Dancing Queen(s?) (Glamsy 'n Req)

[kysseh]

(My apologies for the awful title, dears. <3)

"No... step forward left... left. left. Your other left!"

Rumbles of amusement echoed from two dragon throats, one far deeper in pitch than the other. Comfortably sprawled at the edge of the jungle, near a flat rock surface that provided good, even ground for footwork, neither Hepaticath nor Dohulth could contain their amusement at Theirs' antics. Neither dragon could comprehend the significance of the fancy foot moves, but since the two humans seemed so amused and annoyed by it, both were perfectly willing to sit and watch the spectacle. Dohulth was happily curled with his back facing up toward the afternoon sun. Hepaticath was mimicking her favorite playmate and had attempted to twine herself in and around the rocks of an outcropping. The end result was less than satisfying but nothing short of hilarious to see the gold lying on her side, twisted around a bunch of rocks, one foreleg sticking comically straight up where it had nowhere else to go.

Had Savitri actually been watching her dragon, she might have succumbed to a rare fit of breathless laughter at the sheer hilarity of the sight. Unfortunately, she was well and truly occupied with trying to teach a chuckling brownrider how to tell the difference between his left and right foot. He knew, surely, but he seemed to be goofing around and just generally being quite silly. The goldweyrling made a slight face as he stepped forward with his left foot after about six attempts, right when her right foot ceased to try moving out of the way. Luckily, all the weight didn't go down on it, so it only was bothersome, not painful. Sure... now he got it!

K'von, for his part, was chagrined at how much he had forgotten in a Turn of not dancing. He had been trying to summon the steps from memory in his weyr and had appropriately panicked upon the realization that very few had been retained. He wanted to impress his current interest with his skills, but it was rather hard to dance when the steps were.... not committed properly to memory. He had wanted to appeal to Aliscia, but the greenrider's fatigue, injuries, and gray-tinged pallor had made him rethink that plan. Leaving her to her much-needed rest and recovery from her injuries, he had asked the goldweyrling instead. He was glad for it.... to a point.

"Heeeey, I got it that time. Left, right? I mean... left, correct?" the brownrider said with his usual cheerful grin, highly amused by the sigh of frustration she emitted. Though... she did sound a bit irked, so perhaps it was time to pay attention. "Okay, okay, enough goofing. Left forward, right side, left close. Right back, left side, right close. Right? I mean... correct?" he said hurriedly before the girl could completely explode at him.

Seeing that he was now at least making an effort, Savitri nodded and patiently adjusted her frame to make sure her right hand was appropriately cradled in his still-bandaged left. Her touch was much lighter than it should have been, just to be cautious, though she knew that unless she squeezed, the hand would suffer no further damage. Still, she would rather be safe than sorry, and K'von's hand seemed to be doing all right thus far. "That's the box step. Just start when you're ready."

It took a moment for the man to get his thoughts and feet coordinated, and then they started, executing the three-beat rhythm with little effort. Savitri was startled when the brownrider led her into a second box step and even more surprised when he lifted his leading hand to signal a turn. Good follower that she was on the dance floor, she immediately complied, making a precise, fluid turn beneath his arm before coming back to him for the final three steps. She allowed herself a chuckle and a smile at his bravery. That had not been half bad. "Memory coming back?"

"Muscle memory," he admitted a bit ashamedly, his dark eyes a little sheepish. That move had been one of his favorites. That... and the double underarm turn which he could not remember for the life of him. He mentally added that to the to-learn list. "You're good at this. Had a lover back at Southern?" he inquired cheerfully, not the least bit embarrassed when she glowered at him. "Guess not. Just thought I'd ask."

[glamourie]

"Careful that your face not remain stuck that way, Savitri; it's hardly becoming," Ka'rys said softly. His words were louder than the sound of his approach, which, barefoot, was the same perfect silence of a predator. He was far enough back that it was likely neither the brownrider with her (K'von, wasn't it?) nor the gold weyrlingrider would have noticed him, or so he thought. Vanishing into the background had always been a specialty of Ka'rys's, especially when he first came to Selenitas, but it was harder in the past few months thanks to Ciceroth's blatant stupidity -- for which he was still annoyed. Still, he did enjoy the chance to sneak up on people, but actually speaking was strange for him. He couldn't resist. The last time he'd seen Savitri, she was dripping wet and seemed quite put out by his presence. In truth he felt certain the girl did not particularly like him, but that was okay: she'd put herself in the perfect position to be teased, and he was an opportunist.

He was also no fool. He stayed far enough away that no shoes could be thrown at him. Ka'rys had settled for sitting down on the ground with his legs crossed. In truth, he'd meant to just sit and watch. There was something highly fascinating about people-watching, especially when they were acting natural and did not realize they were being observed. He'd always enjoyed analyzing people from a distance. When he'd first approached, he truly had meant to remain silent and not bother anyone - perhaps until one of the two dancers (he spared himself a smile that was more secretive than anything else) noticed him. But there was no point: upon noticing Hepaticath nearby, hope was lost. Ciceroth was no where near as discreet as he was.

The evidence of that was quite blatant as the bronze glided gracefully over head, circling only once before coming to land behind Ka'rys. He cast a long shadow that would doubtlessly have been noticed, and the sudden flop onto the ground was loud enough that Ka'rys jumped slightly. The bronze did not appear to notice, instead crooning to Dohulth and Hepaticath before his tail snaked around to curl possessively around his bonded. Ciceroth was always a very physical dragon and no conclusions should have been drawn from the affection, since he would have extended it to others, likely both Savitri and Hepaticath, were they nearby. He just was a very loving creature, a stark contrast to his blatantly cold rider. At least one of the pair had to be friendly, and since the human half of the equation was clearly not up to it, Ciceroth made do by being exceptionally outgoing for a dragon that flat out would not speak to anyone who wasn't Ka'rys or another dragon.

You have your own rocks! Ciceroth offered to Hepaticath, no small amount of pride in his 'voice' as he greeted her. He seemed oblivious to the fact that Hepaticath's position could be construed as highly comical. He'd been small once. Not that he remembered it, but Ciceroth knew he had; His never failed to remind him that he once tripped all over his wings, tail, and his own legs. Who was he to cast judgment? She looked comfortable enough! His wings flapped and his eyes whirled with amusement before he turned toward Dohulth. At some point I will have to show you my cluster of rocks near the river; perhaps when they are free you could enjoy them too. It never occurred to Ciceroth that his behavior might be considered odd, or that he was proving to be quite a bad example for young Hepaticath. What was wrong with being comfortable, truly?

