Of relationships and consequences
Nolee, Cynara, Eslyn, V'lano, Feralae, Gerand, later Kirstie, Kaeryna, Gustive, Iaril
Ista LC> Cynara shakes her head. "So, this is about your friend being searched for Igen? Kaeryna's turning into a /fine/ goldrider. A far better one than I would have made, and certainly a better one than /you/." She keeps her eyes on the girl. "Oh, shards, Eslyn, that was so long ago I don't even remember what I did...although apparently, /you/ do so quite clearly. Perhaps you could enlighten me." She came over all bent on trying to resolve the problem between them, but instead, it's getting worse, and she feels a sinking feeling within her.
Ista LC> Feralae growled at her. "Hey! Don't be rude! Everybody's got an equal chance on the grounds at hatching time! You're lucky that you're even a candidate, but if you take that attitude the dragons won't even give you a sniff!"
"You're a sharding wherrybrain if you think I want gold. Golds're the ruddy stupidest color a girl could get saddled with." Eslyn replies with a sniff. "Ask Weyrwoman Kylia - she said the same once." Well, something similar enough that Es' mind can twist it to her purpose. "Its a sharding-" Lots of cursewords today evidently, "-good thing some good women get found and take on that responsibility, don't get me wrong, I know I couldn't do it, an' I've an awful lot of respect fer the ones that do, but yeah, Igen shouldn'ta stolen her - and right a'fore my turnday too." Stupid Igenites - that stone gets ground a bit harder into the klah bark. All of this makes for good fuel for this particular chore." The raven haired girl glances to Feralae, "Excuse me, ma'am, I do beg yer pardon, but last time I checked, you weren't a part of this particular discussion, and candidate though I may be, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't presume to tell me what dragons will or will not do, as yer no dragon yourself." She's polite a well-trained... er, well, at least a half-trained Harper scamp to Feralae - she's not the one Es has a distinct disliking of. Then she looks back to Cynara, "Now, if you need me to jog your memory about how badly you acted, I'll do it by giving you the same star treatment you gave me when I visited m'friend. That ought to stir up something." She, Cynara, and Feralae are seated at a table not far away from the hearth - Eslyn has a stone slab set on the table before her and is grinding klah bark on it with a smooth stone.
Feralae growls at her. "Ask any of the riders! They'll tell you that come hatching time the laid back, sensible folk get the golds bronzes and browns and the ones with attitudes get the greens. I don't have money to bet, but I'd lay odds to evens if I did!"
Feralae adds "If they get a dragon at all."
Cynara shakes her head. "And it's my fault, somehow, that Igen stole her. Oh, and yes. Yes, we had a major problem with supplies, a problem that /everyone in the Weyr/ was working extra chores trying to solve, and you thought it was a good business opportunity. I disagreed, partly because I didn't sharding know what you wanted them for." A pause. "But for Faranth's sake, this isn't about me, it's about missing Kaeryna. You don't want me here because I remind you of that...but it's not your choice or mine. Duty comes before choice, or I'd still be at Igen." Her voice has become almost dangerously flat. "If I had my /choice/ it would be Qeturath's clutch I would be standing for. Shards, wherryhead, do you think I chose to be left on the Sands last time?" Then Feralae makes her comment, and unfortunately, it's not a good thing to say. "What, for Faranth's sake, is wrong with green dragons?"
Nolee's progression from the kitchen to the hearth is slow, the girl balancing fuel for the fire in her arms. The louder pitched conversation draws her attention even over the other murmurs of people talking, and while blatantly staring in Eslyn and Cynara's direction, she has walked directly into a chair, halting to make a pained face, her ears still open wide, eyes following suit, brows leaping about as she struggles to make sense of it.
Feralae flushes in embarassment. "Nothing, but I'm just saying, I've heard of bullies getting greens because they had attitudes or being left to stand on the sands."
A slouchful pile of bronzed-over-pale skin and linen slowly pours itself out of a chair deep in a corner, near one of the almost always cool hearths. The shape slowly straightens in a lazy stretch, rolling shoulders and neck, until it becomes recognizable as the Ista's current clutchsire's rider. He bends as soon as that distinction is made and picks up a juice-glass, mostly empty, from the side table next to his chair, then sets out toward doom. Or candidate arguments, anyway. Perhaps they woke him up.
"What the blazes are you talking about?" Eslyn inquires, her tone relatively cool - as it has been throughout the argument. She can't be troubled to get all up in arms about things. "You don't remind me of nothin'. And Kaeryna is barely part of this discussion - she's why I have a problem with Igen - not why I have a problem with you. You in all your blooming glory got that dislike well underway on your own. Mostly because of your lack of intelligence. I expect more from girls." And then its Feralae who gets Eslyn's attention as well and her brows rise once more. "Excuse you, but my Mam's a greenrider - one of the finest Ista's e'er seen, and you ought to know better'n to go insulting greens in a living cavern. What's so special about golds'n'bronzes anyways? Its a lot of hassle if you ask me." Of course, no one did. But then Nolee's presence is noted, "Hiya Scramble." A new nickname for Nolee? Well, Es does seem to have a penchant for nicknaming. "Havin' a good day?" She doesn't, unfortunately (for her), see V'lano's approach, so she's still mashing that klah bark pretty meanly as she waits for the next dumb thing to be said (or for a response to the last dumb thing -she- said).
Feralae turns even redder. "Not all greenriders definately." Realizing she had said the wrong thing and had pushed Eslyn the wrong direction.
Cynara nods. "My /father/ is a greenrider. Sure, the bronzes and golds get all the status and the glory, but..." She jerks towards the approaching rider. "Ask him how well a wing manages if they're short on greens." Then she turns towards Eslyn. "Lack of intelligence? At least I think before I open my mouth, a trait I've never seen you demonstrate." She knows she's about to be in trouble. "And I'm about to demonstrate that thinking by dropping this before the rider gets mad with /all/ of us." She turns towards V'lano. "Sorry about this, sir."
Feralae turns the shade of a redroot. "Oh... uh... hi V'lano."
Nolee's arms twitch, the heavy burden one she's not accustomed to carting about. Reluctantly, she moves toward the first of the four hearths that line the walls, taking her partly out of ear shot. The realization comes as she's partway across the space that the third hearth is closer to their position, so she redirects, passing V'lano at rest mid-animation. Other than being startled to see the ragdoll move, she reaches the space without incident, hesitating while considering if 'Scramble' is her, or someone else. "Me? It's...better than yours, maybe?" She kneels, letting the firewood fall to the floor, then perhaps unwisely, she asks, "Who's Kaeryna?"
