First Day Party, Turn 20
Who: B'kaiv, G'dri, Jaeyi, Kaida, Rhodya, Sulisah, T'rev
When: Afternoon, day 1, month 5, turn 20.
Where: Lakeshore, FTW
What: At the First Day party, G'dri manages to escape his daughter long enough to fetch a drink and be vaguely sociable.
Lakeshore, Fort Weyr
The lake's shore is a broad crescent of golden-hued sand, stretching from the southwest wall near the feeding grounds and arcing toward the southeast and overlooking the blue waters of the lake. Where the lake deepens, that water turns a murkier blue-green, hiding an untold number of perils in its depths. It is an oft-used location for dragons seeking a place to sun or for residents and riders who feel a need to take a stroll; the sand is generally kept pretty clean and while there are no shells, there are periodic bits of obsidian and other volcanic stones to be found if one feels like picking around.
It's a party and the whole Weyr's been invited! Friends and couples, families and wingmates, familiar faces and non, and likely some foreign visitors traipsing about as well. Sooo it won't really stretch the imagination all that much when there's a head of dark hair amongst many. A flash of blue shirt, far dressier than normal but well within the norm of what's being worn today. Laughing eyes and a slow smile. Why yes, over there talking to a pretty, if pouty young brunette girl, stands a certain bluerider. Yes. THAT bluerider.
Kaida arches an eyebrow at Jaeyi, but gives her shoulders a small squeeze that's meant to be comforting. "Sorry, but if I don't laugh I'll glare, and in case you haven't noticed I'm attempting to be somewhat sociable," she mutters to the younger girl. "You sounded pretty certain of it when you told -me.- Had a timeline and everything. Has something happened?" But she's diverted then, puzzled as she turns her head to follow the line of the Baker's gaze. "Oh. B'kaiv." And she doesn't actually spit the name like it leaves a foul taste in her mouth. Surprise? "Don't run. And don't taunt, either."
Her food intercepted by said silhouette, Jaeyi purses her lips and utters a dismal little undertone; "I'll be as nice as he is, how's that?" With a breath, with a shrug of her comforted shoulders and a corresponding squeeze for Kaida's waist, she answers, "Nothing's happened, no. I'd just rather have things official first, you know? Like, disappointment and delay are kinda the last things..." She trails off, seeing as everyone's headed back thisaway. "Wait, does that mean you're not gonna taunt either?" she asks beneath the veneer of a perfect sunshiney totally not hateful smile.
"Hey Kai, sure, thanks!" T'rev says and passes one of the plates over. "For Jae and Kay and some for me too, I mean, got plenty y'know?" the Weyrleader says with a smile. "Should go get some for yourself too, in a minute. Good stuff." And provided Kai takes the plate, he resumes his path back to the two lovely apprentices.
B'kaiv says, "Yeah," whether he does or not, and perhaps there's a little flicker of resignation at the apprentices' names. But he takes the plate like a good little wingrider and traipses after, his eyes scanning the crowd. "I been lookin' for Su, but I ain't seen her yet. Don't s'pose you know where. You seen her." There isn't a physical hesitation to go with the verbal mis-step, but the greenrider's eyes linger for just a second on that flash of blue. "I, uh - should keep lookin'."
The petulant brunette stamps her foot, lower lip jutting out far enough for Chielyth to land on. Surely they can't be related, but she looks to be the right age and that long suffering/bemused/pained expression on G'dri's face is one that fathers the world over perfect the same instant they realise their daughters have hit puberty. They, more specifically he, remain at a distance for now, the ebb and flow of the crowd closing around them and hiding them from view. "If that's the best I'm going to get I'll take it," Kaida sighs. A moment's concideration and an understanding nod, see, she can be sympathetic. But following the trailed-off cue, she doesn't pursue the topic. Instead: "Yes, it does. So pinch me again if I start, alright? I cannot seem to hold my temper around that man." But oh they're getting closer and so while several watts less bright than Jae's, her own smile finds its way back onto her face. The truce is about to be tested.
Unsuprising; "Can I pinch you anyway? Or will you pinch me? If all it takes is losing my temper with Kai, I think I'm gonna need a lot of pinches." Quiet, so as not to reach ears other than the weaver's. Jaeyi withdraws her arm then, not without the trail of fingers over spine and hips, of course, which leaves her waiting to receive one of those plates. "We should go sit some place and eat like civilized people," she adds, lifting her voice now to reach T'rev and B'kaiv and probably G'dri and his maybe-daughter, too.
"Nope, ain't seen her she hasn't been at the drinks tables, but I know she was comin'. Might be down listening to the music now?" T'rev suggests to the greenrider, not totally oblivious to the stuttering in Kai's speech, but not understanding its provenance. And hey, apprentices! "Yeah, tables over yonder, big enough to fit a bunch of folks," the Weyrleader tells Jaeyi with a warm smile as he passes her the plate.
Here's Kai, delivering plates but barely paying attention to whose hand he's depositing the thing into. "Hey," he greets Kaida and Jaeyi absently, looking past them at the crowd rather than at either one. "Either'f you seen Su?"
"You pinch, I bite," Kaida reminds, low down and quick before the men get into range, but rather lacking in threat. Jaeyi'll catch the shiver, just before the Weaver's own arm is dropping away from the Baker's shoulders. Definitely without trailing fingers, however. Chuckling, "What, you mean we're not just supposed to roll up our sleeves and gnaw on bones?" Like watchwhers in a cave, yes, such an attractive image. Eyebrows lift and she tips her head in a 'what are we waiting for then?' sort of gesture. Not that any of them are likely to notice, but maybe if she just starts walking away they'll be obliged to follow? "Not yet. Enjoying the celebration?" she asks B'kaiv. When the crowd shifts again, both brunette and bluerider will have disappeared. The girl possibly permanently, but questing eyes might suddenly pick out G'dri several steps closer as he treads a course that'll intercept their own, though with blue eyes focused further along towards the drinks table, it's unlikely he's actually aiming for that interception.