Ka'rys, on the other hand, did notice, and bit the tip of his tongue before turning back to Savitri and K'von. He spoke to the brownrider, though, instead of the gold weyrlingrider, "Are you expecting to dance at the next Gather?" He was trying to be friendly, see? Trying. It just didn't come very naturally to him, especially since he didn't know K'von very well. Or at all.

[reqqy]

Lauranna, who had been gallavanting around the woods with her son for a time - mostly to escape the oppressive atmosphere that her brother had brought with him to her weyr - was intrigued by the mental picture Reysalth painted for her in a flyover. Dancing, you say? Yes. Hepaticath's and Dohulth's. It looks like it's not going as well as expected, the green concluded, bemused. Maybe you should go help. Or learn something from them. Styth's might like a partner who doesn't step all over his feet. I just get distracted! Besides, you only want to go because Dohulth is there. You and your browns. So what if I do? I'm beautiful, he's a nice, solid creature with a dash of sense. Styth doesn't mind. I really don't see the point.

Wrinkling her nose, Laurie turned to the other member of her small party, who had come to lean against a tree trunk, obviously weary. Miguel had taken to him. As to why? That was rather beyond her. She'd found Mutasim sitting in the grass, whittling something, and dragged him along with her, but obviously he wasn't going to be keeping up much longer. "What do you say we drop in on a few friends and take a rest?" He looked at her narrowly, obviously suspecting that she was doing this for his sake, but the candidate merely nodded. Laurie found herself inexplicably attracted to the nearly silent boy, in the way a mother hen might be to an abandoned chick. He also didn't seem keen on being by himself, despite the way she'd found him.

Well, she could understand that. Lonliness sure wasn't any fun!

The boy had managed something of a crutch, which he used rather than accept her arm, and Laurie shrugged it off, carrying Miguel who insisted on peering over her shoulder and chattering with the lad. To Mutasim's credit, the young man responded, if somewhat shortly, which of course only encouraged Miguel to keep up the conversation. Her son fell silent, however, when they came upon the clearing, his hands curling around her shirt as he looked at all the pretty dragons. A brave boy he was, too, or perhaps just used to the creatures, for his only reaction was a delighted lightening of his pretty blues. Ah, M'el's blues! How she missed that man at times.

Catching just the last few bits of Ka'rys's teasing, Laurie responded brightly from behind him, "Well, of course he is! He has a lovely dragonhealer to impress. Isn't that right, K'von?" The greenrider beamed at the younger man. She must say she would have been jealous of her friend had she not had a brownrider of her own to warm her furs. As it stood, though, she was merely happy to see Kali associating with anyone outside of business, and it was great, great fun to tease a man who was allegedly attached. Glancing back, she noted Mutasim had not followed her into the clearing, and called out, "Boy! Muta!" Noting the frown he pulled at the shortening of his name, she made a mental note to do it more often. "Don't stand back in the shadows. Not at all polite. Come on, now. It's just Savitri, Ka'rys and K'von, with Hepaticath, Ciceroth and Dohulth. Nothing to be skittish of."

Mutasim knew all of them, of course, except Dohulth and the man who must be the brown's rider. Oh, he'd seen them around occasionally, but that was the extent of it. While the candidate might have been fine with Savitri, he really wasn't all that keen to hang around the Weyrleader who'd broken his foot - among other things - when they got into their little knife fight not so long ago. It didn't help that Muta had won. Sure, he'd much rather be alive and not permanently injured, but reminding the bronzerider of all that had happened couldn't be considered wise. Oh well. Too late now. Mutasim hobbled past Laurie with a muttered, "Know most of them. Thanks." He promptly skirted Ka'rys and Ciceroth, putting Savitri's Hepaticath between them and taking up residence there, since the gold was really the only one not dancing he could say he was remotely comfortable with. Still not comfortable, but at least it was better than any of the others.

"So," he murmured to the gold, seating himself with a relieved sigh. "I'm hobbling around, and Yours decides to give dancing lessons. How fitting." He glanced at the contortionist gold, curiosity getting the better of him. "That position doesn't at all look comfortable." Jabari fluted in quiet agreement from his perch around Muta's shoulders.

Meanwhile, Reysalth had eased into the clearing, being sure to show off just a little, her neck arching prettily as she regarded the assembled dragons. Good afternoon, young queen, she greeted the weyrling warmly. Reysalth had rarely been one to be intimidated by a gold, particularly when they were over ten turns younger than she. Bronze Ciceroth. A good deal less warm. Bronze was quite nearly a swearword for the dainty green. She didn't much like the brutes. No, not at all. Arrogant things. Her gaze switched to Dohulth, and she pranced past him - almost amusing, given dragons aren't too adept on land - her tail rising just before his snout, before she curled up beside the brown. Brown Dohulth. Is it true you've decided to take up with young dragons just out of weyrlinghood? I'm certain an - older - green would be of considerable more interest.

Laurie rolled her eyes at her mindmate, but was soon distracted by a squirming Miguel. As soon as she set him down, the tyke dashed for Ka'rys, climbing over Ciceroth's tail with all the childlike assurance that any weyrbrat raised around dragons might possess. He never once thought the huge bronze might hurt him! Lauranna didn't think so, either, but she couldn't help but watch nervously, wishing the boy wouldn't do such things. Miguel plopped right into the Weyrleader's lap. Clearly, he'd taken to him at their last meeting. Looking up at the man, his blues wide and questioning, he plopped a thumb in his mouth and suckled quietly. Speaking around the thumb, he uttered a muddled, "Rys? Hugs fer Mel?"

Laurie always found it hard to listen to the boy refer to himself, since he used his father's name, his own still a bit much to work his mouth around. Trying to shake that off, she threw a wave at the goldweyrling and her partner. "How goes it, Savitri? Are your toes all black-and-blue yet?"