Feralae answers. "Some mutual aqcuointance the two of them know."
V'lano makes a show of yawning, lifting his hand to cover the gape of his mouth a bit after beginning the process, stopping his trek a few paces away from the argument which now seems keen on dying down. As the yawn dies he turns the hand into a flippant, dismissive gesture: "No, no. Go on, please - don't stop on my account. I just came over to get a better view." And he seems quite serious about this, too, folding his arms and watching with tired eyes, setting a hip into the edge of a nearby table. A faint smile even draws up the corners of his mouth.
Feralae realizes she's left her work on the table and picks it up, biting the shell again as she finishes braiding one side and starts the other.
"Oh, I'm havin' a wonderful day, so yers must be the best day a candidate could have." Eslyn calls over to Nolee - confirming that, yes, she is 'Scramble'. "So that's how things work with you, eh, Igenite?" The Istan girl eyes Cynara speculatively, "Hold one opinion when authority is not around, but when they're lookin' your way you're too afraid to say what you mean? That's a grand thing for me t'add to the list I've got going of your bad traits." The raven haired girl pauses in her grinding to brush off her hands on her pants, aqua gaze flicking to the bronzerider, "Good evenin', sir, welcome t'the party. Eslyn's the name - professional nuissence when I'm not doing my day-job." She points to the knot on her shoulder and flashes a smile before picking that rock back up. "Oh, and ma'am?" She directs casually to Feralae as she doesn't even know the slightly older girl's name, "With all due respect, maybe you should take some of your own advice. You're being pretty insulting right now in your own right - and you didn't even need t'get involved in what's between the Igenite and I."
Feralae growled. "The name's Feralae, and Cynara's my friend! I'm not going to let her get beaten on."
Lussana walks in from the bowl.
Cynara shakes her head. "No, it's called trying not to get /you/ extra chores. And I never, once, ever, said I had a bad opinion of you. True, right /now/ I'd rather you were somewhere other than here. But that's only because you're continuing to ardently hate me over something that's not just ancient history, but...please, Feralae, stay out of it...so unimportant I had to wrack my brain to even recall it. Shard it, I only came over in the first place to say hi and try to get to know you a little better, and all I got was attitude. My opinion remains what it was. I don't like you, but /I/ am not the one accusing search dragons of making mistakes and telling people to go home. You'll make a good wingrider, but if this is how we're going to interact, I hope it's in a different wing." She doesn't even sound mad any more, more...frustrated.
Feralae sighs, biting the shell again as she pulled the braid tight.
The last clatterings of Nolee's lumber pile settle, not quite making enough noise to obscure the curly-haired visiting rider's words, or Feralae's which follow. She squints as though that would improve her hearing, looking first under the tables at their feet, then stacking the wood neatly and feeding the hearth fire, the wood piled haphazardly within. Afterward, she rises, the better to study and learn from this trio and how they respond to one another. "I think I missed why they," starts the blonde to V'lano, stepping a pace closer while she brushes off the clinging wood chips from her clothes. She finishes by remembering the two are present, and it's more polite to speak to rather than of them, "you, didn't like each other in the first place, before this place, at the other place?"
Feralae dryly. "So I gathered."
V'lano takes up a slow, steady nodding, as if one member or the other of the primary arguers is making a good point, one with which he agrees wholeheartedly. Yet, there's that trace of smug about the curve of his mouth which might forewarn of something else to come. For now, however, he settles for an aside to Nolee, seeing no apparent problem in speaking of them in the third person. "Something to do with how they did or did not get along there, and the circumstances of search, I suspect."
Feralae finishes the braid with a flourish, ties it off, and ties the pendant around her neck.
"So a little extra work is all it takes to scare you? Whoo-wee. They sure don't breed 'em tough where you come from, do they." This is directed to Cynara, though not once has Eslyn bothered to use her name throughout the conversation. "Just because my words may get me extra chores doesn't mean I'm going to stop saying them just because it'll cost me time and effort. If its what I think then its what I think, and -he- said not to stop on his account. I'm taking him at his word. Even if it does get me extra chores. Doing latrines only gives me good ideas for future business endeavors." She does give the slightest glance towards V'lano as if to determine if she's in for a month of hard labor for her untamed tongue or not. "Worst they can do, really, if you think about it is stick us -together- on chores, which is even fine, since I'm adept at pretending you don't exist when I chose to." Then to Nolee, "Its a case of two wrongs not makin' a right, really, but a right and a wrong don't make a right neither, so I don't see why I have to miss out on speaking my mind to people like her when she treated me bad. I like to think of it more as a case of the phrase Gran is so fond of repeating - do unto others as you'd want 'em t'do to you. 'Cept Gran says it all proper-like." She gives a slight shrug to her shoulders. And her final remark goes to Feralae, "I don't envy ya your choice in friends."
V'lano's shoulders lift and fall and magnanimously he points out, "I'm not in charge of latrine duty here." The smile begins to slope a bit crookedly, up higher on one side than the other, and he partially unfolds one arm to run a palm over mouth and chin as if he could wipe the grin off. It doesn't work. "So she did something to you," turning his hand over to gesture first at Cynara and then at Eslyn. "And Igen didn't settle it at the time? I know you were a candidate." Cynara gets another point. "So if it wasn't worthy of some sort of action on behalf of their weyrlingmaster or coordinators - is it really worthy of an argument now?" Still, he looks a bit lazy about all of this, not at all likely to mind if the girls should just ignore him and go right back at it; he even shrugs, dismissing his own question's import.
"She got kidnapped." Nolee points to Cynara, whispering, "but I thought it was okay if it was for search. Like she said, about duty, and my Pop, too." After checking her hands for egg, her pointer shifts to Eslyn. "She went for a ride and was kept, maybe." A pause, Nolee resting her chin on her hand, then, louder, "Can searching dragons make mistakes? I'd think it possible, like putting the shell in the pan instead of the egg." Personal experience, here? Nolee's expression turns from interested to horrified. "Latrines? Ew. So if there were," a count on fingers and she's lost, "How many wrongs? I'd think it's fair, really. You got kidnapped, her friend got kidnapped, there was a trade?" V'lano's just given a blank look, as though he might not quite grasp the finer points of interpersonal conflict.
Feralae blinks. "IS it possible for the dragons to make mistakes V'lano? Somehow I don't think so, not with something as important as Search."
