Ball in the Hall [open]

[EW-NA]

“Yeah! Plus, being at a Weyr, Thread wasn't an issue or anything. Being on the road was fun, but the Thread was definitely the scariest, even more than the chance for wild wher encounters or bandits~”

The way Marc'oni simply scrolled down his list of potential deadly disasters, one might think he was simply rattling off a shopping list. Barely sounding phased or upset in any regard. Than again, it was easy to get used to over the turns. And really... flying on dragonback right into it was a LOT scarier, in his opinion. But, Amaata probably already knew that – being a dragonrider and all.

“All right!! I'm sure we can coordinate something! I bet we'll see eachother during drills, if anything, there's always various Wings flying around in the Weyrbowl. You'll probably see Gawyth before you see me, though. He's dark blue, with a lighter speckled patch near his butt! He's like if a runner was blue--- and a dragon, if that helps!”

Gawyth wanted to yowl and shriek from inside his weyr upon hearing such a description. 'Like a runner'-- like one of those common smelly land beasts?! That was not impressive or commendable at all!! Why would his rider describe him like that?! Gawyth unfortunately had to keep to himself. Explaining any of these finer issues would be lost on his rider.

The fool.

[Dragon]

It was kind of impressive how easily Marc'oni could rattle off a list of scary things. Amaata had never been subject to any of them, as she'd spent her whole life safe inside a Weyr, but they certainly sounded scary. The only one that Amaata could actually relate to, though, was Thread.

So much of her life revolved around Thread.

"Kuroth is a darkish blue," she returned, "not the darkest but darker. And he looks kind of cloudy." Her description wasn't anywhere near as vivid as Marc'oni's, but there it was. She'd probably recognize Gawyth easier than the other bluerider would recognize Kuroth, but Kuroth didn't have any large distinctive markings. Just the pale blue swipe and dots under his eye.

"I'm sure we can arrange to meet with out dragons soon if we don't see each other flying drills," Amaata said, more animated in her talk than she usually was. "I'm sure that Gawyth and Kuroth will like each other," she continued. Not that all dragons got along, but she and Marc'oni were getting along and she didn't imagine that their dragons would therefore be incompatible.

There was something about Marc'oni that she liked, that was drawing her out of her shell. Maybe it was how innocent and naive he seemed; he just seemed like he couldn't possibly be threatening in any way. He had to be more competent than he appeared, though, or he'd never survive Threadfall.

[EW-NA]

“Darkish blue... but not -the- darkish blue: Got it,” Marc'oni repeated out loud, for clarity. With such lucrative and important information locked in his memory (ha), the rider gave a nod of affirmation. Completely confidant was he, that when the time came, he and Gawyth would be able to spot Amaata and her Kuroth through the great expanse of the open airways.

He wasn't going to worry on it though, blinded with his optimism that it would all work out in some degree.

“I'm sure they will,” Marc'oni offered back confidently. “I can only speak on Gawyth's behalf, but he's a real friendly dragon! He's a lot better at it than me,” he even went on to say. “He always knows what to say to others, and he never messes up his words or facts. You can always rely on him!”

As the two riders spoke this entire time, Pussyfoot, who had mostly been minding herself, had hit a point of disinterest. Having properly rubbed all over her favorite person's head and shoulders, as well as thoroughly cleaned her little face, her paw pads, her feet, and even tail... now the flit found herself in need of something to do. As she looked around, her faceted eyes eventually hit the floor--

A ball! Wait, she knew that ball--- it was her ball!!

Without care, Pussyfoot started moving about along Marc'oni's person again, steadily trying to find a place to go downward.

[Dragon]

Marc'oni seemed to make more sense of Amaata's description than she had put into it, which was nice. Surely Gawyth and Kuroth would be able to pick each other out, and Amaata was certain that she would be able to help Kuroth sight a blue dragon with markings like a runner.

"Kuroth's cautious, but curious," Amaata supplied. He wasn't the most friendly dragon, no, but he was loyal to those whom he deemed to be friends. He was like Skatha that way, or Skatha was like him ... either way, Amaata had a pair of bondmates who were cautious and loyal in their own ways. "I'm sure he'd like to get to know Gawyth."

Amaata watched Pussyfoot as she spoke; the little white seemed to be intent on crawling all over Marc'oni instead of simply flying down to the ground, her color-shifting eyes trained on the ball on the floor. Actually ... had Amaata seen the flit fly at all? Did she not fly? That would be ... curious.

"Does Pussyfoot not like to fly?" Amaata asked tentatively. Skatha was constantly making her way around with her powerful little wings, and it was strange for the bluerider to see a flit apparently preferring to use her feet!

