Difference between revisions of "Logs:Taikrin's Candidate Beer Bash"

Resident Common Room, High Reaches Weyr

Just off of the main passageway lies the small cavern that forms the hub of the residents' quarters, kept immaculately clean by the headwoman's staff and warmed in cold weather by a stone hearth to the left and well back from the entrance. Comfortable chairs and a plush fur arrayed before the hearth make an inviting spot to curl up with a book or handicraft, or just to sit and chat. Beyond, additional chairs stand in clusters throughout the room, some upholstered with age-softened hide, some plain wood. At the widest point of the cavern, a round table gleams with polish, though its surface is nicked and scarred from Turns of use. Beyond the table, the very back of the cavern often lies in shadow unless the glowbaskets there are unlidded to cast cozy pools of light. The commingled scents of klah, smoke and polish permeate the air along with the sweetness of rosemary and lavender.

Tapestries hang across the entrances to dormitories and more private quarters as well as the exit to the outer hall, colorful protections from drafts.

As it happens, Nicky is in the barracks when Taikrin calls through; he was carefully laying out his badly-knitted gloves, hat and scarf combo for them to dry on the end of his bed. He looks up at the sound of the woman's voice, eyes narrowing in thoughtful curiosity before they dart to the nearest candidate for... reassurance, perhaps? Either way, he takes his cue from his fellows and plods on out after the brownrider, giving Alida a sympathetic smile - he, too, had snow-shovelling duty earlier in the morning, hence the sodden woollens.

Who has been perpetually confused about his living arrangements? That would be Xhaeon, who sometimes sleeps in the candidate barracks and sometimes spends the night in his own room back within the crafter complex. So he's in the middle of carting a bag over towards the candidate barracks when El Elegant Presidente reveals all the latest snacks. He's a dude and easily bribed, so he stops to browse like young men do, peering this way and that over the kitchen-workers' shoulders as they go about laying it out. Taikrin, for all her loudness, doesn't rate so much attention. (Dude, hot wherry wings? Xhaeon is so there.)

There are several baskets of fried things being set out, all uniform in their unhealthiness. Next to it is what looks like a keg, to go along with the beer mugs being stacked along side. Sure enough-- Taikrin is the first to tap the keg, and it is in fact full of some variety of dark red beer. "Good, good," she says to herself as the candidates come straggling out. "Help yourselves, go on, lots of good stuff. Reckoned maybe you lot might like a chance to relax a little, yeah? Hard working being a candidate, ain't it?"

Wait-what? A telltale scent drifts over the air while Alida's walking back out, and it urges her to slow, pause, take a deeper sniff. Yep, tis beer...and the guard is running out of coinage to pay for much more stuff in the Snowasis anymore. Weighing her chill and the urge to imbibe versus a-socialness and want of taking a hot bath...the candidate pivots about again and paces towards that tapped keg. She has priorities.

It's likely that Brieli heard about this little shindig, as last-minute as it is, from the kitchen (read: her gossipy friends in the kitchen) so she doesn't follow too long after the food, with her usual brisk long-legged stride and a somewhat amused expression, despite an odd air of tension about her. She's not what she'd consider dressed for a party, but it's likely good enough for this one - short round skirt, bright thin sweater and wine dark jacket with her knot, thankfully. Her attention shifts over to the crowding by both her erstwhile Weyrleader and the goodies and hangs back for now, arms folded. There's more than one asocial person around here.

Quinlys is not a Candidate, not a lower caverns worker, and definitely not the Weyrleader-- and actually, seems a little surprised and bewildered when her approach to the candidate barracks is semi-thwarted by this... this whatever it is. One hand goes to her hip, the other runs through her loose hair, and she hesitates, gaze sliding from one person to the next and then-- "Taikrin?" There's a lot of meaning in that use of the Weyrleader's name, but not all of it is bad. Most of it seems highly amused. "Are you perverting my Candidates?"

"My candidates, Quinlys. Mine and Azaylia's. Your weyrlings?" points out Brieli, though she's not arguing the other point.

Xhaeon may be called many things, but never late to a party. In this instance, at least. The Smith does indeed help himself to a mug of beer, amused, lofting it in salute to the brownrider as a token gesture before taking a long draw. It doesn't keep him from looking - more sardonic than typical, increased sevenfold when Quinlys appears. "All of the candidates are yours, now, are they?" His gaze drifts past the quiet candidate from Pars and across Taikrin to where Brieli-- has beaten him to the punch, so to speak. Eyebrows lift, and he takes a subtle step back towards Nicky. Oh hey, innocuous one, what's up? "Free beer. Always fun, eh?" he queries the familiar face.

Nicky waits for someone else to take the lead, before he, too, steps forward. Not towards the beer, but towards the food - and he starts unabashedly piling his plate up with fried yumminess. Onion rings would seem to be a favourite as there's a small mountain of them built up on his plate before he steps aside to let someone else take their share. Once he's got his food he makes a beeline to the keg, hanging back to give Alida space enough to get her mug filled first. "Mi-- Weyrwoman Brieli," he greets the the goldrider as she comes in, before he end up alongside Taikrin to get his beer. "Um... W-Weyrleader?" That he isn't sure how to greet the brownrider properly comes across clearly, and he seems glad for the distraction of Xhaeon. "Yeah. F-free beer, it's good." He nods, stepping aside for the Smith-candidate to take his turn at the keg. "I-I like the look of the w-wings more, though."

Kaeden has filtered in with one of the groups of candidates exiting their quarters. Almost immediately, they disperse, some going toward the beer, some toward the food, and a couple others avoiding both along the edges of the room. For the moment, Kaed would be part of that last group, greeting a few with a quick nod, but for now, he is going to observe.

"Hey Quinlys, come and grab a-- Brieli!" Taikrin's smile is broad. "Come and grab a mug with our candidates! All of you belong to us, yeah?" She's probably teasing, given that she's mug-saluting right back at Xhaeon, and then at Nicky. "Things're so busy lately, I reckoned it might be nice for us all to get to know each other a little, yeah? Seeing as how you're going to have to be braving all our dragons pretty soon and all. Just a friendly gathering, no stress." There's emphasis on that last, and she's looking between Brieli and Quinlys when she says it.