"Igen wasn't my turf." Eslyn replies to V'lano with a non-commital shrug of her shoulders. "Now she's on my ground." The girl removes her hand from the stone once more and brushes them together, rising, "If you'll all excuse me. I've run out of bark to grind." And with that she turns the slab and brushes the ground bits into the tightly-woven brown sack the bark came in, drops the rock in and picks up the slab in one arm. "Have a good night." And with the flash of a smile - which is realer for some than it is for others, the girl trots in the direction of the stores.
Feralae was twitching. "How many names can I call her before I get extra chores?" She wondered.
Feralae adds. "I don't like her attitude!"
Cynara frowns a little bit. "I am beginning to think I should be worried," she says, watching Eslyn depart, and then rummaging in her pocket, pulling a hide and a piece of charcoal out of it, starting to write and talk at the same time, although she takes care...she sits down where Eslyn did...to conceal what she's writing from the others present. "I don't want conflict, and I have a feeling she does. I'm not sure I want to risk being a weyrling with somebody I don't feel I can trust."
Feralae looks at her simply. "If I were in your shoes, I would stay just to spite her."
"If it's just a disagreement between the two of you," V'lano muses, "and not something which involved the authorities at Igen, then it's less important than candidacy." Finally the smile vanishes and the Telgari levels a thick, solemn stare at Eslyn as she heads off, then turns the same look upon Cynara. After an extended moment of silence like that he turns to Feralae and notes, "Searching is more like a hunch than a decision, for dragons. A feeling they get about someone. It's hard to call something like that a mistake, especially given that even the dragon doesn't generally know what's coming out of those shells out there." Then, at Nolee, a grin. Just a grin. As if, if he -does- grasp the finer points of interpersonal conflict, he's not going to give her any hints about it. Let her explain.
Gerand wanders into the cavern from the bowl and makes his way toward the serving area, glancing around at people gathered nearby.
"They wouldn't want to say so, naturally," Nolee responds, "but it could happen, especially if it is just a hunch, as he says. Like a weyrling dragon picked me. If I were his first scent, he could've been confused. I did smell like citron that day." Eslyn receives an uncertain wave. "But you were on her ground before. If you can say something to her here, couldn't she to you there?" A moment's pause, Nolee working out the logistics of this one, the words confusing, then a nod. "That." Nolee stares at, then blinks at, V'lano singly, though doesn't elaborate further, instead interested in Cynara's actions.
Cynara shakes her head. She finishes writing, folding the letter into a small hide...well, note rally, she scrawled it out quickly, and whistles. A blue firelizard dropps from the rafters. "One sec here." She secures the letter to his leg, taking a few moments to impress on his little mind the image of the person she wants him to find. He wings skyward then poofs *between*. "What's more important. My candidacy, or the risk of danger in the weyrling wing caused by conflict between us?" she inquires of V'lano. "I don't think I could trust her to watch my back during a drill, plain and simple." How did things get /this/ bad?
Feralae blinks. "I have no idea what that meant." Feralae blinked. "I mean, I understood the part about dragons getting confused, but I don't think they'd make a mistake about something as important as their life partner or their weyrlings life partner."
"I've never seen a hatchling impress a citron," V'lano murmurs thoughtfully, not meeting Nolee's blinking gaze, smile thoughtfully bemused. He snaps his attention suddenly back to Cynara and offers, firmly, "I don't think, should you both impress - and though you've both been searched by capable, qualified dragons - " Poor Nolee. " - it's presumptuous to believe you will. But if you do, I'sai will be your Weyrlingmaster. Believe me: you will have no problems with conflict in the weyrling wing. Not any -long,- problematic problems, anyway. You'll barely recognize each other by the third day." He nods distractably to Feralae and manages to unfold a hand to point at her: "Yes."
Gerand tilts his head to listen in on the conversation taking place as he moves a hand to start pouring himself a mug of juice to drink, glancing over curiously toward Cynara, Eslyn and V'lano as he makes his way toward a nearby seat.
Feralae grins. "Told you NOlee, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'lli mpress, and that day up in the stands, I'll be rooting for you! You too Cynara! Maybe this one will be the one!"
Nolee almost laughs, but not quite, regarding the matter as more serious than that. "Not the weyrling dragon about the weyrling. About me." Her words are bright, accompanied by a shrug, then a moment of musing while she thinks on, then summarily disregards, the possibility of impressing citrons, long enough to not mind the exclusion about capable and qualified searchdragons. Raising her head, she catches sight of Gerand, offering him a very slight wave and a checking over for any visible bruising. Satisfied, she smiles. "Wait, the Weyrlingmaster isn't S'ir anymore? What happened? Did he sunburn?"
Gerand listens to the group and simply sips at his drink from a nearby table, catching Nolee's glance in his direction and smiling as he nods back to her while just keeping himself out of the way. He appears unhurt, though he's definitely a quieter sort than usual, as his continued silence... continues.
Cynara shakes her head a little bit. "Feralae, it won't cool off. The original argument was..." She counts on her fingers. "Something like nine months ago, and we've barely seen each other since. She's not the type to cool off, or she would have." She turns back to V'lano. "I don't want conflict. I really don't. But I don't see any way to avoid it, or to resolve it."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I meant S'ir." V'lano's eyes twinkle. "I keep calling him I'sai. Not sure why I do that. Maybe he has a twin brother." Twinkling eyes are also sharp ones; he catches sight of peripheral motion and turns to identify the source, then raises a hand to hail greeting at it. "Harpers everywhere," he heartily smirks, "Like bugs last go around, I..." The bronzerider trails off, eyeing Gerand's solemn air. Rather than draw yet more attention to the quiet man, he turns to Cynara and notes, "I'm not saying you would. I'm saying he'll make sure it's taken care of. Trust me."
"You could have a contest? Maybe something like throwing ash, see who can get it the farthest, and that person wins? My Pop used to do things like that with me, back when it still worked." Nolee scratches her head, turning her gaze back to the clutchsire's rider. "He has a twin? And they're both Weyrlingmasters?" Finding this a surprise, she turns back toward Gerand. "Harper! You'd know. Are there lots of twins who are Weyrlingmasters, like S'ir and I'sai?"
Kirstie
A very slight young woman, she stands perhaps 5 feet in height, if one was generous, and of perhaps 17 turns of age. And for her age, she is clearly in good shape, perhaps a touch too curvy for that age, and just as clearly one who either spends too long in the sun, or at the least, tans rather easily. Her long raven hair is dark as night, and usually worn loose, as her preference seems to be.
