worst times to drop. A bit of a quickstep and a low mutter, "Look up, dear, before you trip and fall on them." Ahem. Turning her head, a warm smile is offered up for T'rev. "And to you." Professional pride dictates the sweep of her eyes that takes him from top to toe, an approving nod. "It'll do."
W'ton wanders about stopping to chat with this person or that. He doesn't seem to be going anywhere or seeking anyone in particular. Quite likely then he's just working the crowd and accepting the occasional compliment for his outfit. As for the more rare and more sly comments about how he managed to afford such an outfit? Those remarks just make him smile and raise his glass in a toast remarking how a man has to have his secrets.
Jantha opts for a kebab and some savoury tartlets with a cheese-and-vegetable filling, as well as some salad-stuff. Not necessarily the easiest to eat while standing up, but she's managing, juggling the plate and her drink with the skill born of practice. "You made some of these?" she asks Jaeyi, pointing at one of the little tarts. "It's a fine spread, that's for sure: everyone's done Fort proud." Taking in Kaida's inspection of T'rev, she grins. "And everyone's turned out in their finest: I feel quite drab - but that's probably just as well."
To the Weyrlingmaster first, Jaeyi offers an honest, "Indeed, I made some of these, ma'am. And not just the sugary ones, contrary to popular belief." Jaeyi indicates, with a knock of her knuckles, the table with sandwiches, not pastries, thanks. The aside is for Kaida, in case anyone needed that spelled out; "I'd let you turn up my hem if you wanted to." That has nothing to do with the plate and the couple quarter-pieces of sandwich with which she attempts to ply the weaver, eat eat eat, woman. "Happy Firstday, Weyrleader. Nice duds."
With his hands full, pastry in one, beer in the other, T'rev can only grin back at Kaida. "The weavers did themselves proud, I think it's better'n 'it'll do', Kaida," is the Weyrleaders' answer there. "I dunno about drab, Jantha, different styles for different people, right?" He takes another bite of pastry and then strikes a little bit of a pose for Jaeyi's benefit. "Thank you most kindly, Apprentice." You know, when his mouth isn't full.
"Finest?" Kaida shakes her head in denial of Jantha's assessment, but it's with a slight, amused smile. Continuing, genuinely, "You shouldn't. It's the person wearing the clothes that makes the outfit. Attitude and comfort can often make up for a lack of flash." And does, in the Weyrlingmaster's case, is the unspoken implication. Slanting a glance across to Jaeyi, a wide grin precedes a laugh. "Don't." Flirt? Tease? Tempt? All of the above? And since those offered sandwiches don't seem to be glazed or oozing syrup, the attempt to ply her with food is met with success, one of those quarter-pieces lifted with hopefully gratifying promptness for a bite to be taken. Mouth full, she just winks cheekily at T'rev. Seeing as how she's one of those Weavers, and all.
Don't. "Howcome?" It's not like they're in public or anything. Jaeyi flutters her lashes at Kaida a few times, persistent that those'll work on her sooner or later, dangit! With the hand not currently possessive of her own quarter-sandwich, she flutters her fingers over her heart at T'rev's posing, paired with a dramatic eye-roll. "Gosh, you do know how to take a girl's breath away. When are they going to finish over there, anyway?" Over there being the barbecue region, as that's what she rocks onto her toes to glimpse, right before she eats some sandwich.
"Already some stuff all done," T'rev notes with a nod to Jantha's skewer. Ribs're still on though. You know how that goes," the Weyrleader says to the baker and takes another bite out of his pastry. Kaida's wink earns her a chipmunk-cheeked smile followed by a hasty swallow. "I'm collectin' dances today too, please say you'll both save me at least one? The good Weyrlingmaster's already agreed."
Jantha grins at Kaida. "Now that sounds like a good philosophy to me. I shall wear my trous with a clear conscience." With a surprisingly evil chuckle, she adds, "And leave the ruffles to W'ton, who seems to have the necessary panache." She lifts her kebab. "I can recommend these. Barbecue's always better if you get it at just the right point - not raw, and not charcoal."
Kaida's reaction to Jaeyi's lashes should be predictable by now. A lifted eyebrow, a faint curl at one corner of her mouth and she rolls her eyes up towards the sky. Yeah, okay. Ignoring the question, "I think I'll wait a little bit longer until the ribs are ready." Risky though attempting to eat them may be to her outfit. "Only if it's a good reel," she puts conditions on her promise of saving T'rev a dance. And continuing on the aside to Jantha, somehow managing to keep up the easy cheer instead of falling back on stiff formality, "Fashion can be so terribly overrated. Ruffles? Seriously?" Cue the curious glancing around in an attempt to spot them.
