A Spot of Warmth [HATCHING FEAST]

[saidaltam]

T'rel laughed. "I'd be happy to, my dear Weyrwoman, but I'm afraid that I don't keep up on jokes. In fact, I make a point of avoiding them, or Vi parrots them at me for three weeks straight after he hears them," he told her. Her next comment, though utterly impossible and obviously not said seriously, however, did manage to give him a moment's pause, more in surprise than anything. It was those words that convinced him that she didn't realize what she was actually saying, and he told himself again that there was nothing more to it than a simple dance, and that he ought not to read so much into her words. Shards if it wasn't hard, though.

When she suggested cutting the cake and reminded him of her need to deliver a speech, he could only chuckle and be grateful he dodged that particular duty. Speeches, he could more than do without. "I do not envy you that task," he assured her with a dry smile.

[stolenhart]

She gave him a warm smile as the dance ended and she stepped away. "Don't be so hard on Vijaith, I am rather fond of him. He's cuddly", she teased him before adding, "And you may tell him I said that", she winked at him and turned in a swish of cloth to the dais. Everyone turned to look at her as she cleared her throat. "Hello my guests", she gave them her best smile as she was handed a glass of wine. "I want to thank all of you for coming to the Hatching today and though it was a somber occasion", she paused for a moment to let the gravity of three unneeded deaths sink in. "Still I must welcome Crescentia as my new sister and Junior Weyrwoman as well as the other young men and women who Impressed today".

She held her glass up and said, "May there was always be a sky open to you", that was her toast and her speech. Quick neat and to the point, essential Ilayria. She took a small sip of her wine before passing it to a Harper and stepped down. Ph'in grabbed her hand as she passed by, "My turn Weyrwoman". Ilayria gave him a chiding smile but let him lead her onto the floor. "I was going to cut the cake". "Well you and your child will have to wait a moment", then Ph'in frowned, "You aren't terribly hungry?". Ilayria shook her head, "No". The pair of them looked passing strange. Though Ilayria was no small girl, Ph'in was a very large man and though their was familial resemblance there it was still strange to see them together, especially since Ilayria's stomach kept him at arm's length.

[virenn]

R’ker had fed his little dragonet to the point where he thought that the bronze was going to explode, but Onith still wanted more. More importantly, he wanted the company of His, and the company of his clutchmates… Until he found out about the Hatching Feast. Mine, I want to go! Onith had said. You are going to eat and have fun and talk to people. Can I come, R’kerMine?

As much as he would have loved to take Onith with him, he knew it was not a good idea. He smiled sadly at the dragonet before saying, “Sorry, but I’d hate to get in trouble on my first day as a weyrling.”

I’ll be good! It was obvious to R’ker, at that moment, that Onith would be a very chatty dragon—and he would be the one to force him to talk much more often. Still, he managed to get him to forget about not going to the Hatching Feast very quickly as soon as R’ker began to oil his hide. Not long after he started, Onith fell asleep, and R’ker got up to change into something he deemed presentable.

Once he reached the cavern, he figured that the best thing to do would be to locate the other Weyrlings—he did not know many people in the Weyr, and he figured that they would be a good start when it came to introducing himself to others. The only person he spotted right away from the new group of Weyrlings was Crescentia, and he began to make his way towards her.

Once he was within earshot of her and the other person she was with, R’ker managed to catch the last bit of their sentence. Apparently the other did not know that Crescentia had Impressed, and to a gold no less. Unsure about if he wanted to completely barge into their conversation, but knowing that he would need to introduce himself eventually, he walked up to the two of them.

Inclining his head at Reren, R’ker turned his attention towards Crescentia. The last thing he wanted was to seem like some sort of stalker, or just a stereotypical male trying to pick up the first woman he saw. “Junior Weyrwoman,” he began respectfully, wondering what the other girl would think when she heard the title, “I am R’ker." As an afterthought, he added, "I Impressed to Bronze Onith earlier.”

