Pretty girls, growly Kai
It is a summer morning of day 28, month 7, turn 19 of Interval 10.
Gather Grounds
Down in the intersection of the Hall and Hold roads, the great beaten square of earth that houses most of Fort's gathers stands, free of any encroaching greenery. Meticulously maintained by Fort's groundskeepers, the area is devoid of structures when there isn't a gather on, only the brown of the hold's soil shows where festivities often take place. When the Lord has called a gather though, the wooden stalls are wheeled out from storage and set up in neat rows that make an aisle around the perimeter of the square. Strings of brightly colored lights are hung betwen the stalls and the harper dais is set up at the head of the dancing square along with a scattering of trestle tables and sturdy wooden stools.
To the northwest, the shape of the hold looms in the cliff while nearly due west the craft halls stand watch over the road. More cotholds pepper the fields beyond the gather grounds as far as the eye can see to the south and southeast.
Obvious exits:
Road
In the midst of a busy busy busy party are two girls, now arm-in-arm, waiting in the middle of a line at a booth on the fringe of the stalls, a booth that sells food of the deep-fried-carnival variety. "Think about it this way," begins Jaeyi helpfully, cozying up to Su with her long lashes batting-- further inducing early puberty on at least a half-dozen goggle-eyed onlookers. "If it gets cold, you'll need someone to keep you waaaarrm." She foregoes the argument of who's going to turn more heads with a charming, "We'll just have to stick together and double the effect, hmmmn?"
Sulisah laughs, leaning in towards the girl that so recently was thought of as a threat. "Only one person I want to keep me warm, though I might be distracted by a bubbly or two if I can't find him later." Another glance around, though this time she spots one of the girls from the Weyr and gives her a wave. "And until then, you're stuck with me. Because on a scale of one to scary, you're the least scary person here."
Aww, "I think that might be the nicest thing anyone's said to me with all my clothes still on in a long time." So Jaeyi dimples a little, which earns them a please-go-ahead-ladies passage a few spaces in line. "Let's see, let's see. I had a bite of funnel cake earlier, so I can vouch they're absolutely outstanding. And I've been watching people eat those fried corndog things for the last half-hour in a fit of envy that can only be called /green/." With a slight bump of her hips against Su's aptly colored dress. "What're you having?"
"I don't want to know about the other type of compliments." Sulisah giggles, smiling a bright 'thank you' to the people that let them move in front. "Um... cake's always good. Something sticky for definite, fried has a time and place and here isn't the time or the place. Knowing my luck I'd drip the wrong way and end up spending all day trying to sponge a stain off the front of this dress."
Long, black hair; dark and long-lashed eyes; unfairly curvy figure-- Jaeyi's one of the lucky ones where looks are concerned. At 16 Turns old, 5'9" tall, she's not one of those slim-and-lithe little beauties, rather one of those sultry and curvaceous girls whose curves get away without being skinny. With a naturally dark complexion, clean and blemish-free despite adolescence, dark brown eyes fringed by thick black lashes, full and prettily curved lips, she's trouble from head-to-toe. Her party dress is nothing to scoff at. Black. Sleeveless. Unfair. An A-line cut in flat-black sisal, it leaves her shoulders completely bare-- though there's a shawl available if the weather demands it-- and outlines all those curves right down to its mid-calf finish. Embellished very little, there's a double-line of little silver-studs along the bustline, a patent leather belt that fits low on her hips with similar studs, and not much else but the way it /fits/ to make it work. Her hair left loose, combed to polished straightness, no jewelry: simple and fetching.
With a tendency toward chubbiness, Jaeyi probably has to keep a close eye on her figure-- along with a considerable portion of the male population, likely. Despite the not-quite-ideal build, she carries herself with confidence that seems a little strange in someone so young. She speaks with a Bollian accent, the soft and slow speech-patterns of the tropics enhanced by a seemingly natural tendency toward merriness in her tones.
Petite and standing only about two inches over five feet, this young woman has managed to retain some of the cuteness of youth. Her skin is naturally dark, creating a contrast to her amber eyes, which are framed by long, thick lashes. Her black hair is straight, flowing to just past her shoulders and definitely well looked after. She has a little nose and slender lips that seem to match well with the cute point of her chin.
Most ankle-length dresses are the height of decorum and decency, this one is bordering on dangerous. The dark green material clings to her frame, each step taken revealing a split on the left side of the skirt that reaches mid-thigh. The top is apparently held up with a wish and a prayer - a darker green strip runs along the top of the bodice and then around her neck for security. As for the back, it appears to be missing until the skirt starts just below her waist.
Sulisah is currently 18 turns, 12 months, 6 days old.
B'kaiv cuts away from two other Fort weyrlings and heads toward the disgustingly not-healthy food booth with a wave. He's about to join the end of the line when a flash of green catches his eye; he leans out to see who or what it is, and summarily abandons the line to come up beside the Vintner. "Hey Su," he starts with a smile, but the smile fades first through uncertainty and then into stormclouds when he identifies her partner in crime. Flatly: "Jaeyi."
Jaeyi's eyes go purposefully to the front-of-this-dress, and she says with cheerful confidence, "I'm sure we could find someone to help clean up the stain, at least? We'll get you one without powdered sugar." Presumably, at the end, she's talking about a cake and not a dress-sponger. The appearance of a perfect, summery, venomless smile greets B'kaiv, but the only thing she has to say is a low remark dropped toward Sulisah's ear; "I'll go buy the food." And, arms unlinked, she turns toward the window, where leaning on the counter will accomplish one helluva discount.
Sulisah shakes her head, "You're terrible." Would possibly have counted as being a 'bad thing' if she wasn't grinning and laughing as she says it. B'kaiv's voice makes her turn and her smile steps up a few notches, "Kai!" There's a hesitation of about a second after Jaeyi releases her arm before Sulisah steps out of line and towards him, giving him a quick once over before aiming a hug in his direction. "When did you get here? Want something to eat?"
B'kaiv slips a possessive, covetous arm around Su's lower back, watches until Jaeyi's stepped off a few paces and he can turn his attention back to Su. "She's wearin' your dress. Got here 'bout quarter hour ago - had t' get Chielyth settled. She's..." He squints at nothing, consulting, and decides, "All but asleep. Tryin' not t' be, but it's a long way." Low-voiced, but perhaps not low enough, "What're you doin' with -her-?"