Absent-seeming, Jaeyi asks, "Does panache mean, 'really really really likes to be the center of attention?'" Having already been on her toes, it's not so hard to skim a glance over the black-ruffled bronzerider, brows raised amusedly. Her attention lands on Jantha's edibles then, giving it a contemplative frown compared to her sandwich, and she echoes Kaida's, "I'll wait for the ribs." T'rev's dance-question earns him a grin, and-- since the eyelashes didn't work on the weaver-- she sends them thataway for accompaniment. "At least one. Though, are you sure you'll have time?" What with a good portion of the feminine population appraising the Weyrleader and working up the nerve to go over there, no, you go first!
With great style (and panache!) W'ton is currently absenting himself from the center of the party to skirt around the edges. He stalks quietly over to a pair of elderly women and when he reaches them slings an arm around both their shoulders. They must know him because there are no shrieks of complaint and the bronzerider releases them after a peck on the cheek each and lingers there to chat them up and let them tease him about his clothes.
"It's a very nice red, W'ton's jacket," the Weyrleader notes squinting towards where Ruffles is making the rounds and he points helpfully with his glass for Kaida's benefit. "Dunno about a reel, but it'll be lively, Kay," T'rev promises. "It might in Win's case," he tells Jaeyi and finishes off his pastry, licks a bit of filling off of his fingers. "I'll have time," he assures her with a quick-flashed smile. No-you-go-first isn't acknowledged at this time.
There's a conversation taking place near one of the food tables; the participants are eating various pastries and barbecued items, while W'ton is circulating and chatting up old ladies. "Perhaps 'ruffle' isn't the technical term," Jantha concedes, unrepentant. She attempts to illustrate, but it's hard to gesture with a plate in one hand an a beaker in the other, so she gives up without doing more than waving her drink in the vicinity of her wrist. "Not my area of expertise." She continues to eat her kebab with as much decorum as kebabs permit.
Going up on her own toes, and looking over in the direction indicated by that glass, Kaida's voice goes off-handedly dismissive. "Oh. Him. He wanted that ridiculous pink hat I saw Rhodya wearing this winter." Memorable for his commission not for himself, poor W'ton. A quick glance towards Jantha and then a more pointed peer. "Mmmn, no, ruffles works. That sort of tailoring I never much paid attention to. Too... fussy." Shaking her head in disbelief as she rocks back down on to her heels, she continues, "Almost enough to make one consider uniforms?" It might be a joke. Might.
Someone, somewhere, somewhen, must have let on that Hattie really isn't as scary as she sometimes seems. Either that, or it's just a very unwise child that's decided to stalk her through the crowds, trotting along and hiding behind someone every time she looks round. Perhaps she's been playing along for a while, since she does smile when she turns and make a show of being unable to find her little shadow. However, enough is eventually enough and whoever it is that she catches sight of first, it's Jantha that she soon winds up next to, though her joking plea of, "Hide me," goes out to anyone.
At the hide-me, Jaeyi leans to peer at whatever it is that Hattie's hiding from. Ah-- "Sometimes you can bait them, like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs only..." She points down from the sandwich-table, where they've all clustered, to the dessert table, where kids are being kept at by by the likes of fearsome aunties. She doesn't specifically move to distract Hattie's stalker, but she clearly entertains the notion for a while before tossing on a cheerful afterthought; "Happy First Day." Beam. Talk of ruffles abandoned, she answers T'rev's smile, pointedly not looking at all the finger-licking, and offers back, "It's a deal, then. Is Kwei not here?" Like there's a chance of finding a three-apples-high harper in these festivities.
"Yeah, too fussy for me too. I like clean lines," T'rev says with a look down at his own get-up, smiles back up at Kaida and as Hattie nears, his brows quirk together. "Stalked by a kid, tough start to a party," but he gives the weyrwoman a little bow. "Excellent," T'rev tells Jaeyi at that acceptance, then looks back towards the harpers. "I didn't see him when I was down there earlier, all journeymen but I'm sure he'll be playing for the "Ballad" at least.
"Trying to shake off an admirer?" Jantha laughs at Hattie's request. "You could shelter behind my skirts," she obligingly offers, then spoils the effect with the evident truth, "But I haven't got any. Maybe if you get some food and ignore him, he'll go away. How is Elaruth?"
Kaida lifts a finger, takes a breath, but no words actually make it out of her mouth as she looks at T'rev. She just subsides into a crooked smile and plucks at her own sleeve, as if that'll fill in her silence. "Tuck yourself next to me and we might blend together enough to fool them?" Seeing as she and Hattie are both in grey. And she's just being way too easily sociable today, really. There wasn't even a dubious hesitation or anything.
Hattie leans a little and peers towards the dessert table, then back to make some sort of reply, but her shadow spots the desserts and hey, they're infinitely more fascinating than traipsing about after somebody. The kid goes tearing past without giving her a second glance, leaving her to breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she directs at Jaeyi, since the pointing may well have instructed the child where to go. "They're pretty harmless," of kids, "I hope." And still she shuffles a bit closer to Kaida anyway, suggestion to be taken literally or not. "Oh, she's... trying not to get overwhelmed by the noise and everything," she replies to Jantha, smiling in a rather strained manner. "But anyway, did I miss anything before I escaped my little stalker?"
