you came in dressed as a trainwreck [tenlie]

[Lotty]

Mi'rah was convinced that all the women he met avoided him. He was hard pressed to think of one that he regularly conversed with (though if he thought hard enough he would realize there weren't a whole lot of men who made it a point to keep up with him either). The closest he came was Meira and she practically ran away from him at their last encounter which left him feeling like a big creep despite doing nothing the whole time but quibbling and stuttering. The bronzerider was at a loss for why assholes could have a plethora of friends and a booming social life and he couldn't carry a conversation despite all of his politeness and proper behavior.

Still, he needed to test his theory. Certainly if he was the bane of all female existence then Tenlie would run right away and save herself. If she didn't, well then it would be good to catch up with her and check in on the livelihood of the egg he had given her all those months ago. Whatever hatched from it he didn't know, but he hoped that it wasn't a dud. That would not help at all in his cause, and she'd probably think him a big dope who managed to break everything he touched.

Speaking of which, he was sincerely hoping that he wouldn't break the vase that he held firmly between his two hands. No, it didn't contain flowers, that would be incredibly weird, even for him, but it was an interesting enough piece to attract the attention of a glasscrafter, what with its etched in floral pattern along the sides. What she didn't need to know however was that it actually came out of his closet as he desperately searched for an excuse to visit. Maybe that made him look cheap, or maybe it just meant he wasn't trying too hard, but that was all for the girl to decide. He took the plunge and knocked on the door to her room.

The bronzerider had the distinct feeling that he shouldn't be there - in the weyrling barracks - he really didn't have a whole lot of business there with not being a teacher and definitely not being a weyrling himself, but swallowing down his doubts he waited for the door to open and began practicing his speech in his head. All of that mess about moving out in a months time and giving away an early weyrwarming present. Yes, it was golden.

[Ruby]

Ten had just gotten back from the bathing rooms, so for once her hair was down, starting to fluff gently around her face. She'd just settled a chunky, loose-knit yellow sweater over her standard light Southern sleeveless top. This winter was ruthless - Ten felt like she hadn't been warm in months, and her wardrobe was not prepared. Jazz was out, but the whole mengerie was home: Rajnith, paws crossed, was admiring her own shine; Grip was wound around a bedpost, staring longingly up at Big Brother, who was crammed into a gravity-defying curl in the room's darkest corner; and Ugly Duckling was busy making a nest out of Tenlie's blankets. The room was full of busy industry, buzzing and chattering lightly in the late afternoon.

This tranquil scene was interrupted not by the knock, but by Ugly Duckling who immediately launched into a mad, sqwaking rant. The half-fledged, ratty-looking cygnet was running in circles in front of the door, squeaking and cawing and generally setting up a ridiculous racket. Bro dissapeared silently, moving into the hall to get an eye on the intruder, and Grip whined once before scampering up to wrap himself around Tenlie's arm. Rajnith had dropped her head between her legs, paws over her ears, and was whining at Ten about making the feathery one shut up.

Ten rolled her eyes to the ceiling, then called "Just a minute!!" as she knelt next to the screaming swan. Holding his beak shut, she murmured, "Quiet, Duckie, look: everything do be all right. Everything will be fine." Finally, the cygnet shut up, and Ten stood, jerking her sweater into position as she cracked the door, using one foot to keep Duckie out of the way. She only had to see who was standing there, though, to throw the door open all the way, squeal "Mi'rah!" and bounce up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

Right about then was when she remembered why she hadn't gone to see him before now. Peccadillo.

Big Brother, back in the room, hummed appreciatively at the thought, and Ten colored as even Rajnith craned around to see who it was that had inspired such conflicted thoughts in Hers. Sooo awkward. Luckily, Duckie took that moment to violently attack Mi'rah's legs. Ten got her arms all the way around the raging baby and picked him up before he could do any damage - a good thing, too, the vase Mi'rah had seemed breakable.