The look Quinlys gives Brieli could almost be described as accusatory, rather like she thinks Brieli is ruining her fun, but it doesn't last-- she breaks into a grin, instead, and shrugs. "My weyrlings-to-be, yeah," she says. "And either way, Taikrin's-- ooh, beer." She isn't a Candidate, but that doesn't seem to stop her from helping herself, glancing back at Taikrin with brows raised. Still: amused. "No stress. Damn straight. So. Who have we here?" Step right up, Candidates. It's time for the... friendly inquisition.

"Too late..." Alida quips low and dryly as she finds herself pulling alongside of Quinlys, the faintest of wintry smirks touching one side of the palest-blonde's lips before she swivels her head over to take note of Brieli and her take on the status of things. Keeping her presence muted - as she was told to do - the femme soon enough finds herself in a short line as others await beer, too, a twisted little bit of a rough smirk-smile all for Xhaeon as his eyes skate over her, the woman lipping off something to him without a word: 'HOLE.' Yep, her nickname for him is still sticking. Over to Kaeden, then Nicky slips that incisive green gaze, their perhaps unlikely fellow candidate observing the two back in poker-faced fashion before greens flick like razors over to Quinlys again. Of course; there *had* to be a catch.

From her spot back from the crowd, in fact on the edges of the room and nowhere near beer or anything fried, Brieli offers Nicky a little wave for his greeting, not even paying attention to that little misstep beforehand. "Taikrin. What a lovely idea. I wish we'd had more time to plan, but I suppose Azaylia might have wanted more of a tea thing." Definitely more of a tea thing. As for the emphasis, the goldrider looks at the other woman all wide-eyed, like how could she ever? And when she realizes she's ruined Quinlys' fun, she wrinkles her nose at the redhead. "Oh, it's Iesaryth, I'm sure. Not as if I feel any particular possessiveness over ch--" Stop. How old are you? "Weyrfolk most of the time."

"The wings /do/ look tasty," Xhaeon agrees with Nicky, pausing to fill his own plate. "Bath?" is his one-word question, sympathetic in the way of all male short-syllable conversations. He isn't ruffled by Alida, but happens to half-edge into Kaeden's space, apologizing with a quick, "Sorry, man." /He's/ not going under the inquinlysition anytime soon: already been, kthx. He says something sotto-voiced to Nicky as he rejoins the farrier-candidate, amusement twisting at his expression.

Xhaeon mutters to Nicky, "... all... contrived,... doesn't..."

Quite happy to sidle off to near enough the edge with his loaded plate, Nicky waves his beermug at Kaeden, giving the dockhand a crooked, sheepish grin. The whispered words from Xhaeon get a slow nod of agreement, and while he doesn't look back at the Smith, he does cast his brown-eyed gaze around the room, blowing upwards to clear a stray curl from his eyes. "Y-yes," he finally says in response, looking sidelong at him at last. "V-very... b-but there's beer?" Which makes it all better... right?

"Uh--- sure. Next time." Taikrin is trying hard to quash the flash of guilt at Brieli. Instead, she offers another faint smile to her Weyrwoman, then turns to cut into the front of the line to pour herself a second mug of beer. This offers to Quinlys as she comes up alongside to inspect her candidates. "You--" she's pointing at Alida. "You met this one yet? She's our fiesty one, far as I been told. You been kept busy, right? No more trouble?"

Kaeden shifts slightly in case Xhaeon needs more room, paired with a murmured, "No worries, man." He gives the nearby Nicky a short wave before going back to crowd-viewing. He has likely managed to catch Alida's look, as he's quick to give her a nod. Attention then shifts to the riders in time to catch Quinlys' question. Not being over by the keg, however, he settles for yet another wave. Mr. Social tonight.

It's possible Quinlys hasn't heard, yet, about Alida's little... incident, because she seems genuinely pleased and proud to tell Taikrin, "Oh, sure, Olly and I searched her. We got--" She glances around, then indicates Xhaeon with one finger, pleased. "Him, too. Well, maybe he was Dad. Or both of us. Anyway: we totally did. Lots of good candidates for your eggs, eh?" She recognises Kaeden, too, as her gaze sweeps the room: he gets a bright, cheerful smile, and a wave of her newly-obtained beer. Beer!

Xhaeon seems content to leave his earlier words alone, his only response to Nicky a long pull from his own beer. Yeah. Free beer. "I hate these things." What things? Social events? He's somewhat between Nicky and Kaeden, now, and it could be directed to either of them. He juggles his beer and food with remarkable efficiency, though, settling in to watch the fireworks doubtless to occur with Alida under the lights, so-to-speak.

Standing off to the side is what makes it easier for Brieli to observe, which is more or less common for the Weyrwoman, no matter where she is - and quiet conversations tend to draw more attention than the obvious ones. Her dark, sharp gaze flickers back to Nicky and Xhaeon and stays, arching fine brows at both Smith and Smith-adjacent candidates questioningly. For what it's worth, she seems interested. Saved by Taikrin this time as she looses a hand to wave it the brownrider's way. "Not at all. Sometimes too much planning makes the whole thing dull." This... definitely not dull. Glancing around, she picks out yet another super-social person tonight, but bucks the trend in not greeting Kaeden as he's not saying much.

In a short time, she's up to the fore of the line for that drink, Alida fetching up her big mug of beer from whoever's tending the thing with a grunted, "Thanks..." Quinlys has more than already met her, and as such, the blonde simply tosses a small half-smile at the bluerider before it's hidden behind her lifted mug. With Taikrin's inqury about the guard to the Weyrlingmaster, the candidate can't help but smirky-grin for a bright moment before she waggles brows at Quinlys, then pacing off to go hold up a nearby where the Pars gal sips and observes this whole, slightly odd situation. The lift of a hand to her chest, where fingers touch lightly to indicate 'Who, moi?' to the Weyrleader soon fade into a small roll of green eyes ceiling-ward, then a faint nod and a zipping motion across lips. Sip.