Jaeyi, as if hurt, turns big-sad-eyes toward Kaida; "She gets to tuck in and I don't?" She even pouts some, though the effect is somewhat ruined when she finishes off her sandwich promptly afterward. "You missed the Weyrleader doling out dances. Best you get your name in before the line's a mile long." A nod indicates the girls on the periphery, likely kept at bay by the fact that the Weyrleader is, in fact, currently surrounded by girls. Intimidation factor never fails.
"Camouflage by weaver?" T'rev questions with amusement and sniffs the air as the distinct scent of ribs and pulled pork starts to rise in earnest. "Be honored for a turn about the floor, Hattie, when your card ain't full," the Weyrleader keeps up the good manners. "Hope Elaruth's handling it all all right. There'll be music a little bit later if she likes it."
Still making the rounds of this person or that W'ton's slowly edging himself back to the drink table to get a refill on his wine. He doesn't seem in any huge rush though because he stops again this time to chat with a couple of men from stores who rib him ceaselessly about his outfit. Their plainer fare gets it right back from him however so all is good.
Too prompt, "Collect yourself a stalker and you can, too, Jae." Kaida's tone doesn't match her actions though. There's a one-armed hug on offer for the Baker if she wants it, after the plate that had been mostly forgotten up until now gets plunked back onto the table. T'rev's surrounded by women and it's the Weaver who gets a pretty lass to either side? The world just isn't a fair place, is it? "Whatever works," she notes across to the Weyrleader, amusement lacing its way through her low voice. But really, by now there's enough people that she's content to listen to the chatter happen around her.
Jantha shoots a curious look at Jaeyi and Kaida, but then suggests to Hattie, "You could take her some flowers, when all this is done? It'd be a shame to let the decorations go to waste, anyway." She gestures towards the flowers at the edge of the harpers' platform, then takes a moment to watch the comings and goings, shaking her head a little at the sight of T'rev's admiring audience.
"That sounds like a name you could put to a collection of clothing. Camouflage by Kaida," she muses, despite her sudden frown and an expression that drifts towards, 'did I say that out loud?' "I suppose I could oblige you," the goldrider tells the Weyrleader, reply balanced a bit by a more proper smile and a glance towards the girls being kept at bay. And still, "Elaruth'll feel better when there's music. It'll give her something to focus on." She grins at Jantha's suggestion and says just a little too gleefully, "Yes, I could steal her some flowers away." Definitely too much glee, so she goes right back to serious-mode in a flash, which probably just ends up looking more comical than natural.
"I'm sure at least one person here would be perfectly happy to stalk me." The fact that Jaeyi's now getting a hug, albeit one-armed, by bodice-- by Kaida really can't hurt that case, either. Fortunately, she has the grace to dust crumbs off her fingers before putting them around the weaver's waist, all smiles now. "I imagine," she begins, giving a look to the floral decorations, "that they'd let you just take them? Goldrider, they're not really gonna be using them after today. Instead of stealing."
"Hey there you go Kay. Maybe desert camouflage?" he suggests with a smile that crinkles up the corners of his eyes. "Good, good about the music, Hattie. I know the noise really gets to her," the Weyrleader adds sympathetically to Hattie. "If you even need it, you got my permission to take stuff after the party's died down some, Hattie," T'rev puts in and tilts his mug up, finishes off his ale. There's mischief dancing in his eyes as he looks over the rim at Jaeyi, but all he says is: "Jae, almost anyone in their right might would stalk you." The mug is put down empty, his hanky pulled from his pocket to dab off his mouth. "I smell ribs and pulled pork. Anyone want me to bring a plate?"
Kaida blinks at Hattie, eyebrows disappearing up under her bangs. Amusement, that eventually finds firmer outlet in an actual laugh. "Maybe I'll float that idea past the Masters back at the hall some day. After I make Journeyrank." But she's not exactly joking, not fully anyway, as she takes another look of the goldrider's dress. "Maybe not camouflage, but the complimentary contrast might make for some interesting sets...." Eyes flicker up again, and if Jaeyi's making herself comfy the Weaver will just keep her arm in place. To T'rev, "I couldn't really knit that though. Desert camouflage. And I'm wanting to pretty much stay away from tailoring, remember?" And she not laughing at them, honest. Not out loud, at least, but her eyes are practically dancing with humour as she looks between Jae and T'rev.
W'ton slaps the men on the back he was talking to and walks away. The bronzerider makes a slight adjustment to one of his cuffs and then flicks a bit of nothing from one sleeve before he sets off through the crowd once more.
Jantha grins. "Well, I'm more interested in /dessert/ camouflage - as in, making sure there are some of those pastries left by the time I get to them. Excuse me." She leaves the little knot of people and, taking her now-empty plate, heads off to retrieve one of Jaeyi's sweet creations. It's a few minutes before she returns.