Shifting around so she could get a solid hold on Duckie's beak, Ten bounced the swan a little, the way a mother might bounce a fussy child. "Quiet, Duckling. If it was no for him, I would no have you!" she exclaimed, releasing his beak again once he seemed calmer. There was a hint of a pause, then Ten smiled, to take any sting out of her words: "What do you be doing here, Mi'rah? Long time no see!"

[Lotty]

"Oh!" the peck on the cheek caught him by surprise and he fumbled the vase a bit even before the duckling could storm over to him and try to lash out at his legs. It was for the best that the bird was thwarted, Mi'rah wasn't quite sure how to fight off the creature other than kicking it, and that just seemed like an altogether bad idea. After all, if his assumptions were correct, that must be what had came of the mystery egg he traded to her, and it would be ridiculously awkward to ask about the thing's well being after punting it across the room now wouldn't it?

As could be expected, he was so thrown off by the greeting that his entire speech he had been practicing and perfected in front of his mirror was out the window. Captain Stutters to the rescue, "I - I - ummm," amazing how he had completely forgotten what he was going to say, "I think...I mean..." and suddenly his thoughts came back together as he remembered the glass vase setting in his hands, "Oh, well I had heard that your weyrling class was moving out into your own weyrs soon...and so I had brought you this to decorate your room with?"

He admittedly stolen the idea, but it was the fact that he was dong something that had mattered, "I mean...I'm sure there is no shortage of boys bringing you flowers." He offered it forward before realizing her hands were occupied with Duckie and then hesitantly pulled the glasswork back into himself, "I know you could just make yourself one, but um...." He shuffled a bit in his place, "Oh I also came to see about how you were doing. I heard that your class had um...I bit of bad luck with the betweening, and that is unfortunate..." One of those who were lost he knew, but only by accident really and couldn't claim her enough to mourn for the disappearance. Still, he was decent enough to know that others had not lived long enough to be quite as jaded on the subject as he, and if anything he was a sympathetic listener.

[Ruby]

Ten cocked her head slightly as Mi'rah stumbled over what he was trying to say, bouncing Ugly Duckling again when he started to squirm. Momentarily, though, he got his tounge under control, and explained. Ten's mouth dropped open in a shocked smile, and she leaned forward to inspect the glasswork, breathing, "That's for me? Why, it do be beautiful!" She attempted to shift Duckie to one hip to touch the vase, but the swan was not having it. The only way to rid herself of the difficult bird was to shut him in the room, so she opened the door further, casually waving Mi'rah into the room as he continued talking.

"Ha! Boys bringing me flowers?" she asked, incredulous, as she settled Duckling back in his bed. "You'd do better to ask Ruiliana, or perhaps Jazz. Even Sari does have more luck than me, it seems." Finally, Duckie settled down enough that Ten could let him go, although he continued to emit an odd, squeaky growling noise whenever he looked in Mi'rah's direction. "It do be beautiful, though, and I will make sure it stays full of flowers, even if I do have to fetch them myself. Plus, I could no make this - glassblowers do no learn molds until Senior Journeyman level, and I did leave as soon as I was named Senior," she added, running her fingers over the engraved flowers. "And then Rajnith, of course. She does say hello, by the way."

I do not.

You do, starting now.

Rajnith humphed, but rested her head on her paws and fixed one eye on Mi'rah anyway. She WAS curious, after all.

Ten turned awkwardly back towards Mi'rah as he mentioned her class's recent losses. "Oh...." she set the vase in the middle of the tiny table she and Jazz shared instead of desks, then pulled out one of the chairs and offered it to the Bronzerider before taking one herself. "Aye, we did have some problems there. I almost could no do it - between, that be - but I knew if I did put it off I never would. I did no know any of them that well, but... well. T'ris..." She trailed off, picturing the Blueweyrling's face with a pang.

[Lotty]

What? He found it totally hard to believe that not a single boy had taken at least a little bit of interest in Tenlie. Really the thought inspired him to wonder what the shards was wrong with all of the men in the weyr...the girl didn't have any kind of glaring personality flaw that he saw, yet there are those who will go un-named that fail in that department time and time again and still garner attention. Clearly there was an issue in some basic logic here, and the only excuse that Mi'rah could decipher is that maybe the girl just didn't know when she was being flirted with?