[EW-NA]

Blinking, Marc'oni seemed to suddenly recall his little flit being in the picture. That Amaata mentioning her drew his thoughts from his dragon and down to his much smaller little dragon. Who was halfway down his impressive frame and still going for the floor.

“Nope, she can fly,” the rider explained, reaching down to carefully pull Pussyfoot from where her little talons clung to the material of his clothing. Despite being pulled from her task, the little White really didn't protest, not minding as her owner now held her in his cupped palms. Like she were a little egg in a basket.

“I think she just likes running and crawling around more,” the young rider explained. “I always find her in bags and little places she can squeeze into, but she can fly: watch!”

With Pussyfoot sitting in his hands, Marc'oni suddenly swooped up his hands, not so high to go over his head, but perhaps near his shoulders. Pussyfoot's little head ducked low from the sudden speed everything was moving, and then suddenly, there was nothing to support her as Marc'oni dropped his hands down.

Immediately, her little wings went fluttering, flapping enough to keep her suspended slightly in the air. Then, Marc'oni raised his hands back up to cup her safely again, prompting her wings to stop. He dropped again, and 'flap flap flap' Pussyfoot went, until he caught her once more. Hardly what one may count as 'flying', but it was clear her wings did do their job, and that she had some semblence of instinct to keep airbound when high enough.

The gesture didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, though from Marc'oni's grin, he thought it amusing. Still, Pussyfoot had the want for some playtime, so it wasn't long before her little head started peeking over the edge of Marc'oni's fingers, trying to look to her ball with little itty bitty hands reaching out towards it.

“Okay, I think that's enough flying,” Marc'oni said in amusement, before lowering his hands and arms as low as he could. Pussyfoot let out one of her cute peeps, before lunging to his pant leg and scurrying her way to the floor. "There you go-- don't get lost though!"

“See?” he asked, turning back to look to Amaata.

[Dragon]

Huh. Skatha might bite even Amaata if she tried what Marc'oni had just done with Pussyfoot. But it was clear that the white could fly and just didn't care to for whatever reason. There was no reason to think anymore about it though, and so Amaata nodded and watched as the white scampered off with her ball.

"Mine prefers flying. Her name is Skatha. She's a green." Amaata still felt terribly awkward trying to hold a conversation with the other bluerider, sure she was going to put her foot in her mouth.

Pulling at the hem of a long steel blue sleeve, she tried to think of something else to say. She really wasn't good at this ...

It could have been worse. There could have been awkward, unwanted flirting.

The tall bluerider looked the even taller bluerider over, wondering if maybe a change of venue was in order. She was doing her best here, trying to make friends, but she was awkward and reserved by nature. Still, she needed to find a way to fit into her new Weyr, which meant figuring out how to be social.

"Do you want to get a cup of klah while we talk?" she asked. The dining hall wasn't far, and it would give her something to do with her hands other than trying not to fidget too much. At least she knew her wrist was fine and didn't have to worry about that anymore. "I find it quite relaxing."

Maybe he'd take her up on the invitation, maybe not. The point was that she was trying. She wanted life to be good here, for herself and for Kuroth and for Skatha. And that meant putting down roots, something she'd never done at Igen. She might have been born there, but the older she'd gotten the less and less it had felt like home.

This, though - High Reaches could be home, with some effort from the trio of new arrivals. Skatha would hiss angrily at anyone who got to close and Kuroth would study everyone before forming an opinion, leaving Amaata to do the heavy lifting when it came to making friends. And who knew ... things were different here. Maybe Amaata could make a life out from under the weight of her parents' expectations.

[EW-NA]

“You do? I was going to ask,” Marc'oni beamed. “It seems like everyone in the Weyr has one, sometimes two--- and I think a few people have even more! Must be a lot of fun to have so many flits to play with~ I was thinking about getting another so Pussyfoot could have a friend, but sometimes I wonder if she'd even want one.”

For the moment, said White flit was having a grand time with her toy. Not a care in the world as she jumped on it, forcing it to pop out from under her. Her and Marc'oni seemed a perfect pair in a way, rather obliviously focused on whatever they were doing and simply going with it.

So, when Amaata asked if the rider wished to join her for klah, Marc'oni didn't even have to ponder on it. “I love klah! Sure, I'll join you for one. I never used to like it as a kid, but I really like it now--- but it could be that High Reaches just has really good klah!”

Was there something else the bluerider should have been doing? Probably, but for the time being his focus was on having a nice conversation over a warm drink. So anything else had just slipped by him, for clearly it wasn't very important (probably). Thankfully, he was foresighted enough to remember Pussyfoot, but she was generally a priority for him, same as Gawyth.