The sound of instruments tuning lifts up in the background along with that still increasing and delicious scent of barbecued pork ribs. Sounds like the music is about to actually start sometime in the near future. There's food galore, sun shines down and there's a cluster of people near the sandwiches and sweets that Jaeyi brought out earlier. The barbecue proper is nearer to the large bonfire on one end of this curve of the lake, while the dance boards and the harper's stage are down on the far end with the tables of food and places to sit and eat set up in between. A few gaming booths line the space too, mostly for kids to win prizes.
She's not laughing at them, maybe, but Jaeyi's still in a good position to give Kaida's waist a pinch for the merry eyes, completely under cover of being cuddly. Still, giggles are the reaction to Jantha's joke, precisely the kind she'd find stupidly funny, though the woman's slipped off before there's any time to congratulate the pun. "You can get me a plate, under pretense of being a good stalker, then," she answers T'rev happily. "Sir." That last is tacked on strictly for irony's sake, since cuddling up to Kaida's probably not going to get her wrist slapped but... "When? Are you gonna make journeyman?"
Laughter from Hattie breaks serious-mode pretty quickly and she says, "I'm getting encouragement and peoples' blessing to steal - well, not anymore - things: I'm not going to argue," she states, smiling as she glances between Baker and Weyrleader. "Thank you," she adds, more seriously. She only nods and grins at Kaida, quite free with her smiles and laughter today, it would seem. Quite predictably, she's excusing herself in the next moment with, "I'm just going to go check in with Shevena..." and heads off through the crowds, minus her stalker this time.
B'kaiv comes up between the ring toss and the 'fishing hole', pauses just this side of a group of happily shrieking children and tugs at his collar while frowning absently at the crowd. He's got no one on his arm (or back), though one of Flint's other greenriders waves at him as she's towed past by a determined youngster, and he waves back, bemused. After a few more seconds he ambles toward the people near the sandwiches, though it's with the abstracted look of a man walking to walk, and not walking to get anywhere in particular.
"Can't knit it? Really? Huh. Well you learn somethin' knew every day." Solemnly, T'rev salutes. "One plate at least, comin' right up, from a very dutiful stalker," the Weyrleader jokes and smiles warmly at both weaver apprentice and baker and peels away from the shrinking group to go get plates down by the fire.
Kaida doesn't bother asking because she can pretty much guess why, but she does shoot Jaeyi a sharp look and twitches a hip into a nudge. Ouch. The Baker can laugh enough for the both of them, since puns just generally make her have to fight down the urge to cringe. "Earliest they'll let me walk the tables is next spring, I think. But I did apprentice late, so. Can't really say for sure." A faint frown pulls at her brow, bemused. "I think we're possibly thinking two different things," she notes to T'rev, though it's as he's leaving so any further clarification will have to wait, if it gets pursued at all. Once they've gotten one of those convenient lulls where it's just the two of them for a few moments, back to Jae, quietly, "And your own promotion? Told him yet?"
Jaeyi's smile and the, "Thanks," that accompany it are a lot brighter than just sending someone off to fetch food really necessitates, but it gets nipped when she's half-shoving back at the weaver. "Be nice. And no, I haven't. Since I haven't /got/ a promotion, it seems a little premature. I didn't know you apprenticed late-- or maybe I knew and forgot. Anyway. I think I can see B'kaiv over there." As he does cut a very distinct silhouette. "Think we might be able to cut and run? But then my barbecue..." Oh, the agony of such a decision!
The music finally peals forth, a bright lively tune to open up the dancing. Even though there's plenty of people still eating their ribs and other yummies, several pairs head out onto the boards to start spinning to and fro. Down by the fire, T'rev's managed by dint of charm and some wielding of his knot, to get two plates loaded down with ribs and succulent pulled pork, crispy skin, rolls, beans and potato salad. This bounty is presently on its way back towards the two apprentices, the Weyrleader walking carefully to avoid making a mess out of his pretty clothes.
B'kaiv pauses to not run over a woman towing her protesting man onto the dance floor, neither one of them looking where they're going. He catches sight of the Weyrleader's path and jerks his chin up at the man, angles through the crowd to intercept him and those plates of food. "You want a hand, sir? Where you going?" It's true that paths seem to open before and after the greenrider, but that's probably just because of his warm smile and winning personality.
It's a party and the whole Weyr's been invited! Friends and couples, families and wingmates, familiar faces and non, and likely some foreign visitors traipsing about as well. Sooo it won't really stretch the imagination all that much when there's a head of dark hair amongst many. A flash of blue shirt, far dressier than normal but well within the norm of what's being worn today. Laughing eyes and a slow smile. Why yes, over there talking to a pretty, if pouty young brunette girl, stands a certain bluerider. Yes. THAT bluerider.