There's a look but no words-- bite! please!-- before Jaeyi takes the plate with another beamy smile, falls in a half-step behind Kaida; someone noticed, at least. To answer the greenrider; "I've seen her." A couple of steps. "But not today. Sorry." But not really. "I think this plate weighs as much as I do," she adds happily, oblivious to the fact that B'kaiv's the one with a stalker now.
T'rev turning to follow after both girls, T'rev clasps his hands behind his back because he is a good little boy and wouldn't be thinking at all about resting his hand in the small of Jaeyi's back at all. No siree. "She'll turn up Kai, gonna go eat though, you're welcome to come along, or I can take that other plate there," the Weyrleader offers, pausing, "if you want to go look s'more," he notes, hand held out for the plate.
No one's taking Kai's plate? He doesn't really seem to care about that, either, because his attention snaps to focus at Jaeyi's first three words, only to turn stormcloud sullen at her chain-yanking. "Shells." It sounds quite a lot like some other, expletive-ridden word. "--No." That for Kaida's question, and with the hunch of his shoulders and set of his jaw, the man might just as well be contemplating mayhem rather than enjoying a Spring festival. "Think this is yours," he adds, tapping the Weaver on the shoulder and trying to offer first her, then T'rev the plate. He's given up on his search for either the bluerider or the Vintner for the moment, concentrating more on the little group he's with. "I ain't hungry. --Sir."
"Jae." Kaida doesn't turn her head to glance over her shoulder, but a ripple works its way down the fall of black hair at her back as she does give an aggrieved shake. No taunting. Yeesh. The tap on the shoulder does bring a pause in her steps, however, "What's mine?" being asked in puzzled tones since she never did actually take T'rev up on the offer of fetching food and so wasn't really expecting any for herself to be brought back. But since the greenrider is promptly offering the plate back across to the Weyrleader, she doesn't reach for it. Just sidesteps to clear out of Jaeyi's way and falls back a step to end up next to B'kaiv and looking at him with a faint frown narrowing her eyes. The search is given up by one party, hadn't even been undertaken by the other, but finding was bound to happen eventually. Just a called greeting, G'dri separated from the little group by a pack of beribboned adolescent girls moving en masse towards the dance floor. "Kai? Good day to you!" With of course a polite nod for anyone else who looks over, deeper respect for T'rev obviously.
So innocent, Jaeyi notes, "He didn't specify when." One hand under the plate, the other free to curl in a hi-there wave for the bluerider, she doesn't follow up with the verbal greeting, seeing as he's all-up-on Kai already. That her hand drops afterward, all fingers-fluttering behind her back toward T'rev, is so totally discreet. Presently, she plops her plate on the table, herself on the bench, and intends to put a dent in the monstrous pile of food.
T'rev takes that plate back and looks over as G'dri nears, nods once politely. "G'dri, happy First Day," he wishes sincerely, but there's fluttering fingers to follow and with a brief look between the others he nods towards the table where JAeyi just sat down. "I'm going to go have a bite. Kay if you're hungry still, feel free to pick off of this plate," he hefts the one in his hand then tracks after Jae to sit beside the baker with just barely enough appropriate space between them.
Sulisah has arrived, all done up in her formal vintner wear and looking a little uncomfortable in it - one finger wormed in under the collar in a vague attempt at stretching it so she doesn't die of clothing strangulation. First port of call is the stage, looking for Kwei, after which she starts hunting friends instead.
A party means there's going to be music, and music means there's going to be dancing, and dancing means that Rhodya's brown Gedroth is stalking the outskirts of the party hoping to catch a glimpse. The woman herself, however, is much harder to spot - mostly because she doesn't look like a woman. Not in her navy blue tailcoat and breeches, anyway. But at least somebody recognizes her, and F'sen's enthusiastic "Rhodya!" is loud enough to be heard a good distance away. With an excited squeal, the woman so-named rushes forward to hug her favorite bluerider, and chatter at him for a minute or two about her outfit. "Didn't it come out /well/?"
"Hey," B'kaiv tells Kaida when she falls back beside him, adding a chin jerk for further greeting. He had more to say, but the sound of his voice followed by the Weyrleader's seconding jerks the greenrider's head over so his eyes rattle but finally settle on G'dri. "Hey," he seconds, and glances down at Kaida before back to the bluerider. "How's, uh, Khameth? This is Kaida," he adds, jerking his head at her. "Kaida, G'dri," with a jerk the other way. Wasn't that a lovely introduction? Jantha would be so proud. T'rev and Jaeyi both (maybe even Jaeyi especially) slip out from his radar, leaving the greenrider adrift beside the Weaver. He doesn't even notice the minor hubbub of Rhodya's arrival, though surely Chielyth has spotted Gedroth.
There is in fact, music playing, the lively kind still, as opposed to the rendition of the Ballad of Moreta' Ride that's expected for a bit later. The afternoon is starting to progress from right around lunch time to full on afternoon-time. The bonfire's on one end of this curve of the lake with tables of food and places to eat spread between it and the dance floor which consists of boards laid out in a square in front of the temporary harpers' stage. The scents of rib and pulled pork fill the air a the kitchen staff continue to carve the roasting pigs by the flames. Other items include sandwiches, kebabs and sweets laid out on the food tables and there's drinks aplenty from wine and beer, to mixed to juice and water.
Out of radar is a-okay. Jaeyi's got a big plate of food, barely-appropriate distance between herself and the Weyrleader, and now she can point out happily, "He looks uncomfortable." She starts to pick at something, which leaves a greasy finger pointing toward B'kaiv. "Especially uncomfortable, I mean." No, she shouldn't sound cheerful about it, but she kinda does anyway. Maybe that's the food and the company, though? Benefit of the doubt?
