Welcome Home! (Sleet riders, Adventurers, All!)

[dragon]

J'rad noticed her change, satisfied with the results of his own unspoken end of the conversation. She was desperate. He was calm. She became indifferent. J'rad knew this as a talent of hers, really. Whether or not she truely felt indifferent to something, she could always give off the air that she was. Even J'rad would find it difficult to know one way or another. He gave a satisfied, slight nod to her.

Her motions didn't go unnoticed either. She stood a bit closer to him now. This could mean a variety of things. It could be meant to keep others away from him, branding him hers to anyone who noticed. It could have also meant a reverse to that. By doing so she was branded his. It worked both ways, really. But the obvious conclusion for J'rad was to keep others away from herself. Not just unwanted attention from males, such as J'fel. He did place a specific emphasis on that thought. But from anyone in general. Anyone that couldn't be around J'rad long enough would automatically be repulsed away from her. It was effective, really. She'd done similiar things before, to her satisfaction.

Had J'rad been kind enough, he'd have offered her something. But really, without her alcohol, J'rad wouldn't know what she'd want in the first place. She'd made the wise decision of staying away from the stuff while pregnant. Infact, J'rad wanted it that way. He didn't need to voice it to make it obvious. If she did want anything, she'd have to get it herself. Naturally J'rad would accompany her if necessary. Whether she knew this was obvious or not, was the question.

[Slim]

Huh? Emeni turned to blink at the young man who'd just addressed her, trying to figure out where she knew him from. There was something familiar about his features, but...

"Oh, G'tet!" She widened her grin, inwardly praying that she was right. Well, when lying, always make your best go of it. She was pretty sure those features reminded her of Genet. Pretty sure. "Man, you look different since you left. But I guess I'd say that anyway, huh? I mean, how long's it been since we actually talked?" The real answer to that was 'never,' but of course, she'd told Genet she knew him, and now she tried to keep up the facade. Go-go, lying gadget.

S'lyn had been trying to pass off Masha's behavior as normal, keeping a smile in its place even as she coolly bustled away from J'fel, but when he saw that the young Weyrleader had seen through it anyway, he allowed himself a short grimace. "She makes herself known," he answered dryly. Then he nodded, for he, too, thought it best not to converse with J'fel overlong. "Make yourself at home," he suggested, with the warm, but distracted smile of a host who has already - of necessity - begun moving his attention to other arrivals.

And as he moved to greet the latest, a batch of riders from Sleet who came to these gatherings of S'lyn's regularly, he tapped J'rad's arm in passing. Not directly a summons, but certainly an indicator that he should find time to come speak with his wingleader soon.

He could have relayed a more direct message through Chadath, but the bronze would only have grumbled at him. He had his own social groups to manage, thank you very much. Why does he worry? he asked Kalpeth, conveying rough images of people gathering around drinks and cards, talking and laughing. The idea being, what could there be to worry about in such congenial surroundings?

[Invisible]

G’tet, beer in hand, was not bothering to hide the grin on his face. “Yes, Genet told me we knew each other,” he informed Emeni with a wink. “I thought I’d go ahead and stop making a liar out of you. And I wanted to thank you for befriending my sister while I was away.” Which was more than what some of his wingmates had done. “She speaks very highly of you. I hope you two might continue to be friends.” Another swig of beer and he added, “Genet would have liked to come, but H’gar was having none of it. She’s likely pouting right now.”

Party-time small talk G’tet was quite good at and he looked quite at ease despite whatever hard feelings he felt towards some of the men present. But he could not keep those feelings from Kalpeth and that was why she spoke to Chadath the way she did. That and she had missed talking to these dragons she was getting to know again. Some of the others were not nice to his sister she informs Chadath. He gets a picture of a few riders including J’rad. He worries. He will stop. Until then we worry. But it is good to see you again.

[Slim]

"Aw, heck," Emeni admitted with a bashful grin. She reached up scratch the back of her head. "I just don't like the whole nice-to-meet-you thing," she told the greenrider, now that she'd been caught in her lie. "Easier just to say, yeah, I know that guy you know, let's be friends. Know what I mean?" She waited a beat for some kind of acknowledgement, then shrugged and dropped her arm.