Kaida arches an eyebrow at Jaeyi, but gives her shoulders a small squeeze that's meant to be comforting. "Sorry, but if I don't laugh I'll glare, and in case you haven't noticed I'm attempting to be somewhat sociable," she mutters to the younger girl. "You sounded pretty certain of it when you told -me.- Had a timeline and everything. Has something happened?" But she's diverted then, puzzled as she turns her head to follow the line of the Baker's gaze. "Oh. B'kaiv." And she doesn't actually spit the name like it leaves a foul taste in her mouth. Surprise? "Don't run. And don't taunt, either."
Her food intercepted by said silhouette, Jaeyi purses her lips and utters a dismal little undertone; "I'll be as nice as he is, how's that?" With a breath, with a shrug of her comforted shoulders and a corresponding squeeze for Kaida's waist, she answers, "Nothing's happened, no. I'd just rather have things official first, you know? Like, disappointment and delay are kinda the last things..." She trails off, seeing as everyone's headed back thisaway. "Wait, does that mean you're not gonna taunt either?" she asks beneath the veneer of a perfect sunshiney totally not hateful smile.
"Hey Kai, sure, thanks!" T'rev says and passes one of the plates over. "For Jae and Kay and some for me too, I mean, got plenty y'know?" the Weyrleader says with a smile. "Should go get some for yourself too, in a minute. Good stuff." And provided Kai takes the plate, he resumes his path back to the two lovely apprentices.
B'kaiv says, "Yeah," whether he does or not, and perhaps there's a little flicker of resignation at the apprentices' names. But he takes the plate like a good little wingrider and traipses after, his eyes scanning the crowd. "I been lookin' for Su, but I ain't seen her yet. Don't s'pose you know where. You seen her." There isn't a physical hesitation to go with the verbal mis-step, but the greenrider's eyes linger for just a second on that flash of blue. "I, uh - should keep lookin'."
The petulant brunette stamps her foot, lower lip jutting out far enough for Chielyth to land on. Surely they can't be related, but she looks to be the right age and that long suffering/bemused/pained expression on G'dri's face is one that fathers the world over perfect the same instant they realise their daughters have hit puberty. They, more specifically he, remain at a distance for now, the ebb and flow of the crowd closing around them and hiding them from view. "If that's the best I'm going to get I'll take it," Kaida sighs. A moment's concideration and an understanding nod, see, she can be sympathetic. But following the trailed-off cue, she doesn't pursue the topic. Instead: "Yes, it does. So pinch me again if I start, alright? I cannot seem to hold my temper around that man." But oh they're getting closer and so while several watts less bright than Jae's, her own smile finds its way back onto her face. The truce is about to be tested.
Unsuprising; "Can I pinch you anyway? Or will you pinch me? If all it takes is losing my temper with Kai, I think I'm gonna need a lot of pinches." Quiet, so as not to reach ears other than the weaver's. Jaeyi withdraws her arm then, not without the trail of fingers over spine and hips, of course, which leaves her waiting to receive one of those plates. "We should go sit some place and eat like civilized people," she adds, lifting her voice now to reach T'rev and B'kaiv and probably G'dri and his maybe-daughter, too.
"Nope, ain't seen her she hasn't been at the drinks tables, but I know she was comin'. Might be down listening to the music now?" T'rev suggests to the greenrider, not totally oblivious to the stuttering in Kai's speech, but not understanding its provenance. And hey, apprentices! "Yeah, tables over yonder, big enough to fit a bunch of folks," the Weyrleader tells Jaeyi with a warm smile as he passes her the plate.
Here's Kai, delivering plates but barely paying attention to whose hand he's depositing the thing into. "Hey," he greets Kaida and Jaeyi absently, looking past them at the crowd rather than at either one. "Either'f you seen Su?"
"You pinch, I bite," Kaida reminds, low down and quick before the men get into range, but rather lacking in threat. Jaeyi'll catch the shiver, just before the Weaver's own arm is dropping away from the Baker's shoulders. Definitely without trailing fingers, however. Chuckling, "What, you mean we're not just supposed to roll up our sleeves and gnaw on bones?" Like watchwhers in a cave, yes, such an attractive image. Eyebrows lift and she tips her head in a 'what are we waiting for then?' sort of gesture. Not that any of them are likely to notice, but maybe if she just starts walking away they'll be obliged to follow? "Not yet. Enjoying the celebration?" she asks B'kaiv. When the crowd shifts again, both brunette and bluerider will have disappeared. The girl possibly permanently, but questing eyes might suddenly pick out G'dri several steps closer as he treads a course that'll intercept their own, though with blue eyes focused further along towards the drinks table, it's unlikely he's actually aiming for that interception.
There's a look but no words-- bite! please!-- before Jaeyi takes the plate with another beamy smile, falls in a half-step behind Kaida; someone noticed, at least. To answer the greenrider; "I've seen her." A couple of steps. "But not today. Sorry." But not really. "I think this plate weighs as much as I do," she adds happily, oblivious to the fact that B'kaiv's the one with a stalker now.