Ironic, because the bronzerider didn't ever realize it when he was flirting, which is more or less what he was doing with every girl constantly and this was probably no exception as bringing along a room warming gift was not just something people did for the heck of it. Not even nice people like him - everyone had motives even if they were purely sub-conscious in nature. Still though, he powered forward through all of the awkward possibilities and entered the room, sure to wave at Rajnith and say hello to the green even if she had no plans to talk back, "H-hello Rajnith..."

He quickly as he could, took the offered seat - sitting always seemed so much safer than standing - and crossed his legs so that a knee propped an ankle as was his comfortable little habit, "I hope I didn't bring up anything too bad..." he said apologetically as he caught the look on the weyrling's face and tired to rectify it with some sort of encouragement, "It's only bad the first time, from here on out its always a breeze," but this was coming from someone who had his wing practicing sending their dragons between with out them. Maybe it was some morbid Benden trait, but he never was afraid of getting lost between. It always seemed like there were much worse fates in the world.

"That is too bad though...about T'ris and....uhm the other ones..." whose names were eluding him. Oh well, "What is important though is that you are ok...right?"

[Ruby]

Rajnith lifted her head when Mi'rah waved at her, dipping the very tip of her nose about half an inch in regal greeting. "She thinks she do be a Lady Holder," Ten stage-whispered behind a hand as she settled into the seat opposite Mi'rah, earning only a sniff and a look from the Green, who then stretched one wing and turned toward the wall.

You humans are pathetic and irritating. Have your little visit, and then you may give me a full bath and oiling with that new oil you had shipped in. The one scented with lavender?

Used to Rajnith's demands by now, Ten sent a vague affirmative her dragon's way, absent-mindedly filing the information away for later. Spreading her skirt properly over her knees (a habit from childhood which she'd never lost), Ten crossed her ankles and flashed a reassuring smile at the Bronzerider. "Oh, nothing too bad. Rajnith was very confident, and as soon as I did it, it did seem so simple. It do be easy to trust your dragon when they know what they're doing, no? But it do be good to hear that it will no get worse than that. Rajnith has told me not to worry about the second time, but I do." When that would be, Tenlie didn't know - she'd been working in the forge a lot in an attempt to put off thinking about it.

Her smile had faltered a little, especially when Mi'rah named T'ris, (she'd quietly supplied the names he was missing - "T'by, and Meagen,") but strengthened again when he asked about her well being. Perhaps he hadn't meant it in relation to T'ris, but the Blueweyrling was on her mind, and that's how she took it. "Oh, yes, I do be ok. T'ris was no even a friend, just one of the first few to say more than two words to me, here. He did help me with Big Brother, not long after he'd hatched," she added. Big Brother didn't respond to his name, still doing his best impression of a dirty sock, but Grip did, launching himself off the bedpost and flapping awkwardly once or twice to land heavily on the table before scampering up Tenlie's arm (now outstretched to catch the vase he'd knocked half over) and settling on her shoulder with a cheep for Mi'rah. Rolling her eyes at the salamandyr, she scratched an eyeridge before leaning back again, certain that the vase was in no further danger.

Something poking out of her trunk caught her eye, and Ten decided it was time to get off the subject of tragedy. "Have you had a chance to use your starviewer yet?"

[Lotty]

The greenweyrling's careful smoothing of her skirt did not go unnoticed. Look at them. There they were, the absolute picture of class and sophistication; both of them sitting in rather proper positions and carrying on in their conversations exactly as anyone might expect a pair of hold bred riders to. Sure, Tenlie might turn her "are"s into "do be"s and Mi'rah stuttered and fidgeted a bit more than proper etiquette would dictate, but stick a monocle on him and maybe stick a cup of tea in her hand and they'd be something of a couple of Pernese socialites. Of course the feeling was somewhat vaguely familiar to him, the rider could not place a moment in his youth in Lemos when the adults didn't practice such formalities and so to clasp his hands together and quietly nod his way through listening.