[saidaltam]

T'rel chuckled mildly, lifting his glass for Ilayria's toast, and then moved to return to his alcove as she danced. The privacy, such as it was, would do him some good, and give him a much-needed opportunity to wallow in his own worry, self-doubt, and thoughts, none of which Vijaith would approve of, were he not too busy enjoying a bit of laziness to notice. Not that T'rel begrudged him that, of course. The dragon did a lot of work. He deserved a break, now and then, and wasn't that what feasts were for?

((Unless someone actually wants me to, I'm not going to bore you all with T'rel's thoughts.))

---

It had taken some time for Kalley to compose himself after the hatching, but, with effort, he'd managed it. He spent some time convincing himself it was not the end of the world, convincing himself that he hadn't impressed because it was a small clutch, that was all, and that his dragon would be there next time. After a while, he'd calmed himself down, and his normal, unshakable mask had settled back into place.

He'd taken the fragment of shell with him, however. It would give him something very important to think about, later.

In the mean time, he had a feast to attend, and a sister and a friend to congratulate. They were both wonderful people, and they both deserved it very, very much. It was the least he could do to come by, and to come by in appropriate apparel, such as it was, so he managed to turn himself out looking halfway presentable in one of the only colors that looked decent against his skin: a deep, rich terracotta. It was simple garb, but more well made and more pleasant than what he normally wore, and he supposed that was good enough.

Thusly adorned, he entered the hatching feast quietly, going largely unnoticed by the assembled, and was surprised to find that he didn't see his sister or even his half brother anywhere. Shaking it off, he scanned the crowd again, this time looking for Cresce.

Now she was not hard to find, and it seemed she'd already been approached. Smiling dryly, he walked over, hooking his thumbs onto his belt and standing a short distance away, waiting his turn.

---

Kirnin's beloved Similath had been swiftly prepared, being cooperative and generally bright, but she found it very difficult to leave the dragon's side, running a gentle hand down her hide as she lay on her stony bed and drifted off to sleep.

After some time watching the hatchling slumber, however, she did manage to tear herself away, slipping back into the other room and pulling on more suitable apparel. Despite her customary preferences, in honor of Similath, she selected green for the feast. It would do.

Kalley had already moved to join Cresce when Kirnin arrived, and, spotting him, she smiled and elected to let him be, though she did pause to take thorough note of who was speaking with Cresce. In both form and those glimpses she'd seen of his personality, accompanied by the impression she had of it from observing the young man's new dragon, she found the queen rider's compatriot more than just a little engaging. Now, however, was no time for ogling, and so, instead, she moved to a table for a cup of klah and cast a contemplative look around the feast, wondering fleetingly where Little Baby had gotten to.

---

T'van was growing irritable. Every time he was certain that he'd finished tending to Ghalyth's every need, the blue whimpered again, finding one more thing that meant that his just had to stay for just a little longer, pleasepleaseplease? He was going to miss his hatching feast, at this rate!

Eventually, however, exhaustion caught up with the hatchling, and Ghalyth was forced to go to sleep, though he couldn't seem to without T'van beside him. When finally the dragon did go to sleep, T'van breathed a sigh of relief, and then made swift (and SILENT!) haste to prepare for the feast. All efforts aside, however, he was more than marginally tardy in even readying himself, and as he pulled the striking blue and grey tunic over his head, he just knew he'd be abysmally late.

[Femisis]

Narrowing her eyes a bit, Crescentia wanted dearly to punch Reren in the nose as hard as she could. Oh, that girl could be so INFURIATING, so dumb! Didn't she listen to anything? If only Basteth were with her and not sleeping, though she wouldn't begrudge the hatchling Queen of her sleep. She was only a baby after all, and stuffed full of food to boot. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she were out here, only to fall asleep. Then who would move her? She opened her mouth to reply to her no good sister, but something made her stop, namely, R'ker. He'd Impressed, she knew, but she couldn't remember what. She was going to have to learn fast...