[kysseh]

Savitri very nearly jumped out of her skin as a quiet voice addressed her, and she colored slightly as K'von burst into unrestrained laughter at the shocked expression on her face. Hepaticath had started crooning at the first sight of her bronze playmate, though the croon sounded oddly stilted given the odd position the little gold was lying in. Her human was not so comforted, and it took a brief moment for the young woman to compose herself and realize who was picking on her. She should have known, especially with the radiating feeling of Hepaticath's delight, but his voice had still startled her. She managed to look annoyed, at the very least. "Hello, Ka'rys. Following me?" she inquired simply, though she doubted that was the case. His appearance was highly suspicious, but she supposed he was just as nosy as any other bronzerider. Stupid little...

"Of course! Our newest junior weyrwoman was kind enough to donate her time to me," K'von was saying to Ka'rys, though his wide grin was reserved for the little woman wandering up behind the weyrleader. Ah ha! He knew her! Err.... oh, shards, what was her name again?! Laurana of Reysalth. Dohulth supplied helpfully. Thank you, Dohulth. "Lauranna.... as much as your friend adores me, she would likely deplore my current lack of skills," he said a bit sadly, freeing his left hand from Savitri's grip to place it dramatically on his chest. Ah, yes, how terrible was he! Mutasim earned himself a curious look, but since the boy seemed to be making a point to ignore most everyone--why was he hobbling like that?--the brownrider opted to not press the issue.

Hello, Reysalth. Dohulth said with a polite croon. Ciceroth was given a quietly pleasant rumble of greeting as well. The brown picked up his head slightly as a green tail was flaunted before his nose. He was only male, after all, and the lovely dear had taken upon herself to curl up beside him. He tilted his head to watch her, eyes whirling contentedly in his gray-brown head. Silly creature. It is not the age but the temperament. I do not search for them. They seem to come to me. he said honestly in response to Reysalth's inquiry. And it was the truth, even if she would not believe him. The brown was a magnet for youngsters, human and dragon alike. Perhaps it was his patience or the fact that he was a brown but still rather small. Ciceroth's obvious enthusiasm for Hepaticath's interest in the rocks had him the brown highly amused, and the dragon rumbled with barely-contained merriment. I prefer a flat rock myself. I have never been quite that flexible. he admitted, watching Hepaticath squirm about to better her position.

Hepaticath rumbled happily at Reysalth, squirming her way up out of her rocky bed. Good day, Reysalth. Ciceroth. The queen levered herself up out of the rocks and just draped herself atop them, more comfortable now that her tail and right hind foot were not uncomfortably and strangely pinched. That was odd. How had Ciceroth managed to do that with his other rocks? She would have to study more closely the next time. I would not deprive you of your rocks, Playmatemine. she informed Ciceroth with a gentle croon, her eyes whirling contentedly.

Then the boy spoke to her, and the gold was appropriately distracted, regarding the candidate with open curiosity. She remembered this one. Hers liked him. He was a sensible sort of boy, and if Hers liked him, then he was worthy in Hepaticath's eyes, even if he had distressed Hers at first. Hers had a strong memory of that, which was tempered with amusement. He was grumbling about Hers' dancing and Hepaticath's own choice of positions? She spoke directly to him, more out of curiosity than anything. Mine dances very well and is teaching Dohulth's. And I am trying to do as Ciceroth taught me, but I am not so skilled yet. And... Mine says hello since you are ignoring her. The gold could have been rebuking the boy were she not in such a good mood. And Hers was not truly offended by it all.

No, Savitri was actually glad that Mutasim was not paying close attention. She was more than a bit irked to be seen by the two men wearing a skirt of all things. Ankle-length skirts were not a regular part of her wardrobe, but being in the proper mood for dancing required it. Between that, the sleeveless top, and the dressy sandals, Savitri actually looked slightly feminine, and K'von had had to take five minutes to compose himself upon first seeing her attire for the lesson. Now, the brownrider was merely grinning from ear to ear at Lauranna, so Savitri just flicked a quick, concerned smile at Mutasim--they would discuss that foot later--and then arched an eyebrow at Ka'rys' new lap-owner. She would never have pegged him as enjoying children, and she fervently hoped he did nothing unnecessarily cruel. That would result in much damage done to him, quite possibly in the form of twisting his arm to get him up and dancing.

"It goes very well, and my toes haven't taken too much damage," Savitri admitted at the greenrider's query, releasing K'von and taking a step back. Lauranna seemed quite curious in their dancing, and she briefly wondered if the greenrider might want to join in. It could not hurt to add another. "Would you like to join us? I'd suggest you ask Ka'rys to help but-" She cut off abruptly as K'von immediately extended a hand for Lauranna, his cheerful grin speaking loudly for him. She snorted. That flirt. Some gratitude he showed, and she planted her hands on her hips. Well, it was easier to teach when not dancing herself. "Or.... perhaps I'll just instruct you two from here." That would work too. "I would ask Mutasim, but he is supposed to be off that foot..."

[glamourie]

Ka'rys smiled at Savitri's question before nodding emphatically. "If your little white pet gets to follow me around, I hereby claim justifiable rights to follow you wherever I please so long as propriety permits," he stated simply. Not that he really was following her, but she had more than earned the teasing. Anything else he might have said was cut off, though, by Lauranna's arrival, and the bronzerider turned his head to look at her with a polite nod. His gaze strayed behind her to Mutasim briefly - and then to Miguel, who kept his attention most efficiently. Though he heard speaking, Ka'rys was paying ridiculously little to everything else around him. It was probably foolish, but he couldn't help but be transfixed by the little boy. Children had a magical effect on him, like he was bespelled; the usual emotional ice that Ka'rys greeted the world with was melted away to reveal a more human interior typically reserved only for his lifemate. (There were few others that Ka'rys liked as much as he did Ciss, but no one could deny that children - even the screaming, spoiled brats - fell into that category... whether Ka'rys liked it or not.)

Yet, as Miguel came over and sat right in his lap, there was no denying the warm affection he offered the little boy as he draped his arms around him. It didn't matter that he'd only met Miguel once, or that the child really wasn't anything to him; he liked Miguel considerably better than he did most adults. His arms tightened in a hug and he grinned down at Miguel. It was perhaps fortunate that he was completely distracted by the toddler or he might have been furious by Savitri offering him to dance so blatantly. Some part of him would doubtlessly be embarrassed in days to come when he realized that it wasn't just Lauranna who saw him acting all goofy and friendly; no, Savitri and K'von were there. But his mind was not on that, no, he was settled for talking to Miguel as if the world completely revolved around him and for Ka'rys, at least at that moment, it did. He was the only human life form the bronzerider was paying any attention to.

