Choosing {Open}

[marissa]

{Might as well play A'noan, as well. xP}

Well of course he was going to the Gather! He needed things, such as a new pair of boots from the Tanner Stall, as well as a bottle or two of Blossom wine. A’noan tended to like that wine, better than the cheap Tillek substance, while not as expensive as the Benden White or Red. He huffed moodily, a little, at that last part. He should have been able to afford Benden Wine easily, but no. They certainly didn’t pay him enough, for all the work he did with his wing. He bet that Shmee’s lover, not the Weyrleader, no, that dirty, ditzy woman’s lover made more from him. And he was a Wingsecond, too! Well.

It matters not, A’noan. We have enough for the things you need, such as the boots. Oh, now, that was simply not kind. A’noan, as Ermieth very well knew, simply liked to complain. He didn’t care if he had any reason to. But now the bronze had pretty much, in his own way, told him to stop whining, that they were well off, and that they could manage. They were a bronzepair, and they could therefore always manage.

The bronze always managed to ruin his fun. Stomping off moodily towards a random stall, the rider looked around. Before he even got the boots, he felt the need to vent to someone. Now that the girl had impressed (to a silly green, no less!), she was no longer his apprentice, and he could no longer vent to her. Shard her. Well, anyways, he now needed to find someone to vent his frustrations to.

A’noan didn’t even really need a legitimate reason. No, he was very good at nitpicking people’s attitudes, to find the slightest fault, which he then magnified to a large proportion. It worked very well, actually, and it made him feel better when he had someone to nag and yell at. Now, it was time to find a new person. Scanning the crowd, the bronzerider carefully began to pick out his next target.

[margexx]

Meanwhile, J'fer strolled through the aisles between the stalls, wishing that he hadn't spent all of his marks besides this month's salery. Three and a half marks couldn't really buy many things. He paused infront of the jewelry stall, admiring the many beautiful pieces. The greenrider eyed the earrings with special interest, absentmindedly raising a hand to touch his earlobe, considering the idea. Well, until he say the price. Five marks? Shards they were costly. And even if he could manage to haggle the price down, he still wouldn't have the marks for the earrings. So with a sad sigh, he moved on, continuing to browse the many stalls.

[marissa]

The Gather was crowded, but A’noan’s eyes simply slid past all those people. He didn’t know who he was looking for, but he was sure he would know when he saw the person. Sighing, the rider leaned back against a stall for a moment, disappointed with the choices that they had. He slowly became desperate, wanting to berate someone. A frown had long-since developed on his face, and now he turned around to look behind him. Are we going yet? Ermieth inquired irritably, simply wanting to curl up on his weyrledge and get away from all of this loud, noisy mess.

Yes. There’s nobody here that I feel the need to criticize, which is a pity, so there’s no reason to be here. Just let me get the boots, and then we can go back to the weyr. Walking towards the Tanner Stall, he accidentally brushed against someone, and immediately turned around. Never mind, Ermieth. I found a person. It’ll be another few minutes. The bronze, seemingly having expected that, said nothing.

“Hey, you!” His eyes went directly to the other man’s knots, and he continued. “Greenrider! Do you know who I am? Wingleader A’noan of the Bronze Ermieth!” His scowl was very pronounced as his gaze focused once more on the man’s face. “Who are you and how dare you run into me?”

[margexx]

Despite his small amount of marks, J'fer was enjoying browsing the gather. He had found a few things that caught his eyes and Confuzled had appeared from between and now rode happily on his bonded's head, causing the greenrider to smile. So when A'noan yelled at him, J'fer was honestly surprised. Wha- Run into? He hadn't run into anyone... Still, the fact that it was not only a bronzerider yelling at him, but a wingleader made J'fer hold his tongue and keep any angry retorts inside of him. "I'm J'fer of Green Ranth and I think you're mistaken, Bronzerider. I didn't run into you, maybe it was someone else who did." The short man stated quietly, Confuzled adding his own chirp in agreement with his bonded.

[marissa]

Here A’noan was, yelling at the little rider, and it took the bronzer quite a bit not to gape. He was a greenrider, and he thought that A’noan was mistaken? Oh, no no no. That simply didn’t work for him, and he was certainly not pleased. J’fer of Green Ranth had no place to think him wrong. He was not blonde, and knew very well who knocked into him. By this time, it was very likely that the bronzerider had already forgotten that it was he that had clipped J’fer, as it was not relevant.

“Are you doubting me, J’fer of green Ranth?” If looks could kill, the greenrider could very well have died many times over by now. “I saw you run into me! It was not anyone else. It was you, and now you are doubting a Wingleader, the Rider of Bronze Ermieth? You already know who I am, I have already told you, so you have no sharding excusing for doubting me!” Shard this little boy. And A’noan couldn’t even give him the shadow of excuse, because he had already been told that he was speaking to A’noan.

