Murder in Three Acts: Act I
Who: List to come soon.
When: Day 22, month 6, turn two of the seventh Pass.
Where: The living caverns at High Reaches Weyr.
What: A celebration at High Reaches turns deadly.
Prologue: In the former weyrleader's quarters (G'thon and Miniyal)
The living cavern has been done up simply, but beautifully. Flowers gathered from locally and farther off are set on tables and arranged in wreaths and bouquets on the walls. The tables have been rearranged and the area in the center of the room has been designated a dance floor. Here and there someone has set up screens to create the illusion of privacy. Someplace a small group or a couple might go to for a moment to confer without seeing all prying eyes on them. It is, however, mostly an illusion. But a prettily decorated one.
N'tai's taken up a post on one of the tables along the back wall, one pushed out of the way to make room and so now only halfway useful for actually sitting and eating. Like a few other people, he elects to sit /on/ the table instead of /at/ it, his feet on top of a chair, his butt on top of the table, his attention on all the pretty party dresses twirling on the dance floor.
Speaking of pretty party dresses, in comes Essdara, walking next to Vanya. She is standing, as she has been instructed, staight and tall, and while she sports a smile on her face it is one full of nerves and fear, eyes glancing around the bustling caverns with an almost paniced look. "Vanya, you know, maybe I should be in the kitchens helping out more with the cooking. I mean, I don't want to be accused of shirking or anything like that, even if it is my rest day..."
Aelan enters from the bowl outside.
Aelan has arrived.
"Nonsense," Vanya replies, shaking her head. "You know very well the staff can handle everything, and this night is for you to shine. Silly wherry, you sound as bad as I do." She /should/ be in the infirmary, but she was /ordered/ to take the night off, and so she has.
Issa has arrived.
Speaking of ordering. N'tai flags down a passing serving girl with a tray of cheese and other party favor kinda foods, submitting her to ample flattery as he off-loads a fair portion of her offerings on to a ridiculously small party plate. As he's clamoring back to his seat, he aims a peer across the room, spots a pair of Christmas dresses-- that'd be the red and green duo of Vanya and Essdara-- and hails 'em with a wave, already pushing himself off in that direction.
Aelan is marched in along with the students of one of the etiquette classes, lingering, as usual, near the back of the line and slightly out of step. As soon as instructions have been handed out, the Keroon girl rolls her eyes slightly and promptly breaks away from the class as a whole with strides whose length and purpose don't match her attire.
Essdara snorts, softly. "They always mess up when I'm not there." But it's a thin argument at best; she doesn't really .want. to leave after all. N'tai's wave is noticed, and she turns towards him with a sunny smile. "Hello there, Brownrider! I see you decided to join us after all!" She motions at Vanya, "Have you met Vanya, the weyr's latest Journeyman Healer? Van, this is N'tai, one of our weyrlings and a very good friend of mine. His little Boranth was the prettiest of the hatchlings this past clutch."
"Very pleased to meet you, N'tai," Vanya replies, offering a slight curtsey, which is worthy of any holder hall. "You look very nice tonight," she adds, eyeing the small plate of food. "Oh, everything looks so delicious. Our Dara here was just saying she should be in the kitchens helping. I do hope I can trust you to convince her otherwise?" Gracious, manners learned years ago at Ruatha. Poor relations of the Lord Holder can't afford to offer embarrassment by not knowing how to act, after all.
"I figure someone has to put on a good show. I left J'sek and Asynnida-- sorry. /Syn/." Smirk. "In the barracks, debating on whether or not she has to wear a dress." N'tai says it with full emphasis on the folly of ill-mannered youths, sigh. Deftly, he proffers the plate toward Vanya when she makes mention of it, tilting it graciously toward the healer even while saying, "Pleasure's mine, miss. Please. Have some. --Few things'd make me quite so happy as convincing Dara to have a good time." With a quicksilver brow-raise toward Essdara.
J'sek enters from the bowl outside.
J'sek has arrived.
Syn enters from the bowl outside.
Syn has arrived.
Aelan searches the cavern for something to do that looks like she's doing her part of helping the party along with the rest of the students, yet doesn't involve /actual/ etiquette. And in her search, she finds...food! Yes, food. And nearby, even better, Essdara. "Dara!" she calls over with a swift grin, quickly covering her mouth as she speaks more loudly than she intended. "Dara, I almost didn't recognize you," she says as she comes closer, smile broad. She's slow to realize there are others with her friend, pausing sheepishly. "Hello," she adds with a brief wiggle of her fingers, casual.
A bright grin from Dara to N'tai, "My dear, I am sure you will find innumerable ways to make my evening pass pleasantly." She might say more, but another voice, and a friend's approach, distracts her. She beams happily at Aelan and steps forward to offer the girl a hug, "Hey there beautiful! And of course you don't recognise me. Vanya here has set about making sure I actually look like a girl for once!" A glance over Aelan, slowly taking her in. "And not just me it seems. You look lovely. Have you met Vanya and N'tai? She's our new healer, and he's Weyrling to brown Boranth." She turns back to her other friends, "Vanya, N'tai, this is Aelan, someday Lady of Keroon Hold, one of the caucus' students and a dear, if rarely seen, friend!"
Yevide enters from the bowl outside.
Yevide has arrived.
Issa enters the flower-draped living cavern, but not in the normal fashion at all. She's prettily dressed in her grey gown, feminine and formal, which is a rarity in itself, and comes from the lower caverns, the opposite direction from the one that would be expected of the greenrider. And instead of being escorted, she herself plays the escort, the aging female harper taking up her elbow dressed in a much cheerier color of pink. They slowly meander up into the gathering crowd, interrupting a swirling flow of crafters as they turn to deal out their greetings.
Vanya turns to the Lady and offers a curtsey. "Well met, my Lady," she says in a perfectly cultured voice, bespeaking manners and a good upbringing. She remains silent after that, allowing Dara to carry the conversation, as she glances around, looking for familiar faces and at all the beautiful clothes.
Aida arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
Aida has arrived.
N'tai, at the words 'Lady' and 'Caucus,' delivers Aelan a socially correct smile, perfect aside from the twinge to the right side of his face. "Ah, our benefactor, then? Good to meet you, someday Lady." The dip of his head is low enough to interpret as the beginning of a bow if we're being especially formal. "So you're responsible for putting Dara in green then?" he asks, back to Vanya with a conversational tilt of his head. "Gracious of you. I'd always heard green was unlucky, but obviously..." < Insert joke about getting lucky here. >
They enter... together. The Weyrleader is nowhere in sight yet, but the Weyrwoman is not without an escort. She is laughing as she appears at the entrance to the living cavern, clad in rich blue; this is not what is noteworthy about her, however. Yevide's arm is draped across E'sere's, and the pair have their heads together, laughing quietly; they are caught in their private joke, and only belatedly do they look up to survey the living cavern, and those already arrived.
R'vain has arrived.
"And you're happy," Aelan laughs, accepting the hug and returning it tightly before stepping back for proper introductions. "Hopefully Lady someday," she corrects. "It's sort of the whole purpose to sending me here." Her smile is rueful as she looks from Vanya to N'tai, nodding to each in turn. "Pleasure to meet you both. Aelan, please," she adds, smile vaguely pained at the titles. "And Healer Vanya, you have done a /wonderful/ job with Dara."
J'sek slowly enters the living caverns and to his side is another weyrling, one he's got his head slightly bent towards as he speaks quietly to her. "Nothing's wrong, okay? Try to enjoy yourself. Lighten up." he then smiles lightly before straightning up and giving a long, passing glance, to the various decorations and the already assembled group of people of various ranks. Now it's time for J'sek to look a little nervous and he tugs slightly on his shirt for a moment before continuing on. Having spotted N'tai, barely, among the crowd, J'sek begins to head towards him and yet overhears the last snippet of a conversation. Keroon, mostly, seems to cause the weyrling to make a slight detour. Glancing back to the weyrling who accompanied him here, he chuckles nervously. "So...any spot in particular you heading for?"
Essdara rolls her eyes at Aelan, and stands a bit straighter, her voice taking on a mock-haughty tone. "I, Aelan, am the picture of happiness at all times. The very paragon of cheerfulness and delight." N'tai gets a smirk, "You'll have to play nicer than that for that kind of result, brownrider. But we'll see when it comes time for a dance!" A glance around, and a small grimace as she spots Yevide - and the man on her arms. Still, polite is polite. "There you go, Vanya. Looks like your favourite wingleader has himself a nice date for the evening."
"I but gave her the dress, m'am," Vanya replies. "The rest is all Essdara herself." She glances to N'tai, and smiles. "I would seem that green most certainly is a lucky color," she remarks. "As for myself, being a healer I figured that blood red was appropriate." There's a sparkle to her eyes and a laugh for the small joke.R'vain prowls in from the direction to be expected-- outside. The weather's been good to High Reaches today; the Weyrlingmaster needs no coat to protect his clothes from rain, snow, sleet, or anything else wet and unpleasant prone to falling from the accursed sky. Despite all this good luck, the red-topped man has on an expression that telegraphs certain disgust. Maybe it has something to do with wearing something other than leathers. To be truthful he does-- once he's had a moment to get his bearings and understand the nature of the gathering this far-- move a little as if he's afraid of treading on his own trouser-cuffs, stalking predictably toward any table identified as offering beverages. Grumbling all the way.
Syn moves before J'sek, giving him a look with a wrinkle of her nose. "I'll try..." She murmurs softly, giving a small shake of her head. She takes to idly following the other weyrling before he glances back at her. "Ah.. No.. Not really..." She says softly, casting a quick glance around. "I'll follow you, I guess." She offers towards J'sek, keeping her tone soft.
Tavaly enters from the infirmary.
Tavaly has arrived.
Reyce enters from the bowl outside.
Reyce has arrived.
E'sere makes a striking complement to Yevide, the two of them in their finest blues as they enter. He seems quite relaxed, at home on the woman's arm as they enter engaged in conversation. It's only absently that he notes the crowd, the first few looks in their direction, offering a brief nod to the boldest starers before he glances back at the woman on his arm. "You were right," he murmurs to her, grinning broadly. "The center of attention indeed."
N'tai's standing around with a cluster of girls, naturally, in the midst of Essdara, Vanya, and Aelan, holding a plate of happy party treats from which he's not eating at the moment. "Suppose blood red's appropriate. What color is abject terror?" he enjoins with a droll chuckle to play along. On mention of Yevide, he turns in the direction Essdara's gesturing, catching sight of J'sek in the process. "How'd it work out?" he asks across the distance.
/Ma'am/? Aelan looks more-than-vaguely discomfited by that title, though she manages to force her smile to remain. At Dara's note towards the door, she twists to look over, a faint smile finding her features, proud. "See? I knew they'd start to integrate eventually," she says cheerfully. "You'll see, it'll all work out in the end." A smile is flashed for N'tai's joke, brief, before she's looking around at the arrivals again.
Issa is full of gentle laughs and polite nods for these friends of her mother as they stand surrounded, the older women exchanging chattering soliloquies to each other about the gorgeous tone of one dress or the unique cut of another while the greenrider silently indulges them. She lifts her head from the conversation at hand a few times, idly noting those faces sweeping past them. But this time, she pauses, eyes finding across the room the Weyrwoman and the wingleader, arm in arm together. And laughing. A strange picture they make, to her, for she quirks an eyebrow in their direction, but soon she's pulled back down into the chattering by her mother's tug at her elbow. When she can spare them, sly glances are stolen at this new coupling, but otherwise, she's occupied by her more immediate companions.
Ginella enters from the bowl outside.
Ginella has arrived.
Aida slips in with Br'ce, really she does, clinging to his arm and contenting herself with speaking quietly with the man. The two get wine and find somewhere out of the way, apparently settling in to watch the party more than participate in it for the moment.
J'sek frowns a little at Syn's reply and quickly glances around the caverns again as if trying to spot something. Or someone? Who knows, but N'tai's question is overheard, barely, and the weyrling moves a little closer to him, arms held out a little. "Quite well, thank you." he says, neither amused nor fully sarcastic. He misses the entrance of many more arrivals, too distracted by other issues. Back to Syn, he smiles lightly and gestures vaguely in the direction of food or beverage. "Maybe some food or drink? I could go snatch something quick, save you the trouble."