T'rev turning to follow after both girls, T'rev clasps his hands behind his back because he is a good little boy and wouldn't be thinking at all about resting his hand in the small of Jaeyi's back at all. No siree. "She'll turn up Kai, gonna go eat though, you're welcome to come along, or I can take that other plate there," the Weyrleader offers, pausing, "if you want to go look s'more," he notes, hand held out for the plate.
No one's taking Kai's plate? He doesn't really seem to care about that, either, because his attention snaps to focus at Jaeyi's first three words, only to turn stormcloud sullen at her chain-yanking. "Shells." It sounds quite a lot like some other, expletive-ridden word. "--No." That for Kaida's question, and with the hunch of his shoulders and set of his jaw, the man might just as well be contemplating mayhem rather than enjoying a Spring festival. "Think this is yours," he adds, tapping the Weaver on the shoulder and trying to offer first her, then T'rev the plate. He's given up on his search for either the bluerider or the Vintner for the moment, concentrating more on the little group he's with. "I ain't hungry. --Sir."
"Jae." Kaida doesn't turn her head to glance over her shoulder, but a ripple works its way down the fall of black hair at her back as she does give an aggrieved shake. No taunting. Yeesh. The tap on the shoulder does bring a pause in her steps, however, "What's mine?" being asked in puzzled tones since she never did actually take T'rev up on the offer of fetching food and so wasn't really expecting any for herself to be brought back. But since the greenrider is promptly offering the plate back across to the Weyrleader, she doesn't reach for it. Just sidesteps to clear out of Jaeyi's way and falls back a step to end up next to B'kaiv and looking at him with a faint frown narrowing her eyes. The search is given up by one party, hadn't even been undertaken by the other, but finding was bound to happen eventually. Just a called greeting, G'dri separated from the little group by a pack of beribboned adolescent girls moving en masse towards the dance floor. "Kai? Good day to you!" With of course a polite nod for anyone else who looks over, deeper respect for T'rev obviously.
So innocent, Jaeyi notes, "He didn't specify when." One hand under the plate, the other free to curl in a hi-there wave for the bluerider, she doesn't follow up with the verbal greeting, seeing as he's all-up-on Kai already. That her hand drops afterward, all fingers-fluttering behind her back toward T'rev, is so totally discreet. Presently, she plops her plate on the table, herself on the bench, and intends to put a dent in the monstrous pile of food.
T'rev takes that plate back and looks over as G'dri nears, nods once politely. "G'dri, happy First Day," he wishes sincerely, but there's fluttering fingers to follow and with a brief look between the others he nods towards the table where JAeyi just sat down. "I'm going to go have a bite. Kay if you're hungry still, feel free to pick off of this plate," he hefts the one in his hand then tracks after Jae to sit beside the baker with just barely enough appropriate space between them.
Sulisah has arrived, all done up in her formal vintner wear and looking a little uncomfortable in it - one finger wormed in under the collar in a vague attempt at stretching it so she doesn't die of clothing strangulation. First port of call is the stage, looking for Kwei, after which she starts hunting friends instead.
A party means there's going to be music, and music means there's going to be dancing, and dancing means that Rhodya's brown Gedroth is stalking the outskirts of the party hoping to catch a glimpse. The woman herself, however, is much harder to spot - mostly because she doesn't look like a woman. Not in her navy blue tailcoat and breeches, anyway. But at least somebody recognizes her, and F'sen's enthusiastic "Rhodya!" is loud enough to be heard a good distance away. With an excited squeal, the woman so-named rushes forward to hug her favorite bluerider, and chatter at him for a minute or two about her outfit. "Didn't it come out /well/?"
"Hey," B'kaiv tells Kaida when she falls back beside him, adding a chin jerk for further greeting. He had more to say, but the sound of his voice followed by the Weyrleader's seconding jerks the greenrider's head over so his eyes rattle but finally settle on G'dri. "Hey," he seconds, and glances down at Kaida before back to the bluerider. "How's, uh, Khameth? This is Kaida," he adds, jerking his head at her. "Kaida, G'dri," with a jerk the other way. Wasn't that a lovely introduction? Jantha would be so proud. T'rev and Jaeyi both (maybe even Jaeyi especially) slip out from his radar, leaving the greenrider adrift beside the Weaver. He doesn't even notice the minor hubbub of Rhodya's arrival, though surely Chielyth has spotted Gedroth.
There is in fact, music playing, the lively kind still, as opposed to the rendition of the Ballad of Moreta' Ride that's expected for a bit later. The afternoon is starting to progress from right around lunch time to full on afternoon-time. The bonfire's on one end of this curve of the lake with tables of food and places to eat spread between it and the dance floor which consists of boards laid out in a square in front of the temporary harpers' stage. The scents of rib and pulled pork fill the air a the kitchen staff continue to carve the roasting pigs by the flames. Other items include sandwiches, kebabs and sweets laid out on the food tables and there's drinks aplenty from wine and beer, to mixed to juice and water.