"Hugs for Miguel," he replied with a wry grin. "It's good to see you again, little man. You get bigger every time I see you. I hope you haven't been giving your momma too much trouble. You've been protecting her like a gentleman, right?"

Oh, intellectually he knew that Miguel, being a child, couldn't protect Lauranna, just as he also knew that any child at that age was likely leading his mother to near breaking point of insanity, but it never hurt to encourage him to mind her. At least, that was Ka'rys's attitude. Not that he expected Miguel to completely listen to him in any way, shape or form, or to remember much of what he said after five minutes, or when the next shiny thing passed by, but he was sure it was preferable to encouraging the little boy to do something nasty, like yank on Shmee's hair. While she'd deserve it after making him cry so much before (Ka'rys still longed to wring her neck for that), he was of the opinion that it was better to act like a grown-up, at least partially.

Crooning to Reysalth, Ciceroth's eyes whirled pleasantly. If he noticed the fact that she was more warm to Dohulth, he gave no indication, instead greeting her with the same kindness he would have any other dragon. Hello, Reysalth! But the green didn't hold his attention long, for Dohulth had answered, and he swiveled his head around curiously. That is why you carve the rocks out to fit you better, he explained before swinging his tail around to gingerly nudge Mutasim - the slightest of touches, but an acknowledgment of recognition nonetheless. It didn't occur to Ciceroth that his behavior might be taken as odd. He was physically affectionate with everyone that he liked or at least knew. With Ka'rys he often curled around him, nudging, touching. Even with Hepaticath he was physically affectionate. He did limit himself with other dragons as some took offense, particularly if he touched their riders, but the boy he knew to be a candidate, and Ciceroth knew him best as KnifeBoyWithTheGlows, a name which amused and annoyed his Rysmine to no end, and thus he was determined to keep indefinitely.

You are welcome to my rocks, Ciceroth explained to the little queen, with no small amount of happiness in his 'voice.' I can think of no one else I would prefer to share with, and right now you would probably fit nicely on them. You will probably be bigger than I am when you are grown. He huffed for a moment, before swiveling his head around to look at Ka'rys. When he 'spoke', he was not remotely shy about it, and the other dragons would be able to hear his comment easily enough, When you're with a hatchling you're nearly a person, mine -- It is my opinion you should most definitely find one to keep. I like this side of you.

Ignoring Ciceroth's comment, Ka'rys rested his chin lightly on top of Miguel's head before indicating the bronze with one finger. He was still ignoring the other humans, too; he didn't mean to, he was just most efficiently distracted. "That's Ciceroth. Have I introduced you yet?"

[reqqy]

Laurie grinned at K'von. It was official; all brownriders were adorable. I've always known that browns were the best, Reysalth commented smugly. Of course, Reys. You're perfect. Too true. Both rider and dragon struggled to contain their amusement. The greenrider hadn't yet had a chance to personally meet Savitri, but she was just a little distracted by Miguel at the moment, so didn't went over to join the two dancers right away. That didn't stop her from responding to the man, though. "You'll be lucky if she even notices the difference, brownrider! Our mutual friend doesn't seem to have time for things like Gathers or dancing." She winked broadly. "Though maybe now she'll have more reason to find the time."

A little surprised by how enthusiastic the huge bronze was, she offered him a polite rumble of acknowledgment, which was quite a step up considering his color. Of course Dohulth held more of her interest, however, and she couldn't even feel a little remorseful at all; clearly the gold hatchling had taken to Ciceroth. No one was being neglected! Ah, so you just attract the young ones. Must be the distinctive look. She nudged her snout beneath one of his great wings, turning her head to look up at him coyly. You fly better than most, wingmate mine. Yes. Better than most. I may just have to claim you myself - that is, if you're willing to be seen with an older green, she added teasingly.

Did she want Dohulth to replace Styth? Not really, though a green always liked to be surrounded by admirers, and just because she cuddled up with Styth at night didn't mean she'd Choose him. Reysalth loved her browns, she did. If she had her way, she'd gather up all the browns in the weyr, and they'd all frolic above the falls in a massive game of dragon tag.

Mutasim jumped, his head whipping around to center on Ciceroth with distinct wariness. As it became clear that the bronze wasn't going to start whipping him with that massive tail of his, the boy began to visibly relax, though he wasn't at all used to being around so many - friendlyish - dragons. Even now, Hepaticath responded to him, drawing his eyes back up toward her in mild surprise. Savitri was good at dancing? It wasn't that he thought she couldn't be, so much as he just was never - well, her feminine side wasn't that pronounced. Dancing was definitely a thing for women. Men did it to get women interested in them. He glanced over at her, frowning still more when Hepaticath seemed to suggest that Savitri thought he was ignoring her.

He gave her a small wave, his expression never shifting as he took notice of her appearance for the first time. Mutasim really didn't notice clothing very often. Sandals and a skirt? Even the blouse had that distinctly unpractical look that just didn't match her. It was strange, but he found himself watching her for awhile, the frown firmly etching itself into his face. He hadn't noticed...a lot of things, it seemed. Savitri was a goldweyrling, a friend, but never anything like a woman to him. Not a man, certainly, but he didn't typically think in terms of gender. He wouldn't be now if the contrast wasn't so stark. It just wasn't...complete. Something was missing. Puzzling at it, he seemed to have completely forgotten Hepaticath and Ciceroth.

Then it came to him, what was off. Reaching down to the parcel he'd been carrying, he carefully unrolled his collection of carving knives, pulling one after the other out before setting some aside and returning others back to the rawhide sleeve in which he kept them. Drawing out a rather slender block of wood, he turned it over in his hands, frowning at it as he pictured the pieces he wanted. He'd seen them before, occasionally, and had always liked them for one reason or another. This piece of wood he'd been saving special. It was hardwood, with a deep, deep color that was very nearly black. He'd been lucky to harvest it. Now, he visualized the first cuts, not wanting to ruin something that precious.