Ah, well good. He was genuinely happy to hear that the girl was doing fine, although it was sad that she lost a potential friendship in T'ris, but if anything Mi'rah had confidence in people like Tenlie - that is people who were generally cheery - and knew that she would adjust well enough and besides, she didn't have all too much of weyrlinghood left to go...she was half way through was she not ? Stuffy conversation about loss and perseverance was interrupted however by the springy steps of a salamandyr across the table - he didn't know she had one of those - and the welcomed change of subject.

Well sort of welcome, because to give her the answer she probably wanted he would have to lie. Unfortunately the man hadn't gotten to use the starviewer once...at least for it's intended usage, and he really didn't want to tell the poor girl that he was temporarily using it in wingdrills to survey his riders, especially not when he really actually only meant for the thing to be used on stars. He liked stars and wanted nothing more than to pick out all the shapes on the constellation charts, "Uhm...yes, but just a little bit..." he began his weak explanation, "It works wonderfully, I just haven't much of a chance...but uhmmm."

Tapping his fingers together he let his brain go into autopilot. If he actually consciously thought about what he was saying than the man was actually twice as likely to mess it all up, "You should join me...some time...when you aren't busy. If you want that is and uhmmm we can look at the moons or something...they look different in the starviewer..." Maybe. Probably. Either way that was what he was going to go with.

[Ruby]

Ten caught the moment of sophistication, too, and had the sudden desire to serve tea, or klah, or tiny finger sandwiches or something. It seemed to be the only thing they were missing, what with the honey-colored sunlight gilding every surface, the pretty vase pulling the room together, and their own comfortably proper poses. Even an Auntie from the Creche couldn't find a single thing to gossip about, if she were to walk in. The perfect image of polite conversation.

But talk of the starviewer broke the scene, as Ten leaned forward, griping the edge of the table in excitement. "Ooo, I would love to! I have no had a chance yet... I did forget about curfew. Once I do move into my own weyr, I shall be able to get out at night. Turns out, starviewers aren't so good during the day, unless you are looking at things far closer than stars," she finished, the last sentence quite dry. "I still have my map, but the stars do be different than Ista. The constellations do be new to me. But you are no Southern, correct? Wrong accent," she clarified, in case he wondered how she knew.

If that was a date, Tenlie was clueless. As such, she promptly made it more datelike, beaming at her suggestion: "It will be lovely, we can take a blanket and I will pack a basket of dinner in the kitchens. We shall have to go somewhere far from the Weyr, so it do be truly dark... " Rajnith, apparently asleep, snorted aloud at her rider's folly, and Grip curled around Ten's neck, picking up on his bonded's excitement. Yes yes? was his contribution to the conversation, and Ten smiled, blushing slightly, before adding her own hopeful "Yes?"

[Lotty]

Mi'rah's blue eyes lit up as the woman actually agreed to his offer. She agreed! And the bronzerider didn't actually know what to say to that since the possibility never flashed into his mind. Statistically improbable is what he had told himself upon stuttering the suggestion out, but here she was defying all of his expectations with her eager response, and not only that but she had this perplexing ability to just... take things to a whole new and different level that he was not ready for. The way she was putting it sounded suspiciously like a date which was enough to strike fear right into the heart of the man. What to do? What to do?

"Uhm well then, we'll ummmmmm," he was at a loss for words, which all things considered was not that uncommon for him, "well then wait for your curfew to be lifted we shall do," at least it would buy him some time. Never mind the fact that he doubted curfews mean quite as much when you were hanging out with a Wingleader. She really didn't need to know that though and he also really didn't want to explain what it was they were doing that was soooo important that it require her to be out all night. Yeah, no story would possibly look kosher. Still he smiled and did not let on once what he was thinking by turning his attentions to her questions, "N-no. I mean you're right. I'm from Lemos..."

