Difference between revisions of "Logs:Post-Hatching Feast - Niahvth and Reisoth"

Alida's already nabbed both food and drink, the woman sipping from wine in one hand, then setting it down for a moment so she can munch on the more exotic foodstuffs - including MEAT, yeah! - made for the Hatching feast. Between bouts of consumption and meandering around, the oddly, perhaps 'provocatively' dressed bluerider circulates freely, drawing some odd looks from folks who knew Azaylia well enough.

One of Savannah's greenriders, Nita, has managed to secure a table, and a few of the Savannah riders are already congregating there, having managed to snag a couple of bottles for the table at large. R'hin's seated comfortable near the end of one of the benches, gulping down generous amounts of the liquid.

Drex, never a huge fan of crowds at the best of times, is less than enthused at the increasing crowd. It might just be why he's sticking close to Minara, as a familiar face. But also probably because, "Where's the wine?" surely she knows.

True to her word, if it was only mouthed across the distance to Alida, that is who Lilah finds first. She hasn't settled in, no food or drink gathered and her riding jacket still folded over her arms as if it might go back on at any moment. "Congratulations to High Reaches," she offers in greeting to the bluerider, her gaze only sliding past momentarily as if searching for the Weyrleaders to offer that to.

Minara eases to the side once she and Drex enter the cavern, aiming for a less populated pocket in the growing hubbub. She watches riders and other folk walk past with bottles in hand and eventually nudges Drex with her hand and chin-nods toward one of the likely sources along the wall before she starts moving in that direction, shamelessly eavesdropping on breezes of conversation.

Faryn has not, apparently, dressed for the occasion. She's shucked that white robe and is back in what is ostensibly her regular clothes, easily slipping in on the fringes and making her way resolutely for the alcohol, not the food. Two glasses, it is, both filled with wine, one of which she swallows in a few long gulps before refilling. Her eyes keep going to the doors through this process, like she's waiting for someone to arrive.

Dressed like Azaylia...Alida still just doesn't cut the affable and approachable aura that the former Weyrwoman did. The bluie does, however, offer a faint hint of a smile to Lilah, and a low, "Reaches *needs* it." Beat. "Them." Badly. Sip. "Thanks fer showin' up, Lilah." Munch. "How's Eli?" As they converse, the bluerider's sharp green gaze locates Savannah and R'hin out beyond in the cavern, and mark their location. Where are the 'new' Weyrleader(s)?

Drex moves in the direction indicated by Minara, his expression growing increasingly cloudly as snatches of conversation about the new gold can be heard of those they pass by. The, "Wonder how long this one will last?" and snickering by a pair of holders has the sailor abandoning his companion in order to slouch up and roundly deck the poor man in question, to the gasping reaction of some nearby.

Irianke arrives a short while after the hatching concludes, the lovely yellow confection of a dress she wears eye-catching. When someone approaches to greet her, she offers a warm smile and a hand that asks for a moment and approaches the dais where the leadership table is and climbs it slowly. There, she waits, and a whisper slowly starts to make its way through the crowd consisting of shushes and look over theres.

"She's fine. A hatching like this is certainly enough to put her in bright spirits," Lilah answers with a polite smile, only tipping the subtlest of nods for whether or not High Reaches needed it. Irianke's approach to the dais draws her attention away, though, only looking back to Alida with a silent question held there as if the bluerider might know.

Undoubtedly, R'hin, too, has heard some of the whispers going around, because one by one, Savannah's riders casually circle away from their claimed table, most taking a glass (or two) with them as they go. The Wingleader, however, stays, with a good half-a-bottle left into his care.

Whoa. How long had it taken for someone to hit someone else at the last feast? Certainly much longer than this one, and Faryn is looking over her glass at Drex with interest when he hits someone, apparently unprovoked. The herder - just a herder again - makes her way through the gap in the crowd left by his violence, apparently undaunted by it, and she offers one of her glasses out. "Need a drink?" There is no condemnation, in her eyes or her voice. Maybe nobody noticed?

"Excellent," the bluie murmurs of Evi, then murmuring of Ilicaeth, "My boy got a little jealous when I made moon eyes at one uv' the browns out on the Sands." Grin, Sip. Huh? Blink. Irianke up on 'stage?' To Lilah's look comes a small shrug of shoulders, and a 'wait and see' expression. But what's this? Violence already?! Alida hears the small scuffle and the sound of a fist meeting flesh, and the guard in her is instantly on alert, green eyes racing all around to locate where the fist-ivities have taken place. With the place not yet filled-up, it doesn't take the blonde long to home in, and start moving towards Drex and Co. after abandoning her food. Not drink, however. Lilah gets a low, tight, "I'll be back soon. S'cuse me."