Whether or not B'kaiv wants something, Jaeyi's ordering food for more than two girls in dresses that are not conducive to great-big-meals. There's a few comments along the lines of, "We don't want it with powdered sugar. Just-- yes, that's very generous, but will you just make it the way I tell you?" Before she has to climb over the counter and do it herself. Fortunately, it makes it unlikely she heard that /her/, and it means there's time enough for Sulisah to answer before she'll be coming back over, burdened with high-cholesterol-treats.
Sulisah blinks up at B'kaiv, arms wrapped around him. "Who is?" A quick glance around and she can't see anyone else in green, so just files it away as something to check later. For now she only has eyes for him. "She made it okay though? Both of you did?" But then he asks about Jaeyi and she pauses, running a hand up his back a little, "Just talking. She saved me from a bluerider who wanted me to put on his jacket, came over for food."
"Her," Kai says again, with a chin-jerk at the other teenager wearing the sexy backless number. But talk of Chielyth distracts him, as it always does. "Yeah, she's good. Slept all night, th' other day, an' she don't never do that." Not his nocturnal green. Lower still, his eyes picking out the returning baker, "You got t' watch out for her, Su." But here's Jaeyi back, and he manages a flick of a smile for her, one that never reaches his eyes. "Nice day."
"I realize you've got better things to do with your hands at the moment," begins Jaeyi on her way back, urgently holding the hand with the unpowdered funnel cake plate on it toward Su before it spills right off her fingers, "but help please?" The paper-wrapped things must be for herself and B'kaiv, three of them. She's able to smile with just perfectly perfect perfection up to the greenrider and answer, "Isn't it? I hope you don't object to greasy?" Ever foisting food upon people.
"Mine's cuter." Sulisah replies with a grin and a nod, "Maybe she's finally settling down to a normal pattern, getting older and everything." She blinks up at him at the warning, "It's okay, honestly." Anything more is cut off as jaeyi returns and so does Sulisah's smile. One hand releases from around B'kaiv, reaching for the plate, "Thanks Jaeyi." And now she has the problem of holding the plate and eating, but not letting go of Kai... not going to work no matter how many ways she contemplates it.
B'kaiv says, "Don't think so - she's been good about sleepin' in th' morning," with a fraction of a scowl for Su's reassurance. Reluctantly he takes one of the paper things with his free hand, though with a scowl for Jaeyi that suggests wordlessly exactly how much he'd rather -not- be holding it. Or maybe his underwear's riding up. Even more reluctantly, "Should find somewhere t' sit."
Jaeyi will watch, at least for a second or two, to see if Sulisah can figure out how to eat funnel cake and clutch her man at the same time. Could be a useful trick. "I promise it's harmless," she adds, returning her attention to the paper-wrapped-thingie now in B'kaiv's keeping. It's hard for her to lower her voice confidentially and /not/ sound like it's pillow-talk, but she tries, saying furtively, "I didn't even put mustard on it." To spare the green dress, to spare them all trying to eat-and-walk, she strolls on ahead a few paces to find a table they can commandeer.
Sulisah watches the two with a little frown of her own and as Jaeyi moves off ahead of them she tightens her arm around Kai a little, dropping her voice to mumur. "I know you two had a fight, but she is trying Kai." Very trying depending on your point of view. "We can go dance soon if you want?" She offers him a chance of escape for a little while, even as she moves to follow the baker to the table.
For some reason, the greenrider doesn't seem particularly reassured about the professed lack of condiments. He peeks into the wrap, clearly debates just dropping the thing to be trampled on, but there it is still in his hand when they slip into seats just ahead of a group of holder fosterlings. "Sure," he answers Su, and he's trying (very trying!) too, for he asks Jaeyi, "You dancin' with somebody later?" Like one of these hopefully hovering boys? (/Two/ backless dresses? And only one grouchy weyrling to guard them!)
Jaeyi can't get them a whole table, regardless of the number of scantily clad girls and scowling weyrlings she brings along, but the end of a picnic table should suffice? Perched on one side, leaving them the other, being /very good/ about her posture and not like falling out of her dress, she puts her own paper stuff on the table. Corndog, fried potatoes-- communal fried potatoes, the way she sits them in the middle of the table-- and she rattles off without considering her audience, "I expect to be dancing with a lot of somebodies later." Pause. Reconsider. New subject! "How's the cake, Su?"
Sulisah drops her plate onto the table, sitting down with the utmost care to make sure that nothing that shouldn't be on display is... well... displayed. She breaks a bit off the cake, eating quickly thoguh she does keep a finger in her mouth for a moment afterwards, "Cakey." is her eventual giggled reply. "She's planning on hooking the Lord Holder's brother." Sulisah grins, mostly teasing, and trying to not eye the potatoes.
B'kaiv returns his paper-wrapped probably-not-mustardy whatever to the center of the table too, as long as they're all sharing and friendly and all. And then he sneaks an arm back around Su, keeps the other in sight at the edge of the table. "He sort of a weedy, pimply runt with shaggy hair?" he wonders loudly, eyeing a lad of just that description hovering hopefully behind the baker. Well. /Runt/ might be pushing things, but he's not even as tall as Jaeyi.
"It's better if you let them put, like, whipped cream and pudding and strawberries, but that goes back to the whole sponging off your dress conversation." Which need not be repeated. Jaeyi seems happy with her cholesterol stuff, ignoring the fact that corndogs have awfully suggestive shapes, don't they? Mouth behind her palm so she can talk without see-food; "Because you think weedy pimply runts with shaggy hair would be my type?" In a comical wow-that-hurts tone.
"I'd rather not accidentally pop a seam." Sulisah replies with a grin, as casually as she can manage dropping a hand down to rest on Kai's knee. "He's supposed to be kind of cute, not that I would know." Another bit of cake is broken off and eaten, fingers licked clean again. "T're coming later." A slight squeezing of her lips together follows to stifle a giggle at the bad choice of words.
The weedy, pimply runt with shaggy hair looks for a second as though he'd protest, but Jaeyi's words cut him to the utter quick. "Never know," Kai rumbles, staring hard as the runt, offended as a wet cat, stalks off into the crowd. Only after he's gone does the weyrling relax - well, sort of relax - and drop his hand on top of Su's. "Who's T're?" Let's just not discuss pudding and whipped cream and juicy red fruits.