"And sure me 'n Genet're gonna stay friends. She's aces. Must've been weird for you, though, huh, to come back and find she'd got a green? Not like it stops her from running off after stars and such like." As she grinned, Emeni snagged herself a beer bottle from the collection on the table next to her. Ever so subtly, she shifted to put G'tet between her and her father, lest she invite disapproval from yet another parental quarter.

Chadath rumbled deeply, pleased by the green's last statement. The image of J'rad she had sent him also reminded him of Arcaith's presence, and he let a hindleg slip out far enough to give the other bronze a nudge to let him know he wasn't forgotten - even as the nature of his conversation with Kalpeth obliged him to keep the link private. S'lyn was not pleased when that happened, he told the green. But it's good he came here, if he worries. Here he will see his wingmates again, and they can be friendly. Or drunk.

[dragon]

J'rad turned as his wingleader tapped him. The reason behind it was obvious. A talk. J'rad wasn't one to dally around about such things, but he really didn't feel like leaving Althesia to her own devices after he asked her to accompany him. There were other reasons too. However, his mind was made up. With any luck, this wouldn't take long.

He turned back to Althesia and looked her in the eyes. "I'll be back soon", he spoke to her. He wasn't asking permission. Even if it wasn't the wingleader that summoned him, J'rad never asked permission to do anything he set his mind to. As he walked off, hesitation caused a lingering touch as his arm slowly gave way from hers. Drink in the other hand, J'rad made his way through the ever growing crowd to S'lyn. Finding him, he slid in to stand beside him. "Yes?", he answered him, reasons obvious, and with a tone that only the two could hear. J'rad didn't particularly care how this talk was done and dealt with, as long as it simply happened as soon as possible and over quickly.

Arcaith was lost in another world as he looked over the ledge and beyond to the bowl. The touch would have surprised him if he weren't in the company of Chadeth. He simply turned to face him and nudged him back with a free paw. Happy that he was acknowledged, yet not bothered that Chadeth chose a private conversation with this green.

[anhydrous]

Althesia met her bronzer’s eyes with a worried stare. She wouldn't be able to keep him away from his intentions, that much he had made clear. She balled one hand defiantly into a fist. It was irritating that he should leave her in such a vulnerable position, but it seemed that it couldn’t be helped. “Hurry?” She suggested quietly, loath to be forced to face anything alone at this particular moment. Without J’rad to keep the merrymakers away, it was hard telling who she might attract.

As her bronzer disappeared into the crowd, Althesia turned towards the drinks and gazed at them longingly. It seemed that nothing had been overlooked, the plethora of bottles dangerously enticing. After a long moment of intense deliberation she poured herself a disappointing bit of water, glaring into the clear liquid as her lips met the smooth rim of the glass. At least it would keep her nails away from her teeth.

Thoughtfully the Harper was quick to move off to one side, clutching her drink in one hand while she tried her hardest not to look out of place. Everyone was chatting and laughing, standing in small groups or at the very least pairs. Althesia did not dare make another introduction. Her first hadn’t been very successful. Instead she slipped back into indifference, her arm bent flawlessly at the elbow as she delicately held her glass full of discontent.

[Invisible]

Subtle or not one as used to avoiding parental disapproval as G’tet did his part. When Emeni shifted he did some adjusting too so she might be shielded. “Little lies every now and again don’t hurt anyone,” he said with a jovial chuckle. “I’ll happily keep your secret. I can always blackmail you with it later.” His tease was accompanied by a wink before he took a drink.

“She told me you were in on the star hunting,” he said then with a shake of his head. “It’s amazing what you miss when you’re gone. I’ve seen it, of course, but I cannot imagine having gotten to hunt it down. You have to promise to let me tag along next time.” Because G’tet was as much an adventurer as his sister. Well, almost as much. As for Genet being on green he could only grin and say, “Think it suits her fine. A surprise, sure, but a welcome one. We’re already plotting a visit to our folks when she can so they can cluck at us both.”