Reren fairly preened as R'ker nodded to her, though her mood didn't last. "JUNIOR WEYRWOMAN?!" She shrieked, not even trying to contain her fury. Now that she thought of it, the Weyrwoman had just announced it, too. This couldn't be happening, not her. How could CRESCENTIA have Impressed a Queen?! It should have been her! She wasn't even of Holder blood, not fully, anyway.

"I swear, if you screamed any louder they'd have heard you back at Telgar."

"I was wondering where you were." Crescentia rolled her eyes at her half-brother as he approached looking exhasparated. "Looks like someone forgot to tell her?"

Reral nodded solemnly as Reren whirled on him. "I was gone for ten minuets and you didn't have the decency to tell me?!" She cried, fury barely contained.

"Oh, shut it before I let Cresce's dragon eat you." He muttered as he grabbed his sister by the arm and dragged her away. "Congrats." He called aimably to his half-sister before disappearing back into the crowd.

"Thank Faranth..." Cresce muttered with a sigh before turning her full attention back to R'ker. "I'm sorry about that. My half sister isn't the most pleasant of people..." She trailed off. She should have expected something like this, but there was no way that girl could ruin the feast for her. "R'ker of Bronze Onith," she repeated to make she she memorized it. "I'm pretty sure you already know me, but I'm Crescentia and my dragon is Basteth." She added pleasantly, holding out a hand for him to shake. "Don't think I don't see you over there, Kalley. Get over here before I have to drag you myself." She laughed.

[maiwolf]

B'oone paced the floor. He was sure he was making furrows in the ground, and though he thought it was bad to do so, he did not stop. Soon he'd have a hard-worn line showing in the floor soon. Maybe he could fall into the next Weyr for all his pacing was wearing into the floor. Brennanth watched him, eyes whirling gently, head following His's every move. The dragon sighed, and lay his head down on his forepaws. His tail twitched, thumped across the ground, the only sound other than B'oone's leathered feet touching the ground.

Finally, the dragon lifted his head and moved his tail so that it gently stopped B'oone from pacing. Dear human, she will not kill you.

B'oone grumbled under his breath, and then his face grew dejected. Under his voice, he said, "I know, but she will probably yell at me, or glare at me, or something. After all, the Hatching didn't go as was planned!" He leaned against Brennanth's tail in disgust of himself.

She has no right to yell at you for the hatching. But she may yell at you for being late to the feast. Tell me, human, why aren't you there? Brennanth chided, and B'oone's eyes widened in disbelief and fear.

"Oh by all of Faranth's eggs! Why didn't I remember that!" B'oone cried as he pulled on his best Wherhide jacket. He hopped into his boots and brushed what parts of his hair could be affected by brushes. "Oh, am I going to get it!" He mumbled under his breath as he raced to the feast. He arrived breathless, though why he did not know: he was in very good shape. Maybe it was because of his incessant pacing.

He spied Ilayria spinning in circles with Ph'in. He composed himself, smiled, and then tapped Ph'in on the shoulder. "Hello, Ph'in. May I steal my Weyrwoman from you?" He asked jokingly, his eyes sparkling.

[virenn]

Whatever reaction R’ker expected, it was probably not the woman’s shriek. He frowned slightly; if she wanted to Stand, she should have Stood, although he knew that it would not have made a difference in Crescentia’s Impression. Whatever the woman’s problems, he was sure that she would get over it after she returned home. If not, then she was out of luck.

It was probably for the best that she was not the one that the Gold had Impressed to, because he had a feeling that she would not have been an exact pleasure to work with.

Still, there was no need to even consider that possibility. The Gold had Impressed to Hers, and it would soon be known if the young woman he stood before would be a good leader or not. For the sake of the Weyr, he certainly hoped that she would.

R’ker watched silently as Reral appeared, taking Reren away. Thank Faranth indeed…

“It’s no problem at all.” He grasped her hand, shaking it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he told her. Gold Basteth—he would have to remember it. He was sure that Onith would be able to supply him with names when he could not think of them, but it was always a good idea to memorize them beforehand.