Kaida's narrow eyes narrow still further at Jaeyi, a deep - well, okay, a half-breath taken and blown back out in a plea-for-patience sigh. Flickering a glance for T'rev, she just makes a shooing motion with both hands at him. Go on, chase your sweetie-pie. Only once they're both safely out of earshot does she mutter, "Lost my appetite." Poor pretty Baker, G'dri doesn't spare her anything more than that polite glance, for all the winsome curl of her fingers. "And a very happy First Day to you as well, Weyrleader," the bluerider returns. Once the last straggling pair of girls is finally out of the way, he dives gamely into the clear patch that formed to cross the distance between himself and B'kaiv and the third-wheel. "Khameth is quite well, thank you. Chielyth?" A pause for the introductions, eyebrows lifting, "Ah, yes, the Weaver. Good day." And polite nods are exchanged between the pair, though G'dri at least has a smile. "I was just on my way to get a drink, perhaps I can fetch you all something?" Assuming perhaps that the now-split group will be reforming.
Digging into ribs first, T'rev continues to be careful not to spill onto his clotes though h e's munching away with obvious appetite at that half-rack in his hands. His gaze followes Jaeyi's greasy pointing and while he's chewing his eye narrow a little on Kai, taking in the body language in that particular trio. Chew. Swallow. "Huh. You're right. Played poker with him and G'dri the one time ..." he trails off. "Nice fella, G'dri."
It's the greeting of Rhodya that first grabs Sulisah's attention - friends that direction. She 'scuse me, pardon me's her way through the crowd, heading in the vague direction of that greeting, pausing now and then to make sure she's still heading in the right direction. The joys of being short.
"She's good," B'kaiv admits about his green, and sends Kaida another unreadable look. 'Help me'? 'Go away'? 'Stay here forever'? To G'dri, though, he mutters sidelong, "Yeah, that'd be good. I'm, uh, lookin' f'r Su." He's not quite sure what to do with his arms, and tries folding them both high and low, tries hooking his thumbs into beltloops, probably considers something like parade rest, and finally settles on folding them across his belly. "Kaida does knittin'. --Knitting." Realized he lost his Gs, did he? "She's a weaver." And promptly grimaces for the stupidity.
After admiring the outfit appropriately, F'sen excuses himself to find a dance partner, leaving Rhodya to scan the crowd. She spies a tiny ripple of activity that seems to be coming her way - and oh! "Is that Sulisah?" she questions loudly, having caught just a glimpse of the vintner when a fat greenrider shifted out of the way. She puts her hands on her knees and crouches slightly, in search of a clear line of sight. And yes, it is Sulisah! She waves enthusiastically through the window of elbows and bodies she's found, then straightens to head in that direction. And soon they shall meet!
"Maybe they'll fight." Jaeyi keeps her eyes tuned to them, in case. A few seconds of attention is enough to realize, "No, probably not. Oh well. Kaida should've come over here with us, then maybe they would. This is pretty all right, really." The last comment seems to be about the food, which she contemplates briefly in between wishful-thinking about violence.
The look is unreadable! And returned with an inscrutable one of Kaida's own. She's probably not going to be very helpful, and she doesn't look like she's entirely willing to go away. Option C! Especially since all those aborted arm motions are absolutely fascinating. "If Su does show up she'll wind up by the drinks table sooner or later, so it can't hurt to go check?" Helpful, yesno? G'dri shares some level of puzzlement, but as ever it's contained beneath that calm exterior, nothing more than a questioning tilt of his head. A gesture of his hand, shall they walk then? "I don't believe you've ever fully described her to me, but I would happy to help you look while we collect the drinks." Kaida nods confirmation to the curious look she receives after the comment about knitting, but it looks like Weaver and bluerider are going to wind up positioning B'kaiv between them all by accident. Lucky him!
"G'dri and B'kaiv? I don't think so, they seem to get along pretty well," T'rev says and leans over to nudge Jaeyi gently. "If you want to see him fight someone, I've got a slip of paper I can make good on for a no holds barred sparrin' session," the Weyrleader notes in an undertone and waves a nearly denuded rib. "I think it's great. But I don't have the professonal interest." Then he's taking up a fork to put together bites of beans, pulled pork and potato salad after stripping that rib the rest of the way down.
"Rho!" Bounce-wave goes Sulisah, giving her collar another tug when she lands and then making a more determined path through the remaining bodies. Once there's a space free she practically runs at Rhodya, hug on offer mostly for saving her from being lost completely. "You look great! How are you? How's Gedroth? Have you seen the others?" Quite which others she doesn't specify yet, though a guess probably wouldn't be too hard.
Sulisah's so tiny! Rhodya has to bend to hug her back, but she does so with a grin. "Thanks! You too!" she offers back, though the rapid steamrolling of questions gets away from her after that. Straightening up with a laugh, she attempts to go back through the questions, counting them one one by one on her fingers. "I'm great, he's fantastic. But the only person I've seen since I got here is F'sen, and I don't think you two know each other." Sadly. "You lookin' for Kai? I could have Gedroth ask Chielyth where he is."
B'kaiv says, "Yeah, I guess," which isn't exactly a yesno, but it's better than just standing here for all and sundry to gape at. As they start for the drinks, moving slowly because three people abreast don't move as easily as one, he continues, "She's, uh, short." Another grimace and he reluctantly withdraws one arm from the origami to mark the Vintner's approximate height, but then it slides right back. Reminded, he scans the crowd again, but it's easy to lose short people in them. He does linger on one dark head with, "That Rho?" but it's not pressing enough to break off their migration. "And, uh. Kaida's her roommate." Because -that- fact does such a fabulous job of description.
Jaeyi's vote of confidence: "And watch him beat the snot out of you?" She essays an I-don't-think-so look at that, one which is soon followed by her making a face and starting to duck down beneath the horizon of people. "Will you hate me forever if I ditch you? I promised the dishwasher I'd dance with him, and I figure I better get it out of the way. You know, so I can dance with better people later." No one in particular, really! "Oh, and remind me to remind you to explain the mark?" Already pushing to her feet at that, snagging just a couple more bites off the plate on the way, so graceful.
Kaida blinks at B'kaiv, but is really doing an admirable job of controlling her expression in the midst of all these people. Lifted eyebrows, and she leans a little to catch G'dri's eye on the other side. No need to reiterate short. "Black hair, straight. Long, but normal long not...." Her ridiculous mane. "Gorgeous amber eyes. Slender as a reed and most likely wearing something so bright you'll need to shade your eyes too look at her full on." Just ignore the turn towards fond that warms her voice about twenty degrees, turning the rasp into something that really shouldn't be heard in polite, ahem, company. Good thing G'dri's not the type who wears his thoughts on his face for anyone to read, blue eyes glancing from Weaver and then up to B'kaiv. His voice remains measured and pleasant, "She does indeed sound like a lovely girl. You're quite lucky, Kai."