"Yeah, you," Taikrin affirms to Alida's gesture. "Get over here. I got questions for you, candidate." She looks back to Quinlys, then, surprise registring in her smile. "You been busy, shards. All these candidates? Which other one's yours? I ain't had time to meet many of 'em." She leans in, then, to whisper close into Quinlys's ear, "You gotta give me their names, yeah?" Is... is the Weyrleader flirting with the Weyrlingmaster in the middle of this crowd of candidates? Maybe. She certainly is leaning awfully close, even though she's looking expectantly at Alida again.

"They're, um, ok," Nicky says back to Xhaeon with a shoulder-shrug. He's not entirely comfortable, but the lanky candidate's general demeanour is a little awkward, most likely driven by his shyness. The teen settles his mostly untouched beer down on the nearest surface so that he can start tucking into his onion rings, while watching what's going on - and when he sees Brieli looking over at them, he shrinks back a little, giving the Weyrwoman a wave of his food-filled hand. When she's distracted by Taikrin, he elbows Xhaeon. "Sh-she was watching us."

Kaeden scrubs at the back of his neck for a moment before crossing his arms and continuing his wallflower bit. Except for a brief break to gesture toward one of the onion rings on Nicky's plate, clearly asking if he can have one. Then helping himself, anyway. A moment later he murmurs to both Nicky and Xhaeon, "Any bets on whether or not there's an eruption?"

If Taikrin is possibly flirting with Quinlys... Quinlys is definitely flirting back, given the way she cocks her head, not to mention her hip. And that smile. It's very... professional. "I'll help," she says, teasingly. "You know Alida, obviously. And-- there's Xhaeon, over there, the tall one." She knows a couple of other names, too, and rattles them off easily. "Make Alida talk some, eh? Force her. Weyrleader's prerogative. I'm going to go find out some more names."

Xhaeon has a calm expression for Brieli, grey eyes touched only with the slightest hint of inquisitiveness for the long look; nothing to see here, these aren't the droids you're looking for, etc, etc. This isn't his first poker table. Idle interest pulls his attention to Quinlys and Taikrin, and he lifts a piece of something-or-another to his lips in lieu of immediately responding to Nic's elbow-and-comment, pausing to lowly comment something immediately thereafter, gesturing with his chin absently thereafter in the direction of weyrleader-and-weyrlingmaster. For Kaeden, there's a snort. "In this crowd? I think the better bet would be when rather than whether."

If the Weyrleader is flirting with the Weyrlingmaster at the candidate party, the Weyrwoman isn't all that bothered, perhaps unsurprisingly. She actually seems a little distracted when she forgets to pay attention to what's going on, brows coming together in something like worry before she thinks to school it away. Glancing at the beer with a little grimace, she draws a flask from her jacket instead - and gives Xhaeon a bit of a smirk for his look in return... then wiggles the flask invitingly before she uncaps it. If he wants the good stuff, she's over here... and likely has a price. And then, she does turn her attention to Taikrin and Alida, because, well. She's interested in everyone, apparently.

Juuuust great...and so speaks the vaguely sour look crawling its way over Alida's features as Taikrin gestures for her to come forward. The candidate takes some long paces over to meet blue and brownriders, and only once she's standing near enough the two of them does her imbibing restart. Slightly narrowed, astute green eyes slip cautiously back and forth over the lip of her mug, taking guarded measures of both riders, even as her ears keep vigilant for the things others speak around her. Habit. If she was less well-trained, the blonde might just give Quinlys a raspberry at the Weyrlingmaster's words about grilling her. As it is, the guard only rolls her eyes a tetch, once again, then peering in blank-faced fashion at Taikrin. Sip. She feels eyes upon her from somewhere - a prickle of being watched making the hairs upon Alida's neck ripple - but she's likely not in any danger, so it's given a pass, this time.

Nicky's all for sharing his onion rings; he's got enough of them on his plate, which he holds towards Kaeden for him to help himself. There's plenty more to be had! "I-I agree with Xhaeon," he says in hushed response to the matter of an eruption. He doesn't look at either of the older candidates, instead choosing to look from Brieli, to Quinlys, to Taikrin, munching away on crispy onion rings as he does so. Xhaeon's comment gets a rather emphatic nod, and he bites down on his lip before lowering his voice to speak to both dockhand and Smith; "Um... the W-Weyr's run by... b-by women." Look! There's a Weyrwoman, a Weyrleader and a Weyrlingmaster, and not a manly attribute between them. "W-we're, um..." Screwed? Doomed? Take your pick, as Nicky leaves it to the imagination.

There's a silent nod for Quinlys' directions, though her wiggled eyebrows speak volumes. Then, to the candidate, "You enjoying your beer?" Taikrin asks of Alida when she finally comes over, gesturing with her own mug to the candidate's. "I heard you made it right with what you did. Good. Now." The brownrider turns to gesture grandly with her mug at the clustered candidates. "You gonna introduce me to your friend? Or is it friends?"

"You won't get far if you never talk to anyone, Alida," says Quinlys, in a tone that is not quite chiding, though she seems somehow disappointed, as though the blonde candidate's failure to get involved is a personal affront. "It's not hard, surely!" She rests her hand on Taikrin's arm for just a moment, then abruptly turns to wander off through the crowd-- ending up, purely by coincidence, near Xhaeon, Kaeden and Nicky. "Hi!" she says, brightly.

"Yes," is Xhaeon's heavy agreement at Nicky's drifting-off comment, the trio of male candidates eyeballing the trio of women weyrleaders in a weird juxtaposition of gender and rank in strange inverse correlations to the normal pattern of things in typical Pernese society. He probably notices Brieli's subtle invitation, but doesn't seem *terribly* tempted... yet. Besides, Alida's still on display, and there's better likelihood of males surviving this femapocalypse in number, a-- oh hi, Quinlys. "Weyrlingmaster," he replies, ever-polite in his Telgar tone. "Having a good time?"

"Shells, man, not this again," Kaeden says in response to Nicky's last. While there's an element of exasperation to his reply, there's a touch more good-natured amusement. Kaed does help himself to one more onion ring while giving Xhaeon a likewise bemused look, though he doesn't speak on the subject again, instead interrupted by the appearance of Quinlys. "Weyrlingmaster," he echoes, giving her a sharp nod before gesturing toward the food. "I think I'm going to grab a plate quick before what's-his-name cleans the table," he says, indicating one of the other candidates in the group before he... wanders off. Sorry, Xhaeon and Nicky.