Realizing that he was blocking the way of another, he stepped towards the right politely, so that he would be able to approach Crescentia as well. From the way that he was addressed, it was obvious to him that he had failed to Impress, but R'ker could not identify him. He supposed that was what happened when he failed to introduce himself first, but he would just have to fix that problem slowly.

[saidaltam]

"I didn't want to intrude," Kalley replied, smiling dryly and moving to give his friend a hug (an action which involved crouching, being as he towered a full foot or better over the new queen rider). "Congratulations," he said with a smile, then stepped off to the side, pausing to smile politely at R'ker and make room for him to continue his conversation with the young woman.

For a moment, he felt a flash of envy--why had the other man impressed when he had not?--but it faded quickly. He knew nothing of R'ker, after all. For all he knew, the man might be a perfectly agreeable and worthy sort. Who was he to say otherwise? As quickly as the feeling had come, it was gone. Instead, he opted for a polite introduction. "Hello, there. I'm Kalley, if you didn't catch it."

[kusuri]

Nyboka never knew that such a small creature could consume so much feed.The pale dragonet had gorged until the bucket was empty,lazily snapping up the last chunks of bloody muscle and then plopping onto the couch near Her's bed.Rianth had not wanted to get up for her oiling,but the small brown woman cajoled the green into standing .The rub down was quick,but every essential curve and wrinkle was cleaned before the hatchling curled up once again.
The green watched her rider through heavily lidded eyes as the girl looked at the dresses on the bed.The green cocked her head as Nyboka just stood there,unmoving,as if afraid of the fabrics.Snorting,Rianth addressed her rider.

Mine,just choose the one that matches your hide and go.Your anxiety is making it hard for me to go to sleep.

Nyboka just shot her partner a nasty look and wavered between the dresses.She had never had to choose what to wear or have such finery upon her body.Her master had chosen clothing that made him pleased and she had one set of work clothes that were patched and coarse.What would match brown skin? Most people here were pale and didn't have to worry about whether the color made them invisible or sickly looking.Once again her eyes roved over the borrowed dresses,all child sized, and mentally discarded some.Finally her eyes fell on a dark green that shaded to jade near the bottom.It was a simple garment,but to Nyboka it was the most beautiful in the land.Plus,it had the color of her dragon in its shaded threads.

Smiling she kissed her sleeping dragon and strode down toward the kitchens.The place was warm do to how long the ovens had been running.Her feet were a tad uncomfortable,as this was the first time she had worn shoes.How did people walk in these things? her thoughts were inturrupted when the aroma of the finished food hit her nostrils.Doe brown eyes widened.All of this food! Enough for a Gather and she was allowed to eat it? She tried to keep her pace slow as her quick strides brought her over to the table.Greedily,she took a bit of everything,ladening her plate.An even better surprise was that she was allowed wine.Having never tasted wine,she was eager to try the infamous drink.

With a full glass and plate,she hovered,unsure of where to go.She would have loved to introduce herself to the Weyrwoman,but she looked like she was enjoying herself.And who was a drudge to destroy that and think she had the right to talk to a leader of the Weyr!? Nyboka was only a green weyrling after all.The small woman turned until she spotted a group of kids.Ah,she recognized a few who had Impressed,including the new Jr. Weyrwoman.She was about to lope over,when shyness caught up to her.What if they turned her away? She was just a drudge,what kind of interesting discussion could she provide? Her thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt when she absentmindedly reached out for Rianth for comfort.Shard it all! She was now a dragon rider and they're wingmate.They were all of equal rank here!
She strode purposefully toward the group,strides faltering as she took in the size of the boys.But the 4 foot nine inch tall girl pushed back her shoulders and lifted her chin,gathering strength from her other.

"Greetings, I'm Nyboka of Green Rianth.It's nice to meet you."