Jaeyi puts a hand on her side, on her seam specifically, and answers a pained, "Don't remind me!" Dangling by the stick, she has to contemplate whether or not she wants the rest of the corndog or wants to be able to breathe and... to hell with it, she keeps eating, never so much as noticing the poor runt's existence. "Never know," she repeats with the hint of a sullen sniff, quiets so we can all find out who's T're.
Sulisah swallows another fingerful of cake. "T'rev. Swallowed the vee." The perils of cake, not that that stops her breaking off another piece to eat. kai's knee gets a little squeeze, a little glance at him accompanied by a smile. "He is coming down, right?"
B'kaiv shrugs - /he/ doesn't know if T'rev's coming or not. "Chielyth's sleepin', or I'd have her ask." He firmly is -not- watching Jaeyi doing things to that corndog, but since he isn't eating either, that doesn't give him much to do except stare at Su (and hastily look away when she looks at him) and scan the crowd. Maybe weedy pimply will be back? With friends? "How many dances you promised him, anyway?" He can't quite keep the jealousy out of his voice, though he tries.
"I couldn't tell you. What--" A pause precisely long enough to insert 'or who' follows. "--T'rev does with his spare time remains a mystery." Jaeyi shrugs, thinks about what shrugging in a strapless dress looks like, stops shrugging, and puts the stick that used to contain a corndog on the table. Hmmn hum hmmn, the mention of dancing reminds her, "If you two kids want to go, like, play or whatever. I won't let anyone steal our spot or anything."
It's only a little smile that blossoms at Kai's question. Just a teeny one, barely noticeable. "None whatsoever. I sort of already promised them all to this guy I met in the stores. Couldn't help myself." She tries for a dramatic sigh, but it soon grows into a giggle and another grin up at B'kaiv. "Iwas just thinking..." but then Jaeyi makes that offer and she's torn between grabbing and running, and staying so that Jaeyi isn't left alone. "It's okay, we can stay for a bit. Right?" Another glance to Kai, decision is his. [Sulisah]
Is Kai mollified by that teeny little smile and admission? Well, yes, enough. It's nauseating, really, the way he relaxes and offers Su a smile in return. Take a picture, Jaeyi, this won't last. "Guess we can stay," he agrees, though this means he's got to look across the table at the Baker now, and fumble for a topic. Long seconds tick past while he fails to come up with one.
"Wow." Jaeyi can't sit there, looking at them, with all that grease stuck in the middle of the table getting all congealed in the afternoon sun. So she stands up, busily collects the plate and the surrounding papers, and says with utter disapproval, "You guys are, like, at least as bad as Kwei and Vani. I'll be right back." And probably won't hold it against them if they're not there when she's done dumping off the trash.
"Are not!" Sulisah denies it out loud, but the second Jaeyi moves she's back looking up at B'kaiv. Quietly, she apologises. "I'm sorry, just feel guilty leaving her after she saved me earlier. We can dance soon, though? Promise. Go for a walk maybe?"
B'kaiv wants to know, "Who's Kwei an' Vani?" but Jaeyi's moving off and Su's denying, and really, is it important after all? He scowls, just a little, at Su but nods, gives the crowd another once-over like he's looking for trouble. "Yeah, that'd be good. But Su - I ain't got nothin' t' say t' her." Not a complaint, but a bald statement of fact. "She's a tramp an' a tease." Still, what Su wants, Su gets, and broad shoulders lift and drop in acquiescence. "Still can't hardly think when I look at you in that dress."
Yes, and now she's a tramp and a tease without an imposing looking man around to keep people from chatting her up ("no, he's not my brother, yes, the girl in the green dress is his girlfriend"), which might have been part of the whole 'would you guys just /leave/' issue? It only takes a minute or two, then Jaeyi's coming back only as far as the end of the table, her fingers tapped importantly on its surface; "I have to go. But I have to work in the baker tent later today, so if you need anything..." She kind of half-glances, half-smiles at B'kaiv in the middle of that, but she's really obviously talking to Sulisah.
Sulisah lifts a hand aiming to smooth away that scowl, "She's just... young." Those two turns are so important. His next comment gets a reply of, "So don't think. We can behave." Hopefully. As Jaeyi coms back she blinks. "Are you sure?" There's just a touchof hope in her voice, a tiny bit of 'please be sure'. She nods, eventually, hand squeezing Kai's knee again. "I'll come and find you later."
B'kaiv's scowl ebbs, but doesn't entirely disappear, though he nods at Su's words. "I guess." Here's the bone of contention back, and she's not staying, and he manages most of an actual smile for her. She's leaving, yay! "Be seein' you, Jaeyi. Thanks for..." looking after Su? Giving him something to glare at? None of the above. "Hope you have a nice Gather."
"I am /so/ sure." Because he's not weedy or pimply or runty, the fella kind of hovering in the periphery now. "Enjoy the party, kids," is her parting advice, put with a curl of her fingers as a farewell wave. The show she wasn't putting on for B'kaiv starts with a quick shoulder-wiggle to get the bustline just right, then it's all smiles and eyelashes and oh-my-god would you look at those hips. She loops her arm through tall-dark-and-handsome over there; "Jaeyi. I'm a baker at Fort Weyr. And you are...?" For the record, they just dance.
Sulisah watches Jaeyi leave, shaking her head a little at the show she puts on for the new man of the moment. There's a faint moment of worry for the younger girl, but she has a B'kaiv within arm's reach. "So." she pauses, tilting her head to smile up at him, "Dance or walk? Kaida'll kill me if I don't at least dance again once to show off her work. Walks are nice too, though."
Quite a few people watch Jaeyi moving off, B'kaiv among them though he clears his throat and looks hastily back at the table. "Dance. Walk. Either." To demonstrate how agreeable he is he squeezes her hand, quirks half of a smile. "What about them orchards? Could stop by th' fields, too, check in on Chielyth." Trust a dragonrider to think watching a sleeping dragon is the height of excitement.
Sulisah looks to the table, but Jaeyi cleared away the last of the cake as well as the grease. "Okay, though no daring me to climb any tress because..." she waves a hand vaguely at the dress. Standing up carefully she makes sure said dress is still decent, sliding out from the seat and holding a hand out to Kai. "Lead me where you will."
