Networking [Wolfkitt]

[Dragon]

There wasn't much that Xesne could do to work towards her goals at the moment. Rubiculath wasn't even a turn old yet, and his most important part in her plans, at least at first, was chasing - and catching - queens. For now, though, she could try to make herself liked so that when Rubiculath made her Weyrleader, she would have the support she needed to take things further.

Therefore, when the time came for her evening meal, Xesne found a young woman with the knots of a full rider. She had to be ten turns younger than Xesne herself, something which caused a tight coil of anger in Xesne at the unfairness of it all. Not, of course, that Rubiculath hadn't been worth waiting for, but Xesne shouldn't have had to wait.

"Excuse me," she asked politely, smiling at the young redhead, "but do you mind if I join you? I'd love to hear about what you do as a rider from the source."

[Wolfkitt]

Drills had been absolutely insane that morning, definitely keeping things interesting. She doubted that any number of turns was going to dull that for her. There was always something to be improved on, something to figure out. Tamiuth helped to make sure of that. Then again perhaps Le'da just very much enjoyed spending time with her Wingmates. Either way she was fairly wired when it came time for meals. Practically bouncing in her seat, she talked animatedly to a Candidate discussing firelizards. "Yes! So then Bass appeared and flew corkscrews around Tamiuth while we were practicing dives! He got reprimanded of course. But between you and me, it was so cool."

Le'da beamed at the younger one before going back to take a couple hurried bites of her meal. Hearing another voice at her other side, she looked up instantly. That ready smile lit up her eyes as she reached over in enthusiastic response and patted the empty spot next to her. "Yes! Please do! Are you having a good day? I've seen you around! You are the Rider of that beautiful young Bronze aren't you? Ok so they're all beautiful, but I love his markings! I don't think we've met yet. I'm Le'da." Alright so she had registered that the woman had spoken something about learning about Riders but none of her barrage of words had anything to do with that. "Sure of course! What do you want to know? I ride a Garnet, her name is Tamiuth. She is great, but I'm very biased." Did she ever stop talking? Probably not. At least she was friendly?

[Dragon]

Slightly taken aback by the waterfall of words from the young woman she'd approached, Xesne gracefully took the seat next to her, propping her elbows on the table as she held her cup of klah in both hands, letting the warmth of it soak into her fingers. "My name is Xesne, and yes, my bondmate is Rubiculath - and he is quite gorgeous."

Rubiculath's hide was, in Xesne's mind, always worthy of note. It shimmered so pleasantly, and his markings were truly striking. He was well on his way to being the most handsome dragon in the Weyr.

"How old is Tamiuth, Le'da?" she asked politely. She didn't much care one way or the other about garnets. They weren't a direct path to power, but that didn't mean they were utterly useless pieces in her plans.

[Wolfkitt]

Le'da shifted just a little so that Xesne would have enough room to sit and get comfortable before settling back a little herself, casting the Candidate at her other side a broad grin as she had bumped her. But the girl was already engaged in conversation at her other side so Le'da would give Xesne her full attention. Taking a quick sip of her own Klah, she nodded as she was told Xesne's name and the name of the handsome Bronze. It was always good to get to know the dragonriders around you, even if they were up and coming. Especially then! They could be wing mates potentially. Besides, Le'da loved to know absolutely everyone. "Very nice to meet you Xesne! He absolutely is! You're keeping him oiled right? Last time I saw him he looked great so I figure you are but it definitely helps keep their hides shining." She nodded enthusiastically definitely not trying to be condescending but the words often came out before she really thought about that. "There are so many cool patterns on dragons... Tamiuth came out with a crazy camouflage pattern and the most beautiful rose coloration... Doesn't do us much good hiding in the skies, but it's fun to look at." She felt a slight rumble in her mind of an odd mix of good naturedness with maybe the slightest bit of irritation but also a bit of a pride at her Rider's words.

Le'da took another quick bite and finished it before answering. She certainly didn't mind talking about herself and her dragon, being a little bit of a prideful sort. And if asked, she certainly would divulge. "She just turned three." This was stated quite proudly. "Do you have a particular Wing you're hoping to join when your class graduates? Rubiculath would excel in any of them I bet. Have you flown yet?" Weyrlings were her absolute favorite to talk to. She loved to see them enjoy the first encounters with the different facets of their new bondeds.

[Dragon]

She'd barely met the woman, and Xesne was already sure that Le'da was exhausting in large doses. Did she ever stop talking? Xesne was not at all certain that she was going to be able to get a word in edgewise, but finally the garnetrider paused long enough for her to speak.

"I am keeping Rubiculath carefully oiled, yes," she confirmed. "It would not do to have that fine hide of his split or scar." Golds might find scars charming, perhaps, but surely only those gained gloriously in battle or fighting Thread. Scars caused by carelessness would only detract from his appeal. "Besides, he would be cross with me if he did not look his best."

She was sure that Tamiuth was lovely, for a garnet. Perhaps Rubiculath could practice his chasing skills on garnets like her. "Your dragon sounds lovely. And most dragons do not blend into the sky very well - not even many blues."

Three. So Tamiuth and Le'da were not well established yet, and perhaps would be ... moldable. The more "friends" and allies Xesne had, the better. "We will most likely be in Midnight; that is where all but the smallest bronzes end up, and Rubiculath is on the larger end for his color. And yes, we have flown. In fact, we even recently started lessons on going Between."