H'vier continues to follow Irianke, maybe just Irianke's butt, until he realizes where she's going and he pauses rather than following her all the way onto the dais. He even turns after a moment, to find a drink to put into his hand. He needs alcohol. And he's probably not the only one.

Minara is about two-people deep into the wine queue before she realizes Drex is no longer there. Luckily it doesn't take much time to get out of that line as she hurries back toward her newfound drinking buddy. It doesn't take many of the surrounding murmurs to figure out why there's now a holder clutching himself and glaring at Drex. "Hey, hey... party!" Min says, slapping on a wide grin that doesn't... quite fit, slipping between the holders and sailor. "Happy stuff. Come on. Go." And she would leave it at that... really. Except she calls over her shoulder, "The answer is a whole lot longer than you!" with a good dose of mock-cheer for the injured holder before she gives Drex another crooked little smile.

Irianke will ignore the scuffle, the room sufficiently quiet enough for her clear, solemn voice to cut across it. "Thank you for joining us in this time of celebration. A hatching always brings joy with it and while we will welcome this happiness and hope it will continue in her near and long futures, I'd like everyone to raise a glass and have a moment of silence, and think to the past turn and what we have lost, including our Weyrwoman." The silence, more or less, stretches for a minute, after which the goldrider takes a drink, then toasts once more with a broader smile to her mouth, "And to our new weyrlings. May good fortune follow them all."

There's a bit of follow-up scuffling between the holder and Drex, until Minara's intervention between the pair of them. The sailor's glare is mostly for the holder, but some of it might linger as he looks at Minara too, fading into a growled, "Not even worth it. Idiot landlubber," is growled after the pair as they move away, before his attention fixes on Minara with a frown and hands on his hips. "Didn't you hear what he said?"

Lilah nods simply for Alida excusing herself, with her attention still held mostly by Irianke as the new Weyrwoman begins to speak. But without a drink to lift, she only murmurs a echo of the toast that is suddenly ringing through the living caverns. There is a glance cast towards the drinks table, but the Fortian doesn't go that way as instead she moves to find an empty seat somewhere.

Alida has been giving Azaylia and Hraedhyth's memories more than one moment of silence, and many many drinks, as well, and so the blonde doesn't do more than quickly sip at her wine and continue to move towards the former little fist-fest...until she pulls up to Minara's and Drex's sides, and murmurs a little tightly to them, "Problems?" Those merciless green eyes skewer all here, including that holder who gets eyeballed darkly by the sailor. One the surface, the bluerider's all casual inquiries, but beneath buzzes a bright note of tension.

Speech made, Irianke makes her way down, though she downs the glass she has somehow procured on the way over in one gulp. A passing drudge gets the empty, and she gets a new one and makes her way to H'vier. People on the way are greeted by name with a smile, brief nod and even briefer chit chat. Then, "Still angry?" she asks of the bronzerider when she finally makes her way to him.

Faryn shrugs, because Drex is already too worked up for her to offer again, it seems. She withdraws her offer of a glass presently and obviously by taking a sip off the top, a toast to ...whatever she said. Sure. She's more interested in the sailor, though, and the arrival of Alida. The rest of this feast is perfunctory; this is where the real feelings are. She didn't hear what the holder said, but she'll say, "Was it something unbearably crude?"

If there's something to mess up a moment of silence, it's definitely a fist fight. Though this one is at least short-lived. For the moment. As the conversations in the cavern resume, Minara punch-taps Drex in the shoulder. "Yes, fishbreath, but I'm only hitting you." It's lame, and she knows it, as she can't quite stop from smirking. As Alida joins them, Min straightens and dutifully shakes her head. "No, ma'am. Just a, uh... disagreement of... etiquette and manners," she answers, glancing over her shoulder at the holders.

"I'm not angry," H'vier lies, blatantly, right to Irianke's face. But he looks somewhere else as he takes a long drink from his glass. "Don't let me keep you from finding someone to spread your legs for," is added. Because H'vier is definitely not angry at all.