Quietly up from the lower caverns, Tavaly begins the act of shuffling a table around so that, when T'zen awakens, he'll have his own throne. A small tag at the center has it reserved already, but.. better to make sure. She shuffles about, unused to the way a skirt swishes around her legs. In truth, she feels like a vegetable. And look! There's the carrot! Spotting R'vain, Tav pardon-me's her way through the gathered to place her hand at his elbow. "You owe me a dance." She informs him rather factually.
Following Dara's look, Vanya sees E'sere and and the lady he escorts, then laughs. "You tease, Dara. Wingleader E'sere is merely some one who has been very kind to help me understand the weyr. A friend. I have no favorites." Her expression is neutral and relaxed. She does note the faintest change in Aelan's expression, and smiles. "You look lovely this evening, Aelan. I'm so pleased to meet you. But, I'm for something to eat. I admit I'm famished."
And Yevide? She shoots E'sere a sidelong smile, the corner of her mouth tugged up in something that's pure mischief; her hand tightens on his arm in a visible squeeze, and her head tilts in so she can murmur her reply. "Let them look, Wingleader," is her offering; then more loudly, as she lifts her chin to try and see over the heads of the crowd, "I would like a drink, before a dance."
Essdara, standing with Aelan, N'tai, and Vanya, is chatting and laughing in a cheerful way. A glance towards Aelan, and a thin smile. "It's nice to think so, we should certainly hope for it." Her gaze then follows N'tai's, to J'sek and Syn, with a raised brow. "Never thought I'd see the day." She says, jus loud enough for the group around her to hear. But, she looks back to Vanya easily enough, "You can eat?! Me, I'm far too nervous, I think if I tried to ingest anything I would make myself a very unpopular, and very embarrassed, woman!" Aelan, then. "Will I get a dance with the Lady tonight? As the only one to grace me last chance, I think it would be fitting you get to tonight?"
The hand at his elbow grabs R'vain's attention as surely as it grabs his arm, and he whips his head Tavaly's way, halting his tread to stare. But not, apparently, at Tavaly-- partway toward looking at her, he winds up catching a glimpse across the crowd at the Wingleader and Weyrwoman all but conjoined at the elbow and hip. The Weyrlingmaster's lip curls in an unpleasant way, baring glaring teeth, and the first part of some even more unpleasant word hisses sibilant between his incisors-- then the hiss fades off, the rest of the word unvoiced, and R'vain gathers enough dignity to put Yevide and her latest stud on ignore so he can tend a smile for Tavaly. "What," he retorts at last to her. "I don't remember losin' a bet t'you."
Ginella enters on T'ral's arm, another cluster of Bendenites following not far behind Aida and Br'ce. They have to sidestep Reyce, or Ginella does, at least, and she manages it without ever actually looking at The Bastard. Instead, she tosses T'ral a quick smile, and they head in the same general direction as the 3C Wingleader and his girl. Wine is gotten, people are greeted, seats are found, they sit. Later, there will probably be dancing, but now, watching and chatting quietly is the order of the day.
Syn gives N'tai a dull look but shifts her attention towards J'sek and gives a small little smile. "That'd be nice.." She gives a small nod. "If it's not too much trouble for you... I could go with you." She offers, giving another smile. The weyrling shifts herself uneasily, glancing idly around for a moment. Spotting Dara, she gives a nervous little smile though quickly looking in another direction.
"Thank you, Vanya," Aelan says with a swift, grateful smile towards the healer, the thanks for more than just the compliment. She laughs at Dara's question then, grin flashing broader for a moment. "If there's dancing, Dara, I think you get first call," she agrees. "That way I won't embarass myself by stepping on anyone else's feet while I'm warming up," she winks, teasing. The approach of the other weyrlings is noted, a curious, interested smile offered in their direction. "Hello," she says cheerfully, stepping towards them and offering a hand in the general direction of J'sek and Syn. "I'm Aelan, and I've been roped into helping with this lovely production. Thank you for coming!" If the cheer in her words rings a little false, at least there's humor to balance it in the wry cast of her smile.
"Any preferences, Weyrwoman?" asks E'sere in turn, quirking a brow as he watches her now, intent on his companion rather than those around them, watching. "I'm afraid I don't yet know your palate's taste, though, personally, I'd suggest the Benden." Pause. "Most people," he amends himself with another crooked smile, "would suggest the Benden." On-lookers continue to be ignored; it's as though, for him, he and Yevide were simply the only ones present.
Vanya excuses herself, making her way to one of the food tables and selecting a few tidbits, then something to drink. After that, she moves to one of the chairs near the wall, slipping into it, and observing from the sidelines while she nibbles at cheese and other delectable things on her plate. Everything looks so wonderful and she seems in good spirits, relaxed as she watches Essdara in her finery hold court. That, above all else, seems to make her happiest.
N'tai shakes his head after Essdara's mumble, commenting something back that's not meant to be shared even with the other ladies in the immediate vicinity. At better volume, "If you're not eating, do you at least want me to get drinks? Either of you?" he offers like a proper li'l gentleman. "As long as you save one for me. Dance, that is." Whether that's to Dara or Aelan is open for debate; probably both.
There is most certainly a hint of relief when Aida catches sight of Ginella and T'ral, and Aida greets both with a wiggle of her fingers before she's practically pouncing on the goldrider. Or, well, reaching out to squeeze her arm and *looking* like she wants to pounce, at least. "You're back!" This certainly holds a note of glee, it does. "You look lovely, Ginella."
Reyce, indeed, has stopped just inside the entrance, creating a thin channel among the newly-arrived party-goers who must step aside to avoid him. He turns his head to the side as Ginella passes, eyeing her with barely restrained dislike and making no move to greet the other Bendenite. Instead, he raises himself and uses his height to fullest advantage, peering at the crowd as he searches for someone - and finds Issa, at last, among a group of older women he'd rather not join. Sinking back down, Reyce slips off to the sidelines in search of a drink.
J'sek shrugs his shoulders slightly. "No. It's not." he says, after a moment or so, in reply to Syn. He's about to add more when his attention is brought to Essdara and her overheard comment. He smirks a little, not sure if it was directed to him, Syn or the two of them together. Either way, the smirk shifts to a smile and he nods his head a little. "Hello to you, too." he says, rather sarcastically. So much for manners? Again, his attention returns to the nervous Syn. "Drinks for now? Any preferences?" he says, loud enough for her to hear.
Yevide presses her lips together thoughtfully, as though weighing some grand decision; the Weyrleader's dragon is struck from the skies, in the infirmary, and the Weyrwoman's attention is firmly centred on the Wingleader - the local - who escorts her tonight. Indeed, she's playing her part to the hilt; her body turned towards him a little, fingers trailing down his arm as she releases him to fetch her a drink. "I will take your recommendation, E'sere."
A soft laugh and a nod to N'tai, wrinkling her nose a bit. "Such is the way of things, my friend." Aelan, though, elicits a bright smile. "Oh, definately so, can't have a party without dancing, and I will do my best to get more of it than last time!" J'sek's approach, and sarcastic comment, causes the smile to fade. "Weyrling." She says, politely, to him. A smile is offered to Syn. "Synnie, you look lovely. I'm glad to see you came out tonight." And, finally, to answer N'tai, "No, thank you. Tonight, I think it best I keep my wits. Can't dance while I am off-balance!" (Essdara)
"You didn't." Tav says to the man, smile dead upon her lips and crumbling like dead leaves being squeezed into the palm of a hand. She lowers her hand and turns from the Weyrlingmaster to follow his sights. What the--ew. "That's kind of..disturbing." She mutters, close enough to herself that only R'vain could possibly pick it out of the din. "And I was joking. I'm sure you've got a long list, and the last thing I want to do is deny you your time." She glances back at the man, smiles in that kind of 'I hate you' way and then begins to toddle off.
"How can I ply you with wine and cleverness if you won't take one and I'm lacking the other?" asks N'tai oh so wittily at Essdara, watching J'sek with a quirked brow at his sarcasm. "Gonna snap at everyone who doesn't proffer a prompt how-d'you-do, J'sek? 'Cause it'll be a long night if so," he says with a particular sort of levity quickly followed by a tilt of his plate of cheese and crackers toward the other weyrlings, mutely offering.
Ginella smiles at Aida, and catches her hand, partly to give it a friendly squeeze, partly, perhaps, to aid in fending the girl off if she attempts to attack. Or pounce. Tackle. Whatever. She -does- look pleased to see her, though, smiling as she nods: "I am back! And thank you, you look lovely yourself, Aida. I couldn't miss the party!" She tilts T'ral a quick grin before letting him twist to talk to Br'ce so she can lean around and talk to Aida. "So, have I missed much? I feel like I'm late. We sort of took our time."
Syn gives Aelan a small nod of her head and a smile before she shifts herself some and glances at Dara and N'tai. Her lips press together in a nervous manner and she takes to lightly chewing on her bottom lip. "Oh.. Drinks for now would be nice.." Her gaze moves to Dara and she flushes a shade of red. "I think I look stupid.. Dara.." She murmurs, "I want to run out. It's nice to see you.."
"A very wise decision, Weyrwoman," E'sere tells Yevide, his solemnity lending a deeper meaning to the words. He regards her a moment longer, offering a quick smile as he backs a step away and then, almost reluctantly, turns to slip through the crowd. He's waylaid relatively little, only sparing a few greetings for those he knows well as he moves easily toward the serving tables. There, it's a simple affair to pour two glasses of the rich red wine, and, with one in each hand, he turns to retrace his steps to the goldrider's side, extending one of the glasses to her. "Weyrwoman--the best vintage I could find. I expect you'll enjoy it."
"TAV." It's a loud cavern. He can roar if he wants to, right? It's only one syllable, anyway. No one will stare. No one will notice R'vain swinging out a paw to aim to try to swipe Tavaly's hand right back to his elbow. Or... actually maybe there will be a tiny bit of staring and maybe R'vain will have to clear his throat, suppress the desire to fill the room with his lungs, and take a step after the greenrider who just glared those holes into his chest. "Come back here," he mutters. "I didn't mean it like that. I just." He paws a hand up the back of his head, having little effect on his haircut. "If you don't think he'd mind. Is all."
Issa extricates herself from the coterie of her mother's companions gently, bit by bit, first removing her mother's hand from her elbow, then imparting some witty addition to their train of conversation and finishing with some excuse of food or drink. She steps away finally with a measured step, eyes falling only briefly on the Weyrwoman and her escort before she anticipates E'sere's next move and drifts toward the wine tables, ducking through couples and groups to pick out a winding path. When she reaches the refreshments, though, she's lost track of her quarry. But has found another. Reyce. Eyebrows lift and she pauses behind some extravagantly dressed Caucus girl, waiting her turn for the wine as she watches him, smile just beginning to show.
Essdara smiles to Syn, "You don't look any stupider than I do, Synnie. I've always told you you were beautiful and should show that off more." She turns her head towards N'tai, grinning now, "You'll find a way I am sure, N'tai. I'm not one to fuss over such things." If the comment makes little sense, it could be attributed to the load name that is called, and her distracted look towards the shouting man, R'vain. A small smile, then. "Would you all excuse me a moment?" She says quietly to her friends, as she moves in his direction.
J'sek realises that in the ever increasing size of the crowd, he may have missed a few words directed to him or confused one for the other. In any case, he now notes Aelan's fading smile as she addresses him again. He is no longer sarcastic, but moreso puzzled. He nods his head politely and gives her a return smile none the less. To N'tai, he chuckles dryly. "Forgive me, then, I blame my nerves." At the offer of cheese and crackers, he waves his hand slightly and in a polite gesture to turn down the offer. Instead, he turns back to Syn and smiles. "Drinks it is then, wait here." And he's gone, slipping through the crowd and towards the refreshments. He's not gone long before returning with two drinks in hand, one immediately being offered to Syn while the other he holds on for himself.
Miniyal arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
Miniyal has arrived.
G'thon arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
G'thon has arrived.