"Well I don't know about how far out from the Weyr we should be going," he began to explain as he thought out all of the schematics, "I mean, I'm afraid to death of felines," did he feel ashamed admitting that? Shards no, there was very good reason to be scared of a mind-reading predator, "but I don't think they would be anywhere near the..." beach? No, that was even more date-like and so he quickly tried to change thoughts, "the up around the ummm. I'll figure something out, but yess?" His reply seemed to be just as much in response to Tenlie as it was to the salamandyr.

[Ruby]

Yesss, Grip purred; then, his part of the conversation done, he hopped off Ten's shoulder to glide over to the bed. Cuddling Rajnith had, in the past, proved to be a terrible idea, but Grip tried anyway, twining around the tip of her tail like a confused ribbon. Ten snorted at his uselessness, then turned her attention back to Mi'rah. "A month, then. After we move to our own weyrs, I have no idea how they do enforce curfew, so I assume it do be lifted, and I shall leave the location to you. So it do be a - Um." Pulling a perfect Mi'rah herself, Ten paused mid sentence, struggling to find the right word. Date certainly wasn't it; they were just two friends who wanted to go stargazing together. At night. With a picnic. Oops. From what Ten had heard of dates, this sounded like one, but she really didn't want to put that kind of pressure on the Bronzerider. Yeah, that was totally the reason she was rethinking what she was saying.

"In a month, then," she corrected, trying not to blush entirely red. The idea of a date with Mi'rah wasn't the problem - she liked the Bronzerider well enough - she'd just never thought of him that way. She'd never thought of anyone that way. It was the idea of herself on a date that was the problem; hopefully Mi'rah would realize that, and not think it was because of him that she'd changed her word. Oh shards, what had she done.

In an attempt to deflect attention, she picked up another line of discussion. Felines were scary, yes - she nodded - but it was holds that Ten really knew about. "Oh, Lemos? I thought your accent did sound familiar. I knew Eraryet, Lord Krasoret's daughter, one summer - she did foster with my uncle. I hear the wood trade was very poor this year, after that hot summer and freezing winter," she chattered, moving smoothly into territory she understood how to navigate. Small talk; that way the way to go. "It do be a shame, they always had the best woods. How long were you there, before you were Searched?"

[Lotty]

He suffered as he recognized the tell tale signs of someone else who was at a loss for words. He was nothing if not sympathetic for those kinds of situations, and knowing his own embarrassment when caught with a word hanging on the tip of his tongue he sought to help the girl find the proper term. Problem was that he was no better in this situation either. Date was the wrong word, he just couldn't blurt that one out, and instead his face twisted nervously as he grasped at his vocabulary. Rendezvous? No. Appointment? No. Affair? Tryst? Definitely not. Really he was relieved when the girl abandoned the hunt herself and stumbled her way out of the topic.

In addition to the cheer of finally shedding the awkward that had overcome him, he was somewhat flattered to have his accent recognized. Not only did it make for a common thread, but it was good to know that he hadn't lost that part of his identity in the move to the south. There was a lot of things a man might want to abandon, but his home hold had never done him any wrong and he held onto that, "Oh really? I believe I know Eraryet...well I don't know her. But she would be my second cousin? Once removed? Or is it first cousin twice removed? I am not sure. Genealogies are not in my expertise..." he laughed hoping that he didn't out himself as some kind of hold heir. Related yes, but never ever in any sort of line to lead. Speaking of which...

"You say she fostered with your uncle? Who might that be?" Certainly someone of substance if they were taking in a Lord Holder's daughter. Ah well, he wouldn't make a deal of it anyway, and turned his attention to wood and such, "Oh I wouldn't know anything about the wood this season. I haven't spoken with my mother in quite some time. Since I left Benden anyway," and much longer than that since he had spoken with his father. The happiest they were not about him ever being searched, and he would have hated to think what would have become of their relations had he not Impressed a bronze, "But yes, it is a shame, but I am sure they will make due...." he trailed off for a moment as he sought to remember exactly how old he was when he left the place, "I think I was thirteen when I was searched. Kier is twenty...so thirteen or fourteen I'd say."