Mutasim was very much lost in his own world as he began to shape the wood. He glanced at the edge of the small box he'd nearly completed before Lauranna came upon him, peeking out from the rawhide. It would be long enough. This...pleased him, inexplicably. The candidate hated being in anyone's debt, he reasoned. This was for her actions that night. Yes. Nothing more. It wasn't...anything more...than that.

While the candidate drifted into his creation, Miguel was enjoying the fact that he was the center of the Weyrleader's world. The hand that wasn't thrust in his mouth fell on Ka'rys's arm, his small hand just resting there as if to reassure himself that the man wasn't about to move those warm, protective arms anytime soon. He giggled happily. Hugs for Mel! He always liked hugs, did the toddler. As Ka'rys continued to talk, Miguel's giggles subsided, his eyes tracking the man's. Then, as if he understood just exactly what the man was saying, he nodded oh so very solemnly. "Mel 'tect."

Snuggling back into Ka'rys's chest, he followed the man's finger to the great bronze head. "Enth," he stated happily, knowing the answer to this one. Then he frowned slightly. No, no, not Enth. Daddy's Enth was not so pale. Luckily, Rys answered his unspoken question. Ciceroth. He tried to repeat the name, but it really was much too much. "Sis an' Rys," he finally produced, beaming up at Rys, hoping that the man would approve. Right at this moment, that approval meant more to him than anything else in the world.

Laurie shook her head, walking over and leaning as far out as she could in order to ruffle the boy's hair. "You'll spoil him, Weyrleader," she added severely, though the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn't upset. Indeed, as soon as Savitri mentioned joining in on the dance, Lauranna pulled away, a smile touching her lips. Such a gallant gesture. "You might regret this, brownrider," Laurie commented, walking over to take his hand with an amused grin. She glanced to the boy when Savitri mentioned his name, though, noting that he'd stopped whatever he was doing and seemed to be rather - distressed - at her words.

"Mutasim? A boy that age has to be out and about, hurt foot or no. Besides, he's keeping an old woman company. Can't blame him for that." Laurie turned on her best charm, not wanting Mutasim to be upset because the goldweyrling didn't seem to approve of his being this far from the main part of the weyr.

[kysseh]

One of Savitri's eyebrows rose, hands planting on her hips at Ka'rys' admission that following her was completely fair game. Shadow did not always follow Ka'rys, and it was not as though Savitri had ordered the little brat to do so... yet. He had taken it upon himself to spy on the man out of spite, and even then, Shadow had been distinctly disinterested since the fight. Had the fight degenerated into something involving 'Flying', the 'mandyr would have stuck with Ka'rys for quite some time. But... apparently, some green was going proddy, so Shadow was appropriately distracted by that.

She opened her mouth to respond and then promptly found herself being obviously ignored. Had Ka'rys ignored her for another adult when she was obviously trying to converse, she would have been utterly offended. As it was, she was only annoyed and a bit miffed, though even that was fading at the adorable nature of the boy seated in Ka'rys lap. Ka'rys' response was absolutely shocking, and Savitri was left to wonder if he was always this warm with children. Hepaticath generously repeated Ciceroth's comment word-for-word, and the goldweyrling could barely contain a smile that started to evolve into a faint smirk. Silly bronzerider. And hadn't he warned her about vulnerabilities?

"Alas, but I know!" K'von said with a failed attempt at a dramatic sort of swoon. How little time that dragonhealer seemed to have for the finer things in life. "I shall have to work harder to convince her. Get down on my hands and knees and beg..." Of course, the way he said it implied getting on his hands and knees for some other, less innocent purpose, but he was careful to temper his statements. They were in the presence of children after all. He waited patiently for the greenrider to check on her son, willing to go back to dancing with the talented weyrling if Laurie was too well-occupied. But... no, she wanted to dance, and he winked teasingly at her as he lightly took her hand in his bandaged one and drew her in close to his body. Not too close, mind you... but close enough that she could hold onto the much-taller rider without having to overstretch her arms. "Hand on my upper arm.... thumb on the side facing your face and the other four fingers on the back," he told her, though she likely already knew. Still, he liked it when women's hands framed his biceps like that. It gave him a little thrill to- You savage. You just like them admiring you. Shut up, you. She's weyrmated... I think, so we're only playing.

The female weyrling seemed a little bit less than convinced by Laurie's charms, but Mutasim's distress rang a chord. She had not missed his wave to her, and she gave him a wry smile and a light wave of her own. "I suppose it's hard to keep him down, but I'd rather him not get hurt worse," she admitted to Laurie before raising her voice lightly to get Mutasim's attention. "We'll talk later about your injuries." She could have catalogued the list, but that would embarrass him and waste a lot of breath. It was time to move on... even if Savitri was rather left without a dance partner. "So.... how much dancing do you know?" she inquired curiously of Laurie, wondering how much she would have to teach. K'von's snickers were ignored. The man was far too amused by his own lack of practice.

Ciceroth's explanation was expected but still difficult to respond politely to. Dohulth had never been one to twine himself around like that. He lacked the flexibility. Plus, he liked to sprawl out flat to maximize the surface area exposed to the sun. His paler hide mean that he absorbed the warmth much more slowly, and an increased surface area meant increased warmth. I am too fond of lazing to spend that much time perfecting a rock formation. Dohulth admitted, emphasizing this by spreading out his fore and hindlegs to sprawl out rather ungracefully on his belly. Ah, yes. Much better.

Reysalth was close enough that he had to be careful to not hit her in his attempts to get comfortable, and he managed it, for the most part. He might've accidentally brushed his wing against her, but the nosing she gave him was not exactly accidental. Dohulth was a physically affectionate beast as well as a patient one, and he minded her attentions very little, if at all. It was rather nice to be fawned over. It is hard to embarrass me. he replied with a great deal of amusement, teasing her a little in that. And I should hope that I can Fly well. he said with the added emphasis on 'fly' to imply the double meaning. He was fond of the dragonhealer's little Phremath, but.... he was only male and unsatisfied in that department. And Reysalth was attractive, without a doubt.