“C'mon, little Puss,” he called to the little White, stooping down to scoop up both her ball, and herself. “-I'll get your ball for you.”

While it wasn't as fun as rolling with it, Pussyfoot was just as happy grabbing and noming at the toy while her owner graciously held it in place for her. Convenient!

[Dragon]

It did sometimes seem like everyone had at least one flit. Amaata knew it wasn't true, of course, but it seemed that way. Also, Amaata thought there were some wild flits who had snuck into the Weyr. No one would object to them being there as long as they weren't a nuisance, and it was warmer than outside.

"The klah here is pretty good," Amaata agreed. She didn't know that it was better than the klah anywhere else, but it was quality klah. Probably it was made a priority by the people who stocked the kitchen, what with all the riders and handlers who relied on it to help them stay sharp.

She watched in amusement as Marc'oni got Pussyfoot and held her ball for her, carrying firelizard and toy with him as they headed towards the dining hall. Amaata was really starting to know her way around the lower caverns after being here for half a season; she had a relatively good sense of direction and an excellent memory.

"I'm actually surprised that Skatha hasn't shown up to - ah, there she is." The mottled green popped from between several yards in front of them and practically dove at Amaata. The lady bluerider wondered if Kuroth had sent the flit to her, but her dragon was currently silent on the subject. Just watching through her eyes.

"This is Skatha," she said as the green coiled around the back of her neck like a scarf. A very alert scarf. "She's been with me since a little after Kuroth and I finished as weyrlings. It was actually Kuroth's idea to get her ..." Amaata had just been curious and lonely; Kuroth had encouraged her to put herself forward for an egg.

[EW-NA]

With flit and ball in hand, Marc'oni happily followed behind Amaata, as they made their way towards the Dining Hall. He only paused when he noticed his fellow bluerider coming to a halt, as a green firelizard suddenly appeared and seemed to coil herself around Amaata's neck. Thankfully, Marc'oni wasn't so forgetful about firelizards and their ability to pop to and fro like their larger counterparts.

But boy... did he wish Pussyfoot was more prone to the ability. It would make finding her so easy---well, maybe it wouldn't. She'd probably just wander off to farther locations instead of coming back.

That was not important now, as Amaata was going to the trouble of introducing her own little friend.

“So this is your little green,” Marc'oni pointlessly reiterated. Still, his smile was bright and friendly, still happy to meet Amaata's companion flit. “Wow, she's got lots of different colors! I bet you'd have a hard time finding her if you went out in the woods or in the grass. That's got to be handy!”

For the firelizard or for the owner; he was not very clear.

Having completely forgotten what Amaata said of Skatha's temperament, or not really putting it together in his head, Marc'oni carefully shifted Pussyfoot and her ball to rest in the crook of his one arm. With the other free, he offered it out to Skatha in greeting.

“Hey there, little cutie! You seem like a nice green!”

[Dragon]

"She does blend in well with the colors outside," Amaata confirmed. She was pretty sure Skatha only had like three to five colors, but she'd never sat down at counted and she wasn't sure how she'd make sure she'd gotten all the unique shades of green, anyway ... but yes, Skatha was colorful in the sense that her hide encompassed multiple shades of green. All of them were muted natural shades, mottled together.

Then Marc'oni was reaching out to Skatha, and before Amaata could warn him that it wasn't the best idea to do so Skatha hissed and chomped at Marc'oni's fingers. All Amaata could do was stand there and be grateful that Skatha hadn't decided to bite.

Actually, she didn't think that Skatha had ever gone so far as to bite anyone, at least not since she was tiny, but that didn't stop the flit from announcing that she was antisocial.

"Sorry about that," Amaata said with a faint blush, putting her own fingers between Skatha's snout and Marc'oni's threatened digits. "She's really mistrustful of anyone but Kuroth and I."

She had no idea why her flit was so suspicious. It wasn't like anything had ever happened to Skatha to make her distrustful. But there it was - the green was constantly sure someone was out to get her, or Amaata, or Kuroth, or all three of them. Which ... it was nice to have someone, even a firelizard, feel protective towards her. But it was also kind of weird.

[EW-NA]

It was a relief to see that Marc'oni's basic instincts worked well enough (compared to other things). The rider quickly drew his hand back to himself, curling his fingers in as an extra precaution. Regardless, he still blinked, rather confused at Skatha's display, eventually turning his eyes down to his hand as he checked it over for any injury. Nope, no bite.