Out of radar is a-okay. Jaeyi's got a big plate of food, barely-appropriate distance between herself and the Weyrleader, and now she can point out happily, "He looks uncomfortable." She starts to pick at something, which leaves a greasy finger pointing toward B'kaiv. "Especially uncomfortable, I mean." No, she shouldn't sound cheerful about it, but she kinda does anyway. Maybe that's the food and the company, though? Benefit of the doubt?
Kaida's narrow eyes narrow still further at Jaeyi, a deep - well, okay, a half-breath taken and blown back out in a plea-for-patience sigh. Flickering a glance for T'rev, she just makes a shooing motion with both hands at him. Go on, chase your sweetie-pie. Only once they're both safely out of earshot does she mutter, "Lost my appetite." Poor pretty Baker, G'dri doesn't spare her anything more than that polite glance, for all the winsome curl of her fingers. "And a very happy First Day to you as well, Weyrleader," the bluerider returns. Once the last straggling pair of girls is finally out of the way, he dives gamely into the clear patch that formed to cross the distance between himself and B'kaiv and the third-wheel. "Khameth is quite well, thank you. Cheilyth?" A pause for the introductions, eyebrows lifting, "Ah, yes, the Weaver. Good day." And polite nods are exchanged between the pair, though G'dri at least has a smile. "I was just on my way to get a drink, perhaps I can fetch you all something?" Assuming perhaps that the now-split group will be reforming.
Digging into ribs first, T'rev continues to be careful not to spill onto his clotes though h e's munching away with obvious appetite at that half-rack in his hands. His gaze followes Jaeyi's greasy pointing and while he's chewing his eye narrow a little on Kai, taking in the body language in that particular trio. Chew. Swallow. "Huh. You're right. Played poker with him and G'dri the one time ..." he trails off. "Nice fella, G'dri."
It's the greeting of Rhodya that first grabs Sulisah's attention - friends that direction. She 'scuse me, pardon me's her way through the crowd, heading in the vague direction of that greeting, pausing now and then to make sure she's still heading in the right direction. The joys of being short.
"She's good," B'kaiv admits about his green, and sends Kaida another unreadable look. 'Help me'? 'Go away'? 'Stay here forever'? To G'dri, though, he mutters sidelong, "Yeah, that'd be good. I'm, uh, lookin' f'r Su." He's not quite sure what to do with his arms, and tries folding them both high and low, tries hooking his thumbs into beltloops, probably considers something like parade rest, and finally settles on folding them across his belly. "Kaida does knittin'. --Knitting." Realized he lost his Gs, did he? "She's a weaver." And promptly grimaces for the stupidity.
After admiring the outfit appropriately, F'sen excuses himself to find a dance partner, leaving Rhodya to scan the crowd. She spies a tiny ripple of activity that seems to be coming her way - and oh! "Is that Sulisah?" she questions loudly, having caught just a glimpse of the vintner when a fat greenrider shifted out of the way. She puts her hands on her knees and crouches slightly, in search of a clear line of sight. And yes, it is Sulisah! She waves enthusiastically through the window of elbows and bodies she's found, then straightens to head in that direction. And soon they shall meet!
"Maybe they'll fight." Jaeyi keeps her eyes tuned to them, in case. A few seconds of attention is enough to realize, "No, probably not. Oh well. Kaida should've come over here with us, then maybe they would. This is pretty all right, really." The last comment seems to be about the food, which she contemplates briefly in between wishful-thinking about violence.
The look is unreadable! And returned with an inscrutable one of Kaida's own. She's probably not going to be very helpful, and she doesn't look like she's entirely willing to go away. Option C! Especially since all those aborted arm motions are absolutely fascinating. "If Su does show up she'll wind up by the drinks table sooner or later, so it can't hurt to go check?" Helpful, yesno? G'dri shares some level of puzzlement, but as ever it's contained beneath that calm exterior, nothing more than a questioning tilt of his head. A gesture of his hand, shall they walk then? "I don't believe you've ever fully described her to me, but I would happy to help you look while we collect the drinks." Kaida nods confirmation to the curious look she receives after the comment about knitting, but it looks like Weaver and bluerider are going to wind up positioning B'kaiv between them all by accident. Lucky him!
"G'dri and B'kaiv? I don't think so, they seem to get along pretty well," T'rev says and leans over to nudge Jaeyi gently. "If you want to see him fight someone, I've got a slip of paper I can make good on for a no holds barred sparrin' session," the Weyrleader notes in an undertone and waves a nearly denuded rib. "I think it's great. But I don't have the professonal interest." Then he's taking up a fork to put together bites of beans, pulled pork and potato salad after stripping that rib the rest of the way down.
"Rho!" Bounce-wave goes Sulisah, giving her collar another tug when she lands and then making a more determined path through the remaining bodies. Once there's a space free she practically runs at Rhodya, hug on offer mostly for saving her from being lost completely. "You look great! How are you? How's Gedroth? Have you seen the others?" Quite which others she doesn't specify yet, though a guess probably wouldn't be too hard.