The bay skinned girl almost gulped in fright of the towering giants.Why was she soo small! But her fear was pushed aside when she noticed how handsome they were...Plus one was a bronze rider.Her lips stretched into a small smile,which she directed at both boys.

[stolenhart]

”Hello, Ph’in. May I steal my Weyrwoman from you?” B’oone’s voice sunk under the music as Ilayria and her brother danced around the floor. “Oh please do Sir”, Ph’in smiled at his sister, scarred face making a gruesome mockery of a smile. “Do keep your voice down Ilayria”, the Weyrlingmaster added as he sauntered away from his sister and Weyrleader.

Ilayria frowned at his back as she turned to B’oone and stepped on his foot. “Pardon”, she told him, giving him her best innocent smile as she stepped on his other foot. “You missed my speech”, she said softly, nodding to another pair on the dance floor. She twirled away from B’oone and danced back, elbowing him in the ribs. “And the end of the Hatching”, she growled, “A Hatching that did not go well at all”, she finished, turning a malignant stare on him. “Any specific reason for doing so or should I just make one up?”

[Femisis]

Well, R'ker seemed polite at the very least which got him brownie points in her book. Besides, he was one of the possible competitors for Basteth's distant first Flight so she wanted to get to know him at least in a friendly manner. They'd be seeing quite a bit of each other in the coming weeks as lessons progressed, after they began, of course. "It's nice to get to know the other weyrlings." Cresce replied with a smile. Faranth, she'd never smiled so much in her life. It came with the being diplomatic, she supposed, which she'd have to begin to pick up on and soon.

She couldn't help but laugh when Kalley hugged her(Was he really that tall?) due to the fact that he was crouched down. Something Kirnin had said earlier was nagging her in the back of her mind, so leaning up to whisper in his ear, "Don't be upset that you didn't Impress. I've stood for years waiting for Basteth. Your dragon will come." She smiled at him as she pulled away, her attention stolen by another. She was really popular today, wasn't she?

"Nyboka...?" She honestly couldn't remember ever seeing the other girl before the hatching, though she remembered her Green. Rianth, her name was. Well, that was another she'd remember. She only wished that Basteth was awake to help her with all of this. She seemed rather shy, though. What gave her the courage to approach them rather than one of the weyrlings who'd Impressed a Green or Blue? "It's nice to meet you, Nyboka. I'm Crescentia of Gold Basteth." She was more than sure that everyone knew her name by now, but it was just polite to reply with her name.

[virenn]

He was about to introduce himself to Kalley when another girl approached the little group.

Nyboka of Green Rianth; he repeated the name several times to himself. He would try his best to remember as many names as possible, but he knew Onith would need to help him until he really got them down. Learning the names of everyone in the Weyr was probably impossible, but he would certainly be able to remember who was who in his Weyrling class.

Glad that the girl had chosen that time to approach them, since he did not have to introduce himself twice, R’ker glanced between the greenrider and Kalley before saying, “I’m R’ker of Bronze Onith.” Unsure about whose hand to shake first, he settled on the first person to arrive; he held his hand out to Kalley first so that they could shake in a proper meeting.

Vaguely, he wondered how many times he would have to repeat the same greeting to every weyrling. He almost wished that they all came up to them all at once, so that he would only need to say his name once more instead of multiple times. Well, at the very least, Onith might be happy that he made friends, especially since the little dragonet wanted to come.

[saidaltam]

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Kalley replied, shaking R'ker's hand and flashing a polite smile at Nyboka before adding to the newcome girl, "I'm Kalley, by the way. I'm Kirnin's brother." Straightening, he scanned the crowd for his sister, so that he could point her out to them.

She was short, which made locating her difficult, but with his height, and with the practice he'd had at finding her, he was quick to note her dark curls peaking between the bobbing heads of the celebrants. "That's her, there. She impressed, today, so... you'll probably be seeing more of her than I will," he said with a dry smile.