"If you missed much, so did I; we really only just got here," Aida says, squeezing Ginella's hand and giving a rapid shake of her head, free curls bouncing about. "I haven't even gone and said hello to people yet. From what I can tell, it's all still greeting and showing off dresses and oh you look nice." This is related without even a bit of humor, all apparent seriousness. She *is* behaving herself tonight, after all. There's a glance back to Br'ce and T'ral, a hint of relief, and then her attention comes back to Ginella. "Are you up to being social with me?"
Vanya continues to sit quietly in her own corner of the festivities, observing those around her with the objectivity of someone who is new to their midst. She receives her share of smiles from people she's seen around the weyr or treated for small ills in the infirmary. But, despite the smile and nod, she is content to sit and watch. People catch her eye as the move through the crowd, her eyes drawn back to Dara and her friends, very pleased. One loud voice does catch her attention for a moment, and she recognizes Tavaly, at least. The man with her is unknown, however. And then she sees E'sere moving to get a drink. And then returns. If Vanya notes people staring at them, well, it's her thought that they make a striking couple, nothing more.
Aelan looks mostly a little resigned to the lackluster response to her cheerful greeting, smile wry. "Tough crowd," she murmurs bemusedly to Dara, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and turning to take a look over the cavern, tipping her chin up.
Syn smiles and gives a small nod. "Thank you, Dara... I don't think you look stupid at all." She offers, glancing over at N'tai and quirking a brow at the offer. She gives a polite little smile but says nothing of it. Her eyes follow J'sek as he takes off. She sighs softly, peeking at N'tai again her head tilting slight before she accepts the drink from J'sek. "Thank you." She smiles and takes a small sip.
N'tai returns with good humor, "I blame a room full of people all talking and--" Pause long enough for R'vain's roar. "Bellowing from time to time. --Did you want me to get a drink for you, Aelan? It'd make me feel useful?" When Essdara cuts off he, like a proper male adolescent, looks over a couple of heads to watch her leave, then abruptly finds something else pretty with which to distract himself. For just a second, he makes an effort to catch Aida's attention from across the room and toss a nod in that direction.
That's one way to get attention. Tav is caught, turning so fast that her long hair, complete with a rather elegant braided-crown about the back of her head, flows in an arc behind her. "He won't mind. He understand he'll only be watching tonight. I owe a couple people dances, anyway." And she pauses, then, beside the tall man and sweeps the crowd. Ah! There's Dara! Dance number 2, right there.
Yevide stands near the entrance still, although she settles herself carefully to one side where she will do no harm; just now, watching is the Weyrwoman's game, and she tilts up her chin to take a survey of the crowd as she awaits her drink. She is noting, perhaps, who stands where, and who looks where; there are eyes to be met, gazes lingering upon her from time to time. Several of these are met with a quirk of a smile that's more mischief than maternal, a lift of one brow. Then she's arranging herself into an attitude of attention as E'sere returns, reaching out to claim her glass. "Thank you, E'sere." His title is long gone, his name drawn out thoughtfully.
It's odd couples night at the living cavern, and the latest arrival in that theme comes in the form of the former weyrleader and, on his arm, the former head of records. Perhaps it's their sharing of not entirely willingly retired statuses that brought them together. Whatever the case, Gans and Miniyal arrive from the lower caverns; before they even step out into the light the old man has managed to put on the old one-sided smile and old bright-eyed pleasantness that he's worn, with a not-quite-turn-long exception quite recently, at every social gathering to which he's ever been called. A few more paces into the room, enough to clear the entrance for more people coming through, G'thon turns to his companion and murmurs a question: "Will you make a few visits with me, or would you like to be let free to find your parents?" Not that they won't find her.
Reyce is one of those who spares a glance for R'vain's yelling, but only a glance. First and foremost in his list of priorities is the need to get a drink, although it doesn't seem to matter what kind of drink he gets - he happens on a Benden wine by chance, simply because it's the closest bottle. His shoulders are tense while he pours, however, and eventually he shoots a quick look behind him that brings Issa into view again. A pause there, a small shrug, and he moves back towards her place in the line. He stops just next to her, eyeing her dress appreciatively over the rim of his wineglass as he drinks.
See how well she pretends to be perfectly fine with this? No, really. She's hardly craning her neck around for the wine at all. Maybe a little. Still, Miniyal is here, in her pretty new dress (picked out by mama, perhaps, but it doesn't look so bad) on the arm of a man. "Oh, they'll find me," she answers softly with a wane smile up to the former weyrleader. "I could accompany you. If you're sure."
"You're welcome" J'sek says in a kind reply to Syn before glancing back to N'tai as he settles into a comfortable standing position. "You've got a point there." he says after the noise calms ever so slightly. If that's even possible. The weyrling then glances a little around the caverns, before glancing back to Syn. He sips at his drink slightly, before saying rather out of the blue. "The dress does suit you well, Syn. Are you enjoying yourself?" And still he's oblivious to any new arrivals, provided someone doesn't beging talking about it within his hearing range and perk his interest.
"Oh," replies R'vain, a little dumbly. Maybe a lot dumbly. He blinks a time or two at Tavaly-- then gathers what passes for composure and gives her his arm. "Now, then? Or d'you want t'get him an, er-- " The Weyrlingmaster glances at the table that the greenrider's set aside for T'zen to hold his court at and frowns. "-- plate or something," finishes R'vain lamely. "First." He is so far blissfully unaware of Essdara's approach. Ignorance. Bliss. Yes.
"If I let you get me a drink, how am I going to extricate myself from painfully polite conversations?" Aelan smirks as she responds teasingly to N'tai, crossing her arms unthinkingly across her chest. "Oh, wait. I can drink all of it, and then get smashingly..." She trails off, replacing the wicked grin with a vapidly polite smile as one of the etiquette instructors passes before finishing. "Pleasant replacing it. On second thought, if you're offering, some white wine wouldn't go amiss," she grins.
"Uneth will let me know when he's ready to come up. And he's not allowed a lot of party food. Healer's orders." Tav explains, slipping one strong arm over one that nearly dwarfs it. "So, I wait." As she has. "Did you want a drink, R'vain?" Dumb. Question. She glances around the cavern, pensive, then turns her attention fully to the Weyrlingmaster. There's a decent smile.
"I had better be by now," replies Gans drily, and begins into the crowd with Miniyal at his side.. Their first target should probably be the Weyrwoman or, were he present, the Weyrleader - but instead G'thon leads them toward the Headmaster's assistant and those she's nearabouts. Perhaps he cannot be blamed for wishing to avoid his prior lover with the current one's hand on his arm.
Syn smiles more, taking another sip as she relaxes. She lets out a small sigh and glances about idly. Her gaze rests away from J'sek as he speaks, her cheeks darken then and a glance over towards him. "Oh... Thank you, J'sek. I am.. Just a bit nervous still." She offers, glancing downwards and keeping her gaze there for now. "How about you?"
"My pleasure, Weyrwoman," E'sere agrees, and while he does not presume such familiarity as to use her name, the title is infused with warmth to match hers, and accompanied by another smile as he again takes up his post at her elbow. Like her, he turns a glance to the crowd, noting people and their finery, and finally leaning in slightly to remark, "A good crowd; I'm pleased. We should have done this earlier." Party, perhaps, or perhaps he means to indicate their current togetherness, as he reaches out to brush a hand along her lower back.
Medina arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
Medina has arrived.
Up to the tense pair, greenrider and bronze, comes a third wheel. Essdara, a bright smile on her face, comes to rest just next to them with a smile that would kill a diabetic. "Tavaly, Weyrlingmaster." She says, in a polite voice full of syrup. "I hope you are both enjoying yourselves? It's a lovely evening for a party, and so far it's been rather enjoyable." A grin to Tavaly. "I'm sure some juice would be lovely for him, don't you think? He does look rather a bit wan under there. Probably all the work he has to do keeping the weyrlings out of trouble... As possible as THAT is!"
N'tai, amused, "Should I ask for a glass or the whole skin?" Vaguely aware of the abrupt change, he looks after the etiquette instructor that wrought the disruption in Aelan's train of thought, half-smiles, and tries to flag down someone with wine. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he just starts elbowing through the crowd and actually hunting one down, a very unpretty but effective way to accomplish it.
Miniyal will follow along and she is certainly /not/ going to complain about this. Her eyes don't veer much left or right. It's much easier to keep looking forward so you've no excuse, well, fewer, to cut and run. She is here and here she will be. Until she can escape. It's not possible she will /not/ escape, although with an accomplice now. However, since they are merely moving through the crowd and not to their destination, she can laugh softly and gently bump her hip against her companion's. "People can always change their mind, Gans. I refuse to allow it to simply be a woman's prerogative."
J'sek seems almost slightly amused at Syn's reaction to his comments and takes a longer sip at his drink before replying. "Don't be nervous. Have fun. I heard there's to be dancing too." he says, rambling on a bit before chuckling softly. "Yeah. I'm enjoying it. Nice change in pace." He then shifts somewhat in place, tugging at his vest slightly. "Although I'm not used to being dressed up like this."
Aelan's grin broadens at the mention of a whole skin, brows rising as though she's seriously considering saying yes to that. "On second thought," she chuckles after a moment. "Let's stick with glasses. It might get suspicious if I started squirting it right out of the skin. More chance of getting it on the dress, too." Her smile slips crooked with amusement as N'tai takes off throught the crowd, craning her neck to track his progress.
R'vain might just choke a bit before answering, a little dumbstruck in the headlight glare of Tavaly's full attention, so his answer is very simple. "Yes." And when Essdara comes up she'll find him looking down at the greenrider on his arm a little as if he's not sure whether she might open up her mouth and EAT him, and even less sure as to whether he might like it if she did. So, to be totally frank, the kitchen girl's arrival is a welcome relief-- one R'vain takes all kinds of pleasure in. "Essdara," he replies, after the obligatory moment in which he must adjust the joint of his jaw and stare over the shape of her so richly dressed. "Me? Wan? Well. It's crowded in here," he remarks, as excuse, and his temples glisten a bit, damp. Someone say a prayer that the women will chat nicely and let him slip off for a nip of something strong!
"There's my starlight!" Tav says as Dara finally comes into view. It's when she draws near that Tav's arm slips from R'vain's and a hug is instantly offered her sister-friend. "Thank you, by the way. The breadrolls this morning, I mean. Made a good breakfast." She leans back to see the girl better, beaming. "Yea, we'll do, huh? Clean up nice, don't we?" She laughs and kisses Dara's cheek warmly.
N'ka enters from the bowl outside.
N'ka has arrived.
Issa lets Reyce stare, her left hand placed across the tight fabric at her hip while her right is intentionally placed behind, hidden in the folds of her skirt. "Well?" she prompts then, as those in line in front of her dissipate and the way is left open for her to get her own drink. She pushes forward and bends over the table, that hidden hand required to come forward now to help with the stopper on one of the lesser used bottles, a stronger, rarer Tillek red. A glass is glugged out gently, left hand carefully stemming the flow once it's half full, as her eyes dance sideways over her shoulder, expectantly.
"Oh, okay. Maybe not much then," Ginella says, smiling. She looks around the place as Aida describes what she's seen so far, and nods. "Looks like it to me," she agrees, that hint of humour absent from the other girl's tone present in her own. She glances at the boys as Aida does, rolling her eyes as she hears 'Susannah' mentioned, and nods. "I am!" she agrees, patting T'ral on the shoulder and whispering in his ear. He nods, gives her hand a little squeeze, mumbles something about a dance later, and then his attention is back on Br'ce. Ginella shifts past him and eyes Aida, waving at the crowd. "Who were you hoping to be social with first?"
K'rom enters from the bowl outside.
K'rom has arrived.
As the crowd grows, Vanya seems to more than ever be grateful for having found a relatively quiet spot by the wall. After all, every party needs a wall-flower, and Vanya has no difficulty fulfilling the role. In fact, seems comfortable with it s she watches the interplay between this group, that couple. She appears to recognize knots rather than people, positions if not the individual themselves. She takes a deep breath, relaxing. This is where she is able to see the comings and goings and slip out if she chooses, to check on those still in the infirmary. To maybe take them a few safer tidbits or brighten their night with chatting about the party they cannot attend.