“Deadglow kids, nowadays,” he muttered under his breath. A bit louder, he continued. “Explain yourself, petty greenrider.”

[margexx]

J'fer squirmed under A'noan's glare, fear bubbling up in his stomach. "N-no sir, I'm not doubting you, I just-" He trailed off as the bronzer continued, his fear growing. All his life he had learned to avoid Bronzeriders and now, without meaning to, he'd made one mad at him. "I-I apologize sir, I didn't mean to sound like I doubted you, I just- I mean, um..." His fear woke Ranth from her light slumber just outside the hold and now she turned, eyes spinning red as she glanced to Ermieth. Ranth, don't you dare! You'll just make them madder and then we'll get in more trouble. Calm down. J'fer hissed to his dragon, never taking his eyes off of A'noan. "I didn't mean to run into you, Bronzerider, and I apologize if I did, but I didn't feel anything, so I just didn't realize I had." He tried to explain, barely acknowledging the insult.

[marissa]

{Lol, it’s not hard to make A’noan mad. But don’t worry: he can’t do anything. : ) Sorry, I don’t really like this post. D:}

“You should be sorry!” A’noan barked when the greenrider finally managed to drag out a decent apology. Those stuttering little things that he had started out with didn’t cut it. “You never, never doubt me, nor any other of my fellow bronzeriders. We are better than you, and you obviously know it, as well. Pay more attention, greenrider, and make sure you don’t do it again!” He was already feeling better, as he had to contain the tiniest of smirks.

Tilting up his head, almost so that he looked like a teenage girl putting her nose in the air, A’noan crossed his arms. “Don’t worry though, greenrider. I wouldn’t expect anything better than a petty boy who rides a useless green, in comparison to my many years and my flawless Ermieth. I’ll try to speak slower next time, as well, so that you can apologize correctly the first time without stuttering and all of the ‘um’ breaks. Learn how to pay your dues to a bronzerider, not the watchwher who can’t hear you.” He scowled, and then looked away. It’s nice to yell at people, Ermieth, the bronzer said silently with a smug tone. Just don’t overdo it, Mine. For all that he is a greenrider, I don’t think he’s too much of a deadglow, and you looked like a five-turn-old girl being asked to make numbweed.

Ah, oh well.

[margexx]

"Ranth's not useless." The words were out before J'fer had a chance to think about them, but once he did, he showed no signs of taking them back. A'noan could call the greenrider petty and make him sound like a deadglow, but he was not about to call Ranth useless. "Bronzerider or not, you have no right to say my dragon is useless." He added softly, frowning. He was undoubtedly going to get yelled at again, but he couldn't just stand by and let A'noan insult Ranth. This wasn't Benden and the bronzer had no right.

[marissa]

J'fer's words made the bronzerider do a slight doubletake. He was used to people arguing back, of course, but after he had insulted the greenrider, his rank as a greenrider, and his intelligence, A'noan was actually surprised when the boy defended his dragon. That is a rider's weakest point. One without pride, unlike ourselves, can take insults to our own self, but when someone insults Theirs they suddenly go defensive. The bronze then went silent, letting His have his fun berating the poor greenrider. Ah, well, he did ride a green, so it was A'noan's right to subject him to such talks from those of a higher rank.

"Ah, now now, little greenrider, I said that a green was useless in comparison to a bronze. You must learn to listen. I'm sorry for not speaking slow enough, now..." A'noan's voice had gone dangerously soft, and he glared daggers once more. His voice slowly rising in decibels, he continued. "And, even after the first time, you dare contradict me? Next to my Ermieth, your green is tiny! Your green is helpless! Your green lacks intelligence! I understand quite well that your little, helpless, dimglow green is, indeed, useful. But when compared to a great, incredibly useful bronze as my own?"

"And I have a right to say anything I choose, Greenrider J'fer. Do not dare contradict me." So...there. A'noan didn't quite know what else to say. A greenrider, contradicting him with such stupidity? No one was supposed to be such a deadglow, and yet this J'fer fellow had done so twice! Oh, he would certainly have hell throughout this Gather.

{Oh, wouldn't it just be wrong if Ermieth flew after Ranth once she Flew? xDDDD}

[margexx]

Now J'fer was glaring as well. Without meaning to, his hands curled into tight fists at his side. "My Ranth can fly circles around your ugly lug of a dragon." He hissed, eyes narrowed. "She's far from helpless and far from stupid. And if your bronze is anything like you then he's just a fat brute who can't see past his own nose." The greenrider spat, resisting the urge to punch A'noan in the nose. Yes the other rider was much taller and was higher ranking then him, but he had gone too far with his insults to Ranth.

( xDD It'd be horrible.)