"Pretty good..." Alida murmurs of the beer to Taikrin, the blonde then nodding once, her eyes flicking to the surface of her beer for a moment. A jerk back up of that gelid green gaze to the brownrider presages the Pars hold femme's crisp and clear words as she pivots about once again to point out each other candidate and offer up a short blurb on each one. On down the non-existant list the guard continues, until she reaches... "Xhaeon. He's a smart-ass." Point. "Nicky; naive and pleasant." Point; "Kaeden; champion of underdogs." Quinlys gets a lift of brows, and a smirky, "I talk... You know that." When she wants to.

Oh, well. Too bad for the smith. Seems it's a limited time offer from Brieli, especially when the goldrider notices Quinlys has wandered off to the other candidates and left Taikrin with Alida; she'll still certainly pause for a sip from her flask, of course - it's fortification. And she won't go directly up to them just yet, instead drifting over to where what's left of the food and beer are - yes, to listen, but likely out of some nagging sense of duty as well. She doesn't look like she eats that stuff.

Quinlys gives Xhaeon a look, and then one to the departing Kaeden, too. "I'm pretty sure you're the ones who should be having the good time. I'm here purely by accident, I swear... though I never turn down a free beer. Have you met Taikrin, yet? I guess maybe you haven't... she's good fun. Always a good time with Taikrin." She's rambling, but seems quite cheerful about it. "You guys might as well have some fun now, before the eggs hatch. Just in case and all."

"Yeah?" Taikrin seems interested in Alida's introductions-- she notes each boy when he's named, and is offering her very best Weyrleader smile should they be looking-- a little teeth, and a lot of smug confidence. "Reckon you got them all pegged, more or less. So which one is your friend, again?" There's a pointed look for Alida back there. "You know, which ones are the ones you're socializing with? Pretty sure it's Weyr law that you got to have a buddy with you out on the sands to watch your back-- it's a dangerous place, you know. 'Specially with all those clutches, and Szadath and all. Very dangerous. Lots of blood." She punctuates her comment with a long draught of her beer, so that she can look expectantly over the rim at the candidate.

Xhaeon is /innocent/, dammit. See? His grin for Quinlys is appropriately whimsical. "I remember you gushing about Taikrin, up there." Giving A'quin more things to worry about. He brandishes his plate and mug in defense of him having a good time, and gestures vaguely towards Taikrin and Alida. "Every time I see her, she acts like she wants to break someone's face or die if she has to breathe the same air as someone else." He's probably talking about Alida, and not Taikrin. Probably. (My does Taikrin have such /teeth/, on a glance over...) "My self-preservation instinct requires me to give that space, you know?" So wry.

When Kaeden is joined near the food by Brieli, he gives the woman a sociable little smile. "Good evening, ma'am," he says quietly, grabbing a plate, though he's more slow in picking some actual food. Maybe some... finger veggies. For starters. Alida's labeling is missed, along with Taikrin's smile. And... really, just about everything but the food in front of him. "Things are good? Happy with your Weyrleader?"

Having greeted the Weyrlingmaster upon her approach, Nicky... well, he does what he's pretty good at. He stays quiet, allowing Xhaeon to take the spotlight by edging himself in behind the older Smith, using the man's slightly taller frame to hide his own coltish one. That gives him plenty of opportunity to enjoy his food and listen to the conversation without getting caught up in it - and gives him the chance to meander off towards one of the candidates he's become friendly with when he's beckoned over to join that edge-hugging group.

With a faintly disgusted look over the food, Brieli is, in direct contrast to Kaeden, paying more attention to the Weyrleader and the aggressive blonde candidate, mostly listening. It's easy enough to favor the young man with a flash of a smile, a nod. "Evening. Do you think I need to send for any more of this? Or is it good for the night? I'll leave the beer to Taikrin, I think." She doesn't even sound worried. After another drink from the flask, "So far, so good. Busy, though and... I'm not liking being stuck here today. Some days are worse than others." Her tone is a bit dark, maybe that's why she asks, so quickly, "And you?"

Of Taikrin, Quinlys merely smiles: "We're old friends." Her gaze turns appraisingly thoughtful as the tall Smith continues; the moment comprehension dawns is distinctly visible. "Alida? Mm, maybe. We... reached an understanding. I think she just needs to get used to the fact that people aren't out to get her. Give her time." She makes it sound like there's nothing to it, though her expression says otherwise. "I bet you could take her. Not that I would encourage fighting, of course. That would be bad."

A patently false pucker and smooch is sent over to Xhaeon as he speaks of Alida in that fashion, the young woman's features smoothly transitioning from smirky to bland in a second flat as she continues to sip her beer, listen to Taikrin. A roll of shoulder greets the Weyrleader's first words, her inquiry evoking a low, "Yeah, got one; got it worked out," from Alida. As far as a dangerous brown dragons goes... "All due respect, Sir; but I believe Hraedhyth has Szadath beaten tails-down on the dangerous thing." Holy shit; and HOW. The woman sounds not very flippant at all when she speaks that, really...as she's been too close to said queen at the height of her fury to make light of it. Are her ears burning? Someone might be speaking of 'lida, but where she is now, she can't overhear it.

"Wouldn't worry about it," Kaeden replies to Brieli with an easy, one-shouldered shrug. "If stuff runs low, easy enough to send back for some simple food. We're candidates, not dignitaries." The last is all in good fun, going by his tone and smiling expression. He ends up sticking with just the few veggies on his plate for now and finally turns toward the rest of the party. "Stuck? At the Weyr?" he asks, giving the Weyrwoman a quick look. "So Iesaryth would freak out if you took a quick trip somewhere or something?"

Xhaeon has a glance askance for Quinlys, on the topic of old friends; he doesn't touch it with a six foot pole. He does watch Nicky vamoose on him, and even goes so far as to shoot Kaeden a rueful expression: see what happens when the united front falters? /Failure/. The women are just better at dividing and conquoring. "Alida? Is that her name?" His voice is mild. "I thought it was Frizzlbarakhana." It's semi-muttered, and his plate, having been cleared, is deposited into the nearest bin. The tall man snorts in amusement at Quinlys' last statement, but doesn't comment on the likelihood of fighting. "I think a better fight would be her against Taikrin." His eyes narrow in thought. Maybe a touch too... considering.