The flight leathers of the Igen senior weyrling proclaim dedication to high standards. Constructed of the sturdiest lightweight leather available, the uniform is dyed a medium grey all over, but with golden-yellow patches: a removable Mirage wing patch on the left shoulder, Igen's shield huge across the entire back, and of course the knot prominent upon the right shoulder. Below are a newer pair of black riding boots. Finally, a riding helmet protects Kirstie's head from injury, and a pair of flight goggles covers the eyes against the rushing wind. Though simple, these leathers, and the wearer, look very sharp.
Kaeryna
Slender and sprightly, this girl stands just a little tall for her age of 14 Turns, 3 months, and 3 days old. Her skin is deeply bronzed from growing up in the sunlight. Curly chestnut locks frame a gently heart-shaped tan face, and spill down over the young girl's shoulders and down to mid-back when allowed to swing free. Natural highlights streak through the curls, brought about by exposure to the sun. Verdant green eyes blink out from behind a set of thick brown lashes. If one looks closer, the tell-tale family trait of a ring of smoky grey around the outer edges of the bright green can be seen. Her slender nose is a little small on her face, but straight. Rosy cheeks indicate a strong sway of the feminine to this girl. Her pink lips are small and thin, sitting with the scheme of her petite features.
The flight leathers of the Igen senior weyrling proclaim dedication to high standards. Constructed of the sturdiest lightweight leather available, the uniform is dyed a medium grey all over, but with golden-yellow patches: a removable Mirage wing patch on the left shoulder, Igen's shield huge across the entire back, and of course the knot prominent upon the right shoulder. Below are a newer pair of black riding boots. Finally, when she needs them, a riding helmet protects Kaeryna's head from injury, and a pair of flight goggles covers the eyes against the rushing wind. Though simple, these leathers, and the wearer, look very sharp.
Gerand catches a glimpse of V'lano's look in his direction and lets out a little laugh, mood seeming to improve just slightly, "I had more than enough of those -bugs- you had to deal with, there. More than bloody enough, and I would certainly hope your opinion of Harpers would be at least -slightly- higher than that." the Harper grins, sipping his drink.
Gustive enters from the narrow corridor.
Kaeryna walks into the cavern with Kirstie, removing hat and gloves as she walks and stuffing them into her pockets. "Bugs?" she echoes quietly, her eyes brightening with that single word. "Igen's duties." she calls a little more normal toned to the cavern, hopefully covering all of them.
Feralae watches both grown ups, hoping that her earlier comments about greenriders would go unnoticed.
Kirstie enters the Living cavern along with Kaeryna, and she grins a touch as she sees a few faces she knows, a wave to Cynara is offered, as well as one to Nolee. But, seeing the presence of a harper, and Gerand in particular, she whispers to Kaeryna, and then starts walking over to him.
Gustive cautiously pushes through the Kitchen door, careful not to run into any of the drudges, cooks, and cooks assistants bustling about in there.
Feralae nods to the rider. "Hello." She ducks her head, hoping that the arguement wouldn't be brought up.
"Harpers have better taste in - " Something. V'lano doesn't quite get to explaining what; it's too urgent that he grin at Nolee and agree, "Yes. Both Weyrlingmasters. You'll probably meet the other one eventually." How quickly something he 'thinks' 'might' be true turns into absolute fact.
Cynara lifts a hand. "Bugs. You must remember the bugs, Kaeryna." She doesn't offer duties, not being sure /which/ Weyr's she should offer right now. Or rather, she just offers them without a place. "Duties to you and your dragons." Plural, to include both arriving riders.
Feralae nods agreement. "My duties." She mutters, determined to keep her mouth shut.
Nolee notices and places the distinctive riding jackets of the Igenites, her face lengthening slightly. Quietly, she murmurs, "Uh oh; there's two of them." A furtive glance is cast Gerand's way, then a slightly less hushed, "Ista's duties." Just to continue the repetition of the word, enjoying the sound, she echoes, "Better taste in bugs?" Then a tilt of her head, "Have they met each other?" If they're twins? One would hope.
Lirit walks in from the bowl.
Gerand glances up a little and happens to belatedly notice the two new arrivals from Igen jut as Kirstie leans in and whispers to Kaeryna. He takes a deep breath, a quick glance flashed over toward Nolee before looking back to the two new arrivals, "Hall's duties as well." he smiles a little, tempered by something before he looks back to V'lano and chuckles, "I'd like to know how that sentence ended, someday."
Kaeryna gives half a wave to Cynara. "Of course, they made me a small fortune for me before Chayil got rid of them." Another smile goes towards Cynara as she nods, "You've not seen Eslyn around have you?" and her question takes in as many of them as she can, in case someone else has seen her friend.
Cynara shakes her head. "She left about...thirty minutes ago." And when she comes back, Cynara will probably leave. She has a feeling she'll only be in the way of things, but if it helps, then it's worth the deception. "She...well, she and I still don't get on." UNderstatement, but she then shrugs. "I'm not going to worry about it any more."
Feralae thumps Cynara on the back. "THAT'S the spirit! No worries! No letting her get in the way of you ENJOYING life! I mean, come on, to live well is the best revenge right? Right?"
Nolee's glances being as mistimed with Gerand's as they are borders on comedic, though the expression of concern she dons is anything but, the girl keeping her hands busy by plucking bark chips from her shirt where firewood remnants cling. "Bugs made a fortune?" The furtive glance is shifted to Cynara, "So you didn't send your firelizard to get them to take you home? I hope not, because that would be like shirking your duty, and you could end up shoveling ash like Naemyr." Ugh, work.
"Telgar's duties and Ista welcomes you," V'lano informs the Igenite weyrlings quite mildly, then dips his head toward Nolee and Cynara: "Excuse me - I think I've been summoned." He straightens his neck and tosses a wave and a smirk of a grin toward Gerand, then aims for the bowl, scooping up a fresh cup of cold tea along the way.
Kaeryna's brows slightly at Cynara's words. "Oh, really?" She glances towards the doorways, but doesn't look as if she's leaving quite for the moment. "Revenge for what?" and her attention is now more focussed on Feralae, giving a quick nod of acknowledgement to V'lano as she turns to answer Nolee's question. "We were catching them and selling them back to the Seacraft Hall as bait."
Gerand waves a hand as V'lano makes to depart, and continues sipping at his drink, unnoticed by the other arrival from Igen, which seems to suit him so far, as his expression shows the pleasantly amusing signs of confusion. Stay? Leave quietly? Run? It adds up to a feeling of paralysis as he lets his mood settle, resting his hands on the tabletop.