Wow, that's awkward. Well, it would be, if Drex were more aware of the social niceties of noticing the new Weyrwoman preparing to give a speech, anyway. The sailor's look at Minara is less salty, but his, "Fine. But we still need alcohol," is fairly pointed. He seems content to let Minara handle Alida, giving the bluerider a brief look, before squinting towards their original direction of travel. That's when he finally notices Faryn, blinking at her for a moment as if processing that she's holding two glasses. He might've missed that earlier offer, but, doesn't mean he isn't going to take advantage now, reaching out as if to try and pluck one of them from her hand, though she'll easily have time to prevent it. "About Farideh," he mutters to her, darkly.

R'hin, at his table, continues drinking, the spots abandoned by his wingriders slowly filling up. He doesn't seem to object, though he does pull the bottle of wine -- more than a quarter now -- closer to him, listening carefully to the chatter he can hear nearby.

"Mmm." Irianke merely lifts a brow at H'vier and turns, the flat neutral of her face animating when it finds someone semi-important standing by her. Also greeted by name, though there's the slightest pause before it. "Let me show you where our nicer vintages are tonight," and guides the tackily dressed woman towards the beverages.

The touch of Lifreyth's mindvoice is the whump of an ancient tome falling open, dust shaking from the pages, settling on creaking wooden shelves. Satisfaction radiates from the scripted words, enthusiasm turning those pages; reeling, scrawling images--as though drawn with a child's hand--are crooked and thick in their youthful elation. There's no words, only... happiness. (To local dragons from Lifreyth)

This is surely the perfect time for Lilah to choose to approach Irianke and H'vier, in an attempt to take advantage of them both being together. And yet, she doesn't get there quite in time to catch Irianke as another calls her away, leaving the goldrider instead to offer the polite, "Congratulations," to H'vier instead. "It seemed like a strong, healthy group."

For her part, Faryn doesn't stop Drex from taking the second glass, even if she looks like she regrets the offer when he finally takes her up on it. "Oh. Well. Serves him right, then," she'll acknowledge. Her expression softens slightly for him, looking at him thoughtfully. "I thought you might be gone, before all this." She encompasses the caverns, the entire weyr, with a grand gesture. "Did you stay deliberately, to watch her?"

There's no words from the taciturn bronze up on the rim, but there is a rush of cold, wintry winds, that spirals amongst that dust and dissipates almost as swiftly. (To local dragons from Leiventh)

She listens intently to all explanations offered to her, Alida not able to hold up a blase stance, but managing to keep her game face a mostly-casual one. Except for those eyes, of course. They examine all parties invested in this fisticuffs - especially Drex, since he's just too damned casual - critically and coolly, until the dress-clad woman finally notes crisply to the small group, "I ain't usually one ta be bothered by a little knuckle-play. But..." Always that damned 'but!' "Y'll have ta tone it down, 'r take it outside. There's been enough crazy shit here, without upsettin' even more people at what's supposed ta be a great day." Her words are almost indifferently delivered, except for - again - the warning chill in green eyes. About Farideh, eh? For everyone's benefit - most especially that holder's - she lips off a mile-a minute, sharply-accented, "Be a damned shame if any rider ever overheard any lip over a new-made weyrling...'specially a goldrider." In *this* Weyr. Sip. "Never know how ugly things could get. Tempers, honor, 'n such." Handwave, nasty-smirk. "Enjoy." Huh? Unless there's reason to stay, the blonde's already nodding, taking her leave, again, moving back towards the general area where she thinks Lilah might be.

To local dragons, Niahvth is joy made, well, mental? She exudes it from every touch and petal dancing. Free of the sands with a strong fully partnered clutch off to discover the world, the queen stretches out to bolster Lifreyth's happiness, magnifying it and spreading some of it across the Weyr.

H'vier watches Irianke turn and leave. It's not really glaring, though, especially not with the way his eyes roam. It does make him less aware of Lilah's presence until she speaks, though, and the bronzerider's attention focuses on her. "Thank you, weyrwoman. Reisoth is quite proud of himself. I think he's well within his rights."