B'kaiv's lopsided smirk wouldn't /dream/ of it. Yes it would. "I want you in a tree, I'll put you there myself," he promises and manages to stand from the bench without disrupting the other people too much. He takes her hand with a smile that would have Jaeyi gagging, but it fades as he looks around the crowded square. "Don't know... all I know is here, and where th' dancing is, an' how t' find Chielyth." He gives a hopeful nod up at the Harper Hall. "Suppose that's th' Hold?"
Sulisah laughs brightly, "If anyone else made that promise I'd be scared." Trust, pure trust. "Guess it's my turn to lead you astray then." She makes sure to not look at him as she says it, determined to not blush and spoil a perfectly good tease. Unfortunately that means she misses the direction of his nod. "Over there? Yes." She nods in the proper direction, "Orchards are... that way."
"Don't got t' be scared of me," Kai assures, either missing or ignoring any teasing byplay. He starts them off through the crowd toward the Hall but stops dead to scowl at the two complexes, one taller than the other. "Wait - /which/ one's th' Hold?"
"I'm not." Sulisah squeezes his hand, looking up at him with a big, fond, smile. She wanders with him through the crowed, lifting a hand to point at the Hold, "That one." The 'one' suddenly rises in pitch and she glances behind her suddenly trying to spot where the hand she just felt came from. No obvious suspects, it is a crowd after all.
B'kaiv didn't spend all of his life in a bar not to recognize the cause of -that- noise: he whirls, dropping Su's hand in a heartbeat to round on a lanky man a good handspan taller than he. The curly haired man's grinning, showing all his teeth, though he lifts both hands placatingly under the weyrling's glower. "Touch her again an' you're eatin' your teeth," Kai growls, unamused, and doesn't take his eyes off the man even long enough to check in. "You all right, Su?"
Sulisah turns the right way this time, giving the man a look that can only be read as 'moron'. "Kai." Her hands go to the weyrling's arms, aiming to pull him away, "It's okay. Come on." The lanky man gets another look, not appreciative, "It's not a big deal." A tug this time, gentle but insistent, "Please?"
B'kaiv hasn't put his fist in the older man's face yet. That has to count for something, doesn't it? Even if Su's got hold of one arm? "Man don't know how t' treat a lady," he says, still growling, practically quivering. He barely even notices Su's tugging. "Easy, /weyrling/," Smiley says, and backs up a step, hands still up. Then he turns, like he's safe, and ambles away, leaving Kai to take an aborted step after. "Shoulda broke his nose," Kai mutters, and finally! turns back to Su, though not before his eyes sweep over the crowd for more fondlers. "You all right?" He asked that already.
"He's not worth it." Sulisah tries in a vague attempt to calm things back down. "I'm fine, honestly, was just a shock that's all. Didn't hurt or anything." Another little tug, hand sliding up his arm a little, "I'd rather it was your hand the next time." She smiles, attempting a semi-jokey tease in the hopes that can ease the tension. "Let's get out of here for a bit."
Hazel eyes search her face, looking for any sign that she's not as fine as she claims. "You want me t' go after him, I will," Kai promises, though he's no longer on that knife edge of tension. Reminded, he checks the crowd again, but Lanky Teeth has made good his escape and there aren't any others lined up to try his patience. "--Yeah. Yeah, let's go." He's not going to tempt fate again, but offers his arm for her to cuddle beneath. It's purely to keep people from groping, really.
Sulisah shakes her head, declining the offer, "Rather have you all in one piece, and not in trouble with Jantha." She snuggles straight under that arm, warpping her own around him and nudging him in the direction of the orchards again, "Should have picked up some more cake or something. Might be some fruit left, though. If you can climb?"
B'kaiv snorts derision that Lanky could even -bruise- him, but he lets the subject drop to keep Su close. "'Course I can climb." They duck between two tents and into a quieter back area; from there, the orchards are directly away from the sound of pipes and Harpers. "Your brother's a Harper, ain't he? He performing t'day?"
Sulisah nods, "Kwei." Of Kwei and Vani fame. "I think he was supposed to be later on, I'm not sure. He said he'd see us down here at some point so he'll be down at least. Can introduce you if you want? Properly this time, no growling at each other." For all the words are serious she has a huge grin on her face at the memory. She glances at him for a moment, considering something. Slowly her hand drops, aiming to do to Kai what lanky did to her.
Kai knew that, that's right, says his nod. "Nah. He'd have t' say somethin' 'bout how he got t' protect you from me, an' I'd have t' take him out back an' prove as how I'm th' one doin' th' protectin'." Still, he grins down at her, probably not meaning a word of it, only to jump at the grope. "Hey!" He checks one side, then the other, and swings her around to get her back against a tent and trap her there with his arms on either side. "/Now/ who'm I s'posed t' beat up?"
Sulisah shakes her head, unable to really think of the two squaring off. "He only comes up to your knees, too shor to beat up." As he jumps she bites her lip, managing to not giggle for a few seconds before freeing a hand to wiggle the fingers up at him even though her face is all innocent smiles. "Just don't beat me up too hard, I bruise easily."
"Maybe I better just put you up that tree after all, keep you out of trouble," he threatens, just this side of laughter. A moment's hesitation more and he bends for a decorous kiss. "Man's gonna think you're like Jaeyi," he continues, voice soft and fond, "You do things like that."
Sulisah grins at the threat, managing a quiet, "Not in this dress." Before returning that kiss without hesitation. Her naughty pinching hand finds its way to his chest, slowly sliding up towards his neck, "Not like her. I'm fussy. Besides I can't cook."
B'kaiv says, "Don't care if you can't cook," and it's probably a good thing that Chielyth is sacked out, unable to care what he's getting up to. He steals another kiss, captures her hand but only to bring it up for more of the same treatment. "Shells, Su..." Which is when -another- giggling pair duck into the quiet back alley, only to pull up short. "Get a room!" the shorter of the two men laughs, when he means, "This is -our- private nook!"
Sulisah's hand is probably shaking a little when he lifts it, though it's not from fear or worry but from anticipation. His 'shells' is overlaid with her own, "How long..." Both interrupted by that other couple. The "Get a room." gets a reply of "Only if you pay." but even so she grabs B'kaiv's hand again to drag him off to the orchards. The next time her hand drops to his backside there are trees around them, more kisses willingly given and a certain naughty dress secret whispered in his ear.