From the Kitchen, a loud clang and a muffled curse is heard followed closely by an argumentative shout. The upsetvoice is obviously female and obviously not happy with the help that has been given her this day. "Oooh, wait till I tell Kaimi, you're putting dents in all or good metal ware!"
The answering male voice grumbles something unheard and then there is another clang of metal. "Well don't keep waving that knife around my head, how am I supposed to keep anything in my hands..."
Feralae nervously says. "Well, when I came in to work on my necklace" she pointed. "I found Cynara and Eslyn in an arguement. So I tried to break them up and said some things I shouldn't. Then Eslyn stormed away, and Cynara started to doubt herself. So I tried to encourage her. But she was worried that Eslyn would make her life as a Weyrling miserable. I was trying to get her not to worry." This was said shyly, for she recognized a person of great position.
Cynara shakes her head. "No," she lies, hoping kaeryna won't give her away. "I remembered something I forgot to tell her mother." Which is when the firelizard returns, landing on the table nearby. "I'm not doubting myself, Feralae. I'm doubting whether me and Eslyn in the same place at the same time is a good idea."
Feralae sighs. "And if you both impress the Weyrling master will probably put you together anyway. If only to try and get you two to work together."
V'lano walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Kirstie seems distracted, and she smiles as she walks over towards Gerand, seeing that he appears to be, well, uncomfortable about something to her eyes, and she walks up to him. "Heya there." She says, her voice all light and sweetness, moving to take a seat next to him, "Havn't seen you about like I was hoping." She says, so far, mostly behaving herself.
Kaeryna looks over to where Kirstie had gone, nodding a greeting to Gerand if he notices it past Kirstie's attention. "Well we fought when we were candidates." She reminds Cynara. "It can be a tricky time for lots of people. Anyway, someone said when I was a candidate that I should worry about my time as -that- and not to worry about after the hatching. That helped a little bit when I had problems."
"Bait!" Nolee's understanding is for once instant, the simplicity and sense of the plan not lost on her. "I wouldn't have thought of that." Her brows furrow as the firelizard returns, an unusually perceptive gaze sent Cynara's way, then it is absent, but she doesn't press on. Instead, she tracks Kirstie's progress across the floor, unconsciously imitating the set of her shoulders, though it is rather ridiculous on her.
Gerand turns his head back to Kirstie as she walks over to take a seat next to him, smiling awkwardly to her as it's not his turn not to quite notice the look from Kaeryna. "Uhm, hello there, Kirstie.." he nods, giving a weak little smile and searching for words, "Yes, well... I think it's safe to say, that the less I say, the less trouble I'm getting in." he says in a weak attempt, even to him, to duck her remarks only a few moments longer.
From the Kitchen, the same annoyed female voice gives a loud groan. "It's just meat Gus, if you Impress how will you ever make it through weyrling training if you can't cut up a little meat. Do you even _know_ how much meat a growing dragon eats?" Her voice drones on to talk in detail how many herd beasts she's had to carve in her days.
Gustive's voice can be heard with a small plaintive note to it. "I'm chopping aren't I? It's not like I chop meat in the stables. Oh stop shaking that at me."
Feralae giggles. "Sorry, that's not funny, and she's right. But..." She breaks off, laughing.
Cynara shakes her head. "We did, but not over something that happened nine months ago when we hadn't seen each other since, Kaeryna...I don't know what to do." She doesn't want the conflict, well, part of her does, but the sane part really doesn't.
Kaeryna shrugs, "Oh well, you can always hide away in the candidate barracks. She won't be allowed in there, Cynara."
Cynara shakes her head. "No, Kaeryna. /She/ got Searched /too/. There's no way I can avoid her...short of withdrawing my own candidacy." She sighs a bit, reaching up to fiddle with her hair. "She demanded that I go home. She insulted Igen. I almost lost it with her completely."
Nolee squints intently toward Gerand, curiousity drawing her attention, though the clanging in the kitchen draws a sympathetic wince. "It is like a trade," she agrees. "Though there are way too many chores to worry about too much else. Hope your cots are at least far away." Gradually, it dawns on Nolee the name given the person Cynara's speaking to, and she helpfully identifies, "Ooh! You're Kaeryna." As though it had been a secret, or as though someone had been discussing her earlier.
Kirstie ahs softly as she hears Gerand, looking around a bit, and she smiles a touch as she sees who else might be around, and she looks to the harper once more. "So, how have you been?" She asks, smiling. "Keeping to too busy to pay a visit or anything?" She asks, winking to him.
Gerand turns to glance at Kirstie as she speaks to him again, this time a bit more properly prepared for an answer, and unaware of Nolee's gaze on the situation, or the racket in the kitchen. "Things have been fairly busy, yes... Lirit and I are... talking, about things." he decides is the best way to put it, shifting his gaze back to his empty juice mug, fixating on that a bit. "Been well, otherwsie. You?" he asks, trying to at least be polite.
Kaeryna blinks, "Is that a bad thing?" she asks Nolee, before doing the more formal "Kaeryna, weyrling with Rozhenth." as the rest of the introduction. "Wait, she got searched and she didn't tell me?"
Speaking of Lirit, the bluerider meanders, almost slumps, tiredly into the living caverns, a satchel slung over one shoulder, clearly newly returned from running some piece of Weyr business or another halfway across Pern and back. Without a glance around the cavern, she heads for the serving tables to forage.
Cynara hrms. "Apparently...I assumed she must have, though, she was upset enough about you being 'stolen' by Igen." She doesn't yet mention what she took as Eslyn making a threat. "I mean, why wouldn't she tell you?" Odd. She reaches up to fiddle with her curly black hair. "Then again, they do keep us real busy, it took me a couple of days to have time to write everyone."
Nosy Nolee gives up her emulation of Kirstie's different-day sashays to raise up onto her toes to better overtly observe what is unfolding between Harper and greenrider. "Sorry? Oh, no, I didn't mean it badly." A glance toward Cynara, as Nolee's already forgotten, begs for quiet help and reminder about the visitor's rank. "Just that you were mentioned earlier. When they were arguing."
Kaeryna shrugs, "I wasn't stolen by Igen, I was stolen by Rozhenth. Doesn't matter, she was probably waiting to surprise me with it when I was allowed to come and visit. But it's the first time today that I've been allowed to leave Igen on my own, well with Kirstie." who gets another glance. "What did they say about me?" can't hurt to ask.