"Yeah? You reckon so?" Taikrin's expression turns measuring as she shifts to look over Alida. "Hraedhyth's got her moments, maybe. Mother's love, right? Well. We'll have to see what's what on the day of. Got a couple more sevens, at least." So much for her show of Weyrleadership; as she continues to drink her beer, Taikrin's too-upright stance slowly slips over into a more hip-cocked relaxed version. "Reckon you are still avoiding the question, though. About friends. It ain't really a thing people do, avoiding the Weyrleader's questions. Could be unhealthy." She's still smiling, at least, but there's still a pointed undercurrent to her voice.

Quinlys may well be aware of those glances Xhaeon is aiming around, though she shows it in nothing more than a lift of her eyebrows; a low smirk. "Alida," she confirms. "Took me a little work to get it, but we got there in the end. It's my fault she's about, I'm afraid. As a Candidate, anyway. Never mind." She shifts her gaze from the Candidate towards the two women across the room, rather as though she really is debating their odds. "Bet they'd both fight dirty. Could be good fun, actually. I'd still go for Taikrin, though. Your bet?"

Standing by the remnants of whatever fried food and dark beer that the esteemed Weyrleader has had brought in, Brieli has her flask in hand, apparently not much of a beer drinker. She also seems in good spirits, but there's still tense air about her, frame held too tight. She grins sidelong to Kaeden, pointing out, "It's still a good idea to keep you fed, but there's always food, it's true. And... she doesn't freak out--" She makes airquotes. "About leaving the Weyr. She doesn't freak out about anything, really. But she wouldn't like it, not for long. Even if I wouldn't go, I'd like the option." This has her faintly morose, before, "I suppose we ought to get you all on the sands at some point. When Hraedhyth is asleep. Or hunting."

"Hunting something other than us," pipes up one of the candidates, even as Leova heads briskly down the corridor... only to slow, and then finally ease into the cavern proper. Warily. Her arm's in a sling, but still: wary, not prey.

"I'll be sure t'keep an eye out for 'im, then..." Alida notes in level tones of Taikrin's brown lifemate, the woman appaearing to take the Weyrleader's words at least semi-seriously. they might help to keep her hide intact, after all. When the brownrider's words continue to impinge upon her privacy and consciousness, a little bit of irritation seeps into the guard's green eyes, her lips thinning for a few moments as greens gaze unflinchingly into the other woman's browns. A moment for self-mastery - and a smoothing out of expression - presages 'lida's soft words, meant only for the Weyrleader...her free hand artfully disguising the candidate's lips so as to make any potential lip reading nigh-impossible.

Xhaeon can get into this conversation. He swaps out his beer for a full one, settles in next to Quinlys with one arm casually crossing his chest, fingers tucked around opposing elbow. It's a thoughtful position - a thinking position. "I'll be sure to blame you when she wreaks havoc moreso than she already has." He's not going to mention Rhaelyn's green, though the Galleries incident caused /that/ verbal hashtag to trend. "Dirty fighting? There's any other kind, really?" A flashed smile. "I think Taikrin would be cocky. Alida would get a couple good whips in on her, but..." He shakes his head. "No bet. Taikrin, hands-down." He shifts to be better out of the approaching Leova's way, dipping chin in a respectful nod; "Ma'am." In a sling.

"Nice and balanced, then?" Kaeden asks Brieli once he's finished off one of the tiny veggie sticks. "Wouldn't mind that so much, myself. It's the eccentric dragons that worry me." Another stick disappears before the candidate frowns. "On the sands?" Holdbred boy is uninitiated. Facing the rest of the room as he is, he's just able to view Leova's entrance, though aside from a quick glance at the arm and its still-present sling, he doesn't react. Except to surreptitiously set his plate out of the way.

Quinlys seems genuinely not to know: "More than she already has?" Clearly, she's not been keeping especially good tabs on events in the barracks of late. She shakes her hair out of the way, letting it fall back over her shoulders, and considers her beer, thinking. Leova's arrival interrupts her thoughts - her smile is polite, cheerful - but not so much that she can't finally say, "I think you're not far wrong. I mean-- they'd probably get each other good. None of this girly catfighting stuff, you know? Real punches."

It will take more than a candidate's stare to intimidate Taikrin. She goes still, the smile of goodwill frozen in place. So much for the slouch-- she's upright again, and tense. When she speaks, though her voice is pitched low it's not nearly as soft as Alida's whisper. "Reckon you're maybe a little confused, candidate. It's my job to look out for your best interests, seeing as how it's clear to me you don't know what they are. So. Drink your beer, and then you're going to go and make a friend, or I'm going to teach you how." Amazing how Taikrin can make that sound like a threat. "Quinlys thought you were good enough for the hatchlings, so I'm sharding well going to see you succeed whether you like it or not. I don't like how we don't have all that many women in your class."

As the greenrider enters, Brieli's dark gaze flickers over to see Leova, her sling. Fine brows draw together in concern, but she immediately looks away, as if she's afraid she might get caught in the act. "She's very calm. Not much bothers her. Even when she's bothered, she's not really... It's something I'd like to have." Finally satisfied with the food's status, she too turns to watch the room, though she does note Alida's whispering with an arch of brows Taikrin's way, dark eyes bright. To Kaeden again, "When there's time, and the queens are willing, there's a custom of taking candidates on the sands to look at the eggs. Supposedly to make the hatchlings... I don't know. I think it's so people don't lose it when they get out there for the first time."

Irresistable force, meet immovable object. Alida simply sighs softly and closes her eyes for a moment when Taikrin murmurs that back to her, the unruly candidate taking another, deep draught of beer to help steady her for what's to come. She's bourne much worse before. Finally, when those clear greens open and shift all about from habit, the palest-blonde notices Leova's approach...and wonder of wonders, the greenrider gets a definite bob of head and a tip of a smirk-smile, while the candidate lifts her chin at that arm sling, and cocks her head in silent, unspoken question of the green rider.. Will wonders never cease? In an aisde to the Weyrleader, "You noticed that too, huh?" Liptwist.