[Continued here]
*growls intently*
Gather Grounds
Down in the intersection of the Hall and Hold roads, the great beaten square of earth that houses most of Fort's gathers stands, free of any encroaching greenery. Meticulously maintained by Fort's groundskeepers, the area is devoid of structures when there isn't a gather on, only the brown of the hold's soil shows where festivities often take place. When the Lord has called a gather though, the wooden stalls are wheeled out from storage and set up in neat rows that make an aisle around the perimeter of the square. Strings of brightly colored lights are hung betwen the stalls and the harper dais is set up at the head of the dancing square along with a scattering of trestle tables and sturdy wooden stools.
To the northwest, the shape of the hold looms in the cliff while nearly due west the craft halls stand watch over the road. More cotholds pepper the fields beyond the gather grounds as far as the eye can see to the south and southeast.
Obvious exits:
Road
In the midst of a busy busy busy party are two girls, now arm-in-arm, waiting in the middle of a line at a booth on the fringe of the stalls, a booth that sells food of the deep-fried-carnival variety. "Think about it this way," begins Jaeyi helpfully, cozying up to Su with her long lashes batting-- further inducing early puberty on at least a half-dozen goggle-eyed onlookers. "If it gets cold, you'll need someone to keep you waaaarrm." She foregoes the argument of who's going to turn more heads with a charming, "We'll just have to stick together and double the effect, hmmmn?"
Sulisah laughs, leaning in towards the girl that so recently was thought of as a threat. "Only one person I want to keep me warm, though I might be distracted by a bubbly or two if I can't find him later." Another glance around, though this time she spots one of the girls from the Weyr and gives her a wave. "And until then, you're stuck with me. Because on a scale of one to scary, you're the least scary person here."
Aww, "I think that might be the nicest thing anyone's said to me with all my clothes still on in a long time." So Jaeyi dimples a little, which earns them a please-go-ahead-ladies passage a few spaces in line. "Let's see, let's see. I had a bite of funnel cake earlier, so I can vouch they're absolutely outstanding. And I've been watching people eat those fried corndog things for the last half-hour in a fit of envy that can only be called /green/." With a slight bump of her hips against Su's aptly colored dress. "What're you having?"
"I don't want to know about the other type of compliments." Sulisah giggles, smiling a bright 'thank you' to the people that let them move in front. "Um... cake's always good. Something sticky for definite, fried has a time and place and here isn't the time or the place. Knowing my luck I'd drip the wrong way and end up spending all day trying to sponge a stain off the front of this dress."
Long, black hair; dark and long-lashed eyes; unfairly curvy figure-- Jaeyi's one of the lucky ones where looks are concerned. At 16 Turns old, 5'9" tall, she's not one of those slim-and-lithe little beauties, rather one of those sultry and curvaceous girls whose curves get away without being skinny. With a naturally dark complexion, clean and blemish-free despite adolescence, dark brown eyes fringed by thick black lashes, full and prettily curved lips, she's trouble from head-to-toe. Her party dress is nothing to scoff at. Black. Sleeveless. Unfair. An A-line cut in flat-black sisal, it leaves her shoulders completely bare-- though there's a shawl available if the weather demands it-- and outlines all those curves right down to its mid-calf finish. Embellished very little, there's a double-line of little silver-studs along the bustline, a patent leather belt that fits low on her hips with similar studs, and not much else but the way it /fits/ to make it work. Her hair left loose, combed to polished straightness, no jewelry: simple and fetching.
With a tendency toward chubbiness, Jaeyi probably has to keep a close eye on her figure-- along with a considerable portion of the male population, likely. Despite the not-quite-ideal build, she carries herself with confidence that seems a little strange in someone so young. She speaks with a Bollian accent, the soft and slow speech-patterns of the tropics enhanced by a seemingly natural tendency toward merriness in her tones.
Petite and standing only about two inches over five feet, this young woman has managed to retain some of the cuteness of youth. Her skin is naturally dark, creating a contrast to her amber eyes, which are framed by long, thick lashes. Her black hair is straight, flowing to just past her shoulders and definitely well looked after. She has a little nose and slender lips that seem to match well with the cute point of her chin.
Most ankle-length dresses are the height of decorum and decency, this one is bordering on dangerous. The dark green material clings to her frame, each step taken revealing a split on the left side of the skirt that reaches mid-thigh. The top is apparently held up with a wish and a prayer - a darker green strip runs along the top of the bodice and then around her neck for security. As for the back, it appears to be missing until the skirt starts just below her waist.
Sulisah is currently 18 turns, 12 months, 6 days old.
B'kaiv cuts away from two other Fort weyrlings and heads toward the disgustingly not-healthy food booth with a wave. He's about to join the end of the line when a flash of green catches his eye; he leans out to see who or what it is, and summarily abandons the line to come up beside the Vintner. "Hey Su," he starts with a smile, but the smile fades first through uncertainty and then into stormclouds when he identifies her partner in crime. Flatly: "Jaeyi."
Jaeyi's eyes go purposefully to the front-of-this-dress, and she says with cheerful confidence, "I'm sure we could find someone to help clean up the stain, at least? We'll get you one without powdered sugar." Presumably, at the end, she's talking about a cake and not a dress-sponger. The appearance of a perfect, summery, venomless smile greets B'kaiv, but the only thing she has to say is a low remark dropped toward Sulisah's ear; "I'll go buy the food." And, arms unlinked, she turns toward the window, where leaning on the counter will accomplish one helluva discount.
Sulisah shakes her head, "You're terrible." Would possibly have counted as being a 'bad thing' if she wasn't grinning and laughing as she says it. B'kaiv's voice makes her turn and her smile steps up a few notches, "Kai!" There's a hesitation of about a second after Jaeyi releases her arm before Sulisah steps out of line and towards him, giving him a quick once over before aiming a hug in his direction. "When did you get here? Want something to eat?"
B'kaiv slips a possessive, covetous arm around Su's lower back, watches until Jaeyi's stepped off a few paces and he can turn his attention back to Su. "She's wearin' your dress. Got here 'bout quarter hour ago - had t' get Chielyth settled. She's..." He squints at nothing, consulting, and decides, "All but asleep. Tryin' not t' be, but it's a long way." Low-voiced, but perhaps not low enough, "What're you doin' with -her-?"