Waylaid, N'tai has to explain to a well-meaning but bothersome wine servant who has some words about giving glasses to a weyrling 'cause he doesn't want to get in trouble and he's not sure he should be and so on and so forth. Eventually, after much gesticulating toward Aelan and frequent rolls of his eyes, he procures a glass of wine and a cup of juice. "It's a good thing you didn't ask for the skin," he says on squeezing his way back toward where he left Aelan, holding her glass out to her like it's the Holy freaking Grail.
Medina wanders into the room from the direction of the dorms. It is the only indication that she has not come directly from the end of her shift in the infirmary, to the party. She is her usual, neat self, in her usual, neat clothes. She stands at the doorway a second, before spying Vanya, and directs her wander over there. "Hi." She says, then falls silent. She has forgotten to pick up a refreshment on the way, and seems not sure what to do with her hands.
Essdara returns Tavaly's hug easily, if a bit fiercely. "I look out for my family, Tava, and you are well and truly that." A blushing smile to the greenrider as she is compliment. "You look lovely." Her gaze moves back to R'vain. "Both of you do. I think he cleans up even better than we do, don't you think Tavaly?"
"We should," Yevide murmurs, and raises her glass as though in a toast; a short sip follows that gesture, and an appreciative smile. She's seeking out reactions now, from beneath lowered lashes, playing coy while watching the crowd around them with veiled interest. "We should dance, I think." Her surveillance has paid off, and she's located a couple of targets; now she indicates them with small nods. Ginella, Aelan. The girls with rank. Then, in an odd addition, Issa. "Pick yourself a partner, before I take my turn."
Syn glances at J'sek once more, smiling. "I'm trying not to be..." She says, giving a small nervous grin and taking another sip of her drink. "I'm glad you are as well.." A pause and her head nods. "I'm not used to it either.. It's strange." The weyrling takes a nervous sip at her drink, "I take it we're just going to stand here then..?"
N'ka enters the crowd, likely unnoticed. He's got an arm around K'rom's shoulders, and it seems the pair of them are headed straight for the food. Friends? Bah. Food first. "Anything in particular?" he asks, navigating the room with only minimal frustration.
No whispers to Br'ce on Aida's part, just a reassuring smile. When Ginella returns and is ready to go, she starts to turn and step in the direction of Aelan and where N'tai was -- but he's not there, and here comes Miniyal and G'thon. "I think that's out of our hands," she comments, and though she does manage to get a handful of paces away from her original position when she stops, she does stop. "I /want/ to say hello to -- to some of the Weyrlings." There's only a hint of a complaint in her voice there, and it's wiped away by her smile that is put on for those approaching.
At Medina's approach, Vanya looks up and smiles. "Medina, so nice to see you out and about. Get yourself something to eat and drink, then join me, if you wish. Relax. Everything is good in the infirmary, and we can be spared for the evening." She seems genuinely glad to see the other healer. Perhaps she won't be alone in her role of quiet observer.
"My mind is notoriously difficult to change," replies G'thon in that same dry tone. And then they've approached Aida, so also Ginella, and the rest of the crowd from Benden. Whomever they might have hoped to be social with first, the former weyrleader seems bent on taking the honors. "Weyrwoman," greets Ginella, and G'thon nods once his head to her; then Aida gets a little warmer remark. "Aida." Apparently she is known enough that he can place name with face unaided.
Tavaly smiles again to Dara, sneaking a hand into the girl's, then. "I think when he's sober, he does better with a scrub brush." She leans in and whispers to the girl, then slides an arm over her shoulder. Whether its possession or 'Dara, help, I feel awkward and I'm wearing a skirt', the look on Tav's face is purely neutral with a dash of glee. "So. Who were you talking to, over there?" Gossip gossip.
Miniyal's head tilts to the side and she casts a sidelong glance up at G'thon. "I shall keep that in mind," she tells him and then they have arrived. At, a group. Oh, my. A /group/. Not one person or even two. So, she finds somewhere a polite expression, even a smile although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Standing beside G'thon she keeps her arm with his and nods her head to those being greeted. They shall have to settle for this as a verbal greeting is not forthcoming.
J'sek laughs softly, not something to common for him to do. But it's quickly subdued back into chuckling as he looks back to Syn with an amused smile. "Shells no." he replies. "Well, unless you want to. As I said, there is dancing, apparantly..." An invitation? Perhaps. His drink is sipped at again, but his eyes still seem to focus on the other weyrling. After a moment, he adds in "It's not everyday we'll get to attend gatherings like this. Might as well not waste it standing still for every hour of it, right?" Right.
K'rom smiles at N'ka as he waves at a couple of weyrlings he sees and giggles, "Well, other than a pastry or two? Maybe some wherry and some fruit....." Kie's arm is around N'ka's waist and he gives the brownrider a squeeze, "What about you?"
"I got farther t'go from everyday to 'cleaned up,'" grunts R'vain toward Essdara. Their embrace seems to fascinate him a bit-- that's not predictable or anything-- but something else has him awkward a moment, raising a paw again to swipe up the back of his hair. "Ladies," a title to which greenriders and cooks are elevated by the addition of skirts, "I got t'go pay my respects or be in worse trouble than before." Before /what/ he does not explain. "Maybe I can bring you drinks on my way back." And the Weyrlingmaster slinks away through the crowd-- more or less, meanderingly, headed for Yevide.
Reyce rotates as Issa moves past him and pours out her wine, giving the view from the back as much consideration as the view from the front before he responds. "Worth coming for." At the same moment Yevide is indicating the greenrider, Reyce is sidestepping around her, drawing his hand along her back (and finding the lines of exposed skin there). He leans over to watch her pour wine; not, it would seem, because this is such a fascinating thing to watch, but because this is a handy excuse for proximity as he leans in next to her ear.
At Yevide's invitation, E'sere follows her gaze to each girl in turn, studying them a moment and then moving on to the rest of the crowd. "If you'd rather not exercise your right just yet, Weyrwoman," he agrees after a moment. "But I /have/ promised away a couple of dances already, before we..." He trails off, still watching the crowd, and finally takes another small step back, away from the goldrider. "If you'll excuse me." He inclines his head slightly to the woman, and then steps further away, turning on his heel to stride through the crowd again, on his way toward one wall and a particular couple of those hovering against it.
"The weyrlings?" Ginella asks, sounding a touch surprised. Perhaps she's only surprised to see G'thon and Miniyal approaching them. "Sir," Ginella replies, with a polite inclination of her head at G'thon's greeting. See how she cleanly avoids picking a name or title to use? Behind the girls, T'ral and Br'ce stand, saluting appropriately and waiting on a nod or something before retaking their seats. "Miniyal." The woman is greeted with a faint, friendly-ish smile. "Are you two enjoying the evening? I've heard there is some very fine Benden wine up there, tonight."
"You win," Aelan grins appreciatively at N'tai, smile rueful. "Thanks." She takes a sip of the wine, carefully judicious for now, before shifting her weight to one foot, standing hipshot as she starts to settle in. "So. N'tai. And...I'm sorry, my mind isn't all with me tonight. Dara said it was...Borath? Brown, right?" she asks.
"Sober is the only way I've known him... And the only way I will." Dara says, grining to Tavaly. Another appraising look over the man, a hungry edge to the look this time. "And I definately approve of the extra attention paid." At the greenrider's question, Dara smiles. "Well, you know the weyrlings. The beautiful woman in red, sitting by herself over there, that's Vanya. New healer here, but an absolute sweetheart. Oh, of course you'd know her. R'vain, though, you need to meet -" She stops; where'd he go, anyway? A shrug, and back to Tavaly. "N'tai's a good friend. Syn, well. You know my history there. Aelan, the girl with N'tai there, she'll take over Keroon someday, mark my words. And they all have promised me dances! Well, 'cept Syn, but that's as it is."
N'ka grins and answers, "You have to ask? Wherry of course." The sea of residents is wiggled through, and they finally find themselves at some food. "If I can find any among all this... stuff." He pokes at something mysterious, but finally finds a bit of wherry beneath it all and helps himself, plate in hand. "Did you eat already? Because I'm famished." He opts to unwrap his arm from K'rom in order to better serve himself, eyeing something green warily.
Medina looks down at her hands, where they fiddle in front of the part of her that would for the lap, were she sitting down. It is as if she has just noticed their empty state. She glances back up at Vanya, gives her a smile, and /almost/ dashes off to find food and drink, before a friend she has found will disappear. Almost. "Can I get you anything while I'm there?" She remembers her manners.
N'tai, as an aside to J'sek, "I'll hold that for you if you want." Meaning the drink, indicated by way of a tip of his own benign glass toward J'sek's. All back to Aelan when she speaks, he smiles attentively and answers, "Boranth, actually. But that's pretty close, and he is brown, yes. I'd introduce you, but there's not really room for all the people in here, let alone dragons, and he's pretty scapegrace." He scrunches up the scarred side of his face indicatively. "Another time? --Do you dance?"
Yevide replies to E'sere with a smile - yet another small gesture put on show, raising her glass to him by way of farewell. She turns her head to watch him weave away through the crowd, one hand coming up so that she can touch the heavy gold torq around her neck, running a fingertip along the design. Her escort disappears from view, but still the Weyrwoman makes no move to join a conversation; she is enjoying playing the spectator tonight, and she is watching R'vain approach.
Syn laughs softly, shaking her head. "I hate standing around for too long." She says, pausing and blinking at the other weyrling. Her cheeks flush then. "Well, I guess we could dance, but... I probably won't be very good. I never dance much..." She takes another sip of her drink and gives a nod of her head. "True." She glances away for a moment before returning her gaze towards J'sek.
"That's okay. I'm first on that list." Tav says proudly, looping her arm with Dara's and beaming like the cat who caught the mouse. "Weyrlings cleaned up well, too. Good." Approval. "Wow.. Vanya's purdy, too. More so, I mean." Her eyes are everywhere.. There're just so many people to gawk at.
"I have already partaken, but take your time and I'll hold you a place here in my cubby hole. I've only promised one dance tonight, and I somehow think that won't happen for awhile, if at all." No indication who it might be. "I've some things to discuss, if you don't mind a little shop talk at a party?" Vanya smiles and gives Medina a shooing motion. "Get food, get drink, be sociable if you like. I'll wait."
"Boranth," Aelan corrects herself quickly, nodding once to set the name in her mind. "I'll try to remember that properly." Her smile is apologetic for the mistake, though it slips crooked with amusement at the latter question. "I dance...sort of?" she laughs. "They've put a lot of effort into training me to do it right, but I'm far from perfect. But since Dara's volunteered to take the toe-crushing stance, you might have a good chance of surviving it," she adds, hopefully.
K'rom giggles and nods at N'ka as he unwraps his arms as well to get a plate, "Wherry. Of course. I really haven't eaten much, so I am definitely hungry." Kie eys the pastries first and sighs, trying to settle on something healthy right now.
"Beautiful, you mean." Dara says, with a wistful look to the healer. "But alas, more interested in bronzeriders than cooking girls. But she's responsible for me looking my best tonight, and so she gets my first dance. Which, now it comes to that, is long overdue. Would you excuse me, dearheart, that I might drag her out of her corner?"
"Whyever would you think that?" E'sere asks as he steps free of the crowd at last and arrives at Vanya's side, casting her a warm, bemused smile. He offers Medina a quicker version of that grin as well before asking, "Would you rather I fetched your drinks--I don't mind?"
"Sir," Aida puts on a warm smile in response to the greeting to her, dipping her head politely to go with it. "Miniyal. It's so lovely to see you both." Her glass is lifted to the former head of records, and then she's taking a light sip from it. With politeness attended to with a good deal of warmth mixed in, she glances sidelong to Ginella and notes, "Yes, the weyrlings." She even sends a glance that way to indicate who she's speaking about. Still, it's only a beat before she's pulling full attention back up to G'thon and Miniyal.
R'vain is ill-accustomed to the burn of eyes upon him, or at least to being enough present of mind to feel their burn. His pace slows a little beneath the heat of Yevide's awareness, but he approaches her anyway, forcing himself upstream through the crowd until of a sudden he comes out into the conversational bubble of privacy that seems to be afforded the Weyrwoman. Without a drink, he finds his paws useless and very nearly stuffs them into his pockets-- or tries-- there are no pockets where they would be in his riding jacket. "Weyrwoman," he greets her, voice gruff and gravely, and after that seems at a loss for words.