Hepaticath was highly amused by the entirety of the scene, which was almost overwhelming in all its details. She was overjoyed at Ciceroth's offer to share, though she would never begrudge him his possessions while he was present. While he was not present, however, she would take full advantage and squirm himself in amongst them. Suddenly feeling left out that she was the only one not being paid direct attention to, she got up off her rocks and clumsily--her feet were still too big--made her way over to Ciceroth, plopping herself down beside him for the sake of company. Surely, he would not mind. I hope I am bigger. I will be able to make bigger splashes than you, then. she said with calm pride, regarding the great bronze with one happily whirling eye. Yes, that was one distinct advantage, certainly.

The gold turned her head slightly to look at Hers attempting to teach the silly pair. Savitri seemed to be returning the favor by ignoring Ka'rys completely, and she touched on the girl's mind to see how offended she was by the disregard. Mine is highly amused that Yours likes hatchlings. She would be upset with him for ignoring her, but the hatchling is too cute. she privately told Ciceroth, rumbling in amusement as she peeked around him at the weyrleader and the boy seated in his lap.

[glamourie]

Ka'rys grinned down at Miguel, perfectly distracted by the child - so much so that any negative feelings that may have been lingering were washed away. He'd always acted differently around children than he did people and he tried his best not to analyze himself enough to understand why that was, but his guard was completely down. No need to protect himself, nothing to hide from. With the average adult, Ka'rys guarded every expression with a vicious sort of zeal, but Miguel got real smiles - which were not quite as 'pretty' or 'safe' as the ones he offered in formality; anyone who had seen both would doubtlessly be able to identify the difference. Less guarded, less perfect, more nervous. Ka'rys didn't smile for real very often. He offered Miguel quite a serious nod, glancing at Lauranna before turning back to the little boy to whisper conspiratorially, though it was easily loud enough that those nearest to him would be able to hear, "Good, good, because your mama's a lady, and it's your job to protect the lady. Hmm?" Far from the attitude he'd been raised with, but a lot more common in the south. Since Miguel was a southern-child, Ka'rys figured it wouldn't be objected to. Besides, children were supposed to protect and mind their mothers. Most people only got one of those. He hadn't even had one, unless Savitri's weird mothering tendencies counted.

He cast a half-glance in the direction of the goldrider. She did tend to nag and mother everyone she came into contact with from his experience, evidenced by the fact that she was teaching an older brownrider to dance in fact. Not to mention she tended to scold people when they weren't doing what she wanted. It was amusing, when not applied to him. Once it became applied to him, Ka'rys flinched away as if hit. He didn't like it when people fussed at or about him. Not his preference in treatment at all. He decided Savitri did not count.

Hearing the nickname 'Sis' made Ciceroth turn to look at the greenrider's hatchling, crooning curiously. He was distracted long enough to look back down at Hepaticath as she leaned against him and he swiveled his head around to nudge her with what was undeniably affection. Do not get ahead of yourself, little gold; it will take much practice to make a bigger splash than me, size isn't everything. He was doubtlessly teasing her. You will have to make many trips to the river if you are to surpass my skill, and I am not above practicing myself to stay ahead. He snorted and then rumbled before glancing over at Dohulth's sprawled position. Since he was distracted by Reysalth, Ciceroth chose not to respond to him. He wouldn't be rude by interrupting them or trying to distract and besides, Hepaticath was a most efficient distraction from them anyway. He liked talking to her. I hope that you are up for the challenge.

Ka'rys, meanwhile, nodding encouragingly. "I never realized we rhymed," he said thoughtfully, then grinned. "Ciss n' Rys. Want to know a secret?" He leaned over to whisper for just Miguel to hear; most children liked secrets, even if they were usually quite terrible at keeping them. "I call him Cissy when he makes me mad." He nodded for emphasis before glancing at Ciceroth. Then he grinned again, unable to help himself. 'Cissy' was indeed what he often called Ciceroth when he was infuriated, and it usually ruffled the bronze quite effectively. He didn't get truly offended, but mildly perturbed, yes. It was fun to tease him from time to time, considering how often Ciceroth made sport of making fun of him.

The bronzerider glanced up at Lauranna and smiled weakly. If she wanted him to leave Miguel alone, he would; otherwise, he didn't think he was doing anything wrong. Besides, he was a well-behaved child it seemed. Funny, since their first meeting, Miguel had screamed. No other word for it, really. As soon as she stepped away, Ka'rys looked back down at Miguel and indicated the greenrider with one finger. "Your momma's going to dance. I bet she dances really well. Do you dance?" he inquired, smiling. He was oblivious to the attention that the dragons were paying, or he might have felt sheepish. Hepaticath made him very nervous, since he was pretty sure she disliked him. He probably deserved it. Probably.

He has a hatchling, somewhere, Ciceroth explained with no small amount of pride. He likes them very much. He doesn't mean to ignore Savitri -- The name usage was a key factor: Ciceroth liked Savitri enough that he had managed to memorize the girl's name -- but he is very easily distracted, and he likes to pay full attention to children. He truly means no offense by it.

[reqqy]

Miguel waved at Ciceroth, liking the crooning sound a lot, a lot. It meant dragons were happy! He bounced a little in Ka'rys's lap, very much excited to be the center of attention - or, at least, that's how he saw it. "Rhyme?" he questioned, not sure what that word meant, but his confused frown immediately transmuted into a grin as soon as Ka'rys uttered the magic word. Miguel nodded vigorously, leaning forward, too, to make sure that the man knew how serious he was. His little face scrunched into a very serious expression. Oh, yes, this was important. When Ka'rys spoke, the little boy couldn't suppress a giggle. He clamped a hand over his mouth and glanced furtively about to be sure no one had seen, then pulled on Ka'rys's shirt. "Sissy!" he whispered, his eyes flashing with delight. The boy shot a glance over his shoulder at Ciceroth, scrunching his nose. He knew a secret!

The green pulled a large yawn, deliberately moving into his wing so that he 'hit' her. Reysalth let out a little 'oof' and stared at him, whimpering. He'd hurt her! Big mean brown...Well, he'd have to be punished, that he would. Stretching forward, she nipped his shoulderblade with a playful growl. Watch those wings, you great brute. He actually wasn't so very large, but such things as exact truths had never been particularly important to the green. Almost all males were large to her, anyway. Reysalth's head came up. You think that would be embarrassing? Don't you know I'm the prize of the Weyr? Still teasing, she made as if his comment had wounded her greatly, ducking her head beneath her wing and curling up into a dejected ball. Then I hope you like flying well on your own.