He's too hard and gritty to expose the lil' dude to much of his personality, so Ilicaeth 'graciously' blunts his return sending, letting only granite and warm earth support Lifreyth's elation. Way ta go, kid! (To local dragons from Ilicaeth)

A tide of salt water drifts, tossed by those winds and soaking those pages, permiated with itchy, itchy, itchy sensations. (To local dragons from Akluseth)

Lycinea, dressed in a pale pink dress that makes her look more youthful than grown-up, ghosts through the crowd of assembled to appear briefly at Irianke's elbow with a glass of bubbly offered to her. "It's all ready for you, Weyrwoman," is murmured just loudly enough to be heard by the goldrider. "Congratulations," it is an occasion for congratulations, even if the blonde assistant's are a bit subdued. "Will there be anything else?" She's such a good assistant though, isn't she?

Leaving the tacky woman to help herself to the "nice" vintages, Irianke turns and finds Lycinea there and with a refresher. "Thank you." Those blue eyes melt at the subdued young woman before her. "For everything, Lya. Enjoy your evening and we shall talk on the morrow." The appearance of an apprentice healer at R'hin's elbow has him sighing -- the deft acquiring of his wine glass moreso. The Wingleader seems to concede with enough grace that he rises soon after, and the pair are heading towards the living caverns -- though not before there's a brief pause to confer with a Savannah bluerider before he disappears.

There is a hint, perhaps, of the briefest flicker of a smile for her surprising of the bronzerider, though Lilah seems to have little left to say to the bronzerider. Smalltalk, how horrible. "Of course," she does offer, studying H'vier and then glancing after Irianke again before she continues more bluntly, "Something wrong between you two? That doesn't seem an auspicious start."

Minara has to nod in agreement to that sentiment as she turns to resume the search for said alcohol, though there is another pause as Drex takes up Faryn's offered glass. This is followed by a start of, "Oh!" from the clerk, quiet but heartfelt. "I misunderstood the holder, then, I think." She frowns, glancing in their direction before turning back to Alida. "My thoughts exactly, ma'am." A beat. "Nice dress, by the way. I always liked that one."

"No," Drex replies to Faryn, perhaps a little too sharply and defensively. It might help that he's secured that glass and gulps down fully half the contents before he hears Alida's words, but then again, he might not. Eyes narrow at the bluerider, flickering towards Minara briefly with a growing scowl, then back. "So... it'd be fine if it were a rider defending her, but I aint got the right? Fuck that."

H'vier glances in Irianke's direction again, not finding her where he'd last seen her. He continues to look for several moments as he says, "An auspicious start to what? I don't know that there's been anything auspicious about my relationship with that woman." In so much as he has any relationship with her.

To local dragons, Rasavyth's mental ooze of charm is a balm to those itchy hides. It won't take away the itch, certainly, but it helps take the edge off, hopefully. He's pleased, and it may be felt. He's a warm presence lingering at the edge of the activity in the barracks, settled outside. There, if needed, but not intruding.

To local dragons, Reisoth's pride is subdued. But the fact that it's there at all certainly means something for the bronze who rarely shares much in the way of emotions. Never mind that he's more proud of himself for his part in creating the new weyrlings than the weyrlings themselves as yet. It's basically the same thing.

"It is a weyr," Faryn says demurely, swirling the liquid that remains in her glass with a curious frown. "Not that it's fair." Her eyes graze the room, shortly, but don't seem to land on anything in particular. Despite that, she says, "'Scuse me," and turns, not towards the food and drink tables, or any specific person, but rather for the exit.

Minara knows that the dress Alida wears right now is one of Azaylia's? There's a pause in her turn, and a faint look of mixed gratitude and solemn embarrassment from the bluerider - followed by her silent and definite nod - her striding away halted at Drex's scolwing reply. Turning fully back to him, the bluerider, steps in a little closer, and notes something to him in a tight, quiet voice that touches only Drex's ears.

"To Irianke's time as Weyrwoman, to your clutch's weyrlinghood, to this evening," Lilah replies, each delivered in a dry way that it is clear that H'vier can take his pick as to whatever he'd like it to mean. But the goldrider doesn't press that, dark eyes only flicking briefly over H'vier, settling on his drink for a moment before she shifts away towards the line of drinks.

To local dragons, Knioth projects silvery trumpets and a thundering march resound. « Welcome young lady and squires. »

"I think she just means... you know. Right here, right now," Minara replies to Drex, her tone carefully mild, though the twinkle in her eyes gives away some of the humour behind it. "The Weyr's been through turmoil yet again. Felt a deep loss, yet again. This should be a time of..." She trails off, losing the right word. Or perhaps it's to wait while Alida replies to Drex, that superpower hearing failing her this time.