Sulisah nods. "And Kaida. I'm pretty sure I saw T'rev earlier, though I should actually try speaking to him and thank him again for taking care of my snake problem." The latter part is said more to herself, a reminder rather than an explanation. "F'sen? I... don't think I know him, but I'm terrible with names as it is." Finger makes the collar trip again, tugging with a slightly exaggerated choking face. "Formal clothes, absolute pain. But I'm supposed to be working soon so it's needed, apparently."
Rhodya leans back, getting a second, better look at Sulisah's outfit. "Vintner has nice colors," she remarks. Big surprise - the stodgy formality of vintner-wear appeals to Rhodya in her current, cross-dressing mood. "I guess they don't look comfy, though." For that she'll set a hand on Sulisah's shoulder and give her a sympathetic pat. "I ought to introduce you to F'sen sometime. He's just the funniest, sweetest man, I love him to bits. Hang on, Gedroth says - uh." She blinks a few times, looking extremely puzzled as she looks over the crowd. In the end, it's probably Kai's height more than dragon hints that helps her single him out, and she stabs a finger in that direction. "I see him!" she declares, and just like that she sets off through the crowd. Being tall, and weirdly dressed, she creates a nice wake for Sulisah to follow.
B'kaiv sends Kaida a look of relief, plain and simple, when she can give the man more than 'short'. "Yeah. She's got this green dr-. Uh." Dragon? Maybe. Probably not. "I dunno what she's wearing t'day, I ain't seen her yet." But then, oh thank Faranth and all her offspring, they arrive at the table for drinks, ignorant of the impending brownrider. He blinks at the man who wants to know what they want and gruffly orders a beer. "Chielyth's real happy, an' all." Because both Kaida and G'dri are panting after his green's mental state, honest.
"Won't necessarily be that uneven," T'rev protest, a little stung by that no-confidence vote. He looks a little crestfallen by the word 'ditching' and there might be an under-the-table grab for hand or knee, unobtrusively before she goes. "Won't ever hate you," the Weyrleader answers confidently and his mouth pulls up a little at the corner. "I will," he promises. "While we dancin'." He rises for that matter, gentlemanly, half-bows as the apprentice excuses herself then sits back down to finish off the contents of his own plate.
"/That/ uneven," echoes Jaeyi, and the might-be-grab meets a pat-pat on the hand. Poor guy. Off she goes, only a brief look to the Kai-Kay-bluerider trio before she dances with the stupid dishwasher, and probably a few other people after.
"Lovely colours, terrible designs." Sulisah giggles, grinning up at Rhodya, "Definitely!" is her reply to the potential introduction, "Always good to havea fw rider friends around, never know when you might need a lift." Her grin grows a little, giggle breaking out again. "You see him?" She bobs about a little, but all she can see is crowd. As Rho moves off she follows, half tempted to grab hold of the taller girl so she can jump out on unsuspecting Kai's. Sadly their odd little procession doesn't make it to said greenrider, or at least not intact. Sulisah gets snagged mid-way there, greeting her sudden work interruption with an ever so elloquent "Bums." quickly folowed by, "Rho? Tell him I need to work but I'll catch him later. Make him save me a dance!" Then it's off in the opposite direction for more supplies, before she takes her turn running the bar.
"Oh no it's a bit too chilly yet to wear the green one," Kaida notes promptly on top of B'kaiv's 'uh.' Weaver to the rescue? And there isn't even a single trace of wistfulness in her voice, no way no how. Honest. "She wore the pink one last turn. With that orange stole she can use as sash or shawl." She echoes the greenrider's blink but not the gruffness, frowning for a moment before settling somewhat dubiously on a 'same-as-him.' Which turns into three once G'dri makes his order. "What of your companions?" the bluerider asks. A grin scrunches the corners of his eyes, "She likes the party then? Is it just all the activity, the music, the colours?" He may not have thought of it, probably out of consideration for the non-rider present, but he's happy enough to run with it.
"Oop!" Rhodya exclaims when work catches up with Sulisah, stopping to turn around and watch the vintner get shanghai'd. Alas alack! "I'll tell him!" she promises, waving a hand after the younger woman. But she's still got to go somewhere, and now that she knows where Kai is, she may as well go towards him. So she does. "Hey, Kai!" she belts out, slipping through the crowd. "And Kaida, both of you." Bonus. She doesn't know G'dri, and doesn't immediately recognize that he's part of the group as well. There's all sorts of strangers wandering around at a party like this!
B'kaiv doesn't look that much more soothed by Kaida's 'reveal' of the green dress, and shifts his weight under the guise of looking around again. "Chielyth's - she likes, uh. Everybody. Everything." Which might include the activity, the music, and the colors. "She's right by Gedroth just now." A vague nod toward the edge of the crowd, where presumably brown and green rest. "Oh hey, Rho." /Now/ he can be relieved, and offer his clutchmate an actual smile. She knows Kaida, so he only has to introduce, "This is G'dri, Khameth's." And hey, beer's up!
There's just an awful lot of relief going around this little group. Kai gets a clutchmate. Which means Kaida can feel less mean by deciding to abandon him. "Heyla Rhodya, -nice- jacket!" she greets a little too cheerfully, snatching her beer and sending a vague nice-to-meetcha at G'dri. Then she announces, "I am going to dance. B'kaiv, we'll talk later." Nope, not a question. With a last smile-to-all and slightly wide 'I can't get away from the awkward fast enough' eyes, she waves and brisk-strides back along the way they came. Towards T'rev. G'dri, Khameth's, sends a nod after the apprentice and then transfers that nod politely to Rhodya in greeting. "Good day. Ah. Your pardon, but I must make a hasty departure. Kai, there might be a game tonight if you're available." Company, of course, welcome, as he flicks a glance at Rhodya again before taking his own leave.