Whether or not B'kaiv wants something, Jaeyi's ordering food for more than two girls in dresses that are not conducive to great-big-meals. There's a few comments along the lines of, "We don't want it with powdered sugar. Just-- yes, that's very generous, but will you just make it the way I tell you?" Before she has to climb over the counter and do it herself. Fortunately, it makes it unlikely she heard that /her/, and it means there's time enough for Sulisah to answer before she'll be coming back over, burdened with high-cholesterol-treats.
Sulisah blinks up at B'kaiv, arms wrapped around him. "Who is?" A quick glance around and she can't see anyone else in green, so just files it away as something to check later. For now she only has eyes for him. "She made it okay though? Both of you did?" But then he asks about Jaeyi and she pauses, running a hand up his back a little, "Just talking. She saved me from a bluerider who wanted me to put on his jacket, came over for food."
"Her," Kai says again, with a chin-jerk at the other teenager wearing the sexy backless number. But talk of Chielyth distracts him, as it always does. "Yeah, she's good. Slept all night, th' other day, an' she don't never do that." Not his nocturnal green. Lower still, his eyes picking out the returning baker, "You got t' watch out for her, Su." But here's Jaeyi back, and he manages a flick of a smile for her, one that never reaches his eyes. "Nice day."
"I realize you've got better things to do with your hands at the moment," begins Jaeyi on her way back, urgently holding the hand with the unpowdered funnel cake plate on it toward Su before it spills right off her fingers, "but help please?" The paper-wrapped things must be for herself and B'kaiv, three of them. She's able to smile with just perfectly perfect perfection up to the greenrider and answer, "Isn't it? I hope you don't object to greasy?" Ever foisting food upon people.
"Mine's cuter." Sulisah replies with a grin and a nod, "Maybe she's finally settling down to a normal pattern, getting older and everything." She blinks up at him at the warning, "It's okay, honestly." Anything more is cut off as jaeyi returns and so does Sulisah's smile. One hand releases from around B'kaiv, reaching for the plate, "Thanks Jaeyi." And now she has the problem of holding the plate and eating, but not letting go of Kai... not going to work no matter how many ways she contemplates it.
B'kaiv says, "Don't think so - she's been good about sleepin' in th' morning," with a fraction of a scowl for Su's reassurance. Reluctantly he takes one of the paper things with his free hand, though with a scowl for Jaeyi that suggests wordlessly exactly how much he'd rather -not- be holding it. Or maybe his underwear's riding up. Even more reluctantly, "Should find somewhere t' sit."
Jaeyi will watch, at least for a second or two, to see if Sulisah can figure out how to eat funnel cake and clutch her man at the same time. Could be a useful trick. "I promise it's harmless," she adds, returning her attention to the paper-wrapped-thingie now in B'kaiv's keeping. It's hard for her to lower her voice confidentially and /not/ sound like it's pillow-talk, but she tries, saying furtively, "I didn't even put mustard on it." To spare the green dress, to spare them all trying to eat-and-walk, she strolls on ahead a few paces to find a table they can commandeer.
Sulisah watches the two with a little frown of her own and as Jaeyi moves off ahead of them she tightens her arm around Kai a little, dropping her voice to mumur. "I know you two had a fight, but she is trying Kai." Very trying depending on your point of view. "We can go dance soon if you want?" She offers him a chance of escape for a little while, even as she moves to follow the baker to the table.
For some reason, the greenrider doesn't seem particularly reassured about the professed lack of condiments. He peeks into the wrap, clearly debates just dropping the thing to be trampled on, but there it is still in his hand when they slip into seats just ahead of a group of holder fosterlings. "Sure," he answers Su, and he's trying (very trying!) too, for he asks Jaeyi, "You dancin' with somebody later?" Like one of these hopefully hovering boys? (/Two/ backless dresses? And only one grouchy weyrling to guard them!)
Jaeyi can't get them a whole table, regardless of the number of scantily clad girls and scowling weyrlings she brings along, but the end of a picnic table should suffice? Perched on one side, leaving them the other, being /very good/ about her posture and not like falling out of her dress, she puts her own paper stuff on the table. Corndog, fried potatoes-- communal fried potatoes, the way she sits them in the middle of the table-- and she rattles off without considering her audience, "I expect to be dancing with a lot of somebodies later." Pause. Reconsider. New subject! "How's the cake, Su?"
Sulisah drops her plate onto the table, sitting down with the utmost care to make sure that nothing that shouldn't be on display is... well... displayed. She breaks a bit off the cake, eating quickly thoguh she does keep a finger in her mouth for a moment afterwards, "Cakey." is her eventual giggled reply. "She's planning on hooking the Lord Holder's brother." Sulisah grins, mostly teasing, and trying to not eye the potatoes.
B'kaiv returns his paper-wrapped probably-not-mustardy whatever to the center of the table too, as long as they're all sharing and friendly and all. And then he sneaks an arm back around Su, keeps the other in sight at the edge of the table. "He sort of a weedy, pimply runt with shaggy hair?" he wonders loudly, eyeing a lad of just that description hovering hopefully behind the baker. Well. /Runt/ might be pushing things, but he's not even as tall as Jaeyi.
"It's better if you let them put, like, whipped cream and pudding and strawberries, but that goes back to the whole sponging off your dress conversation." Which need not be repeated. Jaeyi seems happy with her cholesterol stuff, ignoring the fact that corndogs have awfully suggestive shapes, don't they? Mouth behind her palm so she can talk without see-food; "Because you think weedy pimply runts with shaggy hair would be my type?" In a comical wow-that-hurts tone.
"I'd rather not accidentally pop a seam." Sulisah replies with a grin, as casually as she can manage dropping a hand down to rest on Kai's knee. "He's supposed to be kind of cute, not that I would know." Another bit of cake is broken off and eaten, fingers licked clean again. "T're coming later." A slight squeezing of her lips together follows to stifle a giggle at the bad choice of words.
The weedy, pimply runt with shaggy hair looks for a second as though he'd protest, but Jaeyi's words cut him to the utter quick. "Never know," Kai rumbles, staring hard as the runt, offended as a wet cat, stalks off into the crowd. Only after he's gone does the weyrling relax - well, sort of relax - and drop his hand on top of Su's. "Who's T're?" Let's just not discuss pudding and whipped cream and juicy red fruits.