Act II: Show-Stopper
When: Day 22, month 6, turn two of the seventh Pass.
Where: The living caverns at High Reaches Weyr.
What: A celebration at High Reaches turns deadly.
Prologue: In the former weyrleader's quarters (G'thon and Miniyal)
The living cavern has been done up simply, but beautifully. Flowers gathered from locally and farther off are set on tables and arranged in wreaths and bouquets on the walls. The tables have been rearranged and the area in the center of the room has been designated a dance floor. Here and there someone has set up screens to create the illusion of privacy. Someplace a small group or a couple might go to for a moment to confer without seeing all prying eyes on them. It is, however, mostly an illusion. But a prettily decorated one.
N'tai's taken up a post on one of the tables along the back wall, one pushed out of the way to make room and so now only halfway useful for actually sitting and eating. Like a few other people, he elects to sit /on/ the table instead of /at/ it, his feet on top of a chair, his butt on top of the table, his attention on all the pretty party dresses twirling on the dance floor.
Speaking of pretty party dresses, in comes Essdara, walking next to Vanya. She is standing, as she has been instructed, staight and tall, and while she sports a smile on her face it is one full of nerves and fear, eyes glancing around the bustling caverns with an almost paniced look. "Vanya, you know, maybe I should be in the kitchens helping out more with the cooking. I mean, I don't want to be accused of shirking or anything like that, even if it is my rest day..."
Aelan enters from the bowl outside.
Aelan has arrived.
"Nonsense," Vanya replies, shaking her head. "You know very well the staff can handle everything, and this night is for you to shine. Silly wherry, you sound as bad as I do." She /should/ be in the infirmary, but she was /ordered/ to take the night off, and so she has.
Issa has arrived.
Speaking of ordering. N'tai flags down a passing serving girl with a tray of cheese and other party favor kinda foods, submitting her to ample flattery as he off-loads a fair portion of her offerings on to a ridiculously small party plate. As he's clamoring back to his seat, he aims a peer across the room, spots a pair of Christmas dresses-- that'd be the red and green duo of Vanya and Essdara-- and hails 'em with a wave, already pushing himself off in that direction.
Aelan is marched in along with the students of one of the etiquette classes, lingering, as usual, near the back of the line and slightly out of step. As soon as instructions have been handed out, the Keroon girl rolls her eyes slightly and promptly breaks away from the class as a whole with strides whose length and purpose don't match her attire.
Essdara snorts, softly. "They always mess up when I'm not there." But it's a thin argument at best; she doesn't really .want. to leave after all. N'tai's wave is noticed, and she turns towards him with a sunny smile. "Hello there, Brownrider! I see you decided to join us after all!" She motions at Vanya, "Have you met Vanya, the weyr's latest Journeyman Healer? Van, this is N'tai, one of our weyrlings and a very good friend of mine. His little Boranth was the prettiest of the hatchlings this past clutch."
"Very pleased to meet you, N'tai," Vanya replies, offering a slight curtsey, which is worthy of any holder hall. "You look very nice tonight," she adds, eyeing the small plate of food. "Oh, everything looks so delicious. Our Dara here was just saying she should be in the kitchens helping. I do hope I can trust you to convince her otherwise?" Gracious, manners learned years ago at Ruatha. Poor relations of the Lord Holder can't afford to offer embarrassment by not knowing how to act, after all.
"I figure someone has to put on a good show. I left J'sek and Asynnida-- sorry. /Syn/." Smirk. "In the barracks, debating on whether or not she has to wear a dress." N'tai says it with full emphasis on the folly of ill-mannered youths, sigh. Deftly, he proffers the plate toward Vanya when she makes mention of it, tilting it graciously toward the healer even while saying, "Pleasure's mine, miss. Please. Have some. --Few things'd make me quite so happy as convincing Dara to have a good time." With a quicksilver brow-raise toward Essdara.
J'sek enters from the bowl outside.
J'sek has arrived.
Syn enters from the bowl outside.
Syn has arrived.
Aelan searches the cavern for something to do that looks like she's doing her part of helping the party along with the rest of the students, yet doesn't involve /actual/ etiquette. And in her search, she finds...food! Yes, food. And nearby, even better, Essdara. "Dara!" she calls over with a swift grin, quickly covering her mouth as she speaks more loudly than she intended. "Dara, I almost didn't recognize you," she says as she comes closer, smile broad. She's slow to realize there are others with her friend, pausing sheepishly. "Hello," she adds with a brief wiggle of her fingers, casual.
A bright grin from Dara to N'tai, "My dear, I am sure you will find innumerable ways to make my evening pass pleasantly." She might say more, but another voice, and a friend's approach, distracts her. She beams happily at Aelan and steps forward to offer the girl a hug, "Hey there beautiful! And of course you don't recognise me. Vanya here has set about making sure I actually look like a girl for once!" A glance over Aelan, slowly taking her in. "And not just me it seems. You look lovely. Have you met Vanya and N'tai? She's our new healer, and he's Weyrling to brown Boranth." She turns back to her other friends, "Vanya, N'tai, this is Aelan, someday Lady of Keroon Hold, one of the caucus' students and a dear, if rarely seen, friend!"
Yevide enters from the bowl outside.
Yevide has arrived.
Issa enters the flower-draped living cavern, but not in the normal fashion at all. She's prettily dressed in her grey gown, feminine and formal, which is a rarity in itself, and comes from the lower caverns, the opposite direction from the one that would be expected of the greenrider. And instead of being escorted, she herself plays the escort, the aging female harper taking up her elbow dressed in a much cheerier color of pink. They slowly meander up into the gathering crowd, interrupting a swirling flow of crafters as they turn to deal out their greetings.
Vanya turns to the Lady and offers a curtsey. "Well met, my Lady," she says in a perfectly cultured voice, bespeaking manners and a good upbringing. She remains silent after that, allowing Dara to carry the conversation, as she glances around, looking for familiar faces and at all the beautiful clothes.
Aida arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
Aida has arrived.
N'tai, at the words 'Lady' and 'Caucus,' delivers Aelan a socially correct smile, perfect aside from the twinge to the right side of his face. "Ah, our benefactor, then? Good to meet you, someday Lady." The dip of his head is low enough to interpret as the beginning of a bow if we're being especially formal. "So you're responsible for putting Dara in green then?" he asks, back to Vanya with a conversational tilt of his head. "Gracious of you. I'd always heard green was unlucky, but obviously..." < Insert joke about getting lucky here. >
They enter... together. The Weyrleader is nowhere in sight yet, but the Weyrwoman is not without an escort. She is laughing as she appears at the entrance to the living cavern, clad in rich blue; this is not what is noteworthy about her, however. Yevide's arm is draped across E'sere's, and the pair have their heads together, laughing quietly; they are caught in their private joke, and only belatedly do they look up to survey the living cavern, and those already arrived.
R'vain has arrived.
"And you're happy," Aelan laughs, accepting the hug and returning it tightly before stepping back for proper introductions. "Hopefully Lady someday," she corrects. "It's sort of the whole purpose to sending me here." Her smile is rueful as she looks from Vanya to N'tai, nodding to each in turn. "Pleasure to meet you both. Aelan, please," she adds, smile vaguely pained at the titles. "And Healer Vanya, you have done a /wonderful/ job with Dara."
J'sek slowly enters the living caverns and to his side is another weyrling, one he's got his head slightly bent towards as he speaks quietly to her. "Nothing's wrong, okay? Try to enjoy yourself. Lighten up." he then smiles lightly before straightning up and giving a long, passing glance, to the various decorations and the already assembled group of people of various ranks. Now it's time for J'sek to look a little nervous and he tugs slightly on his shirt for a moment before continuing on. Having spotted N'tai, barely, among the crowd, J'sek begins to head towards him and yet overhears the last snippet of a conversation. Keroon, mostly, seems to cause the weyrling to make a slight detour. Glancing back to the weyrling who accompanied him here, he chuckles nervously. "So...any spot in particular you heading for?"
Essdara rolls her eyes at Aelan, and stands a bit straighter, her voice taking on a mock-haughty tone. "I, Aelan, am the picture of happiness at all times. The very paragon of cheerfulness and delight." N'tai gets a smirk, "You'll have to play nicer than that for that kind of result, brownrider. But we'll see when it comes time for a dance!" A glance around, and a small grimace as she spots Yevide - and the man on her arms. Still, polite is polite. "There you go, Vanya. Looks like your favourite wingleader has himself a nice date for the evening."
"I but gave her the dress, m'am," Vanya replies. "The rest is all Essdara herself." She glances to N'tai, and smiles. "I would seem that green most certainly is a lucky color," she remarks. "As for myself, being a healer I figured that blood red was appropriate." There's a sparkle to her eyes and a laugh for the small joke.R'vain prowls in from the direction to be expected-- outside. The weather's been good to High Reaches today; the Weyrlingmaster needs no coat to protect his clothes from rain, snow, sleet, or anything else wet and unpleasant prone to falling from the accursed sky. Despite all this good luck, the red-topped man has on an expression that telegraphs certain disgust. Maybe it has something to do with wearing something other than leathers. To be truthful he does-- once he's had a moment to get his bearings and understand the nature of the gathering this far-- move a little as if he's afraid of treading on his own trouser-cuffs, stalking predictably toward any table identified as offering beverages. Grumbling all the way.
Syn moves before J'sek, giving him a look with a wrinkle of her nose. "I'll try..." She murmurs softly, giving a small shake of her head. She takes to idly following the other weyrling before he glances back at her. "Ah.. No.. Not really..." She says softly, casting a quick glance around. "I'll follow you, I guess." She offers towards J'sek, keeping her tone soft.
Tavaly enters from the infirmary.
Tavaly has arrived.
Reyce enters from the bowl outside.
Reyce has arrived.
E'sere makes a striking complement to Yevide, the two of them in their finest blues as they enter. He seems quite relaxed, at home on the woman's arm as they enter engaged in conversation. It's only absently that he notes the crowd, the first few looks in their direction, offering a brief nod to the boldest starers before he glances back at the woman on his arm. "You were right," he murmurs to her, grinning broadly. "The center of attention indeed."
N'tai's standing around with a cluster of girls, naturally, in the midst of Essdara, Vanya, and Aelan, holding a plate of happy party treats from which he's not eating at the moment. "Suppose blood red's appropriate. What color is abject terror?" he enjoins with a droll chuckle to play along. On mention of Yevide, he turns in the direction Essdara's gesturing, catching sight of J'sek in the process. "How'd it work out?" he asks across the distance.
/Ma'am/? Aelan looks more-than-vaguely discomfited by that title, though she manages to force her smile to remain. At Dara's note towards the door, she twists to look over, a faint smile finding her features, proud. "See? I knew they'd start to integrate eventually," she says cheerfully. "You'll see, it'll all work out in the end." A smile is flashed for N'tai's joke, brief, before she's looking around at the arrivals again.
Issa is full of gentle laughs and polite nods for these friends of her mother as they stand surrounded, the older women exchanging chattering soliloquies to each other about the gorgeous tone of one dress or the unique cut of another while the greenrider silently indulges them. She lifts her head from the conversation at hand a few times, idly noting those faces sweeping past them. But this time, she pauses, eyes finding across the room the Weyrwoman and the wingleader, arm in arm together. And laughing. A strange picture they make, to her, for she quirks an eyebrow in their direction, but soon she's pulled back down into the chattering by her mother's tug at her elbow. When she can spare them, sly glances are stolen at this new coupling, but otherwise, she's occupied by her more immediate companions.
Ginella enters from the bowl outside.
Ginella has arrived.
Aida slips in with Br'ce, really she does, clinging to his arm and contenting herself with speaking quietly with the man. The two get wine and find somewhere out of the way, apparently settling in to watch the party more than participate in it for the moment.
J'sek frowns a little at Syn's reply and quickly glances around the caverns again as if trying to spot something. Or someone? Who knows, but N'tai's question is overheard, barely, and the weyrling moves a little closer to him, arms held out a little. "Quite well, thank you." he says, neither amused nor fully sarcastic. He misses the entrance of many more arrivals, too distracted by other issues. Back to Syn, he smiles lightly and gestures vaguely in the direction of food or beverage. "Maybe some food or drink? I could go snatch something quick, save you the trouble."