Kaeden lets out a quiet, elongated "ahhhh" sort of sound after Brieli's explanation about the sands. "That makes sense. Like how the Holder would do a run-through before one of his ceremonies or something? Settles the nerves. Works out the kinks." There's a sudden flash of amusement on Kaeden's face, then, for reasons left unexplained. "So a few sevens from now, you'll be free, right? Going to fly off and take a vacation," he asks with a sidelong glance at Brieli, "or will you stick around to keep an eye on... things?" That nod of Xhaeon's gets a polite-enough, "Candidate," but then Leova's taken to eyeing the scenery: all these candidates between her and her goal, and Quinlys of all people, who gets a brief, cool glance before her gaze drifts toward, and then fixes upon, Taikrin and her candidate. "How do you like our beer," she says to the nearest of the lot, without bothering to look away to him or her.

"Of course. I notice everything," Taikrin intones, ominous. "Got to make sure they got the proper spread-- Faranth only knows but there's a gold out there. And anyways, I reckon one of these days we'll see a woman on a bronze if we keep giving 'em a good spread. How would you feel about a bronze?" While she's asking, her gaze shifts over towards Leova-- she must have marked the greenrider's entrance. She offers a half-salute with her mostly-empty mug of beer to her wingrider, then glances back at Alida. Yes. Paying attention. Mostly.

"Real punches. Real bruises, broken fingers." Xhaeon agrees, lapsing silent for no obvious reason. Leova's interaction with Quinlys is noted away, and he offers a brief, quick smile to the bluerider. "If you'll excuse me, Weyrlingmaster," he sketches out something of a salute - it involves his beer mug - before striding with purposed steps back towards the table of food, to rescue his bag of stuff that was left there when food distracted him. If he happens to blend into the crowd, after... Well. These things happen.

With a nod, Brieli agrees with Kaeden, "Something like that. It's a different view from there, and it'll be different still with people in the galleries and dragons and all... but. It's something. A moment where, I suppose, you can say, well. I've at least been here." There's an arch of a brow for that amusement from the young man, but she doesn't ask. Not yet. "Free to go... visiting at least. I don't know that I'll necessarily be taking time off. There's..." Looking over to the candidate, wry, "A lot to keep an eye on." She'll drink to that.

Quinlys seems only mildly put out at losing her conversational partner - and they were doing so well with the imagined fight! - and it probably doesn't help that Leova's glance is so cool. It makes her shift, uncomfortably, from one foot to the other-- and then hastily decide (apparently) that she needs more beer. More beer requires moving away, back towards the place where Taikrin and Alida are still standing, though she's yet to actually interact.

There's baskets of fried food and a keg of beer set out on a table for the candidates, as they come off of chore duties. Small groups of them are already scattered about, awkwardly enjoying the Weyr-provided alcohol and mostly avoiding interacting with the weyrleadership that has descended upon them with food and forced socialization.

"Including how your other candidates are conveniently ditching this little shindig?" Alida murmurs in riposte to Taikrin, the blonde then cocking a brow at the Weyrleader's words of dragons. "I thought bronzes never picked females..." Hardly a moment for thought ends in a firm, "Might be too obvious, but I think a bronze would be a perfect match fer me. Brown, too." Her diffident shrug might silent speak 'But what do *I*, a non-weyrfolk know.' Sip. Leova is also trailed by her own focused gaze, the greenie kept in her sights.

"Makes sense," Kaeden agrees, giving Brieli a brief nod as he shoves his hands in his pockets. "In that case, I look forward to cooking my feet with you sometime soon." Her last comment gets a single slow nod before he grins at her a little crookedly. "I think you guys should have a dance-off. Or fight it out. Get the fuh... the whole situation over with." Xhaeon's departure is noted with a slight chin-nod of farewell. "I mean, not fighting with eggs still out there and stuff, but... y'know."

"Folk tell all sorts of weird rumor. Firestone making dragons sterile is my favorite." Taikrin even has a little smile for Leova in there while she denigrates her chosen profession. "Just 'cause nobody's seen one in a while don't mean it don't happen. I mean shells, firelizards were only stories, what, like a hundred turns ago? Fifty? Something like that? Opportunities' there for the taking. And if those lot ain't interested in free beer? Their problem."

Leova ducks her head to listen, nods once, then walks crisply towards Taikrin. If it means walking in the same direction as Quinlys, so be it: if the bluerider gets beer-distracted, why, she'll just have to pass her up. She does glance at Kaeden along the way, with quick recognition, and pass a more polite nod to Brieli afterward, but... mission time.

Dryly, "Yes, it's terribly thrilling. Both the standing and the cooking." Brieli gives a bit of an eyeroll for that, though Kaeden's crooked grin and next remarks are just met with a slow, wide smile. Perhaps just a little satisfied with herself, though it's only really all that noticeable up close. It's a pretty smile, but that's not what it's for. After a nod to Leova that sobers her for the span of it, she tells the young man, "It is all over with. Nothing for you to worry yourself over." If it has the tone of 'don't worry your pretty little head', she might be forgiven. Maybe.

Beer is better than talking to Leova-- for Quinlys, at least, who seems unnerved and uncomfortable, even now, though at least she has a drink in her hand to make it all easier. Luckily, it doesn't take her too long to find a group of mixed candidates and begin to chat with them, even if she's so-obviously not glancing in the direction of Taikrin, Alida, and the approaching Leova. Taikrin's heresies? Well... it's not like the bluerider would shout her down anyway.

Wakizian's entrance is nothing spectacular. He's just one more candidate arriving back from cleaning up after chores. His hair hangs loosely and damply around his shoulders, and boots have been traded for leather flip-flops. Maybe the scandal of hairy toes will out do the rumors of his hairy legs from Turnover. His trajectory initially placed him heading through the door to the barracks, but something about food just pulls him right off track, and soon enough his cheeks are stuffed and hands are full of vittles. People? They're a secondary interest, his eyes scanning the room only after he's started to feed.