Jaeyi puts a hand on her side, on her seam specifically, and answers a pained, "Don't remind me!" Dangling by the stick, she has to contemplate whether or not she wants the rest of the corndog or wants to be able to breathe and... to hell with it, she keeps eating, never so much as noticing the poor runt's existence. "Never know," she repeats with the hint of a sullen sniff, quiets so we can all find out who's T're.
Sulisah swallows another fingerful of cake. "T'rev. Swallowed the vee." The perils of cake, not that that stops her breaking off another piece to eat. kai's knee gets a little squeeze, a little glance at him accompanied by a smile. "He is coming down, right?"
B'kaiv shrugs - /he/ doesn't know if T'rev's coming or not. "Chielyth's sleepin', or I'd have her ask." He firmly is -not- watching Jaeyi doing things to that corndog, but since he isn't eating either, that doesn't give him much to do except stare at Su (and hastily look away when she looks at him) and scan the crowd. Maybe weedy pimply will be back? With friends? "How many dances you promised him, anyway?" He can't quite keep the jealousy out of his voice, though he tries.
"I couldn't tell you. What--" A pause precisely long enough to insert 'or who' follows. "--T'rev does with his spare time remains a mystery." Jaeyi shrugs, thinks about what shrugging in a strapless dress looks like, stops shrugging, and puts the stick that used to contain a corndog on the table. Hmmn hum hmmn, the mention of dancing reminds her, "If you two kids want to go, like, play or whatever. I won't let anyone steal our spot or anything."
It's only a little smile that blossoms at Kai's question. Just a teeny one, barely noticeable. "None whatsoever. I sort of already promised them all to this guy I met in the stores. Couldn't help myself." She tries for a dramatic sigh, but it soon grows into a giggle and another grin up at B'kaiv. "Iwas just thinking..." but then Jaeyi makes that offer and she's torn between grabbing and running, and staying so that Jaeyi isn't left alone. "It's okay, we can stay for a bit. Right?" Another glance to Kai, decision is his. [Sulisah]
Is Kai mollified by that teeny little smile and admission? Well, yes, enough. It's nauseating, really, the way he relaxes and offers Su a smile in return. Take a picture, Jaeyi, this won't last. "Guess we can stay," he agrees, though this means he's got to look across the table at the Baker now, and fumble for a topic. Long seconds tick past while he fails to come up with one.
"Wow." Jaeyi can't sit there, looking at them, with all that grease stuck in the middle of the table getting all congealed in the afternoon sun. So she stands up, busily collects the plate and the surrounding papers, and says with utter disapproval, "You guys are, like, at least as bad as Kwei and Vani. I'll be right back." And probably won't hold it against them if they're not there when she's done dumping off the trash.
"Are not!" Sulisah denies it out loud, but the second Jaeyi moves she's back looking up at B'kaiv. Quietly, she apologises. "I'm sorry, just feel guilty leaving her after she saved me earlier. We can dance soon, though? Promise. Go for a walk maybe?"
B'kaiv wants to know, "Who's Kwei an' Vani?" but Jaeyi's moving off and Su's denying, and really, is it important after all? He scowls, just a little, at Su but nods, gives the crowd another once-over like he's looking for trouble. "Yeah, that'd be good. But Su - I ain't got nothin' t' say t' her." Not a complaint, but a bald statement of fact. "She's a tramp an' a tease." Still, what Su wants, Su gets, and broad shoulders lift and drop in acquiescence. "Still can't hardly think when I look at you in that dress."
Yes, and now she's a tramp and a tease without an imposing looking man around to keep people from chatting her up ("no, he's not my brother, yes, the girl in the green dress is his girlfriend"), which might have been part of the whole 'would you guys just /leave/' issue? It only takes a minute or two, then Jaeyi's coming back only as far as the end of the table, her fingers tapped importantly on its surface; "I have to go. But I have to work in the baker tent later today, so if you need anything..." She kind of half-glances, half-smiles at B'kaiv in the middle of that, but she's really obviously talking to Sulisah.
Sulisah lifts a hand aiming to smooth away that scowl, "She's just... young." Those two turns are so important. His next comment gets a reply of, "So don't think. We can behave." Hopefully. As Jaeyi coms back she blinks. "Are you sure?" There's just a touchof hope in her voice, a tiny bit of 'please be sure'. She nods, eventually, hand squeezing Kai's knee again. "I'll come and find you later."
B'kaiv's scowl ebbs, but doesn't entirely disappear, though he nods at Su's words. "I guess." Here's the bone of contention back, and she's not staying, and he manages most of an actual smile for her. She's leaving, yay! "Be seein' you, Jaeyi. Thanks for..." looking after Su? Giving him something to glare at? None of the above. "Hope you have a nice Gather."
"I am /so/ sure." Because he's not weedy or pimply or runty, the fella kind of hovering in the periphery now. "Enjoy the party, kids," is her parting advice, put with a curl of her fingers as a farewell wave. The show she wasn't putting on for B'kaiv starts with a quick shoulder-wiggle to get the bustline just right, then it's all smiles and eyelashes and oh-my-god would you look at those hips. She loops her arm through tall-dark-and-handsome over there; "Jaeyi. I'm a baker at Fort Weyr. And you are...?" For the record, they just dance.
Sulisah watches Jaeyi leave, shaking her head a little at the show she puts on for the new man of the moment. There's a faint moment of worry for the younger girl, but she has a B'kaiv within arm's reach. "So." she pauses, tilting her head to smile up at him, "Dance or walk? Kaida'll kill me if I don't at least dance again once to show off her work. Walks are nice too, though."
Quite a few people watch Jaeyi moving off, B'kaiv among them though he clears his throat and looks hastily back at the table. "Dance. Walk. Either." To demonstrate how agreeable he is he squeezes her hand, quirks half of a smile. "What about them orchards? Could stop by th' fields, too, check in on Chielyth." Trust a dragonrider to think watching a sleeping dragon is the height of excitement.
Sulisah looks to the table, but Jaeyi cleared away the last of the cake as well as the grease. "Okay, though no daring me to climb any tress because..." she waves a hand vaguely at the dress. Standing up carefully she makes sure said dress is still decent, sliding out from the seat and holding a hand out to Kai. "Lead me where you will."