Quietly up from the lower caverns, Tavaly begins the act of shuffling a table around so that, when T'zen awakens, he'll have his own throne. A small tag at the center has it reserved already, but.. better to make sure. She shuffles about, unused to the way a skirt swishes around her legs. In truth, she feels like a vegetable. And look! There's the carrot! Spotting R'vain, Tav pardon-me's her way through the gathered to place her hand at his elbow. "You owe me a dance." She informs him rather factually.
Following Dara's look, Vanya sees E'sere and and the lady he escorts, then laughs. "You tease, Dara. Wingleader E'sere is merely some one who has been very kind to help me understand the weyr. A friend. I have no favorites." Her expression is neutral and relaxed. She does note the faintest change in Aelan's expression, and smiles. "You look lovely this evening, Aelan. I'm so pleased to meet you. But, I'm for something to eat. I admit I'm famished."
And Yevide? She shoots E'sere a sidelong smile, the corner of her mouth tugged up in something that's pure mischief; her hand tightens on his arm in a visible squeeze, and her head tilts in so she can murmur her reply. "Let them look, Wingleader," is her offering; then more loudly, as she lifts her chin to try and see over the heads of the crowd, "I would like a drink, before a dance."
Essdara, standing with Aelan, N'tai, and Vanya, is chatting and laughing in a cheerful way. A glance towards Aelan, and a thin smile. "It's nice to think so, we should certainly hope for it." Her gaze then follows N'tai's, to J'sek and Syn, with a raised brow. "Never thought I'd see the day." She says, jus loud enough for the group around her to hear. But, she looks back to Vanya easily enough, "You can eat?! Me, I'm far too nervous, I think if I tried to ingest anything I would make myself a very unpopular, and very embarrassed, woman!" Aelan, then. "Will I get a dance with the Lady tonight? As the only one to grace me last chance, I think it would be fitting you get to tonight?"
The hand at his elbow grabs R'vain's attention as surely as it grabs his arm, and he whips his head Tavaly's way, halting his tread to stare. But not, apparently, at Tavaly-- partway toward looking at her, he winds up catching a glimpse across the crowd at the Wingleader and Weyrwoman all but conjoined at the elbow and hip. The Weyrlingmaster's lip curls in an unpleasant way, baring glaring teeth, and the first part of some even more unpleasant word hisses sibilant between his incisors-- then the hiss fades off, the rest of the word unvoiced, and R'vain gathers enough dignity to put Yevide and her latest stud on ignore so he can tend a smile for Tavaly. "What," he retorts at last to her. "I don't remember losin' a bet t'you."
Ginella enters on T'ral's arm, another cluster of Bendenites following not far behind Aida and Br'ce. They have to sidestep Reyce, or Ginella does, at least, and she manages it without ever actually looking at The Bastard. Instead, she tosses T'ral a quick smile, and they head in the same general direction as the 3C Wingleader and his girl. Wine is gotten, people are greeted, seats are found, they sit. Later, there will probably be dancing, but now, watching and chatting quietly is the order of the day.
Syn gives N'tai a dull look but shifts her attention towards J'sek and gives a small little smile. "That'd be nice.." She gives a small nod. "If it's not too much trouble for you... I could go with you." She offers, giving another smile. The weyrling shifts herself uneasily, glancing idly around for a moment. Spotting Dara, she gives a nervous little smile though quickly looking in another direction.
"Thank you, Vanya," Aelan says with a swift, grateful smile towards the healer, the thanks for more than just the compliment. She laughs at Dara's question then, grin flashing broader for a moment. "If there's dancing, Dara, I think you get first call," she agrees. "That way I won't embarass myself by stepping on anyone else's feet while I'm warming up," she winks, teasing. The approach of the other weyrlings is noted, a curious, interested smile offered in their direction. "Hello," she says cheerfully, stepping towards them and offering a hand in the general direction of J'sek and Syn. "I'm Aelan, and I've been roped into helping with this lovely production. Thank you for coming!" If the cheer in her words rings a little false, at least there's humor to balance it in the wry cast of her smile.
"Any preferences, Weyrwoman?" asks E'sere in turn, quirking a brow as he watches her now, intent on his companion rather than those around them, watching. "I'm afraid I don't yet know your palate's taste, though, personally, I'd suggest the Benden." Pause. "Most people," he amends himself with another crooked smile, "would suggest the Benden." On-lookers continue to be ignored; it's as though, for him, he and Yevide were simply the only ones present.
Vanya excuses herself, making her way to one of the food tables and selecting a few tidbits, then something to drink. After that, she moves to one of the chairs near the wall, slipping into it, and observing from the sidelines while she nibbles at cheese and other delectable things on her plate. Everything looks so wonderful and she seems in good spirits, relaxed as she watches Essdara in her finery hold court. That, above all else, seems to make her happiest.
N'tai shakes his head after Essdara's mumble, commenting something back that's not meant to be shared even with the other ladies in the immediate vicinity. At better volume, "If you're not eating, do you at least want me to get drinks? Either of you?" he offers like a proper li'l gentleman. "As long as you save one for me. Dance, that is." Whether that's to Dara or Aelan is open for debate; probably both.
There is most certainly a hint of relief when Aida catches sight of Ginella and T'ral, and Aida greets both with a wiggle of her fingers before she's practically pouncing on the goldrider. Or, well, reaching out to squeeze her arm and *looking* like she wants to pounce, at least. "You're back!" This certainly holds a note of glee, it does. "You look lovely, Ginella."
Reyce, indeed, has stopped just inside the entrance, creating a thin channel among the newly-arrived party-goers who must step aside to avoid him. He turns his head to the side as Ginella passes, eyeing her with barely restrained dislike and making no move to greet the other Bendenite. Instead, he raises himself and uses his height to fullest advantage, peering at the crowd as he searches for someone - and finds Issa, at last, among a group of older women he'd rather not join. Sinking back down, Reyce slips off to the sidelines in search of a drink.
J'sek shrugs his shoulders slightly. "No. It's not." he says, after a moment or so, in reply to Syn. He's about to add more when his attention is brought to Essdara and her overheard comment. He smirks a little, not sure if it was directed to him, Syn or the two of them together. Either way, the smirk shifts to a smile and he nods his head a little. "Hello to you, too." he says, rather sarcastically. So much for manners? Again, his attention returns to the nervous Syn. "Drinks for now? Any preferences?" he says, loud enough for her to hear.
Yevide presses her lips together thoughtfully, as though weighing some grand decision; the Weyrleader's dragon is struck from the skies, in the infirmary, and the Weyrwoman's attention is firmly centred on the Wingleader - the local - who escorts her tonight. Indeed, she's playing her part to the hilt; her body turned towards him a little, fingers trailing down his arm as she releases him to fetch her a drink. "I will take your recommendation, E'sere."
A soft laugh and a nod to N'tai, wrinkling her nose a bit. "Such is the way of things, my friend." Aelan, though, elicits a bright smile. "Oh, definately so, can't have a party without dancing, and I will do my best to get more of it than last time!" J'sek's approach, and sarcastic comment, causes the smile to fade. "Weyrling." She says, politely, to him. A smile is offered to Syn. "Synnie, you look lovely. I'm glad to see you came out tonight." And, finally, to answer N'tai, "No, thank you. Tonight, I think it best I keep my wits. Can't dance while I am off-balance!" (Essdara)
"You didn't." Tav says to the man, smile dead upon her lips and crumbling like dead leaves being squeezed into the palm of a hand. She lowers her hand and turns from the Weyrlingmaster to follow his sights. What the--ew. "That's kind of..disturbing." She mutters, close enough to herself that only R'vain could possibly pick it out of the din. "And I was joking. I'm sure you've got a long list, and the last thing I want to do is deny you your time." She glances back at the man, smiles in that kind of 'I hate you' way and then begins to toddle off.
"How can I ply you with wine and cleverness if you won't take one and I'm lacking the other?" asks N'tai oh so wittily at Essdara, watching J'sek with a quirked brow at his sarcasm. "Gonna snap at everyone who doesn't proffer a prompt how-d'you-do, J'sek? 'Cause it'll be a long night if so," he says with a particular sort of levity quickly followed by a tilt of his plate of cheese and crackers toward the other weyrlings, mutely offering.
Ginella smiles at Aida, and catches her hand, partly to give it a friendly squeeze, partly, perhaps, to aid in fending the girl off if she attempts to attack. Or pounce. Tackle. Whatever. She -does- look pleased to see her, though, smiling as she nods: "I am back! And thank you, you look lovely yourself, Aida. I couldn't miss the party!" She tilts T'ral a quick grin before letting him twist to talk to Br'ce so she can lean around and talk to Aida. "So, have I missed much? I feel like I'm late. We sort of took our time."
Syn gives Aelan a small nod of her head and a smile before she shifts herself some and glances at Dara and N'tai. Her lips press together in a nervous manner and she takes to lightly chewing on her bottom lip. "Oh.. Drinks for now would be nice.." Her gaze moves to Dara and she flushes a shade of red. "I think I look stupid.. Dara.." She murmurs, "I want to run out. It's nice to see you.."
"A very wise decision, Weyrwoman," E'sere tells Yevide, his solemnity lending a deeper meaning to the words. He regards her a moment longer, offering a quick smile as he backs a step away and then, almost reluctantly, turns to slip through the crowd. He's waylaid relatively little, only sparing a few greetings for those he knows well as he moves easily toward the serving tables. There, it's a simple affair to pour two glasses of the rich red wine, and, with one in each hand, he turns to retrace his steps to the goldrider's side, extending one of the glasses to her. "Weyrwoman--the best vintage I could find. I expect you'll enjoy it."
"TAV." It's a loud cavern. He can roar if he wants to, right? It's only one syllable, anyway. No one will stare. No one will notice R'vain swinging out a paw to aim to try to swipe Tavaly's hand right back to his elbow. Or... actually maybe there will be a tiny bit of staring and maybe R'vain will have to clear his throat, suppress the desire to fill the room with his lungs, and take a step after the greenrider who just glared those holes into his chest. "Come back here," he mutters. "I didn't mean it like that. I just." He paws a hand up the back of his head, having little effect on his haircut. "If you don't think he'd mind. Is all."
Issa extricates herself from the coterie of her mother's companions gently, bit by bit, first removing her mother's hand from her elbow, then imparting some witty addition to their train of conversation and finishing with some excuse of food or drink. She steps away finally with a measured step, eyes falling only briefly on the Weyrwoman and her escort before she anticipates E'sere's next move and drifts toward the wine tables, ducking through couples and groups to pick out a winding path. When she reaches the refreshments, though, she's lost track of her quarry. But has found another. Reyce. Eyebrows lift and she pauses behind some extravagantly dressed Caucus girl, waiting her turn for the wine as she watches him, smile just beginning to show.
Essdara smiles to Syn, "You don't look any stupider than I do, Synnie. I've always told you you were beautiful and should show that off more." She turns her head towards N'tai, grinning now, "You'll find a way I am sure, N'tai. I'm not one to fuss over such things." If the comment makes little sense, it could be attributed to the load name that is called, and her distracted look towards the shouting man, R'vain. A small smile, then. "Would you all excuse me a moment?" She says quietly to her friends, as she moves in his direction.
J'sek realises that in the ever increasing size of the crowd, he may have missed a few words directed to him or confused one for the other. In any case, he now notes Aelan's fading smile as she addresses him again. He is no longer sarcastic, but moreso puzzled. He nods his head politely and gives her a return smile none the less. To N'tai, he chuckles dryly. "Forgive me, then, I blame my nerves." At the offer of cheese and crackers, he waves his hand slightly and in a polite gesture to turn down the offer. Instead, he turns back to Syn and smiles. "Drinks it is then, wait here." And he's gone, slipping through the crowd and towards the refreshments. He's not gone long before returning with two drinks in hand, one immediately being offered to Syn while the other he holds on for himself.
Miniyal arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
Miniyal has arrived.
G'thon arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
G'thon has arrived.
"If you missed much, so did I; we really only just got here," Aida says, squeezing Ginella's hand and giving a rapid shake of her head, free curls bouncing about. "I haven't even gone and said hello to people yet. From what I can tell, it's all still greeting and showing off dresses and oh you look nice." This is related without even a bit of humor, all apparent seriousness. She *is* behaving herself tonight, after all. There's a glance back to Br'ce and T'ral, a hint of relief, and then her attention comes back to Ginella. "Are you up to being social with me?"