When: Afternoon, day 1, month 5, turn 20.
Where: Lakeshore, FTW
What: At the First Day party, G'dri manages to escape his daughter long enough to fetch a drink and be vaguely sociable.
Lakeshore, Fort Weyr
The lake's shore is a broad crescent of golden-hued sand, stretching from the southwest wall near the feeding grounds and arcing toward the southeast and overlooking the blue waters of the lake. Where the lake deepens, that water turns a murkier blue-green, hiding an untold number of perils in its depths. It is an oft-used location for dragons seeking a place to sun or for residents and riders who feel a need to take a stroll; the sand is generally kept pretty clean and while there are no shells, there are periodic bits of obsidian and other volcanic stones to be found if one feels like picking around.
It's a party and the whole Weyr's been invited! Friends and couples, families and wingmates, familiar faces and non, and likely some foreign visitors traipsing about as well. Sooo it won't really stretch the imagination all that much when there's a head of dark hair amongst many. A flash of blue shirt, far dressier than normal but well within the norm of what's being worn today. Laughing eyes and a slow smile. Why yes, over there talking to a pretty, if pouty young brunette girl, stands a certain bluerider. Yes. THAT bluerider.
Kaida arches an eyebrow at Jaeyi, but gives her shoulders a small squeeze that's meant to be comforting. "Sorry, but if I don't laugh I'll glare, and in case you haven't noticed I'm attempting to be somewhat sociable," she mutters to the younger girl. "You sounded pretty certain of it when you told -me.- Had a timeline and everything. Has something happened?" But she's diverted then, puzzled as she turns her head to follow the line of the Baker's gaze. "Oh. B'kaiv." And she doesn't actually spit the name like it leaves a foul taste in her mouth. Surprise? "Don't run. And don't taunt, either."
Her food intercepted by said silhouette, Jaeyi purses her lips and utters a dismal little undertone; "I'll be as nice as he is, how's that?" With a breath, with a shrug of her comforted shoulders and a corresponding squeeze for Kaida's waist, she answers, "Nothing's happened, no. I'd just rather have things official first, you know? Like, disappointment and delay are kinda the last things..." She trails off, seeing as everyone's headed back thisaway. "Wait, does that mean you're not gonna taunt either?" she asks beneath the veneer of a perfect sunshiney totally not hateful smile.
"Hey Kai, sure, thanks!" T'rev says and passes one of the plates over. "For Jae and Kay and some for me too, I mean, got plenty y'know?" the Weyrleader says with a smile. "Should go get some for yourself too, in a minute. Good stuff." And provided Kai takes the plate, he resumes his path back to the two lovely apprentices.
B'kaiv says, "Yeah," whether he does or not, and perhaps there's a little flicker of resignation at the apprentices' names. But he takes the plate like a good little wingrider and traipses after, his eyes scanning the crowd. "I been lookin' for Su, but I ain't seen her yet. Don't s'pose you know where. You seen her." There isn't a physical hesitation to go with the verbal mis-step, but the greenrider's eyes linger for just a second on that flash of blue. "I, uh - should keep lookin'."
The petulant brunette stamps her foot, lower lip jutting out far enough for Chielyth to land on. Surely they can't be related, but she looks to be the right age and that long suffering/bemused/pained expression on G'dri's face is one that fathers the world over perfect the same instant they realise their daughters have hit puberty. They, more specifically he, remain at a distance for now, the ebb and flow of the crowd closing around them and hiding them from view. "If that's the best I'm going to get I'll take it," Kaida sighs. A moment's concideration and an understanding nod, see, she can be sympathetic. But following the trailed-off cue, she doesn't pursue the topic. Instead: "Yes, it does. So pinch me again if I start, alright? I cannot seem to hold my temper around that man." But oh they're getting closer and so while several watts less bright than Jae's, her own smile finds its way back onto her face. The truce is about to be tested.
Unsuprising; "Can I pinch you anyway? Or will you pinch me? If all it takes is losing my temper with Kai, I think I'm gonna need a lot of pinches." Quiet, so as not to reach ears other than the weaver's. Jaeyi withdraws her arm then, not without the trail of fingers over spine and hips, of course, which leaves her waiting to receive one of those plates. "We should go sit some place and eat like civilized people," she adds, lifting her voice now to reach T'rev and B'kaiv and probably G'dri and his maybe-daughter, too.
"Nope, ain't seen her she hasn't been at the drinks tables, but I know she was comin'. Might be down listening to the music now?" T'rev suggests to the greenrider, not totally oblivious to the stuttering in Kai's speech, but not understanding its provenance. And hey, apprentices! "Yeah, tables over yonder, big enough to fit a bunch of folks," the Weyrleader tells Jaeyi with a warm smile as he passes her the plate.
Here's Kai, delivering plates but barely paying attention to whose hand he's depositing the thing into. "Hey," he greets Kaida and Jaeyi absently, looking past them at the crowd rather than at either one. "Either'f you seen Su?"
"You pinch, I bite," Kaida reminds, low down and quick before the men get into range, but rather lacking in threat. Jaeyi'll catch the shiver, just before the Weaver's own arm is dropping away from the Baker's shoulders. Definitely without trailing fingers, however. Chuckling, "What, you mean we're not just supposed to roll up our sleeves and gnaw on bones?" Like watchwhers in a cave, yes, such an attractive image. Eyebrows lift and she tips her head in a 'what are we waiting for then?' sort of gesture. Not that any of them are likely to notice, but maybe if she just starts walking away they'll be obliged to follow? "Not yet. Enjoying the celebration?" she asks B'kaiv. When the crowd shifts again, both brunette and bluerider will have disappeared. The girl possibly permanently, but questing eyes might suddenly pick out G'dri several steps closer as he treads a course that'll intercept their own, though with blue eyes focused further along towards the drinks table, it's unlikely he's actually aiming for that interception.