B'kaiv's lopsided smirk wouldn't /dream/ of it. Yes it would. "I want you in a tree, I'll put you there myself," he promises and manages to stand from the bench without disrupting the other people too much. He takes her hand with a smile that would have Jaeyi gagging, but it fades as he looks around the crowded square. "Don't know... all I know is here, and where th' dancing is, an' how t' find Chielyth." He gives a hopeful nod up at the Harper Hall. "Suppose that's th' Hold?"
Sulisah laughs brightly, "If anyone else made that promise I'd be scared." Trust, pure trust. "Guess it's my turn to lead you astray then." She makes sure to not look at him as she says it, determined to not blush and spoil a perfectly good tease. Unfortunately that means she misses the direction of his nod. "Over there? Yes." She nods in the proper direction, "Orchards are... that way."
"Don't got t' be scared of me," Kai assures, either missing or ignoring any teasing byplay. He starts them off through the crowd toward the Hall but stops dead to scowl at the two complexes, one taller than the other. "Wait - /which/ one's th' Hold?"
"I'm not." Sulisah squeezes his hand, looking up at him with a big, fond, smile. She wanders with him through the crowed, lifting a hand to point at the Hold, "That one." The 'one' suddenly rises in pitch and she glances behind her suddenly trying to spot where the hand she just felt came from. No obvious suspects, it is a crowd after all.
B'kaiv didn't spend all of his life in a bar not to recognize the cause of -that- noise: he whirls, dropping Su's hand in a heartbeat to round on a lanky man a good handspan taller than he. The curly haired man's grinning, showing all his teeth, though he lifts both hands placatingly under the weyrling's glower. "Touch her again an' you're eatin' your teeth," Kai growls, unamused, and doesn't take his eyes off the man even long enough to check in. "You all right, Su?"
Sulisah turns the right way this time, giving the man a look that can only be read as 'moron'. "Kai." Her hands go to the weyrling's arms, aiming to pull him away, "It's okay. Come on." The lanky man gets another look, not appreciative, "It's not a big deal." A tug this time, gentle but insistent, "Please?"
B'kaiv hasn't put his fist in the older man's face yet. That has to count for something, doesn't it? Even if Su's got hold of one arm? "Man don't know how t' treat a lady," he says, still growling, practically quivering. He barely even notices Su's tugging. "Easy, /weyrling/," Smiley says, and backs up a step, hands still up. Then he turns, like he's safe, and ambles away, leaving Kai to take an aborted step after. "Shoulda broke his nose," Kai mutters, and finally! turns back to Su, though not before his eyes sweep over the crowd for more fondlers. "You all right?" He asked that already.
"He's not worth it." Sulisah tries in a vague attempt to calm things back down. "I'm fine, honestly, was just a shock that's all. Didn't hurt or anything." Another little tug, hand sliding up his arm a little, "I'd rather it was your hand the next time." She smiles, attempting a semi-jokey tease in the hopes that can ease the tension. "Let's get out of here for a bit."
Hazel eyes search her face, looking for any sign that she's not as fine as she claims. "You want me t' go after him, I will," Kai promises, though he's no longer on that knife edge of tension. Reminded, he checks the crowd again, but Lanky Teeth has made good his escape and there aren't any others lined up to try his patience. "--Yeah. Yeah, let's go." He's not going to tempt fate again, but offers his arm for her to cuddle beneath. It's purely to keep people from groping, really.
Sulisah shakes her head, declining the offer, "Rather have you all in one piece, and not in trouble with Jantha." She snuggles straight under that arm, warpping her own around him and nudging him in the direction of the orchards again, "Should have picked up some more cake or something. Might be some fruit left, though. If you can climb?"
B'kaiv snorts derision that Lanky could even -bruise- him, but he lets the subject drop to keep Su close. "'Course I can climb." They duck between two tents and into a quieter back area; from there, the orchards are directly away from the sound of pipes and Harpers. "Your brother's a Harper, ain't he? He performing t'day?"
Sulisah nods, "Kwei." Of Kwei and Vani fame. "I think he was supposed to be later on, I'm not sure. He said he'd see us down here at some point so he'll be down at least. Can introduce you if you want? Properly this time, no growling at each other." For all the words are serious she has a huge grin on her face at the memory. She glances at him for a moment, considering something. Slowly her hand drops, aiming to do to Kai what lanky did to her.
Kai knew that, that's right, says his nod. "Nah. He'd have t' say somethin' 'bout how he got t' protect you from me, an' I'd have t' take him out back an' prove as how I'm th' one doin' th' protectin'." Still, he grins down at her, probably not meaning a word of it, only to jump at the grope. "Hey!" He checks one side, then the other, and swings her around to get her back against a tent and trap her there with his arms on either side. "/Now/ who'm I s'posed t' beat up?"
Sulisah shakes her head, unable to really think of the two squaring off. "He only comes up to your knees, too shor to beat up." As he jumps she bites her lip, managing to not giggle for a few seconds before freeing a hand to wiggle the fingers up at him even though her face is all innocent smiles. "Just don't beat me up too hard, I bruise easily."
"Maybe I better just put you up that tree after all, keep you out of trouble," he threatens, just this side of laughter. A moment's hesitation more and he bends for a decorous kiss. "Man's gonna think you're like Jaeyi," he continues, voice soft and fond, "You do things like that."
Sulisah grins at the threat, managing a quiet, "Not in this dress." Before returning that kiss without hesitation. Her naughty pinching hand finds its way to his chest, slowly sliding up towards his neck, "Not like her. I'm fussy. Besides I can't cook."
B'kaiv says, "Don't care if you can't cook," and it's probably a good thing that Chielyth is sacked out, unable to care what he's getting up to. He steals another kiss, captures her hand but only to bring it up for more of the same treatment. "Shells, Su..." Which is when -another- giggling pair duck into the quiet back alley, only to pull up short. "Get a room!" the shorter of the two men laughs, when he means, "This is -our- private nook!"
Sulisah's hand is probably shaking a little when he lifts it, though it's not from fear or worry but from anticipation. His 'shells' is overlaid with her own, "How long..." Both interrupted by that other couple. The "Get a room." gets a reply of "Only if you pay." but even so she grabs B'kaiv's hand again to drag him off to the orchards. The next time her hand drops to his backside there are trees around them, more kisses willingly given and a certain naughty dress secret whispered in his ear.
[Continued here]
*growls intently*