The look of some small surprise within Alida's green eyes and her open mouth that *almost* inquires about sterility and female dragons makes her own supposition at that belief obvious...but then the guard thinks the Weyrleader is pulling her chain, and she closes her yap and dons a cool expression. Sip. "Maybe..." is murmured quietly. Personally, the blonde thinks she'll be out of the Weyr and out of a dragon come Hatching time...as well as already having lost her 'job' back at Pars. Nothing like giving up your whole known life for a small chance at a dream of youth. With the nearer approach of Leova comes a lift of Alida's mug of beer to forehead in a sort-of salute, and her alto, "Nice ta meetcha' again." A look over to scout the rest of the crowd offers the aware guard a quick look at Quinlys' reaction to the presence of what's likely Leova, and she finds herself parsing through what might evoke such.

Ceawlin can be good at blending in (maybe; he thinks he is anyway) and thus has kept himself against the wall being the perfect picture of a wallflower. For once without instrument, the harper looks a bit strange without the obvious token of his craft. Cold blue eyes survey the gathered candidates while a nip of the alcohol is sipped from a small cup. Food is not yet indulged in, but perhaps only because of that awkward pose of standing while both trying to eat and drink. Newcomers are noted, but his attention never appears to linger overlong on anyone. Doot, doot, doot.

Kaeden looks quickly toward Brieli after her last statement, surprise in his expression before curiosity causes his dark eyes to narrow slightly and his brows to draw down a fraction of an inch. "Oh. Well... that's good to hear, ma'am," he tells her in q quick, low murmur that is punctuated with another small nod. He turns away again to return to people-watching, but his face has gone just a little blank in that preoccupied way.

Content that her heresy has been duly absorbed, Taikrin turns to greet Leova with a bright, "Feeling better, Leova? Missing you in drills." Missing Taikrin too, maybe-- she's only barely begun as a Weyrleader and she's already starting to neglect her wingleaderly duties. "Reckon they'll be down with that cask of whisky I ordered any minute-- you got good timing! It'll be a right party, not that I trust this lot to enjoy it properly."

"Getting that way. It'll be a couple sevendays yet," the Glacier wingrider says with a slight grimace. Longer, if she keeps overdoing her wrist. "Whisky, now. That's a change. Expect they'll appreciate it, hm?" Her glance pauses on the younger of the three women. "And look at you. Alida, wasn't it? A candidate now. Did I hear right, you were the one acting up 'round the eggs? Or was that just idle gossip."

Lifting brows a touch, Brieli glances Kaeden's way for the quick quiet words, the way he falls into thought after. She's not a woman that's uncomfortable with a lull in the conversation, nor one that minds crowd-watching while she drinks from her flask idly - having company means she's not like to be bothered in it. But, after a short time, low-toned, "Is that so surprising?"

"Maybe I'll have to take a group of you guys down to the barracks at some point," Quinlys is saying, hip cocked and eyes bright, though she's surely not drunk all that much. "Show you around. I guess most people haven't really been down there... I hadn't, before I Impressed. It was all new territory. Luckily, the weyrlings from Rielsath's clutch are basically graduated, so it's not like you'd be interrupting." It's possible she's flirting with some of the candidates she's talking to. It wouldn't be surprising.

Clear, deep green eyes scrape along and over Ceawlin as they make their occasional circuit of the little party, Alida recognizing him fellow candidate and placing him in an instant, even as her regard moves onward. More sipping of beer lets the blonde quietly observe even more, that is until Taikrin speaks of whiskey and not wasting it. A loud and perhaps rude snort emerges from the guard, speaking quite obviously as to her personal thoughts of 'waste', the woman then paying attention to Leova's words. "Yep..." is noted almost chipperly, the blonde then acting to quickly try and hide her frown over that incident behind a deep sip of beer. Still... a grunt of very modest acknowledgement comes from her, along with a muttered, "Never meant t'do such." Contrite she is, if not cowed.

With grumbling tummy quelled, Wakizian's drifting through the cavern, overhearing snippets of conversations here and there, and so it is that he manages to hear Taikrin's words to Alida, and steps close enough to interject, "My fault, Weyrleader. I was being a pest." He flashes the brownrider a smile, "Surely Weyrwoman Azaylia mentioned to you that I have a tendency to be such without meaning to?" A hand reaches to idly flip long locks back over his shoulder. A brown glance slides towards Alida, trying to gauge her reaction to his interjection.

Ceawlin's attention stops on Alida, pale 'brows notching up just enough to hint at mild -- surprise? Amusement? Mixture of both? -- emotion before he settles back to what might be boredom, except not. For curiosity lingers in icy eyes and sharp features and lurks in the chilly expression used to keep the too-nosy Candidates from approaching. It's people-watching-season, can't have distractions. Once again, Alida's corner draws the harper's attention, eyebrows inching upward once again when Wakizian steps up and steps in.

"Depends," Kaeden answers, shoulders hunching a moment as he watches some of the comings and goings before turning back toward Brieli. "Is it okay to assume congratulations are in order?" Could anyone blame him for suddenly being a little hesitant? Wary, even? "I'm still treading water when it comes to Weyr politics," he adds in quick explanation, "but in my mind, a person's either a leader or... they're not. Has little to do with a knot. The knot just reinforces it."

"That's not so long. Reckon they'll have you out about as soon as we've got the new weyrlings running around, then? Just in time, that, yeah?" As if on que, one of the lower caverns workers does appear, with a small wooden cask. "There's my man! Just a sec--" Taikrin flashes a smile at Leova and Alida, then sidles away to micro-manage the setup of what does, in fact, turn out to be whisky. Who said the candidates weren't supposed to drink liquor? Nobody told Taikrin.

"I actually quite agree. That's why I think if someone sees a hole, they fill it. No decision could be made, so I decided." Brieli just stood up and announced it. With a shrug to Kaeden, "I accept congratulations, but I don't necessarily know if they're warranted for several reasons. But we do what we must, yes? We do or we do nothing at all." She'd say more, but then she realized what exactly Taikrin is doing, and she looks, to be honest, a bit horrified. "Excuse me, but... I think I need to deal with that..." And she starts over to the brownrider, expression one of vague disbelief.

Leova's glance after Taikrin is opaque, though she's got a one-cornered smile to go with it: a short-lived one, because then she's studying Alida again. "Good to know," she says then. "Imagine you'll be more careful later, hm?" Wakizian's just earned himself a longer glance, if a dubious one, lengthened by that flipping hair. "Something to work on. Evening, all." With that, and a nod, Leova absents herself to walk down the corridor, away from the one which Weyrleader and Acting Weyrwoman had taken.