Vanya continues to sit quietly in her own corner of the festivities, observing those around her with the objectivity of someone who is new to their midst. She receives her share of smiles from people she's seen around the weyr or treated for small ills in the infirmary. But, despite the smile and nod, she is content to sit and watch. People catch her eye as the move through the crowd, her eyes drawn back to Dara and her friends, very pleased. One loud voice does catch her attention for a moment, and she recognizes Tavaly, at least. The man with her is unknown, however. And then she sees E'sere moving to get a drink. And then returns. If Vanya notes people staring at them, well, it's her thought that they make a striking couple, nothing more.
Aelan looks mostly a little resigned to the lackluster response to her cheerful greeting, smile wry. "Tough crowd," she murmurs bemusedly to Dara, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and turning to take a look over the cavern, tipping her chin up.
Syn smiles and gives a small nod. "Thank you, Dara... I don't think you look stupid at all." She offers, glancing over at N'tai and quirking a brow at the offer. She gives a polite little smile but says nothing of it. Her eyes follow J'sek as he takes off. She sighs softly, peeking at N'tai again her head tilting slight before she accepts the drink from J'sek. "Thank you." She smiles and takes a small sip.
N'tai returns with good humor, "I blame a room full of people all talking and--" Pause long enough for R'vain's roar. "Bellowing from time to time. --Did you want me to get a drink for you, Aelan? It'd make me feel useful?" When Essdara cuts off he, like a proper male adolescent, looks over a couple of heads to watch her leave, then abruptly finds something else pretty with which to distract himself. For just a second, he makes an effort to catch Aida's attention from across the room and toss a nod in that direction.
That's one way to get attention. Tav is caught, turning so fast that her long hair, complete with a rather elegant braided-crown about the back of her head, flows in an arc behind her. "He won't mind. He understand he'll only be watching tonight. I owe a couple people dances, anyway." And she pauses, then, beside the tall man and sweeps the crowd. Ah! There's Dara! Dance number 2, right there.
Yevide stands near the entrance still, although she settles herself carefully to one side where she will do no harm; just now, watching is the Weyrwoman's game, and she tilts up her chin to take a survey of the crowd as she awaits her drink. She is noting, perhaps, who stands where, and who looks where; there are eyes to be met, gazes lingering upon her from time to time. Several of these are met with a quirk of a smile that's more mischief than maternal, a lift of one brow. Then she's arranging herself into an attitude of attention as E'sere returns, reaching out to claim her glass. "Thank you, E'sere." His title is long gone, his name drawn out thoughtfully.
It's odd couples night at the living cavern, and the latest arrival in that theme comes in the form of the former weyrleader and, on his arm, the former head of records. Perhaps it's their sharing of not entirely willingly retired statuses that brought them together. Whatever the case, Gans and Miniyal arrive from the lower caverns; before they even step out into the light the old man has managed to put on the old one-sided smile and old bright-eyed pleasantness that he's worn, with a not-quite-turn-long exception quite recently, at every social gathering to which he's ever been called. A few more paces into the room, enough to clear the entrance for more people coming through, G'thon turns to his companion and murmurs a question: "Will you make a few visits with me, or would you like to be let free to find your parents?" Not that they won't find her.
Reyce is one of those who spares a glance for R'vain's yelling, but only a glance. First and foremost in his list of priorities is the need to get a drink, although it doesn't seem to matter what kind of drink he gets - he happens on a Benden wine by chance, simply because it's the closest bottle. His shoulders are tense while he pours, however, and eventually he shoots a quick look behind him that brings Issa into view again. A pause there, a small shrug, and he moves back towards her place in the line. He stops just next to her, eyeing her dress appreciatively over the rim of his wineglass as he drinks.
See how well she pretends to be perfectly fine with this? No, really. She's hardly craning her neck around for the wine at all. Maybe a little. Still, Miniyal is here, in her pretty new dress (picked out by mama, perhaps, but it doesn't look so bad) on the arm of a man. "Oh, they'll find me," she answers softly with a wane smile up to the former weyrleader. "I could accompany you. If you're sure."
"You're welcome" J'sek says in a kind reply to Syn before glancing back to N'tai as he settles into a comfortable standing position. "You've got a point there." he says after the noise calms ever so slightly. If that's even possible. The weyrling then glances a little around the caverns, before glancing back to Syn. He sips at his drink slightly, before saying rather out of the blue. "The dress does suit you well, Syn. Are you enjoying yourself?" And still he's oblivious to any new arrivals, provided someone doesn't beging talking about it within his hearing range and perk his interest.
"Oh," replies R'vain, a little dumbly. Maybe a lot dumbly. He blinks a time or two at Tavaly-- then gathers what passes for composure and gives her his arm. "Now, then? Or d'you want t'get him an, er-- " The Weyrlingmaster glances at the table that the greenrider's set aside for T'zen to hold his court at and frowns. "-- plate or something," finishes R'vain lamely. "First." He is so far blissfully unaware of Essdara's approach. Ignorance. Bliss. Yes.
"If I let you get me a drink, how am I going to extricate myself from painfully polite conversations?" Aelan smirks as she responds teasingly to N'tai, crossing her arms unthinkingly across her chest. "Oh, wait. I can drink all of it, and then get smashingly..." She trails off, replacing the wicked grin with a vapidly polite smile as one of the etiquette instructors passes before finishing. "Pleasant replacing it. On second thought, if you're offering, some white wine wouldn't go amiss," she grins.
"Uneth will let me know when he's ready to come up. And he's not allowed a lot of party food. Healer's orders." Tav explains, slipping one strong arm over one that nearly dwarfs it. "So, I wait." As she has. "Did you want a drink, R'vain?" Dumb. Question. She glances around the cavern, pensive, then turns her attention fully to the Weyrlingmaster. There's a decent smile.
"I had better be by now," replies Gans drily, and begins into the crowd with Miniyal at his side.. Their first target should probably be the Weyrwoman or, were he present, the Weyrleader - but instead G'thon leads them toward the Headmaster's assistant and those she's nearabouts. Perhaps he cannot be blamed for wishing to avoid his prior lover with the current one's hand on his arm.
Syn smiles more, taking another sip as she relaxes. She lets out a small sigh and glances about idly. Her gaze rests away from J'sek as he speaks, her cheeks darken then and a glance over towards him. "Oh... Thank you, J'sek. I am.. Just a bit nervous still." She offers, glancing downwards and keeping her gaze there for now. "How about you?"
"My pleasure, Weyrwoman," E'sere agrees, and while he does not presume such familiarity as to use her name, the title is infused with warmth to match hers, and accompanied by another smile as he again takes up his post at her elbow. Like her, he turns a glance to the crowd, noting people and their finery, and finally leaning in slightly to remark, "A good crowd; I'm pleased. We should have done this earlier." Party, perhaps, or perhaps he means to indicate their current togetherness, as he reaches out to brush a hand along her lower back.
Medina arrives through the long tunnel that comes from the lower caverns.
Medina has arrived.
Up to the tense pair, greenrider and bronze, comes a third wheel. Essdara, a bright smile on her face, comes to rest just next to them with a smile that would kill a diabetic. "Tavaly, Weyrlingmaster." She says, in a polite voice full of syrup. "I hope you are both enjoying yourselves? It's a lovely evening for a party, and so far it's been rather enjoyable." A grin to Tavaly. "I'm sure some juice would be lovely for him, don't you think? He does look rather a bit wan under there. Probably all the work he has to do keeping the weyrlings out of trouble... As possible as THAT is!"
N'tai, amused, "Should I ask for a glass or the whole skin?" Vaguely aware of the abrupt change, he looks after the etiquette instructor that wrought the disruption in Aelan's train of thought, half-smiles, and tries to flag down someone with wine. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he just starts elbowing through the crowd and actually hunting one down, a very unpretty but effective way to accomplish it.
Miniyal will follow along and she is certainly /not/ going to complain about this. Her eyes don't veer much left or right. It's much easier to keep looking forward so you've no excuse, well, fewer, to cut and run. She is here and here she will be. Until she can escape. It's not possible she will /not/ escape, although with an accomplice now. However, since they are merely moving through the crowd and not to their destination, she can laugh softly and gently bump her hip against her companion's. "People can always change their mind, Gans. I refuse to allow it to simply be a woman's prerogative."
J'sek seems almost slightly amused at Syn's reaction to his comments and takes a longer sip at his drink before replying. "Don't be nervous. Have fun. I heard there's to be dancing too." he says, rambling on a bit before chuckling softly. "Yeah. I'm enjoying it. Nice change in pace." He then shifts somewhat in place, tugging at his vest slightly. "Although I'm not used to being dressed up like this."
Aelan's grin broadens at the mention of a whole skin, brows rising as though she's seriously considering saying yes to that. "On second thought," she chuckles after a moment. "Let's stick with glasses. It might get suspicious if I started squirting it right out of the skin. More chance of getting it on the dress, too." Her smile slips crooked with amusement as N'tai takes off throught the crowd, craning her neck to track his progress.
R'vain might just choke a bit before answering, a little dumbstruck in the headlight glare of Tavaly's full attention, so his answer is very simple. "Yes." And when Essdara comes up she'll find him looking down at the greenrider on his arm a little as if he's not sure whether she might open up her mouth and EAT him, and even less sure as to whether he might like it if she did. So, to be totally frank, the kitchen girl's arrival is a welcome relief-- one R'vain takes all kinds of pleasure in. "Essdara," he replies, after the obligatory moment in which he must adjust the joint of his jaw and stare over the shape of her so richly dressed. "Me? Wan? Well. It's crowded in here," he remarks, as excuse, and his temples glisten a bit, damp. Someone say a prayer that the women will chat nicely and let him slip off for a nip of something strong!
"There's my starlight!" Tav says as Dara finally comes into view. It's when she draws near that Tav's arm slips from R'vain's and a hug is instantly offered her sister-friend. "Thank you, by the way. The breadrolls this morning, I mean. Made a good breakfast." She leans back to see the girl better, beaming. "Yea, we'll do, huh? Clean up nice, don't we?" She laughs and kisses Dara's cheek warmly.
N'ka enters from the bowl outside.
N'ka has arrived.
Issa lets Reyce stare, her left hand placed across the tight fabric at her hip while her right is intentionally placed behind, hidden in the folds of her skirt. "Well?" she prompts then, as those in line in front of her dissipate and the way is left open for her to get her own drink. She pushes forward and bends over the table, that hidden hand required to come forward now to help with the stopper on one of the lesser used bottles, a stronger, rarer Tillek red. A glass is glugged out gently, left hand carefully stemming the flow once it's half full, as her eyes dance sideways over her shoulder, expectantly.
"Oh, okay. Maybe not much then," Ginella says, smiling. She looks around the place as Aida describes what she's seen so far, and nods. "Looks like it to me," she agrees, that hint of humour absent from the other girl's tone present in her own. She glances at the boys as Aida does, rolling her eyes as she hears 'Susannah' mentioned, and nods. "I am!" she agrees, patting T'ral on the shoulder and whispering in his ear. He nods, gives her hand a little squeeze, mumbles something about a dance later, and then his attention is back on Br'ce. Ginella shifts past him and eyes Aida, waving at the crowd. "Who were you hoping to be social with first?"
K'rom enters from the bowl outside.
K'rom has arrived.
As the crowd grows, Vanya seems to more than ever be grateful for having found a relatively quiet spot by the wall. After all, every party needs a wall-flower, and Vanya has no difficulty fulfilling the role. In fact, seems comfortable with it s she watches the interplay between this group, that couple. She appears to recognize knots rather than people, positions if not the individual themselves. She takes a deep breath, relaxing. This is where she is able to see the comings and goings and slip out if she chooses, to check on those still in the infirmary. To maybe take them a few safer tidbits or brighten their night with chatting about the party they cannot attend.