There's a look but no words-- bite! please!-- before Jaeyi takes the plate with another beamy smile, falls in a half-step behind Kaida; someone noticed, at least. To answer the greenrider; "I've seen her." A couple of steps. "But not today. Sorry." But not really. "I think this plate weighs as much as I do," she adds happily, oblivious to the fact that B'kaiv's the one with a stalker now.
T'rev turning to follow after both girls, T'rev clasps his hands behind his back because he is a good little boy and wouldn't be thinking at all about resting his hand in the small of Jaeyi's back at all. No siree. "She'll turn up Kai, gonna go eat though, you're welcome to come along, or I can take that other plate there," the Weyrleader offers, pausing, "if you want to go look s'more," he notes, hand held out for the plate.
No one's taking Kai's plate? He doesn't really seem to care about that, either, because his attention snaps to focus at Jaeyi's first three words, only to turn stormcloud sullen at her chain-yanking. "Shells." It sounds quite a lot like some other, expletive-ridden word. "--No." That for Kaida's question, and with the hunch of his shoulders and set of his jaw, the man might just as well be contemplating mayhem rather than enjoying a Spring festival. "Think this is yours," he adds, tapping the Weaver on the shoulder and trying to offer first her, then T'rev the plate. He's given up on his search for either the bluerider or the Vintner for the moment, concentrating more on the little group he's with. "I ain't hungry. --Sir."
"Jae." Kaida doesn't turn her head to glance over her shoulder, but a ripple works its way down the fall of black hair at her back as she does give an aggrieved shake. No taunting. Yeesh. The tap on the shoulder does bring a pause in her steps, however, "What's mine?" being asked in puzzled tones since she never did actually take T'rev up on the offer of fetching food and so wasn't really expecting any for herself to be brought back. But since the greenrider is promptly offering the plate back across to the Weyrleader, she doesn't reach for it. Just sidesteps to clear out of Jaeyi's way and falls back a step to end up next to B'kaiv and looking at him with a faint frown narrowing her eyes. The search is given up by one party, hadn't even been undertaken by the other, but finding was bound to happen eventually. Just a called greeting, G'dri separated from the little group by a pack of beribboned adolescent girls moving en masse towards the dance floor. "Kai? Good day to you!" With of course a polite nod for anyone else who looks over, deeper respect for T'rev obviously.
So innocent, Jaeyi notes, "He didn't specify when." One hand under the plate, the other free to curl in a hi-there wave for the bluerider, she doesn't follow up with the verbal greeting, seeing as he's all-up-on Kai already. That her hand drops afterward, all fingers-fluttering behind her back toward T'rev, is so totally discreet. Presently, she plops her plate on the table, herself on the bench, and intends to put a dent in the monstrous pile of food.
T'rev takes that plate back and looks over as G'dri nears, nods once politely. "G'dri, happy First Day," he wishes sincerely, but there's fluttering fingers to follow and with a brief look between the others he nods towards the table where JAeyi just sat down. "I'm going to go have a bite. Kay if you're hungry still, feel free to pick off of this plate," he hefts the one in his hand then tracks after Jae to sit beside the baker with just barely enough appropriate space between them.
Sulisah has arrived, all done up in her formal vintner wear and looking a little uncomfortable in it - one finger wormed in under the collar in a vague attempt at stretching it so she doesn't die of clothing strangulation. First port of call is the stage, looking for Kwei, after which she starts hunting friends instead.
A party means there's going to be music, and music means there's going to be dancing, and dancing means that Rhodya's brown Gedroth is stalking the outskirts of the party hoping to catch a glimpse. The woman herself, however, is much harder to spot - mostly because she doesn't look like a woman. Not in her navy blue tailcoat and breeches, anyway. But at least somebody recognizes her, and F'sen's enthusiastic "Rhodya!" is loud enough to be heard a good distance away. With an excited squeal, the woman so-named rushes forward to hug her favorite bluerider, and chatter at him for a minute or two about her outfit. "Didn't it come out /well/?"
"Hey," B'kaiv tells Kaida when she falls back beside him, adding a chin jerk for further greeting. He had more to say, but the sound of his voice followed by the Weyrleader's seconding jerks the greenrider's head over so his eyes rattle but finally settle on G'dri. "Hey," he seconds, and glances down at Kaida before back to the bluerider. "How's, uh, Khameth? This is Kaida," he adds, jerking his head at her. "Kaida, G'dri," with a jerk the other way. Wasn't that a lovely introduction? Jantha would be so proud. T'rev and Jaeyi both (maybe even Jaeyi especially) slip out from his radar, leaving the greenrider adrift beside the Weaver. He doesn't even notice the minor hubbub of Rhodya's arrival, though surely Chielyth has spotted Gedroth.
There is in fact, music playing, the lively kind still, as opposed to the rendition of the Ballad of Moreta' Ride that's expected for a bit later. The afternoon is starting to progress from right around lunch time to full on afternoon-time. The bonfire's on one end of this curve of the lake with tables of food and places to eat spread between it and the dance floor which consists of boards laid out in a square in front of the temporary harpers' stage. The scents of rib and pulled pork fill the air a the kitchen staff continue to carve the roasting pigs by the flames. Other items include sandwiches, kebabs and sweets laid out on the food tables and there's drinks aplenty from wine and beer, to mixed to juice and water.
Out of radar is a-okay. Jaeyi's got a big plate of food, barely-appropriate distance between herself and the Weyrleader, and now she can point out happily, "He looks uncomfortable." She starts to pick at something, which leaves a greasy finger pointing toward B'kaiv. "Especially uncomfortable, I mean." No, she shouldn't sound cheerful about it, but she kinda does anyway. Maybe that's the food and the company, though? Benefit of the doubt?
Kaida's narrow eyes narrow still further at Jaeyi, a deep - well, okay, a half-breath taken and blown back out in a plea-for-patience sigh. Flickering a glance for T'rev, she just makes a shooing motion with both hands at him. Go on, chase your sweetie-pie. Only once they're both safely out of earshot does she mutter, "Lost my appetite." Poor pretty Baker, G'dri doesn't spare her anything more than that polite glance, for all the winsome curl of her fingers. "And a very happy First Day to you as well, Weyrleader," the bluerider returns. Once the last straggling pair of girls is finally out of the way, he dives gamely into the clear patch that formed to cross the distance between himself and B'kaiv and the third-wheel. "Khameth is quite well, thank you. Chielyth?" A pause for the introductions, eyebrows lifting, "Ah, yes, the Weaver. Good day." And polite nods are exchanged between the pair, though G'dri at least has a smile. "I was just on my way to get a drink, perhaps I can fetch you all something?" Assuming perhaps that the now-split group will be reforming.