Kirstie grins a touch, and shrugs a tad as she thinks on what to reply to Gernad with, noting Nolee watching her as she does so. "Not bad... not bad at all really. Still, heard a lot of good things about your mate, so really curious to see if she is as good looking as I was told." Discreet? Kirstie? Not a chance.
Feralae settles down, pulling out her sketchbook to get pictures of the two riders.
From the Kitchen, "Ow, that got in my eye!" is shouted. "What in the shards are you doing Gustive? I told you to chop faster not fling the meat around."
Gustive's voice sounds worried. "Not a piece of bone was it? I'm sorry Corla, let me help you clean it out."
"No!"
Cynara shrugs a bit. "The only thing said about you was that Eslyn wished you'd been searched for here instead of Igen." But does she seem a little bit nervous, as if not wanting another comment to be repeated...is she even blushing a bit.
Gerand listens to the various conversations going on around him, but seems unable to focus on anything even remotely well enough to speak up in distraction from other things, such as the remark just now made by Kirstie, "Well, she is, though she might not be so good looking from your perspective if she walks... in... here..." he trails off slowly, catching a glimpse of the back of a familiar head as he continues glancing around to distract himself.
Nolee seems to relax as Kirstie seems to be renewing her friendly overtures, and she nods encouragingly to Gerand, shifting around to follow the line of his gaze. "Eslyn said Kaeryna's why she's mad at stupid Igenites, but I don't think she meant she's mad at you." To Cynara, "Oh? Is that what she'd hoped? I was tending the fire then, and must've missed it." Reminded, she hunches by one of the room's many hearths, fueling the fire and heating the room even more.
Lirit gathers a plate of roast wherry -- what else? -- and a couple of slabs of bread and, just for a change of pace, a smattering of greens as well, before turning to settle at the nearest vacant spot at one of the tables and slouch over her dinner, allowing the satchel to slip from her shoulder to rest on the floor at her feet.
Kaeryna smiles thanks to Cynara for her answer, or part thereof, but turns back to Nolee for the rest of the answer, "Thankyou." Lussana's entrance into the room is given a smile and a quick nod. "Well she doesn't have to be mad at us anymore, cause I can come and visit again."
Feralae works on her sketch. Then she yawns slightly. "I think I'll make this an early night." She says as she gathers up her stuff. "My duties riders." She told the to women. Then she winked at Cynara. "See you tomorra kay?"
Lussana glances around cavern, yawns, and settles her gaze on a couch off in a corner.
Kirstie ahs softly, and she grins a touch, "Oh, so you are as honest as you say you are, well, have to admit, I'm pleasently suprised." She notes, grinning softly as she looks around, and she thinks a bit. "Tell you what, I am planning on heading down towards the beach, more than welcome to come along if you like." She says, standing up as she speaks.
Gerand looks up and gives a little nod to Kirstie, "Alright." he says quietly, "Perhaps we'll talk later, then.." he moves to stand, a faint smile given to Kirstie before he starts walking over in Lirit's direction.
Lirit glances up from her plate just in time to spot Gerand rising. Tired as she is, she still notes the greenrider with him and her frown is immediate.
Kaeryna watches as Kirstie stands, and then gives a slight frown, "I think that I'd better go and find Eslyn." she tells the little group, "It was nice to meet you all."
Kirstie walks outside, into the bowl.
Nolee again brushes bark from her sleeves where it clings, attracting splinters which cause her to rub her palm along her work pants, brightening as she thinks of good tidings, her focus split between those nearby and those of Gerand and Kirstie. "Eslyn's working with the hunters now, too. She can't catch yet on her own, but she carries the dead stuff in. She's working hard, but doesn't seem like being a candidate much. Maybe that's why she didn't say? I'm sure you'll find her, and she'll be glad to see you."
Lussana Watches the other people in the room for a second, then says quietly, "well, I'm about ready to call it a night."
Kaeryna says "Thankyou." and goes off to find her friend."
Kaeryna walks outside, into the bowl.
Gerand glances over his shoulder, looking a bit relieved as Kirstie takes her leave, as he moves to step over to Lirit, holding up a hand, "That was her." he confirms, knowing the look on Lirit's face, confirming what he suspects she knows already.
"Long day?" he asks, moving to take an empty seat across from his weyrmate. "Sounds like Gus is busy." he mentions, finally hearing Gustive's voice for what it is.
Lirit shoves her plate away and stands. "Was it, now?" she says quietly. The dangerous sort of quietly. "Aye, a long day. Maybe about to get longer."
Nolee winces again as the kitchen chaos carries, though the quiet reaction of the rider to Gerand's unheard words perhaps confirm a nagging worry the girl might've been having. Surreptitiously, she brushes the woodpile's mess toward the hearth, then walks on lightly placed feet toward the caverns. Tip toe, tip toe, crash into poorly stacked piece of wood. Foiled, by herself.
Gerand just smiles weakly as he nods to Lirit, before murmuring something to her. He mutters to Lirit, "Nolee's... too.... you've... doubts... I tried,... Ask her... Otherwise... probably wanting... to you.... sorry,..."
Lirit glances toward the Candidate in question, frowning. "I don't doubt you, Ger" she says quietly to her weyrmate. "But as for yon Igenite _weyrling_....there needs to be an understandin' reached, I think."
Gerand simply nods a little toward Lirit, "Going to track her down..?" he asks, glancing around the cavern at the others sitting nearby, a look of hesistation on his face. "Maybe I'll just... let you find her, then come out in a bit?"
From the Kitchen, the constant din seems to have slowed pace and Gustive's voice can be heard once more. "Are you sure you're alright, Corla?"
Her voice still holds some minor annoyance but also quite a bit of resignation. "Yes, I'm fine. Why don't you go on."
"Right then, I'll see you tomorrow," Gus says brightly.
"Shards, I hope not..." is muttered by Corla so quietly it's hard to pick up.
Gustive walks over from the Kitchen.
Nolee hunches, stilling the objects around the hearth, then smiles weakly in Lirit's direction. Uncertainly, she picks at an imbedded sliver, absorbed in liberating it from within her hand.
Lirit nods curtly at Gerand's words, and, stooping to retrieve her stachel, strides from the living caverns with angry purpose etched in her every step.
Gerand watches Lirit step outside, and remains in his seat across from where she'd been sitting, hands moving to rest his head in them, "I'm so dead." he murmurs.
Gustive walks out of the kitchen, relief and some sweat plasterd on her his face. He doesn't seem to notice anyone in the cavern just yet, only to happy to be escaping from the room behind him with all his fingers.