Reysalth's rider returned Ka'rys's smile with one of her own and a slight headshake. Silly man. He was so dour normally, though, and she couldn't quite bear to part him from her Miguel if it made the man brighten up so. In fact, both of these men were silly, albeit in different ways. As Lauranna allowed herself to be swept into K'von's arms, she complied, gripping his bicep lightly. "Somehow I can't imagine you on your knees for that, brownrider." At least not only for that... She didn't exactly know what it was that Kalierre prefered, but somehow she figured that men throwing themselves at the northern dragonhealer's feet and begging her probably wasn't much of a turn-on.

Throwing back her shoulders a little, she turned her head to view Savitri directly, her hand tracing lightly down his bicep a little in 'innocent' play. "Boys will be boys, goldweyrling. And, as I recall, Kalierre had similar complaints about you." She winked at the girl. "Always aggravating that wound of yours from the Hatching. Some people just refuse to lie still. And, as annoying as that can be at times, these are the people who often recover best in the end." True enough. They were, after all, the hardier individuals. Besides, there came a point where babying a wound or an illness simply prolonged the time a person was incapacitated. "Oh, I know a little bit, but it's been awhile," Lauranna admitted readily.

The candidate pulled a face, not pleased. He didn't really want to talk about his injuries. After all, they were just superficial, right? Well, other than the foot, and Savitri still refused to tell him how long he'd have to coddle it. Stupid thing. He didn't much like broken bones. Mutasim wriggled his toes on his left foot and smiled wryly as they pulled against the bones and shot stabs of pain up his leg and into his hip. At least he knew his foot was still there! For awhile he'd been almost afraid it would fall off, it was swelling so big...

Looking back at his wood, he slowly began shaving off great peelings, the full length of the wood, carefully rounding out the edges as he worked. Occasionally he would measure the length of the wood against his forearm and take more off one end or the other. Mutasim bit his lip lightly, careful not to let his hand slip. Smaller things were always harder, because if you made a mistake you typically ruined it, and this wood was too good to waste on mistakes. He quite clearly was no longer paying any attention to a single thing going on around him. No, the look of concentration on his face made that perfectly clear. After a short time, he set the two half-finished items to one side and carefully drew out the box to compare. They should fit, yes. Though he'd need to do a few things with the box itself to make it all work.

Miguel regarded Ka'rys contemplatively. Did he dance? He thought about that one long and hard, then quite simply shook his head, his eyes falling to his lap. The boy wanted to say yes! But he didn't know how, and if Rys asked him to show, he couldn't, so Miguel didn't try to lie. He hoped the man would not be sad with him because of it! That would not be very fun. Or nice. His lip protruded slightly.

[kysseh]

I am not above practicing either. And Mine does enjoy swimming, so I will have plenty of time to perfect my technique before testing it on you. Hepaticath was busily informing her playmate, nudging Ciceroth in return. He was such a patient pillow... and a comfortably warm nap partner, or would be, if she had anything to say about it. She was not tired yet, but... if she did, she would just use him to rest against. Surely, he would not mind the attention, would he? She curved her neck around him to get a better look at Ka'rys, snorting softly. It was hard to see from here, and she got to her feet to hop clumsily over to investigate the weyrleader and his hatchling. They were a funny pair, and she crooned softly, careful to keep an armlength away so as not to frighten the hatchling. He was adorable. It was a pity that Hers had no human hatchling for her to fuss over. They needed to work on that, surely.

Ciceroth's use of Savitri's name did not go unnoticed, and Hepaticath crooned again, her eyes whirling happily as she stored away the useful load of tidbits that Ciceroth had just rained down upon her. Oh, SavitriHers would be fascinated to hear such things! He should find the hatchling again. I wish Mine had a hatchling for the both of us, but she gets strange about it when I bring it up. Yes, Hepaticath made a note to work on that issue. I will tell her later that he means no offense. I do not think she minds too much. Dohulth's and Reysalth's have her occupied now anyway. she added, highly amused by Savitri's situation. Then again, the gold was always amused by Hers' circumstances. Or, nearly always.

Dohulth let out an apologetic croon at the whimpering noise she made, not twitching when she growled and nipped at him. He truly had not meant to hit her, and he wished for her to understand that. I apologize. I sometimes forget the size of my wingspan. he said, wholly apologetic. He remained chagrined even as it became obvious that she was only teasing him. He disliked hurting others very much, and seeing her curled up like that, head beneath her wing, elicited a gentle rumble from him. He nosed lightly at her shoulder. I apologize for offending you. I only meant to tease you in return. I would be far from embarrassed to fly with you. he told her honestly, his gently whirling eyes proof of his interest. She was a lovely creature, and he would not mind flying--or Flying--with her. I just seem to attract the young ones since I am small. His admission was free of any real regrets. He was how he was. And... really, being smaller with such massive wings came in handy on occasion. On the rare occasion that he Flew a green, they never went away dissatisfied by his performance, which was certainly a source of a small amount of pride for him.

K'von let out a wicked chuckle as he realized that Lauranna had taken the bait, hook and line and all. He would beg if he had, to but... well. He grinned and bent down closer to the greenrider to whisper in her ear. "My version of begging requires the use of a mouth, but... I prefer direct begging to spouting words into the air, you know?" He pulled away again, pleased by the feel of her hand on his arm. It gave him a sort of... thrill. Sure, she was not his desired object of affections, but he was still male, and she was female, and for her to be touching his toughly-worked physique was boosting to his ego in many ways. Of course, whether or not his ego needed any boosting was another topic of discussion entirely.

Savitri merely rolled her eyes affectionately at the attention that Ka'rys was displaying toward Miguel. Had it been another adult, she most certainly would have reacted out of jealousy. But... as it was, she could scarcely argue with the open emotion he was displaying, though she wished he would not be quite so reticent with her. She had not betrayed his trust yet, but... well, she was iffy about trusting him too, so perhaps they were even. She shrugged shoulder and resolved to just let the bronzerider be, for now. "I'm a terrible patient. I'll admit it. But I was better behaved than I could have been," she admitted quite bluntly to Laurie, the corners of her mouth quirking upward in an obvious smile. She could have been far, far worse. She just... had opted to go a little easier on herself, which was perhaps in part due to Hepaticath's good influence.