Kaeden does nothing to impede Brieli's movement toward Taikrin, though there might be a flash of disappointment, if it means the whisky is going to be off-limits. He takes a slow breath and glances hind him at the food but once again dismisses it before he starts edging away toward an exit. The edging happens to make his path cross with Ceawin's, so Kaeden stops long enough to give the blonde a nod of greeting. "Bunch of fried food over there, if you feel like getting your hands greasy," he informs the Harper candidate quietly, his own tone expressing his opinion of such an option.

Taikrin pours herself a glass with a bare finger and a half of whisky, then turns. She looks well-pleased with herself, until she meets Brieli's gaze. Her eyebrows raise, in a silent, startled 'what?'.

Oh look, someone found him out! Ceawlin's momentary distraction by the Alida-Wakizian drama unfolding is ended when Kaeden shows up. "Mmmmm, maybe later. I hate standing and eating, besides, it's much easier to mingle," not that the harper was mingling, "without a plateful of food." He considers his fellow Candidate, before observing, "Not leaving already, are you?"

She too is quick to take notice of Wakizian's arrival, Alida twisting her lips just a little as the other candidate nears...the expression silenced behind more beer. His words to Taikrin presage the faintest bit of a hard nod from the guard, though she doesn't give the Smith a hard time, nor even a snort nor glare. She said she'd be decent, after all. And then it appears as if it's soon going to be hard liquor time, the arrival of such bringing a small, if honest bit of a smile to 'lida's features, her mug of beer polished off with ease to enable more embibing of other stuff...as well as more concise communications with Leova. "Mhm..." is responded back curtly, the blonde not even batting an eyelash as the greenie divests herself of their company, Alida nodding to the woman as she goes. Her question will have to wait. Green eyes soon enough skate over Waki once more as they move along to the barrel Taikrin's about to unveil, and notice the slightly disbelieving Brieli hurrying after the brownrider. Such an observance is reason for a small frown to grow upon the candidate's features, as she sees a potential block upcoming in the flow of potent spirits...but what's a lowly pissant to do? Apparently just look around...and occasionally glance back over at Wakizian.

Brieli flickers a look from Taikrin to the cask and back again on her way over, but she waits until she's all the way over to have a word, which she does quietly and pleasantly, even peering over at the color of the liquor with polite interest. It's like they're talking about the vintage or something. If Taikrin cares about vintage, etc.

You whisper "If you let the candidates drink that, it's going to be your job to make sure they don't overdo it. Otherwise, just share it with Quin and the other riders, yes?" to Taikrin.

Taikrin whispers "What... what? What's the big deal? Just a little liquor, no worse than they're paying for in the Snowasis, right?"

Now Taikrin DOES whisper, and though she's trying to smile there's something vaguely panicked in the way her eyes flick across the candidates. Then she straightens, swirls the whisky in her glass, and declares, "It is the good stuff, after all. Just enough to go around, a little. Reckon it's our duty to reach them to appreciate a good batch, yeah?"

With the group he'd joined suddenly disbursing, Waki is left more or less alone standing near Alida. He purses his lips momentarily and then squares himself, facing the guard. "Alida- about that whole thing in the galleries. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being a pest. I won't be in the future, but I-" He swallows, whether out of nervousness, fear, or maybe he just had a little food left in his mouth or something, "-I'm here if you ever want a friend. You've just to say the word or punch me." And without sticking around for a response, he moves back towards the food. Perhaps it's a tactical withdraw.

You whisper "When they buy it, they only can buy so much and we're not encouraging them to get wasted and break our rules! You don't have to buy everyone's loyalty! They're children, most of them. Faranth!" to Taikrin.

Arching her brows, Brieli looks at the cask as Taikrin says 'a little'. And now she has to be the bad guy too, but she'll speak quietly first, then after, with a smile, "It's our duty to make sure these young men and women are treated as their Crafts, Holds, and parents would have them. The beer's enough." So blame the Weyrwoman for being the buzzkill. As usual. She does have the decency to cap and stow her flask before she says this, then offers the brownrider a nod and a general, "Have a good time," before she leaves, looking rather tired.

Kaeden watches some of the goings-on for a moment before glancing to Ceawlin again. "I was thinking about it, yeah," he answers quietly, nodding with his chin toward the corridor that leads to the living cavern. "I'm hungry, but not a fan of the fried stuff, usually. Unless it's fruit." There is a last glance back toward the whisky, then the riders surrounding it before he leans toward Ceawlin to utter something more quietly. Kaeden mutters to Ceawlin, "... but... feel... Even... like treats... this won't be available to us later... ditch... some food... make..."

She knew it was coming, given how Waki *is*, and when it does... the guard simply stands there with empty mug in hand, her arms akimbo by sides...perhaps appearing ready to use her drinking cup to bash the Smith over the head for his temerity. Such an attack never comes, though, and with a level stare and a half-smirk that fade quickly enough, the woman simply grunts at her fellow candidate, and watches him walk off. At least she's not upset, right? Brieli's cutting off of the flow of booze, however, *does* have the blonde grumbling softly to herself, her booted feet soon enough carrying her over to a tray so she can dump her empty mug upon it, the holder then striding off towards an exit without another word. Hell, at least she got away from Taikrin. time for a bath.

Ceawlin considers Kaeden, then grins. "Yeah, let's. C'mon." Pushing away from the wall, he chances one final glance to Taikrin, consideration in blue eyes, before dropping his cup off and motioning for Kaeden to follow if he's not already. And the curtain closes on whatever it is they're gonna do -- probably gorge a bit. Gossip a bit. Plot some. The night's still young!

Taikrin is more or less managing to keep her smile, the illusion that this is all just a very pleasant conversation, but it's grown decidedly fixed. "Of course, Weyrwoman, as you say. Reckon you know best. Shame you can't stay, though. Have a pleasant evening." Only once Taikrin is sure Brieli is really gone does she start allowing the candidates to have tastes of the whisky, along with their beers. Just tastes. Really. Hopefully none of them are terribly sneaky!