Really, the thought was nothing like encouraging, but he could fake it. Cresce's whispered words had been consoling, if not encouraging, even in his bleak mood, and he found himself warming, just a bit, to the girl. That reminded him. He was certain it would be a busy night for her, so he was going to have to be sure to collect their winnings and see to it that she got hers. He would just wager she'd forget.

[virenn]

Wondering if Kalley had wanted to speak to Crescentia alone (based on how the other man approached him when he had first gone up to her), R’ker decided that it would be a good idea to take his leave, using the other Weyrling as a way to escape quickly. When Kalley pointed out his sister to the group, he nodded. His idea was a good one, and he was intent on going along with it.

Besides, when Onith woke up and if he remembered the feast, the dragonet would want to know what he did, who he spoke to, and Faranth knows how many other questions. Not only that, but standing around alone during a feast didn’t seem like fun to R’ker, which left him with doing that or returning to the Weyrling Barracks early.

Nodding towards everyone, he said, “It’s nice to meet you all.” Wondering how to excuse himself properly without sounding rude, he looked towards Crescentia and Nyboka as he continued with, “I think it’ll be a good idea to get acquainted with the other Weyrlings before we start our lessons. We will be working as a team from now on, after all.” Smiling, he raised a hand in a simple goodbye, wondering if he had been correct in the assumption that Kalley had wanted to speak to the new Queenrider. Hopefully Nyboka would realize this as well, and would either follow him or find another group of Weyrlings to speak to.

Once he had properly excused himself, he walked towards where Kalley had pointed his sister out to the group. Feeling like a broken record, he repeated the same greeting once he reached her. “Hi, I’m R’ker of Bronze Onith.”

[maiwolf]

B'oone smiled at the scarred man as he stepped away. B'oone didn't know what he was getting into, or, rather, he sort of did. He realized Ilayria was going to hurt him some way or another. She didn't know what he'd done after wing practice. He was more than willing to have her step on both of his feet, but when she tried to elbow him, he flourished a dance step and narrowly avoided a real bruising. Then he stopped her with gentle but strong arms.

The man met her eyes. His were a curious mix of emotions. Illie might see in them love and happiness, but also sadness and a small hint of anger. His voice was smooth and low, though the music was loud enough to drown out his voice normally anyway. "I had nothing to do with the outcome of the hatching. If you remember, Brennanth was injured before catching Astoth. That may have been a problem. Plus, Astoth laid the clutch early." The man's gaze flitted from Ilayria's face to her body and its broadening burden. His face softened for a second, but when he glanced back up at Ilayria's livid face, eh snapped back to attention. "Ilayria," he near-whined (and he never whined), "Don't be mad at me!"

Then he drew in a breath and started her dancing again. Softly, and using a dance where she couldn't regularly try to kill him,. "After Wing practice I patrolled. Brennanth and I weren't at the hatching because we were keeping an eye out for the South. We had heard that the South was going to steal the gold egg, and I wanted to make sure the South did not do what we did to try and steal the gold egg before it hatched." He raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you still angry at me?"

[saidaltam]

Kirnin had been idly paying attention to Kalley, but her primary focus had been on looking for T'van and making as much of an assessment of her fellows as she was able, so she hadn't immediately noticed R'ker's approach. She was not, however, utterly oblivious, and managed to spot him before he spoke, thereby avoiding jumping. Instead, she responded with an affable smile. "I remember your bronze. I'm Kirnin, of green Similath," she replied. Briefly, she considered mentioning that the short mountain he'd been chatting with had been one of her brothers, but she supposed Kalley had already said something to that effect, and if he hadn't, it was just as well, anyhow. She didn't particularly see it as necessary to go about advertising her familial ties.

There was someone else, however, whom she ought to introduce, if she could just figure out where the little imp had gotten to. She hadn't seen hide nor wing of him since the hatching had ended, and she was beginning to grow a bit concerned. Since he wasn't there, however, she opted to just mention him passively, so that if he did put on an appearance, he wouldn't startle her fellow weyrling. "Somewhere around here, there's a pudgy brown flit named Little Baby. He's mine, as much as he's anyone's who isn't feeding him immediately."