[Wolfkitt]

Letting other people speak certainly wasn't something that would be likely to be in Le'da's wheelhouse of strengths. She was very good at just going on and on, one might wonder how she didn't pass out from lack of oxygen coming back in. But she managed. Beaming almost wildly at Xesne's affirmation that she was doing well in oiling her handsome Bronze's hide, she nodded enthusiastically. It wasn't like a rider showing affirmation to a Weyrling like it likely should have been, but more akin to a friend to a friend, and certainly Le'da already seemed to view Xesne as a friend even if she had only directly met the woman moments ago. "Right?! Oh man Tamiuth would flip if I didn't make sure to oil her! It gets itchy and she is a little bit grouchy to begin with." She grinned a little and shrugged. "I would imagine he appreciates all the effort."

"That is very true! Isn't it amazing how many shades of the different colors there are? They all stay within the range of their color for the most part... Except Whites... Those dragons are crazy. Awesome but crazy. I've even seen a White that was almost all black! Isn't that insane? I love Tamiuth though, I think she's one of the most beautiful I've seen. I feel like we all feel like that about our bondeds though."

Le'da paused again to take another bite of her meal feeling her stomach churn a bit. She had once again let herself go a bit long in between meals, in fact she was pretty sure she had skipped breakfast altogether. But she still listened intently to what Xesne said beside her. She nodded and made sure to clear her mouth before responding. "Oh yes that makes sense! We're in Eclipse Wing. Tamiuth is on the large end of her color too! But much to her chagrin even so, your Rubiculath will very likely be larger than her very soon! If he's not already!" She nodded again practically bouncing in her seat. As Xesne spoke of where their lessons were, she gasped lightly in delight. "Between? Isn't it all just absolutely brilliant?! I was very nervous the first time we went Between but they know what they're doing. They just need a point from us and then bam! We're there! It's crazy." She nodded again taking a quick sip of her drink, glancing up only briefly to bid goodbye to the Candidate she had been talking to before as they took their leave.

[Dragon]

This woman was a little exhausting, but Xesne was certain that she could manage to cultivate a "friendship" with Le'da. The garnetrider certainly did enough of the talking that Xesne only had to occasionally put in a comment, making it extremely easy to talk to her.

"Oh, I'm certain he appreciates it," Xesne lied effortlessly. Rubiculath thought being perfectly oiled his due, and it would never occur to him to appreciate it. "He does like looking his best." That was true enough, at least.

She continued listening to Le'da ramble, wondering not for the first time if she perhaps should have elided her name. Would she have been taken more seriously if she did? But what would she even elide to? X'ne? Xe'e? No, Xesne suited her just fine.

Xesne hummed slightly in agreement as she ate and Le'da rambled on about the variety of colors in each rank of dragon, and the weirdness of whites. Well ... whites were weird. "Maybe we just named whites wrong," she suggested, "since the first one was white. They do seem to encompass black as well, and every shade of gray." She was not, however, going to suggest an alternative color name. She thought that Le'da might have some ideas, though.

Then Le'da somehow managed to perk up even more at the mention of between, and it was all Xesne could do to remain pleasant and not sigh. The woman truly could go off about anything. "It's definitely different from everything else," Xesne mused. Between was a greatness allowed only to dragons and firelizards, but it was also the greatest terror of a dragon and rider - the endless cold and darkness, blacker and black and colder than cold, in which you could get lost and never be seen again. "We must be very careful to listen to our teachers."

It was easier to talk about Rubiculath's size. "Rubiculath is nine and a half months old, and ... forty or forty-one feet long, I'd say. Maybe even forty-two." It had been a bit since his last measurement, and he certainly kept growing as he should. "There certainly are adult garnets and browns he is already larger than."

[Wolfkitt]

Le'da nodded once more completely drinking in Xesne's every word, lie or not. She didn't see any reason this woman shouldn't be truthful or upfront with her, but then again that was a weakness for her. She seemed to take everyone at face value until it became painfully clear that she could not. Now this had changed just a little when Tamiuth had come into her life... Her Garnet was not as trusting of those around them... She cultivated a little bit of healthy suspicion in the bubbly young Rider. But as for herself? She had no suspicious bone in her body.

Le'da gasped lightly and suddenly went a little pensive as if she hadn't thought of the idea of having named the color of the dragons wrong. "You could be right! What if they were called Monochrome? No that's too long really. I guess White is fine, but you're very right. They come in all shades of black and white and gray." She furrowed her brows a little. "Do you think anyone would change the name of a color of dragon? What if we asked the dragons what color they think they are or should be called? Y'olai has Tsukasath... They are a White. Maybe we could ask them!"

"You're definitely not wrong! They are there to help us learn and make sure we do so safely. I know going Between is dangerous, but it gets easier. Not that you're worried I'm sure. I bet you and Rubiculath do just fine with it!" She nodded with all the assurance of one who had no clue what she was talking about. "But what about flying? Isn't it just absolutely amazing? Now that's something that's different from anything else. I was raised with Runners and riding them is the closest thing I have to compare it to, but even that is hardly like it at all! The feeling of freedom that it brings is insane. What about fighting thread? How do you feel about that one? Tamiuth was too young to fight when the last fall came but I can only hope we'll be ready for the next one."

Taking another bite, Le'da would listen to Xesne speak of Rubiculath's size and she looked to her in awe. "Nine and a half months and already so big? Tamiuth's got him beat but hardly by a couple feet or so! We should bring them together, I want to see just how close they are! Tamiuth is 45 feet, but she's done growing. Is Rubiculath tall? Slender? I try to attend all the hatchlings but it's so hard to keep everyone straight sometimes! Tamiuth is built pretty solidly but not so much so that she's ungraceful in the sky."