Marc'oni frowned before shrugging his shoulders, not so much looking upset at the encounter, but more passing it off as simply what happened. He clearly wasn't upset or disgruntled by the firelizard's actions, though it would be too big of an assumption to say that he'd expected it. You know--- despite all the hints that Amaata gave him prior.

“Oh, that's all right,” Marc'oni was quick to reply back, smiling as oblivious as ever. “I guess I am pretty scary. My Ma always said I was too tall for my own good!”

Whatever that meant---

“No harm done, maybe we can be friends later, Skatha. Now, let's go get that klah!”

[Dragon]

Relieved that Marc'oni hadn't been bitten, Amaata smiled just slightly at the idea that the other bluerider was 'too tall for his own good'. He definitely seemed kind of naive and forgetful; maybe being tall on top of that was a hindrance. Amaata was tall too, if not as tall - but she was neither naive nor forgetful.

"Yes, let's get klah," Amaata agreed, stroking Skatha in an attempt to soothe the flit. She started back down the hall, watching to make sure Marc'oni was coming with her. She didn't want to leave him behind since the whole reason she was going to get klah was to talk to the tall rider some more. She was trying to make a friend here.

Maybe Marc'oni could try and give Skatha a treat. It was a toss-up whether or not the green would take it, but if she decided to then it might do something to help the flit be at least less likely to snap at the other bluerider.

"Would you like to get a meatroll, too, so that we can give some to Skatha and Pussyfoot?" Skatha glared, and Amaata stroked her little head with a fingertip.

[EW-NA]

“Hey, that's a great idea,” Marc'oni exclaimed, at Amaata's suggestion. From how he spoke, it seemed like it would have never crossed his mind, and frankly, it probably wouldn't have. “I'm not really hungry myself right now, but Pussyfoot loves meatpies! Don't you, Pussyfoot?”

Smiling down at his little white bundle, Marc'oni bounced her a bit in his palms. Not as high as earlier, but enough that she seemed to switch focus. Again, she had little understanding of what the humans discussed right over her head, but she liked when they sounded happy. Marc'oni generally always sounded happy, so in her mind, there was barely anything wrong happening....ever.

Though, it was then she seemed to finally notice Skatha, still coiled distrustfully around Amaata's shoulder. Pussyfoot hadn't even realized another flit appeared, and merely peeped curiously, in that cute way of hers. To her, flits appearing suddenly just meant potential playmates.

“That's Skatha, maybe she'll like you more than she likes me,” Marc'oni offered, noticing that his flit was looking towards the Green. “You're a lot cuter than I am, Pussyfoot~”

[Dragon]

He really was dense, wasn't he? Amaata didn't really mind, but Marc'oni's naivety kept surprising her. "Skatha does, too," the bluerider said. Amaata didn't really think that Skatha would like Marc'oni, but she might tolerate him. That would be nice.

Amaata kept scritching Skatha's little head as the other bluerider talked. She wasn't sure whether Skatha would get on well with Pussyfoot either, but there was more chance of it than her getting along with Marc'oni.

"Well, Skatha and Pussyfoot can have a snack, and we can have klah and talk," Amaata said. There, that was resolved, and maybe the two flits would get along. It would be good for Skatha to actually have someone around that she liked, other than Amaata and Kuroth that was. Pussyfoot seemed friendly enough for both firelizards.

"Pussyfoot is pretty cute," Amaata agreed. Skatha was a lovely little flit, but she wasn't nearly as cute as the white.

[EW-NA]

Marc'oni let out a bemused laugh when Amaata was much more direct on their socializing break would actually consist of. “That makes it sound so serious!” he mused, lacking anything but his general friendliness. “Not like a bad thing, but more 'mature' I guess. Like when my folks used negotiate trades with other merchants. They always sat at one of the tables and brought klah out for everyone.”

If it hadn't been clear before, Marc'oni did little to aid himself in disguising his weaker areas of social graces. Afterall, most -adults- would hardly bat and eyelash at the idea of a talk over a warm caffeinated drink. He'd partaken himself plenty of times, but very rarely did he do so with one person as his company. Marc'oni had very little qualms about jumping in face first to crowds or groups of individuals.

And, despite all the lesser points about him, one good thing was that atleast his parents raised him with manners, despite living on the road.

“Here--” the Bluerider offered, when they'd found a nice empty space in the dining hall. “-I'll go and get the klah and some meat buns! You can sit and keep Skatha and Pussyfoot company. You'll be good, right, Pussyfoot?”

Setting his precious little White on the table top, he made sure she was still interested in her ball, before setting his palm right over her teeny head. Practically scrunching it and her little neck down to the rest of her, but as usually, she really didn't mind.