Nolee moves away from the hearth, retrieving two cups, beverages within, then very slowly moves toward Gerand midway across the cavern coming across Gustive. "Evening," she greets, her voice low. "Glad to see you made it out of there all right. Sounds like a hard day." A gesture of her head toward the Harper; "He's having one, too." The cup is raised, "Thought he needed cheering," and she takes a few steps toward where he sits with his head down.
Gerand glances up and gives a small nod to Nolee as she steps over toward him, "Hey there, Nolee. Not hard to tell I screwed up, is it?" he remarks before catching sight of Gustive as Nolee addresses him, waving over to his old friend as well, "Hey, Gus."
Cynara stretches a little bit. She waves to Gustive and then stands, sighing. "I'm tired all of a sudden. Longer day than I thought, I guess...see you all tomorrow." And she'll head towards the barracks.
Gustive almost runs into Nolee as distracted as he is. "Evening," is replied back as he follows the line she makes toward the Harper. His eyebrows are raised towards his friend, seating himself across from the depressed looking man. "Problems?"
Nolee sets one cup down near Gerand, then joins at a seat opposite his at the table, near Gustive's with her own cup, only a few drops haphazardly spilling on the table. "The greenrider?" she asks, questions without being spelled out hinted at. "Yeh, Lirit looked not-to-happy. Maybe they'll work things out, though? You're still talking to each other. That's a good sign."
Gerand smiles a little with a thankful nod to Nolee, as he reaches for the drink, "Thanks, Nolee. And.. yep, the greenrider." he replies before lookg up to Gustive, "Y'know that much they tell you about cold baths? It doesn't work. Trust me." he clears his throat and takes a sip, looking between the two Candidates. "I messed up bad. But... yes, we're talking. Remarkably well, really... she took it better than I.. expected."
Gustive looks confused and also very worn out. "What are you going on about? The greenrider? Did you tangle with a greenrider?"
Nolee's fingers clasp with each other, reflective, and she rests them on the table. "I thought you would've been able to make it," she says, softly. "You were doing so well, and it is clear how much you care about Lirit." A glance to Gustive, though Gerand's comment suggests the topic is at least limitedly shareable. Worried, she wonders, "Do you think the dragon gives her extra persuasiveness? Or is she just like that?"
Gerand looks up toward Gustive at his question and says with a little frown, not smiling at all, "Not really -tan-..." he thinks and corrects himself, "Yes." is his reply before he looks over to Nolee and shakes his head, "I jumped into the water under the falls without even taking off my tunic. She followed me in.." he shrugs a bit before nodding about Lirit, "She's almost everything to me, and... no. I remember meeting Kirstie as a candidate, and she was probably only keeping herself in control because of that."
Weariness or just utter confusion makes Gustive shake his head slowly. "Wait, what? And Lirit and her family haven't hung you up from the finger rock by your..." He fades off and then winces at Nolee. He seems a little sad, or maybe it really is that he's just that tired. "But you were just weyrmated."
Nolee's fingers tap against each other, any semblance of amusement banished from her expression as it becomes clear that even in a Weyr, such things might have consequences. "But," she protests, "she's a rider. She has exceptions for flights. Don't you get to have exceptions, too?" Her expression darkens, surprise at herself for even thinking in those terms. Contrarily, she urges, "Gus, you should eat. You've got to be exhausted after chores." Sounding more herself, she ventures, "Would they really hang you by ...on the rock?"
Gerand winces at Gustive's assessment of the sitation, "It bothers me enough already, Gus.." he remarks, the extra comments from his friend striking home quite clearly before he looks to Nolee, "I.. could." he answers, "There are... circumstances where that would be alright, for both of us. These weren't them." he admits, before shaking his head a little, "I don't think Lyss knows, but if anyone would, she'd be the one."
Gustive smiles tiredly at Nolee and shrugs. "I'm not really hungry, I've been snacking during kitchen duty all day." He leans his head on one hand propped up on the table, eyes looking slightly bleary towards Gerand. "Lyss must not know yet, I doubt you'd be sitting in plain view if she did."
Nolee dips her finger into her cup, swirling the liquid inside and watching it form lazy circles as it moves. "Would..." she tentatively starts, her voice breaking off, then returning, "Would it've been better if you'd talked about it before?"
Gerand nods a little over to Gustive, "Right. I probably wouldn't be, but... she might know, and I'd probably deserve it." he sighs, then looks to Nolee and nods again, "If someone else wanted to sleep with me and asked -Lirit-, or.. well." he laughs, one which has a reflexive sound to it, "If it were something we agreed about, possibly.."
Gustive's head nearly slips off his hand and onto the table before he sits up with a start. "I think I need to crawl into my cot. Gerand, I'll talk to you later about all this when I have a clearer head." He stands and nods to Nolee. "Night, Nol, I'm sure I'll see you later." Sluggishly he makes his way out of the cavern to the comfort relative comfort of his cot.
Nolee puzzles for a moment over this duality, this complicated chain of ownership and possession and permission, finally raising her cup to drink, though that's dissuaded by the bark floating on its surface. Setting it back down, she waves to Gustive, "Night, Gus. I'll be after soon." Standing, she offers a further sympathetic look to Gerand. "Maybe she'll tell the greenrider that, too. I hope things work out for you. You seem like a nice pair. Much better than my mum'n'pop ever were."
Gerand reaches up and waves a hand to Gustive, "G'night, Gus. Yeah, I'm sure we'll talk later." he looks back over toward Nolee and smiles weakly, "We try, it's... difficult. One of your folks a rider or something?" he asks curiously, reaching for the drink again.
Nolee shakes her head. "Mum works in ceramics, posted here, and Pop didn't want to leave his glassworks setup near Red Sands, so they split up. They seem to care about each other, but can't reason it out right." Realizing her tale sounds like it bodes ill, she hastily adds, "Though I'm sure you'll have better luck. Harpers are heaps more educated than my Pop." An encouraging nod.
Gerand listens with a little bit of a nod, "We try and be educated well, comes from having to be teachers." he admits with a little smile, "We'll work it out, it's just... early in things for us. Eleketh hasn't caught yet, and that'll be -my- time of testing. Well... other than this one." he admits, letting out a bit of a sigh, "Sorry to have had all this happen right in front of you, but I suppose it gives you an idea of what you might want to avoid if you impress, huh?"