Sulisah's so tiny! Rhodya has to bend to hug her back, but she does so with a grin. "Thanks! You too!" she offers back, though the rapid steamrolling of questions gets away from her after that. Straightening up with a laugh, she attempts to go back through the questions, counting them one one by one on her fingers. "I'm great, he's fantastic. But the only person I've seen since I got here is F'sen, and I don't think you two know each other." Sadly. "You lookin' for Kai? I could have Gedroth ask Chielyth where he is."
B'kaiv says, "Yeah, I guess," which isn't exactly a yesno, but it's better than just standing here for all and sundry to gape at. As they start for the drinks, moving slowly because three people abreast don't move as easily as one, he continues, "She's, uh, short." Another grimace and he reluctantly withdraws one arm from the origami to mark the Vintner's approximate height, but then it slides right back. Reminded, he scans the crowd again, but it's easy to lose short people in them. He does linger on one dark head with, "That Rho?" but it's not pressing enough to break off their migration. "And, uh. Kaida's her roommate." Because -that- fact does such a fabulous job of description.
Jaeyi's vote of confidence: "And watch him beat the snot out of you?" She essays an I-don't-think-so look at that, one which is soon followed by her making a face and starting to duck down beneath the horizon of people. "Will you hate me forever if I ditch you? I promised the dishwasher I'd dance with him, and I figure I better get it out of the way. You know, so I can dance with better people later." No one in particular, really! "Oh, and remind me to remind you to explain the mark?" Already pushing to her feet at that, snagging just a couple more bites off the plate on the way, so graceful.
Kaida blinks at B'kaiv, but is really doing an admirable job of controlling her expression in the midst of all these people. Lifted eyebrows, and she leans a little to catch G'dri's eye on the other side. No need to reiterate short. "Black hair, straight. Long, but normal long not...." Her ridiculous mane. "Gorgeous amber eyes. Slender as a reed and most likely wearing something so bright you'll need to shade your eyes too look at her full on." Just ignore the turn towards fond that warms her voice about twenty degrees, turning the rasp into something that really shouldn't be heard in polite, ahem, company. Good thing G'dri's not the type who wears his thoughts on his face for anyone to read, blue eyes glancing from Weaver and then up to B'kaiv. His voice remains measured and pleasant, "She does indeed sound like a lovely girl. You're quite lucky, Kai."
Sulisah nods. "And Kaida. I'm pretty sure I saw T'rev earlier, though I should actually try speaking to him and thank him again for taking care of my snake problem." The latter part is said more to herself, a reminder rather than an explanation. "F'sen? I... don't think I know him, but I'm terrible with names as it is." Finger makes the collar trip again, tugging with a slightly exaggerated choking face. "Formal clothes, absolute pain. But I'm supposed to be working soon so it's needed, apparently."
Rhodya leans back, getting a second, better look at Sulisah's outfit. "Vintner has nice colors," she remarks. Big surprise - the stodgy formality of vintner-wear appeals to Rhodya in her current, cross-dressing mood. "I guess they don't look comfy, though." For that she'll set a hand on Sulisah's shoulder and give her a sympathetic pat. "I ought to introduce you to F'sen sometime. He's just the funniest, sweetest man, I love him to bits. Hang on, Gedroth says - uh." She blinks a few times, looking extremely puzzled as she looks over the crowd. In the end, it's probably Kai's height more than dragon hints that helps her single him out, and she stabs a finger in that direction. "I see him!" she declares, and just like that she sets off through the crowd. Being tall, and weirdly dressed, she creates a nice wake for Sulisah to follow.
B'kaiv sends Kaida a look of relief, plain and simple, when she can give the man more than 'short'. "Yeah. She's got this green dr-. Uh." Dragon? Maybe. Probably not. "I dunno what she's wearing t'day, I ain't seen her yet." But then, oh thank Faranth and all her offspring, they arrive at the table for drinks, ignorant of the impending brownrider. He blinks at the man who wants to know what they want and gruffly orders a beer. "Chielyth's real happy, an' all." Because both Kaida and G'dri are panting after his green's mental state, honest.
"Won't necessarily be that uneven," T'rev protest, a little stung by that no-confidence vote. He looks a little crestfallen by the word 'ditching' and there might be an under-the-table grab for hand or knee, unobtrusively before she goes. "Won't ever hate you," the Weyrleader answers confidently and his mouth pulls up a little at the corner. "I will," he promises. "While we dancin'." He rises for that matter, gentlemanly, half-bows as the apprentice excuses herself then sits back down to finish off the contents of his own plate.
"/That/ uneven," echoes Jaeyi, and the might-be-grab meets a pat-pat on the hand. Poor guy. Off she goes, only a brief look to the Kai-Kay-bluerider trio before she dances with the stupid dishwasher, and probably a few other people after.