[marissa]

Eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, voice soft, hands fisted. No one insulted A’noan, it just wasn’t done. He would go after anyone who said anything about him in a negative tone. But, as Ermieth had just reminded him moments earlier, a rider’s weakest point was his dragon. “You dare not insult my Ermieth, who hold more intelligence, strength, endurance, and overall capability than your weak little green, your deadglow little bonded, your pathetic little vermin.”

No one – no one – insulted Ermieth in front of A’noan without getting slugged and hung out to dry. And that was exactly what he did. You see, he didn’t care about possible consequences: who cared about a pathetic little greenrider, anyways? Fist drawn back, not even an order from his dragon stopped him from aiming straight towards J’fer’s face. At this point, he didn’t care if he connected or not, as long as the little greenrider got the message to never, ever insult his beloved bronze again.

Ermieth did not like being ignored by His, but he saw the reasoning. He understood. However, he also had a much cooler head than the bronzerider. No, he did not like being insulted any more than his own, but it seemed that A’noan could take care of both of them. Instead, he turned his wedge-shaped head towards the tiny green that he thought was Ranth. If not, then, oh well. Excuse me for Mine’s behavior, Green Ranth. She was a pretty green, after all, and he didn’t want any more trouble today. It doesn’t look like Ours like one another very much. With this came a slightly-bored tone. Plenty of people disliked His, after all. It was because they, and everyone, whether dragon, wher, human, salamandyr, flitter, was jealous of this great, bronze dragonpair.

He was used to it.

[margexx]

J'fer stumbled backwards as A'noan's fist connected solidly with his face, the pain instant. Still, his rage had exploded and he had forgotten that the other man was a wingleader. He glared, and before he even realized what he was doing, hs belt knife was out. It wasn't likely that he would use it even if his grip on the hilt was so tight that his knuckles where white. "You take that back you sharding wherry-headed man." He snarled, ignoring the angry bruise darkening on the right side of his face.

Ranth's eyes whirled red as her anger escalated with her riders. She peered at Ermieth's rustling her wings as she fought to keep the anger out of her tone as she replied. No, it doesn't look like they do. The green agreed, wrapping her tail around her. A slight glow was visible in her hide, suggesting the reason that J'fer was reacting the way he was to A'noan.

[reqqy]

She'd begun to dress better lately, and refused to acknowledge the reason why - which greatly amused Phremath. Ever since K'von was given the option of calling on her due to Lust's handiwork on his hand, her appearance had noticeably improved as a whole. Ever the pramatist, however, she arrived at the Gather in supple hide, her tunic belted in around a trim middle, a soft forest green in hue. Kalierre liked natural colors quite a bit, particularly browns and greens. Blonde hair partially pulled back, she wore her knots from her belt as she was wont to do. They tended to get more in the way at her shoulder. Functionality first.

The woman was in a distinctly pleasant mood. She actually had enough time to consider going to a Gather nowadays, which was a shock in and of itself. Course, company would have been nice...Oh well. Could only ask for so much at a time. Leather! Don't forget, Mine. I might not talk to you if you don't bring it back. Don't be silly. You couldn't go long without talking, and anyway, I won't forget. She needed leather to construct a new harness she'd designed, one that was more convenient given their unusual method of flying. The dragonhealer was shuffling through the stalls, generally ignoring anything in the way of raised voices, when she just couldn't turn a blind eye anymore.

They were obviously riders, too. Straightening to her full height - admittedly not tall, but she had a good inch or two over most women - Selenitas Weyr's only dragonhealer approached the two men, disapproving frown on her face. If they messed each other up, it would be just her luck that she'd end up having to take care of them, and given their dispositions, she didn't think she'd be much pleased by that at all. Kalierre stepped nimbly between the two, keeping careful track of the greenrider's knife hand. She'd briefly considered disarming him, which wouldn't be hard, however it would likely provoke a violent reaction. Kind of counterproductive.

"Gentlemen." There was just a touch of irony in that word - enough to suggest it without being clear enough that either of the men would be able to tell for sure if she was being sarcastic or not. "I don't know what the deal is, but dragonriders shouldn't be fighting. If for no other reason than because they then have to come see me, and I'm not particularly sympathetic when it comes to wounds acquired in this fasion."

Her eyes moved to J'fer's first, playing a little to A'noan's ego, though not a lot. "Sheathe the knife, wingrider. You shouldn't be drawing a weapon against one of Selenitas's Wingleaders. I'm sure your own will be less than pleased to hear of it." But she was not about to lay the blame completely in the greenrider's court. "And as for you..." Her hands fell to her hips, the frown distinct on her lips. "Is this the behavior a Wingleader is supposed to exhibit? Getting into brawls with other riders? That's shameful."

Now, neither probably appreciated her intervention. It would not be wise to anger the only dragonhealer at Selenitas, though. That could be quite...detrimental...