Nolee's nose wrinkles along with her squint of concentration, and she is reaching for her cup, though she's following the line of Gerand's words, and they distract her enough that she instead tips the cup off of the table. Blinking at it distractedly, it takes a moment to register what happened, and she kneels, using the long sleeves of her work smock to blot at the water. "That will be a hard test. And don't worry. I'm, I'm learning heaps from everything here. It's all so much different than I imagined."
Gerand watches Nolee spill the water, and doesn't evem seem surprised or startled by the sudden spillage, the Harper that deeply in concentration on various matters racing through his mind. "You okay?" he asks, before smiling just a bit, "It'll be hard, but we'll get through it. And... yes, you and I both, are learning a great deal from being here." he nods, "I never knew what to expect when I first came here, myself."
The blonde's vigorous head movement asserts that she's okay, though perhaps more physically than mentally while all this sinks in. "Was your first time spending lots of time at a Weyr at Igen, then here? Or did you know more about them before that? For instance, I'd heard lots of things, but," she finishes the cleanup, her sleeves damp, and rises with the cup in hand. "it really isn't like I thought. A rider, caring about fi, fild, er, fildlety? is a surprise, but meeting you both makes everything more," she stops for a moment to breathe, regarding him, "real."
Gerand thinks about what Nolee says for a few moments, the latter part coming across as a bit of a surprise to his ears as he rests his elbows atop the table, and chin in both hands, "Here, actually. Right before I apprenticed I spent a couple nights guarding a caravan here, that's when I met Lirit, and Jillah and some others. Then when I could travel, I came back. It was actually Lirit and Eleketh that gave me the idea to travel to Igen for the project I tried to do there." he xeplains before getting to the real subject at hand, the more uncomfortable one in a way, "Fidelity." he clarifies with a little smile, "I was raised to believe one woman, one man, that's it. Not.. one man, one woman, and all the riders her dragon puts in bed with her. I never really thought I'd be the one to make ... trouble, with that. Never really thought it at all."
Nolee shakes one sleeve, freeing a few droplets of water, then wipes the now-dirtier sleeve across her pantleg to clean it. "You were a guard?" She seems somewhat reassured on another level that someone could switch trades a few times before settling on a calling, though she studies him absently, envisioning him in that role. "I can't see you except as a Harper, but maybe because that's how I know you. And you're good at it. Making records and doing work, too, all the hard parts." She mouths 'fidelity,' after he corrects it, nodding, not reemphasizing the word. "Yeh, me, too." She glances to the side, worried about looking silly if she's overheard, and makes a soft sort of promise. "If I become a greenrider," as Kirstie is now the epitome of the color in her mind, "I'll try not to take advantage of nice boys even if the dragon wants."
Gerand looks back to Nolee and nods a bit, saying, "It's alright. People forget things all the time. Like I so aptly demonstrated the other night, y'know?" he smiles a bit, "Dragons... from what I've seen, and I'm by no means an expert... Seems to me that they're likely to tug your personality along... just a bit, in whatever direction they're in themselves. Lirit thinks more, less rash, if you can believe it, because of Eleketh."
Iaril enters the cavern and looks around before finding something to drink and a snack. He is barefoot and his shirt looks to have been thrown on haphazardly as, perhaps he come out of bed. He heds toward the table where Gerand ad Nolee are. "They take up all yer time. S'all you have, ev event'ly."
Nolee nods, pleased to see Gerand able to smile at himself and the other evening's events. "They do? She does? Hmmh." The surprise sound accompanies the abandoning of the empty cup on the table, and while Iaril gets a welcoming wave despite his mussed state, she's quick to add, "Not all you have. You could have other people, friends, family. Really. Ah, hey, Fingers. Chores getcha dirty, or ya wake up hungry?"
Iaril halfgrins, "I'm always hungry dontcha know?"
Gerand looks over and greets Iaril with a wave and a polite nod, "Hello there." the Harper offers before turning back to Nolee and smiling just a touch, "For the first few turns, they sure look like they'll take up all you have." the Harper offers with a little smile, "But in an Interval, it seems easier to have more time, later."
Iaril shrugs, "Maybe. Dpends, I s'pose on the Leaders.
Nolee laughs, cheering further at Iaril's plainspoken honesty. "You have a bottomless stomach. Or else you'll grow up to be tall as the entry to the caverns." Gerand's words cause the pear-shaped girl to consider, her finger tracing a ring around the cup's mouth, though it doesn't make a singing noise for her efforts. "Maybe that's why the weyrlings are all kept in a hole with the tunnelsnakes. So they can learn how to control things before they go out. But later, there's more room for hobbies. Or sleeping."
Gerand chuckles softly at Nolee and Iaril, nodding in turn to each before saying, "At Harper's, we had very similar rules to what Weyrlings and Candidates have, for apprentices. No sex, no drinking, no fighting, need a reason to be anyplace but the Hall.. All very similar. I won't say I was the best example of this, but... it happens everywhere, and there's a good reason. You do need to be ready, to go out and take care of things proper."
Nolee's mention of sleeping acts as foreshadowing, a yawn coming and turning into a hefty sigh. "I don't do well with rules, I'm afraid, even if I mean well, so I hope the leaders are relaxed. I can remember no fighting, and I don't like how Pop acts when he drinks, so those are simple, but who is named what and who salutes which and all that is much harder." Another scratch at her head, "How do you remember all that stuff? Is there a trick or a tip from Harper classes that makes it easy?"
Gerand thinks about Nolee's question for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand before he simply laughs, "Call -everyone- Sir, at first. That's what we had to do, at first... but. Once you get the hang of spotting knot colors quickly, it's a lot easier. Though.." he looks around for a brief moment before reaching up and tapping the side of one eye socket, "Blues and greens. Hard for me to tell -some- of the colors. Not all, but there've been times when I mixed up a thread or two." He grumbles, "I should probably go up to Eleketh's ledge and see if everything's alright..."
Nolee nods, wide eyes taking in his advice. "That's good for dragonriding or craft work. Thanks, Gerand, for your suggestions. They could save me from extra work." Which is, of course, her primary goal. The eye-tapping brings a nod, "I heard boys get that more than girls, but you can use the rest of the person to tell a sir from a ma'am," she teases, "usually." She leaves the cup, yawning again. "It's been long enough, maybe she'll be back there by now. Good night, Gerand, and hopefully a peaceful one, too." Another wave to Iaril, and Nolee's off as well.
Gerand laughs a little, before moving to stand, "Hopefully if she's back, she's calmer." he nods to Iaril, "Have a good evening, though looks like morning for you." he winks before moving to put away empty mugs as he prepares to step out.