Outside Kalpeth relaxed a little as G’tet seemed to be losing some of his anxiety and she told Chadath He will get over it. He is mad right now, but she was not hurt. It is good she was not hurt too much. Otherwise he would not have. But she was not so we are going to be fine. It was good enough for the green that things seemed to be on the mend. Kalpeth could allow herself to relax more and enjoy the company.

[Slim]

For his peremptory manner, J'rad got a frown from his wingleader. It certainly did not dispose the conversation to go as quickly as he would have wanted it to. Turning his back on the entrance, S'lyn faced his second and let the guests trickle in ungreeted for a while. "I'm pleased you brought a guest, J'rad," S'lyn said pleasantly, but he too was keeping his voice low. "She's a lovely girl. But I'm not pleased with the way you are behaving around her." He glanced back at Althesia, standing alone and unhappy with a glass of water. "This is a party, yet you act as though you're under siege."

Pulling himself up, S'lyn looked the taller man in the eye. He laid it out in plain words: "Stop glowering at my guests. If someone acts inappropriately, I will handle it, but in the meantime, I would like to see my wingsecond," he pauses to emphasize this, "representing our wing with a social face." S'lyn lifted an eyebrow, demanding a reply.



And while he faced the room, his daughter gratefully swizzled the beer that the shield of G'tet's body had kept hidden from his sight. "Well, she did say it was something you would do. Going star-hunting, I mean, not green-Impressing - although that, too." Emeni paused to grin, then tossed back another drink of beer. Had to make sure she got as much in as she could before anyone else could pull away the guest of honor and take away her cover. "I'd swear she was aiming for the green, at least that's how it looked where I was sitting. She wasn't even near the gold egg, and when that green went straight for her, oh, man." Emeni shook her head, chuckling at the memory. "Sure was happy."



Good, Chadath decided, bumping Kalpeth with his nose. Sometimes they get hung up on things, he said, meaning riders, but time always moves them forward. As long as you are not upset, I'm pleased. Because he only cares about the other dragon; the rider is sort of a footnote where Chadath's concerned.

[blueaid]

So she hadn't technically been invited. Rivaly had learned long ago that Mindhealers don't usually get R.S.V.P. cards. So, after setting a broken finger for a bluerider earlier in the day and promising not to tell a living soul how he broke it (guess!), she had finagled a way to attend this well-publicized little party without technically crashing it. Even better, she could enter quietly in the shadow of N'vret trying to laugh off his bandaged finger. "--last time I'll be putting my finger in there, lemme tell you what!" the bluerider said more than once during the evening, showing his bandage like it was a trophy of war and not just some hapless misadventure.

Glasses on a chain around her neck rather than perched on the end of her nose, Rivaly made a quiet entrance that kept her near the door, unobtrusive. She'd come to observe-- as ever-- this time bent on seeing the dragonrider "in his element," and her bright eyes summarized the room in a series of glances to capture the little clusters of people, the nuances, the party atmosphere.

[Invisible]

G’tet was quite happy to continue providing Emeni a shield. It was the least he could do for his sister’s friend. He laughed, nearly spitting the beer out he’d just taken a drink of, but saving himself from that embarrassing social situation. “Heh. Sorry there. Yea, well, I guess we tend to have a lot in common. Although I suppose our taste in men is a little different. Not that the fellow she’s with right now isn’t the looker.”

Yet another person he’d considered inviting just to be difficult. Although he didn’t figure Silvio would have liked the implication there. Such a shame. Not that his sister was not wonderful, but… Well, just a shame. When Emeni spoke of the hatching he stopped his brain’s fantasizing to listen. “I wish I could have been there,” he said with a little shake of his head. “I hate that I missed it and not just because she’ll make me pay for it the rest of my life. I’m glad it worked out how it did though.”

I am back home Kalpeth told Chadath. That is enough for me to be happy. She was not acting flirty, but there was something in her tone that teased at the bronze when she spoke to him. Beyond even her usual tease. G’tet was likely right in thinking it wouldn’t be long now until she rose. But that was for another day and for now she was content to lay where she was and talk to nearly any of the other dragons.