[Ruby]

"Cousin to the Heir, eh?" Ten asked, keeping her tone light even though she was trying not to just blink at him in shock. Really? No wonder they'd been like a Lord and Lady at a tea party, if he was one, too. Thinking back to her days as an apprentice, though, Ten narrowed her eyes. She'd been caught in this sort of game more than once, and had potentially learned her lesson. Cocking her head to one side, a playful glint in her eyes, she asked, "You have no been researching me behind my back, have you?" Suspicious, yes, but also a touch... flattered? No one here would know how close she came to Lady Holdership - it was made clear when she entered the Glasscraft Hall that not only was she the lowest of the low as a new apprentice, she was worse because she was a girl. Family ties meant nothing to Masters and Journeymen, so they certainly wouldn't have passed anything on to the Weyr when she'd transferred. So how did he know?

"You're no kidding, are you," she confirmed, tilting her head back the other way. "My uncle do be Lord Midolan, my mother's brother." Revelation! Not really though, because anyone not familiar with Ista wouldn't realize that Midolan's son and heir was barely 10, and that Tenlie was the only living child of Midolan's father's line before the Heir was born. Not so impressive, then. Not that she had intended to be impressive, of course - Ten was close-mouthed at best about where she came from. This was no exception.

As such, she latched on to Mi'rah's miniature origin story, even though he was basically dismissing any lingering connection to the Hold. "Yes, they'll be fine, I do be sure. They usually are," she added, thinking of their extra income as a source for precious metals and gems - she'd worked with Lemos stock in her final years at the Hall. Letting Mi'rah trail off, she shifted slightly in her chair, leaning to shove the vase a touch closer to the table's center. When he started speaking again, she listened... and then did a bit of quick math. Kierjaarth was twenty? Mi'rah's dragon was older than she was. Ten had never really thought about the Rider's age - it had never been relevant, so she'd pegged him as a vague 25-30ish - but suddenly she felt like a baby. In an effort to feel a tiny bit more like an adult, she replied gravely, "Oh, I did no leave Ista until I was 17. I did move to the Glasscraft Hall, but never further." That barely helped - Mi'rah could do the math with a little thought about Rajnith's age - but at least she hadn't been searched at 13? Maybe she should have let it be... but in Ten's experience, people always guessed she was younger than she was, too. So maybe it was good after all.

((Wanna start wrapping up, since I have a feeling Flight will change Mi'rah/Ten relationship quite dramatically?))

[Lotty]

The man was not always the best at picking up on jokes, which probably was the same reason he tended to be horrible a delivering them (a lot of his repertoire was knock knock jokes, sadly enough) and so it was no surprise that he took her question very seriously. Reasearching her!? His eyebrows peaked up. Oh no, that would be like...like spying on her, and that would be wrong wouldn't it? Well, spying wasn't always wrong, but it was in the case of innocent weyrling riders. Details, details. He was quick to sputter out an explanation, "N-no. I. Was I supposed to? Um..."

He was bewildered at first, finally catching on as she continued on and his slight panic subsided, replaced of course by a goofy grin. They had so much in common and and who would have even guessed? Holder kids and all, "I'm not kidding no. I just....I guessed thats all," he didn't have much more to say other than that and folded his hands over each other and listened intently to the girl carry on.

Hmmm. Well he knew that she was young, as a weyrling she couldn't be any older than what? Somewhere in her twenties? Leaning towards the older side of the spectrum always helped him with his conscious. Doing any kind of math on her age was just...out of the question, and should he even try there was bound to lots of rounding up and losts of random numbers thrown into to make it right for him. It was better to try and ignore the situation altogether, but it was hard when the silence came and he was required to reply, "Oh yeah? Seventeen? Very good..." Very good? He had no idea why that even flew out of his mouth. Quickly he sought an escape and caught the sight of the door and sounds in the corridor, "Oh I best be going before your roommate comes back. I'm sure she won't be too appreciative of the cramped quarters..."

Good, good. It felt like a solid enough reason, and stood up to bid the girl farewell, even bowing to her and the green weyrling, though he did that mostly to amuse Rajnith really, "I will see you again soon?" Rhetorical of course, they did set up their little pseudo-date after all.