Seeing as Mutasim and the other two human males--not including K'von, who was teasing Laurie again--were occupied, the goldweyrling just kept her attention on the rather oddly matched pair of dancers. Laurie looked positively tiny in comparison to K'von, but the brownrider's hold on her was exceedingly gentle. Savitri found that touching... almost. It would have been could their teasing not have been easily translated as flirting. Shards, but she didn't see that point to that sometimes. "Well, a little is better than nothing. Did you see the box step that K'von and I were practicing when you came?" she inquired, sighing as K'von suddenly began an attempt at leading. "K'von!"

"What?! I'm demonstrating," the brownrider said loftily, though his cheeky grin made him seem much more like an overly enthusiastic adolescent than the mature adult he should have been. Besides, a box step was easy, and he wasn't really pulling on Laurie at all. If she wanted to fumble through following, she would. He was just being... silly, as usual. He hated to be serious without any real need to be. "Badly demonstrating, but she's good-looking enough that no one will look at our feet anyway.... right?" This was punctuated with an impudent sort of wink at his dance partner, followed by a slight sobering of his expression. "Sorry. Anyways.... it's like... your right foot goes back, and then your left foot goes out to the side, and then your right foot goes over to meet your left. Then, left to the front, right to the side, left closes. It's a... box! Did I explain that right?" he asked Savitri, who merely nodded. "If it's weird, I'll let her demonstrate. She's way better at this than I am. I feel like an idiot leading her." Blunt honesty, at its finest. "And she dances too close." Was Savitri glaring? He opted to not look, just to be on the safe side. A little teasing never hurt, right?

[glamourie]

"Rhyme," Ka'rys replied with a nod. "Rys. Ciss. Right. Bright. Happy, sappy. They all sound alike." It seemed like as good an explanation as any to him. Miguel may have been too young to remember the word, though; he honestly wasn't sure. Better safe than sorry, though. If nothing else, he figured the little boy would remember the 'sound alike' bit, if not the word 'rhyme.' To emphasize his point, Ka'rys leaned down to whisper more words that sounded alike - "Grass, pass, jump, bump, lump. Boy, toy, joy." He nodded emphatically. "There's lots of them. You can think about the words that your mother says - or that others say - and others you know, and the ones that sound alike - those are the ones that rhyme. Like maybe... and baby."

A flash of gold caught his attention, and he glanced up to spy Hepaticath looking at them. His head tilted to the side and he privately wondered what Ciceroth had said to her to merit the gold coming to look - but he didn't ask; it wasn't his place. Instead, he raised one hand to wave slightly at her. Some part of him wondered what Hepaticath thought of human children. She was young too. Two babies, though Hepaticath would grow much faster. Dragons grew up far quicker than human babies. Ka'rys glanced from the gold to Miguel and back again. If he had to be completely honest, he wasn't sure how to react to Hepaticath since he was fairly sure she didn't think much of him, if she remembered him at all. He settled, instead, for turning his full attention back to Miguel, just in time to see the little boy shake his head slightly. And Ka'rys smiled, unable to help himself. He looked so sad!

"I don't either," he admitted very softly, the words meant only for the child. "I think I'd trip over my own feet." Well, no, Ka'rys was moderately graceful most of the time, but dancing was not his forte. He'd never tried it, and as far as he knew, dancing took a certain level of practice. Maybe not as much as some things, but some practice, and a certain natural elegance he probably did not possess. Usually at Gathers while everyone else was dancing, he chose that time to sit at the tables and people-watch, observe, analyze and try to understand. Watching people when they were dancing was an interesting experience because they most often did not hide what they really felt; it was more intimate, in a way that couldn't be put into words. He didn't envy the people stumbling around making fools of themselves, but sometimes he did envy the graceful pairs... not that he'd ever really admit that.

"Although it looks like K'von's not much better off than me." He squinted, looking down at Miguel again before smiling. "I bet Savitri would teach you." And speaking of Savitri... Ka'rys glanced up toward her, biting his tongue slightly. The goldrider seemed distracted enough trying to deal with K'von and Lauranna, but her dragon was another story. He was certain Ciceroth was talking to Hepaticath, and he wondered, silently, what those two were up to, since the little queen seemed fascinated by him and Miguel. Since she was so close, though, Ka'rys saw it as only right to introduce. "Miguel, that's Hepaticath," he added softly, with a light nod toward the gold. "She looks to Savitri. Savitri is the girl with the funny expression." He pulled an awkward comical scowl that really looked nothing like Savitri's, and then pointed over toward the goldrider for emphasis. "See? Funny expression. She makes that one at me a lot too." Tilting his head up, he looked back at Cath and pointed to Miguel. If he was explaining to one 'baby' he ought to explain to the other, right? "Hepaticath, this is Miguel - Lauranna's son."

Ciceroth crooned to Hepaticath as the little gold nudged him and he watched her move, his eyes whirling playfully. Mine is a very good swimmer, he countered, waiting until Hepaticath looked as though she was comfortable - with a good angle to look at Ka'rys and Miguel - before leaning over to nudge her again. You will have to practice hard, and I will not make it easy on you, no I will not at all. He liked a challenge, after all. Ciceroth may have been even-tempered most of the time but he liked to win a little too much - a trait he had probably picked up from Ka'rys, if one were to be completely honest, not that Ciceroth thought about it like that at all. Besides, it was a playful game, and more fun if they were evenly matched. That way sometimes they could both win, right?

Oh, but the topic of Ka'rys's hatchling made his eyes whirl more quickly and take on an odd yellowy hue before returning to their blue-green color. It is not that simple, but I cannot explain it. Rysmine does not help me to understand - he says we cannot simply go get her, and it upsets him to talk about it. There were some subjects even Ciceroth would not push Ka'rys on. If he got that emotional about it, it usually meant that the topic was not one that was wise to pursue. Ka'rys got highly emotional whenever his hatchling was brought up. Why does yours get strange about it? She would make a good clutchmother; Rysmine thinks she acts like one already. And of course, Ciceroth did not realize that the comment from Rys was half-affection, half-teasing; to him, it was a pure compliment, and he had no problem repeating what he perceived to be praise.