[dragon]

J'rad raised an eyebrow to his wingleader's words. A very typical expression for him, usually meant for various things. This one's interpretation would be a mixture of surprise and amusement. As if S'lyn was demanding the impossible or demanding something entirely unique to J'rad. To the comments on Althesia, J'rad responded with a simple "Thank you", scarce as ever with words. But to the latter, there was a different response. "I will try not to glower", he spoke simply, putting emphasis on glower as if he snatched the very word from S'lyn and threw it back at him. But regardless, he complied.

J'rad was not fond nor was he very privy to social settings. Arcaith certainly knew his way around, but not his rider. Perhaps Althesia would be of help in this instance. Either way, he'd go about being social without having to completely alter his character. He wasn't going to bend who he was for any one person or situation.

He nodded his head to S'lyn, then took a step back to allow him to greet his on coming guests. "If you don't mind, I'll return to my guest", J'rad spoke, gruff voice, but tone holding hardly any emotion.

[Slim]

Entering when she did, while the party's host was talking to his wingsecond, Rivaly would have gone ungreeted as well as uninvited had it not been for Masha. S'lyn's mate had been unobtrusively circling the room, greeting a few of the women she knew and making sure the refreshments stayed in order, but now she suddenly appeared at Rivaly's elbow. "Journeyman!"

The novelty of having a mindhealer at the Weyr had attracted Masha to go see Rivaly soon after she arrived. It had hardly been a productive session, with Masha more interested in cooing over the curiosity of the healer's methods than discussing anything significant, but now she acted terribly pleased and honored to have the healer come to her party. "Oh, Journeyman, how wonderful to see you. Perhaps I could introduce you to my daughter? She's a good girl, my Emeni, but I can't talk to her at all, and she could really use a nice, sensible woman like yourself talking some sense into her..." Even as she tried to convince Rivaly to allow the introduction, Masha had already begun leading her through the crowd to where Emeni stood.

Emeni, of course, would have been quite irritated if she knew that her mother knew where she'd been all along. As it was, she only spotted her at the last second, so she was midsentence with G'tet as her mother approached to deposit Rivaly with them. "Oh, has she got somebody? Sly girl! She didn't mention anyone to meee -" the word trailed off in a panic as she spied her mother and quickly stuffed her beer into G'tet's hand. So now he had two, the drunkard. Playing innocent as best she could, Emeni put on a pleasant smile and braced herself to meet whoever it was Masha had brought. At least it wasn't a man, for once.

"Emeni!" Masha spared a glance for G'tet, but knowing him for a greenrider, her spark of interest quickly faded. For a moment there she might've thought her daughter had found a good man. "This is Journeyman Rivaly. She was so helpful when I spoke to her, and I thought you might get along. Rivaly, this is my daughter."



S'lyn raised his eyebrows back at J'rad, but with him such an expression was hardly ambiguous. He often used it to warn his wingsecond when he thought J'rad was about to overstep himself - as indeed he proceeded to do, throwing the word 'glower' back in his face. "I trust you've realized, J'rad, that I don't ask you to do things just to aggravate you. If I ask you aside to talk about something, then I expect you to take the matter seriously. And in any situation, I expect you to treat me with respect."

He waited a second, refusing to break eye contact with J'rad and give him an excuse to slip away. Once he'd held his point, however, S'lyn waved a hand. "I won't keep you." He was no tyrant, to rub J'rad's nose in his lesser rank and demand he stay against his will. "Go where you will. And, after the new arrivals have slowed down, I'd be gratified if you gave me the opportunity to meet the young lady." There. He could even smile as he sent his wingsecond away, hopefully on a less sour note.



Color Chadath quite oblivious, for the big bronze did not seem to notice the tease in Kalpeth's tone. He bumped his shoulder against hers, telling her cheerfully, And I am glad you're back. The bronze concentrated on flights only when he flew in them; while he was on the ground, even Pelegaoth (whom he'd caught so many times) registered as nothing more than a good pal.