Digging into ribs first, T'rev continues to be careful not to spill onto his clotes though h e's munching away with obvious appetite at that half-rack in his hands. His gaze followes Jaeyi's greasy pointing and while he's chewing his eye narrow a little on Kai, taking in the body language in that particular trio. Chew. Swallow. "Huh. You're right. Played poker with him and G'dri the one time ..." he trails off. "Nice fella, G'dri."
It's the greeting of Rhodya that first grabs Sulisah's attention - friends that direction. She 'scuse me, pardon me's her way through the crowd, heading in the vague direction of that greeting, pausing now and then to make sure she's still heading in the right direction. The joys of being short.
"She's good," B'kaiv admits about his green, and sends Kaida another unreadable look. 'Help me'? 'Go away'? 'Stay here forever'? To G'dri, though, he mutters sidelong, "Yeah, that'd be good. I'm, uh, lookin' f'r Su." He's not quite sure what to do with his arms, and tries folding them both high and low, tries hooking his thumbs into beltloops, probably considers something like parade rest, and finally settles on folding them across his belly. "Kaida does knittin'. --Knitting." Realized he lost his Gs, did he? "She's a weaver." And promptly grimaces for the stupidity.
After admiring the outfit appropriately, F'sen excuses himself to find a dance partner, leaving Rhodya to scan the crowd. She spies a tiny ripple of activity that seems to be coming her way - and oh! "Is that Sulisah?" she questions loudly, having caught just a glimpse of the vintner when a fat greenrider shifted out of the way. She puts her hands on her knees and crouches slightly, in search of a clear line of sight. And yes, it is Sulisah! She waves enthusiastically through the window of elbows and bodies she's found, then straightens to head in that direction. And soon they shall meet!
"Maybe they'll fight." Jaeyi keeps her eyes tuned to them, in case. A few seconds of attention is enough to realize, "No, probably not. Oh well. Kaida should've come over here with us, then maybe they would. This is pretty all right, really." The last comment seems to be about the food, which she contemplates briefly in between wishful-thinking about violence.
The look is unreadable! And returned with an inscrutable one of Kaida's own. She's probably not going to be very helpful, and she doesn't look like she's entirely willing to go away. Option C! Especially since all those aborted arm motions are absolutely fascinating. "If Su does show up she'll wind up by the drinks table sooner or later, so it can't hurt to go check?" Helpful, yesno? G'dri shares some level of puzzlement, but as ever it's contained beneath that calm exterior, nothing more than a questioning tilt of his head. A gesture of his hand, shall they walk then? "I don't believe you've ever fully described her to me, but I would happy to help you look while we collect the drinks." Kaida nods confirmation to the curious look she receives after the comment about knitting, but it looks like Weaver and bluerider are going to wind up positioning B'kaiv between them all by accident. Lucky him!
"G'dri and B'kaiv? I don't think so, they seem to get along pretty well," T'rev says and leans over to nudge Jaeyi gently. "If you want to see him fight someone, I've got a slip of paper I can make good on for a no holds barred sparrin' session," the Weyrleader notes in an undertone and waves a nearly denuded rib. "I think it's great. But I don't have the professonal interest." Then he's taking up a fork to put together bites of beans, pulled pork and potato salad after stripping that rib the rest of the way down.
"Rho!" Bounce-wave goes Sulisah, giving her collar another tug when she lands and then making a more determined path through the remaining bodies. Once there's a space free she practically runs at Rhodya, hug on offer mostly for saving her from being lost completely. "You look great! How are you? How's Gedroth? Have you seen the others?" Quite which others she doesn't specify yet, though a guess probably wouldn't be too hard.
Sulisah's so tiny! Rhodya has to bend to hug her back, but she does so with a grin. "Thanks! You too!" she offers back, though the rapid steamrolling of questions gets away from her after that. Straightening up with a laugh, she attempts to go back through the questions, counting them one one by one on her fingers. "I'm great, he's fantastic. But the only person I've seen since I got here is F'sen, and I don't think you two know each other." Sadly. "You lookin' for Kai? I could have Gedroth ask Chielyth where he is."
B'kaiv says, "Yeah, I guess," which isn't exactly a yesno, but it's better than just standing here for all and sundry to gape at. As they start for the drinks, moving slowly because three people abreast don't move as easily as one, he continues, "She's, uh, short." Another grimace and he reluctantly withdraws one arm from the origami to mark the Vintner's approximate height, but then it slides right back. Reminded, he scans the crowd again, but it's easy to lose short people in them. He does linger on one dark head with, "That Rho?" but it's not pressing enough to break off their migration. "And, uh. Kaida's her roommate." Because -that- fact does such a fabulous job of description.
Jaeyi's vote of confidence: "And watch him beat the snot out of you?" She essays an I-don't-think-so look at that, one which is soon followed by her making a face and starting to duck down beneath the horizon of people. "Will you hate me forever if I ditch you? I promised the dishwasher I'd dance with him, and I figure I better get it out of the way. You know, so I can dance with better people later." No one in particular, really! "Oh, and remind me to remind you to explain the mark?" Already pushing to her feet at that, snagging just a couple more bites off the plate on the way, so graceful.
Kaida blinks at B'kaiv, but is really doing an admirable job of controlling her expression in the midst of all these people. Lifted eyebrows, and she leans a little to catch G'dri's eye on the other side. No need to reiterate short. "Black hair, straight. Long, but normal long not...." Her ridiculous mane. "Gorgeous amber eyes. Slender as a reed and most likely wearing something so bright you'll need to shade your eyes too look at her full on." Just ignore the turn towards fond that warms her voice about twenty degrees, turning the rasp into something that really shouldn't be heard in polite, ahem, company. Good thing G'dri's not the type who wears his thoughts on his face for anyone to read, blue eyes glancing from Weaver and then up to B'kaiv. His voice remains measured and pleasant, "She does indeed sound like a lovely girl. You're quite lucky, Kai."