Waylaid, N'tai has to explain to a well-meaning but bothersome wine servant who has some words about giving glasses to a weyrling 'cause he doesn't want to get in trouble and he's not sure he should be and so on and so forth. Eventually, after much gesticulating toward Aelan and frequent rolls of his eyes, he procures a glass of wine and a cup of juice. "It's a good thing you didn't ask for the skin," he says on squeezing his way back toward where he left Aelan, holding her glass out to her like it's the Holy freaking Grail.
Medina wanders into the room from the direction of the dorms. It is the only indication that she has not come directly from the end of her shift in the infirmary, to the party. She is her usual, neat self, in her usual, neat clothes. She stands at the doorway a second, before spying Vanya, and directs her wander over there. "Hi." She says, then falls silent. She has forgotten to pick up a refreshment on the way, and seems not sure what to do with her hands.
Essdara returns Tavaly's hug easily, if a bit fiercely. "I look out for my family, Tava, and you are well and truly that." A blushing smile to the greenrider as she is compliment. "You look lovely." Her gaze moves back to R'vain. "Both of you do. I think he cleans up even better than we do, don't you think Tavaly?"
"We should," Yevide murmurs, and raises her glass as though in a toast; a short sip follows that gesture, and an appreciative smile. She's seeking out reactions now, from beneath lowered lashes, playing coy while watching the crowd around them with veiled interest. "We should dance, I think." Her surveillance has paid off, and she's located a couple of targets; now she indicates them with small nods. Ginella, Aelan. The girls with rank. Then, in an odd addition, Issa. "Pick yourself a partner, before I take my turn."
Syn glances at J'sek once more, smiling. "I'm trying not to be..." She says, giving a small nervous grin and taking another sip of her drink. "I'm glad you are as well.." A pause and her head nods. "I'm not used to it either.. It's strange." The weyrling takes a nervous sip at her drink, "I take it we're just going to stand here then..?"
N'ka enters the crowd, likely unnoticed. He's got an arm around K'rom's shoulders, and it seems the pair of them are headed straight for the food. Friends? Bah. Food first. "Anything in particular?" he asks, navigating the room with only minimal frustration.
No whispers to Br'ce on Aida's part, just a reassuring smile. When Ginella returns and is ready to go, she starts to turn and step in the direction of Aelan and where N'tai was -- but he's not there, and here comes Miniyal and G'thon. "I think that's out of our hands," she comments, and though she does manage to get a handful of paces away from her original position when she stops, she does stop. "I /want/ to say hello to -- to some of the Weyrlings." There's only a hint of a complaint in her voice there, and it's wiped away by her smile that is put on for those approaching.
At Medina's approach, Vanya looks up and smiles. "Medina, so nice to see you out and about. Get yourself something to eat and drink, then join me, if you wish. Relax. Everything is good in the infirmary, and we can be spared for the evening." She seems genuinely glad to see the other healer. Perhaps she won't be alone in her role of quiet observer.
"My mind is notoriously difficult to change," replies G'thon in that same dry tone. And then they've approached Aida, so also Ginella, and the rest of the crowd from Benden. Whomever they might have hoped to be social with first, the former weyrleader seems bent on taking the honors. "Weyrwoman," greets Ginella, and G'thon nods once his head to her; then Aida gets a little warmer remark. "Aida." Apparently she is known enough that he can place name with face unaided.
Tavaly smiles again to Dara, sneaking a hand into the girl's, then. "I think when he's sober, he does better with a scrub brush." She leans in and whispers to the girl, then slides an arm over her shoulder. Whether its possession or 'Dara, help, I feel awkward and I'm wearing a skirt', the look on Tav's face is purely neutral with a dash of glee. "So. Who were you talking to, over there?" Gossip gossip.
Miniyal's head tilts to the side and she casts a sidelong glance up at G'thon. "I shall keep that in mind," she tells him and then they have arrived. At, a group. Oh, my. A /group/. Not one person or even two. So, she finds somewhere a polite expression, even a smile although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Standing beside G'thon she keeps her arm with his and nods her head to those being greeted. They shall have to settle for this as a verbal greeting is not forthcoming.
J'sek laughs softly, not something to common for him to do. But it's quickly subdued back into chuckling as he looks back to Syn with an amused smile. "Shells no." he replies. "Well, unless you want to. As I said, there is dancing, apparantly..." An invitation? Perhaps. His drink is sipped at again, but his eyes still seem to focus on the other weyrling. After a moment, he adds in "It's not everyday we'll get to attend gatherings like this. Might as well not waste it standing still for every hour of it, right?" Right.
K'rom smiles at N'ka as he waves at a couple of weyrlings he sees and giggles, "Well, other than a pastry or two? Maybe some wherry and some fruit....." Kie's arm is around N'ka's waist and he gives the brownrider a squeeze, "What about you?"
"I got farther t'go from everyday to 'cleaned up,'" grunts R'vain toward Essdara. Their embrace seems to fascinate him a bit-- that's not predictable or anything-- but something else has him awkward a moment, raising a paw again to swipe up the back of his hair. "Ladies," a title to which greenriders and cooks are elevated by the addition of skirts, "I got t'go pay my respects or be in worse trouble than before." Before /what/ he does not explain. "Maybe I can bring you drinks on my way back." And the Weyrlingmaster slinks away through the crowd-- more or less, meanderingly, headed for Yevide.
Reyce rotates as Issa moves past him and pours out her wine, giving the view from the back as much consideration as the view from the front before he responds. "Worth coming for." At the same moment Yevide is indicating the greenrider, Reyce is sidestepping around her, drawing his hand along her back (and finding the lines of exposed skin there). He leans over to watch her pour wine; not, it would seem, because this is such a fascinating thing to watch, but because this is a handy excuse for proximity as he leans in next to her ear.
At Yevide's invitation, E'sere follows her gaze to each girl in turn, studying them a moment and then moving on to the rest of the crowd. "If you'd rather not exercise your right just yet, Weyrwoman," he agrees after a moment. "But I /have/ promised away a couple of dances already, before we..." He trails off, still watching the crowd, and finally takes another small step back, away from the goldrider. "If you'll excuse me." He inclines his head slightly to the woman, and then steps further away, turning on his heel to stride through the crowd again, on his way toward one wall and a particular couple of those hovering against it.
"The weyrlings?" Ginella asks, sounding a touch surprised. Perhaps she's only surprised to see G'thon and Miniyal approaching them. "Sir," Ginella replies, with a polite inclination of her head at G'thon's greeting. See how she cleanly avoids picking a name or title to use? Behind the girls, T'ral and Br'ce stand, saluting appropriately and waiting on a nod or something before retaking their seats. "Miniyal." The woman is greeted with a faint, friendly-ish smile. "Are you two enjoying the evening? I've heard there is some very fine Benden wine up there, tonight."
"You win," Aelan grins appreciatively at N'tai, smile rueful. "Thanks." She takes a sip of the wine, carefully judicious for now, before shifting her weight to one foot, standing hipshot as she starts to settle in. "So. N'tai. And...I'm sorry, my mind isn't all with me tonight. Dara said it was...Borath? Brown, right?" she asks.
"Sober is the only way I've known him... And the only way I will." Dara says, grining to Tavaly. Another appraising look over the man, a hungry edge to the look this time. "And I definately approve of the extra attention paid." At the greenrider's question, Dara smiles. "Well, you know the weyrlings. The beautiful woman in red, sitting by herself over there, that's Vanya. New healer here, but an absolute sweetheart. Oh, of course you'd know her. R'vain, though, you need to meet -" She stops; where'd he go, anyway? A shrug, and back to Tavaly. "N'tai's a good friend. Syn, well. You know my history there. Aelan, the girl with N'tai there, she'll take over Keroon someday, mark my words. And they all have promised me dances! Well, 'cept Syn, but that's as it is."
N'ka grins and answers, "You have to ask? Wherry of course." The sea of residents is wiggled through, and they finally find themselves at some food. "If I can find any among all this... stuff." He pokes at something mysterious, but finally finds a bit of wherry beneath it all and helps himself, plate in hand. "Did you eat already? Because I'm famished." He opts to unwrap his arm from K'rom in order to better serve himself, eyeing something green warily.
Medina looks down at her hands, where they fiddle in front of the part of her that would for the lap, were she sitting down. It is as if she has just noticed their empty state. She glances back up at Vanya, gives her a smile, and /almost/ dashes off to find food and drink, before a friend she has found will disappear. Almost. "Can I get you anything while I'm there?" She remembers her manners.
N'tai, as an aside to J'sek, "I'll hold that for you if you want." Meaning the drink, indicated by way of a tip of his own benign glass toward J'sek's. All back to Aelan when she speaks, he smiles attentively and answers, "Boranth, actually. But that's pretty close, and he is brown, yes. I'd introduce you, but there's not really room for all the people in here, let alone dragons, and he's pretty scapegrace." He scrunches up the scarred side of his face indicatively. "Another time? --Do you dance?"
Yevide replies to E'sere with a smile - yet another small gesture put on show, raising her glass to him by way of farewell. She turns her head to watch him weave away through the crowd, one hand coming up so that she can touch the heavy gold torq around her neck, running a fingertip along the design. Her escort disappears from view, but still the Weyrwoman makes no move to join a conversation; she is enjoying playing the spectator tonight, and she is watching R'vain approach.
Syn laughs softly, shaking her head. "I hate standing around for too long." She says, pausing and blinking at the other weyrling. Her cheeks flush then. "Well, I guess we could dance, but... I probably won't be very good. I never dance much..." She takes another sip of her drink and gives a nod of her head. "True." She glances away for a moment before returning her gaze towards J'sek.
"That's okay. I'm first on that list." Tav says proudly, looping her arm with Dara's and beaming like the cat who caught the mouse. "Weyrlings cleaned up well, too. Good." Approval. "Wow.. Vanya's purdy, too. More so, I mean." Her eyes are everywhere.. There're just so many people to gawk at.
"I have already partaken, but take your time and I'll hold you a place here in my cubby hole. I've only promised one dance tonight, and I somehow think that won't happen for awhile, if at all." No indication who it might be. "I've some things to discuss, if you don't mind a little shop talk at a party?" Vanya smiles and gives Medina a shooing motion. "Get food, get drink, be sociable if you like. I'll wait."
"Boranth," Aelan corrects herself quickly, nodding once to set the name in her mind. "I'll try to remember that properly." Her smile is apologetic for the mistake, though it slips crooked with amusement at the latter question. "I dance...sort of?" she laughs. "They've put a lot of effort into training me to do it right, but I'm far from perfect. But since Dara's volunteered to take the toe-crushing stance, you might have a good chance of surviving it," she adds, hopefully.
K'rom giggles and nods at N'ka as he unwraps his arms as well to get a plate, "Wherry. Of course. I really haven't eaten much, so I am definitely hungry." Kie eys the pastries first and sighs, trying to settle on something healthy right now.
"Beautiful, you mean." Dara says, with a wistful look to the healer. "But alas, more interested in bronzeriders than cooking girls. But she's responsible for me looking my best tonight, and so she gets my first dance. Which, now it comes to that, is long overdue. Would you excuse me, dearheart, that I might drag her out of her corner?"
"Whyever would you think that?" E'sere asks as he steps free of the crowd at last and arrives at Vanya's side, casting her a warm, bemused smile. He offers Medina a quicker version of that grin as well before asking, "Would you rather I fetched your drinks--I don't mind?"
"Sir," Aida puts on a warm smile in response to the greeting to her, dipping her head politely to go with it. "Miniyal. It's so lovely to see you both." Her glass is lifted to the former head of records, and then she's taking a light sip from it. With politeness attended to with a good deal of warmth mixed in, she glances sidelong to Ginella and notes, "Yes, the weyrlings." She even sends a glance that way to indicate who she's speaking about. Still, it's only a beat before she's pulling full attention back up to G'thon and Miniyal.
R'vain is ill-accustomed to the burn of eyes upon him, or at least to being enough present of mind to feel their burn. His pace slows a little beneath the heat of Yevide's awareness, but he approaches her anyway, forcing himself upstream through the crowd until of a sudden he comes out into the conversational bubble of privacy that seems to be afforded the Weyrwoman. Without a drink, he finds his paws useless and very nearly stuffs them into his pockets-- or tries-- there are no pockets where they would be in his riding jacket. "Weyrwoman," he greets her, voice gruff and gravely, and after that seems at a loss for words.
Act II: Show-Stopper