[blueaid]

"Masha." Warmth, even. Whether or not Rivaly cared two beans for the woman, she smiled at her like they had a long-and-happy history together, listened to the ebullient chatter with inscrutable good humor. "I would love to meet your daughter," she answered rather unnecessarily, seeing as she was already being dragged through the crowd whether or not she wanted to be! She flashed a few smiles in passing, caught an eye here and there, and kept up with her hostess while she tried to pick out anyone that might be a relative among the blurred faces that surrounded her.

When they finally landed, when she was introduced, when she gave a glance between G'tet and Emeni for the conversation being interrupted, her smile had assumed an apologetic quality, as if she must know what a burden it was for a young woman to be seized upon by an over-excitable mother in the middle of a party. So her smooth placidity turned upon the woman rather than the daughter when she remarked, "I think Emeni," rather than your-daughter, "was in the middle of a conversation, Masha, and it would be polite to wait." If only to assign some semblance of independence to the young woman.

[Invisible]

When the second beer was shoved into his hand G’tet took it with a quiet laugh. Emeni’s words fell off when her mother approached, but acting as if nothing at all were going on the greenrider just laughed again and told his wingleader’s daughter. “Well, he’s hardly a secret. He’s mooning about the weyrling barracks all the time I hear. But you’d best peek at him soon before they all pack up and leave.”

Taking a drink he pretends as if Masha and Rivaly are just now there and offers them both his charming smile. “Ladies, what a pleasure. And, Masha an excellent party. Your daughter has been taking good care of me. Although I think she figured I’d be drinking more than I am since she brought me a replacement when my own was half full.” He shook his head and grinned for youthful exuberance.

“Rivaly…Rivaly…where do I know that name?” G’tet asked of himself as he looked at the mindhealer. He could not snap his fingers being a drunk right now, but the light dawned and he grinned for the healer alone as he winked at her. “Aha! The one who was boiling numbweed at the crack of dawn. Genet told me you nearly ruined her breakfast. A pleasure. I’d kiss your hand, but, well.” He held up both beers with a laugh. His eyes slid to Emeni and she got a wink of her own where her mother might not see. “Oh, lookie there,” he commented with a gesture of one beer for the entrance. “I do believe F’vay just showed up with that adorable woman of his. She must be near to popping with their child.”

He was trying to get Masha away and figured pregnant women, right? Most women wanted to go coo over a woman that was knocked up and F’vay’s girlfriend was definitely knocked up. She large enough to steal Chadath’s ledge from him. And speaking of Chadath he got a nudge with a back leg from Kalpeth in return for his bump. It is good to be home the green repeated having little else to say at the moment.

[Slim]

Masha was not to be deterred by Rivaly's subtle hints, however. "Oh, Emeni doesn't mind, do you?" It was a question, and she smiled as she asked it, but her daughter knew perfectly well that there was only one correct answer: "Of course not, Ma." Her gaze flicked to G'tet, picking up that wink he shot her, and then quickly went past him to find F'vay's girlfriend. Not hard to do, given her current size. "Oh, look at that," she whistled, giving her mother a slight bump to get her to look that way. "She looks like she could use a comfortable place to sit."

When Masha saw the pregnant woman, her mouth formed a predictable coo. "Oh, you're right! The poor dear. You all stay here and have fun, I've got to go see her in." And with that, Masha scuttled back into the crowd, nipping her way over to the pregnant woman. As soon as she was gone, Emeni let out a sigh of relief and reclaimed her beer from G'tet with a grateful smile.

That smile soon turned to Rivaly. "That's my Ma for you. Sorry if she dragged you away from somewhere you wanted to be - I mean, I won't be offended if you want to go back. But so long as you don't lecture me about whatever it is my Ma wanted you to lecture me about, you'd be welcome to stay here with me 'n G'tet." She tugged a thumb at the greenrider. "We're just talkin' about whatever." Now that she had her beer back, she took a long, satisfying drink to close her invitation.