[stolenhart]

She glared at him, "I didn't say you had anything to do with the outcome of the Hatching but I could have used some support today while three of the Hatchlings went between", she seethed between clenched teeth. Turning to smile at one of the Holders that had been invited she turned back to him in time to here him nearly whine at her to not be mad. "Oh I'm not mad", she replied twirling away and then back again, "I'm slightly livid". Then he confessed to patrolling, without her knowledge. She couldn't exactly castigate him for patrolling but that wasn't the issue.

"And you didn't tell me?", she asked, turning to look at him, stopping in the middle of the dance. "No I am not mad", she stalked off the dance floor towards her table, sitting down in a chair with a sigh, hand on her belly. "I'm a little put out though. First you should have been on the Sands with me. We have other wingleaders who could have lead the patrol. Second you should have told me you were patrolling", she sighed. "This is my Weyr too".

[virenn]

He nodded as Kirnin announced both the name of herself and her dragon. Yes, he did faintly remember that a pretty young woman had Impressed a green right after Onith became His, but he did not know who it was. Now, he had a face and a name to match up with that particular pair. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He told her.

At the mentioning of her fire lizard, R’ker was automatically intrigued. Fire lizards were not exactly common up north, and while he seen some from afar plenty of times since arriving at the Weyr, he never really got a chance to see one up close. A few people around his area of the cothold had wanted one, mainly the girls (his own sister especially; she thought they were quite possibly the best creatures on Pern, next to dragons of course). He knew enough about fire lizards to understand a little about them, mainly the fact that they liked to eat and that was mainly how one went about Impressing them. “Your flit seems like quite a character.”

[saidaltam]

As the young man's interest piqued at the mention of Little Baby, Kirnin felt herself smiling. While the flitter was nowhere near as precious to her as her dear Similath, he was very high on her list of beloved things. Caring for something from birth will do that. "Oh, he's still very young, yet, so mostly, he's just an overgrown baby," she explained, casting her mind about to look for his.

His response was almost immediate, a brief pique of curiosity followed by a cheerful chirrup over her head as the still-plump brown appeared from /between/. Kirnin tilted her head up. "Where did you get to?" she asked the flitter mildly. Of course, he didn't answer, but that wasn't the point. She hadn't anticipated that he would. Instead, he dropped down to land with a 'PLOP!' in her waiting hands. "This is Little Baby. Got him my first day here at the Weyr. The Weyrleader had a clutch in the kitchens, and I was being nosy. The pudgy little fellow rolled right out of his shell and landed nose-first against my shirt," she explained, propping the flit up in her palms. Oblivious to the exact nature of the conversation, but patently aware by his Kirnin's thoughts, what he could make sense of from them, that he was the topic, he chirruped again, tilting his head to the side with keen interest and blinking large blue-green eyes at R'ker.

[virenn]

R’ker was silent as he watched and listened to Kirnin appreciatively, making his attentiveness obvious with a small nod or two. It seemed like the other weyrling really cared for the flitter, since she had smiled as he asked about it. He reminded himself that they did Impress and, while they were not as intelligent and independent as their much larger counterparts, R’ker could only imagine that they did, in fact, have factors that made theirs love them.

He was not shocked when the flit appeared from between; R’ker figured that since he was asking about him, Kirnin would summon him. The brown really was a plump little thing, but R’ker was sure that it must have been baby fat, since the young woman did mention that he was still young. “I would imagine that he could grow into his body,” R’ker said, referring to her constant reference to the fire lizard’s weight. Smiling, he continued on with, “I guess you had a lucky find. Being nosy never usually results in such a lucky outcome.”

Not quite leaning, R’ker placed his hand out for Little Baby. “I’m sorry I don’t have any food,” he told the flitter with a small chuckle.