Sulisah nods. "And Kaida. I'm pretty sure I saw T'rev earlier, though I should actually try speaking to him and thank him again for taking care of my snake problem." The latter part is said more to herself, a reminder rather than an explanation. "F'sen? I... don't think I know him, but I'm terrible with names as it is." Finger makes the collar trip again, tugging with a slightly exaggerated choking face. "Formal clothes, absolute pain. But I'm supposed to be working soon so it's needed, apparently."
Rhodya leans back, getting a second, better look at Sulisah's outfit. "Vintner has nice colors," she remarks. Big surprise - the stodgy formality of vintner-wear appeals to Rhodya in her current, cross-dressing mood. "I guess they don't look comfy, though." For that she'll set a hand on Sulisah's shoulder and give her a sympathetic pat. "I ought to introduce you to F'sen sometime. He's just the funniest, sweetest man, I love him to bits. Hang on, Gedroth says - uh." She blinks a few times, looking extremely puzzled as she looks over the crowd. In the end, it's probably Kai's height more than dragon hints that helps her single him out, and she stabs a finger in that direction. "I see him!" she declares, and just like that she sets off through the crowd. Being tall, and weirdly dressed, she creates a nice wake for Sulisah to follow.
B'kaiv sends Kaida a look of relief, plain and simple, when she can give the man more than 'short'. "Yeah. She's got this green dr-. Uh." Dragon? Maybe. Probably not. "I dunno what she's wearing t'day, I ain't seen her yet." But then, oh thank Faranth and all her offspring, they arrive at the table for drinks, ignorant of the impending brownrider. He blinks at the man who wants to know what they want and gruffly orders a beer. "Chielyth's real happy, an' all." Because both Kaida and G'dri are panting after his green's mental state, honest.
"Won't necessarily be that uneven," T'rev protest, a little stung by that no-confidence vote. He looks a little crestfallen by the word 'ditching' and there might be an under-the-table grab for hand or knee, unobtrusively before she goes. "Won't ever hate you," the Weyrleader answers confidently and his mouth pulls up a little at the corner. "I will," he promises. "While we dancin'." He rises for that matter, gentlemanly, half-bows as the apprentice excuses herself then sits back down to finish off the contents of his own plate.
"/That/ uneven," echoes Jaeyi, and the might-be-grab meets a pat-pat on the hand. Poor guy. Off she goes, only a brief look to the Kai-Kay-bluerider trio before she dances with the stupid dishwasher, and probably a few other people after.
"Lovely colours, terrible designs." Sulisah giggles, grinning up at Rhodya, "Definitely!" is her reply to the potential introduction, "Always good to havea fw rider friends around, never know when you might need a lift." Her grin grows a little, giggle breaking out again. "You see him?" She bobs about a little, but all she can see is crowd. As Rho moves off she follows, half tempted to grab hold of the taller girl so she can jump out on unsuspecting Kai's. Sadly their odd little procession doesn't make it to said greenrider, or at least not intact. Sulisah gets snagged mid-way there, greeting her sudden work interruption with an ever so elloquent "Bums." quickly folowed by, "Rho? Tell him I need to work but I'll catch him later. Make him save me a dance!" Then it's off in the opposite direction for more supplies, before she takes her turn running the bar.
"Oh no it's a bit too chilly yet to wear the green one," Kaida notes promptly on top of B'kaiv's 'uh.' Weaver to the rescue? And there isn't even a single trace of wistfulness in her voice, no way no how. Honest. "She wore the pink one last turn. With that orange stole she can use as sash or shawl." She echoes the greenrider's blink but not the gruffness, frowning for a moment before settling somewhat dubiously on a 'same-as-him.' Which turns into three once G'dri makes his order. "What of your companions?" the bluerider asks. A grin scrunches the corners of his eyes, "She likes the party then? Is it just all the activity, the music, the colours?" He may not have thought of it, probably out of consideration for the non-rider present, but he's happy enough to run with it.
"Oop!" Rhodya exclaims when work catches up with Sulisah, stopping to turn around and watch the vintner get shanghai'd. Alas alack! "I'll tell him!" she promises, waving a hand after the younger woman. But she's still got to go somewhere, and now that she knows where Kai is, she may as well go towards him. So she does. "Hey, Kai!" she belts out, slipping through the crowd. "And Kaida, both of you." Bonus. She doesn't know G'dri, and doesn't immediately recognize that he's part of the group as well. There's all sorts of strangers wandering around at a party like this!
B'kaiv doesn't look that much more soothed by Kaida's 'reveal' of the green dress, and shifts his weight under the guise of looking around again. "Chielyth's - she likes, uh. Everybody. Everything." Which might include the activity, the music, and the colors. "She's right by Gedroth just now." A vague nod toward the edge of the crowd, where presumably brown and green rest. "Oh hey, Rho." /Now/ he can be relieved, and offer his clutchmate an actual smile. She knows Kaida, so he only has to introduce, "This is G'dri, Khameth's." And hey, beer's up!
There's just an awful lot of relief going around this little group. Kai gets a clutchmate. Which means Kaida can feel less mean by deciding to abandon him. "Heyla Rhodya, -nice- jacket!" she greets a little too cheerfully, snatching her beer and sending a vague nice-to-meetcha at G'dri. Then she announces, "I am going to dance. B'kaiv, we'll talk later." Nope, not a question. With a last smile-to-all and slightly wide 'I can't get away from the awkward fast enough' eyes, she waves and brisk-strides back along the way they came. Towards T'rev. G'dri, Khameth's, sends a nod after the apprentice and then transfers that nod politely to Rhodya in greeting. "Good day. Ah. Your pardon, but I must make a hasty departure. Kai, there might be a game tonight if you're available." Company, of course, welcome, as he flicks a glance at Rhodya again before taking his own leave.