[glamourie]

Ka'rys hated shoes. It wasn't so much that he had a problem with the idea of protecting his feet, in theory, but the feeling of being constrained typically by leather that weighed an abnormal amount and absorbed liquids like a sponge, was unpleasant. People could say what they wanted about formality, but he thought he looked plenty formal, in his loose black leggings and stormy-gray tunic. The fact that he was barefoot was a matter of no consequence to him. His riding gear was left with Ciceroth, who had promptly decided he was going to wander off somewhere and bask. The south was just too warm to be wearing shoes all the time and a Gather meant enjoyment. So he went for comfort, and pointedly avoided the leather-working stall. The people gathered outside it seemed to like glancing at him pointedly. He wasn't buying boots. He owned boots and hated them, thank you very much. No need for a second pair that he would never wear.

The animal stall caught his attention, though, and Ka'rys ambled in that general direction when a ruckus from nearby caught his ear. Ophelie, his green firelizard, looked up from his shoulder at him before silently taking to wing. She glided easily through the air and swept around neatly enough before landing close enough to watch A'noan and J'fer inquisitively, and the entire time, she did not make a single sound. She was almost completely mute, only making any noise when she was extremely startled, or in pain. That often led to her being overlooked. Ka'rys didn't mind - she made an excellent little eavesdropper.

A glint of silver secured his opinion and Ka'rys swept away from the stall (he'd go back to look at the different critters later), his hands folding behind his back. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) for him, by the time he made it to the duo, the Dragonhealer was there. Ka'rys chose not to speak as he approached, instead stopping a few steps behind Kali, his hands folded behind his back. She seemed to have things handled, but he was interested in knowing what had started whatever was going on in the first place. The fact that two of the Selenitas riders were fighting and one had drawn a knife was disconcerting; something would need to be done about them eventually. Sweeps, likely. That would be a blow to the Wingleader's pride, but as a Wingleader, he should have been setting an example, not feuding with some little greenrider. Wingleaders were supposed to be better than that.

Phremath, do you and Yours know what they are disagreeing about? Ciceroth inquired from his spot well away from the Gather. He had found a nice cluster of rocks and was very happily curled around them. He was not terribly fond of spending much time around people, so he settled for being far enough away to not be bothered, close enough to watch. He addressed Phremath because her rider was not one of the ones involved in the skirmish. It was easier to get an unbiased opinion from a relatively uninvolved party.

[marissa]

{Sorry for the wait. A'noan muse went bye-bye. D: }

The bronzerider had drawn his hand back, ready to hit J’fer again for that insult, when a girl appeared, and began scolding them. A’noan could only raise his eyebrow at the girl, who he recognized dimly as a girl with a crippled green, who was also a dragonhealer. He turned his attention to the other male for a moment, smirking. “I won’t take back the truth.” He said nothing about the insult paid to him, very well aware that he had the upper hand. “Put away the knife, before mother here makes you.” After this, J’fer was basically discarded from his mind. He was now focusing on the little girl before him that dare try and mother him.

The little girl looked decent, and A’noan knew he recognized her. He didn’t think that they had ever carried on conversation, him preferring to be treated by people who might actually know what they were doing. Now was not the time to bring that up, however. He just wanted this girl to go away, so he could continue his conversation with J’fer.

This girl underestimated him. A’noan did not care if her eyes traveled to the greenrider first. Alright, maybe a little, but it was only because he was so far ahead of J’fer in rank. It was understandable! He smirked at the male from behind Kalierre when she said that he should sheathe the weapon, mouthing an, “I told you so,” behind her. Now this little girl was playing mommy to two experienced riders, even if J’fer was an absolute deadglow and probably needed it. However, when she turned to the Wingleader, his smirk turned into a scowl once more.

“Greenrider, Dragonhealer, or little girl, whichever you prefer. I don’t need a mother, although I’m not so sure about the deadglow over there. So you can go back to the people that do need mothering, darling, and leave us big boys alone.” He did not appreciate being scolded, especially by someone so much younger than himself. “Telling people that are many turns older than you what to do, my dear, is shameful.” He glared at the girl, suddenly just as angered as he had been when J’fer had insulted Ermieth. He was a big boy, and did not need a little greenrider telling him what to do.

A'noan barely even paid attention to the Weyrleader. In the bronzerider's mind, he held nothing but the name, and some of the more petty duties. S'rei had been integrated back with Shmee, after his return, and most (including A'noan) thought of him as the Weyrleader again, as he would most likely be when Aslath Flew again. If, that is, she didn't see common sense and choose his Ermieth in the next one. But that wasn't the matter right now.

Now I do not think he is as angered at Yours. I also do not think that he will ever like Yours. He likes few people. Ermieth had nothing against the pretty green, especially when she had a proddy glow to her hide. Although maybe it was that he was a bit frightened of proddy females, rather than he wanted to Fly after her when the time came. They could be downright cruel.