A whisper to Drex: Little emotion lies in Alida's low voice, "Don't be stupid. Personally, I could give a shit if you break 'is jaw fer whatever crap 'e spouted, 'r if a rider did it. But the local management (aka Weyrleaders) 'll look pretty darkly on someone screwin' up their nice little post Hatchin' feast. So, either suck it up fer now an' deal, er bugger off. Up ta you.

The departing herder earns a frown from Drex for her words, not so much thoughtful as ill-pleased. When the bluerider steps closer, the sailor steps back with a warning look, so the words might not be as only-for-him as she means them to be. With a snort, Drex's response is bland rather than antagonistic: "Seems like riders pull that shit all the time. Aint sure what Weyr you've been at lately." Then, with a shake of his head, gaze falling on Minara, seems to subside into a defensive crossing of arms, and a, "So where was that alcohol then?"

Drifting away from Irianke and making her way through the crowd toward the bowl, Lycinea almost certainly doesn't mean to bump into Lilah, only someone from behind is pushing to get another way and she's so slight of frame now, that it's easy to get jostled into the Fortian goldrider. "Sorry, excuse me," is already out of her mouth, abashed, before she sees who Lilah's companion is and she clams up.

H'vier is still working on sorting out that response and how it relates to him specifically by the time Lilah starts moving off. He follows her without really thinking about it. He's apparently turned into a puppy with a fascination with goldriders today. "None of that has very much to do with me," he points out. "Lya," is added to the girl as though she might be any other he knows by nickname.

The look Alida offers Drex is that of a middle-aged person talking to a 19 Turn old: eyes rolling and a sigh given for the daftness of foolish youth. A wave of hand and the pale-headed bluerider is off once again, looking to re-appropriate her left-behind dinner and the conversation of one of the few she seems to enjoy the company of. Oh, wait. As Alida draws closer, she notices who's now in Lilah's purview...and the bluie's nose wrinkles, and she sets off in another direction... but not before trying to catch Lilah's attention with a quick wave, a small smile, and a small shrug of shoulders that silently says 'What can you do?' Busy!'

Lilah's fingers reach out to stop Lycinea as a matter of course, not really to catch her or push her but to still her as if it might prevent her from bumping her, despite it being too late for all that. "Careful," is accepting of that apology, gentle, as the goldrider offers a hint of a smile to Lycinea. She doesn't notice the clamming at first, not where she's busy adding to H'vier, "Doesn't one of them at least, though? I do remember at least some of our last conversation."

Minara gives Drex and Alida a curious look for whatever she's caught of their interchange, but that is all she gives for the moment. She smiles politely to the rider before turning back to watch the last of the herder before turning back to Drex. "Alcohol! Yes. A bit behind the ball at this point, I think. We should definitely fix that," she replies with a flick of her gaze toward his already nearly empty glass, smirk not entirely kept in check. "Wine, then? Is there something harder than that? Tonight definitely seems to warrant it. Though on second thought," as she glances toward another group of gossiping party-goers, "maybe it's safer to stick with wine."

"H'vier," is cool, if roughly so. Lycinea avoids looking at his face, and instead looks up at the Fortian. "Weyrwoman Lilah," is recognized and greeted politely. "High Reaches duties, ma'am." Then, without thought for the conversation she's definitely interrupting she asks, "Would you have some time this seven? Or next? To teach me some things?"

The sailor's only response to the bluerider's eyerolling is a snorted shrug and a lingering look until she leaves. Drex's fervent, "Something stronger," comes before, and after Minara's comment of wine being safer. He's drained the rest of the glass he's acquired from Faryn, and clearly it's not sufficient. "Will they have something stronger?" He asks, stepping into line with Minara.

H'vier consider Lilah for several moments before he glances at Lya again and then he's nodding. "If you'll excuse me," he says, because there are surely other places he should be right now. Like maybe his weyr, by himself. With all of his plentiful booze.

Lilah's brow curves upwards for H'vier's excusing of himself, for that cool greeting on the part of the younger woman, but she doesn't comment on either more than a flick of dark eyes between the two. She nods, but doesn't offer any goodbye to the bronzerider. But once he's gone, she questions curiously, "Teach you some things?"

"After the last couple month's we've had?" Minara asks, though rather than sounding like an answer, she seems to be seriously considering and weighing the causes and effects like a good little bookkeeper. In the end, she shrugs, giving Drex a wink. "If there isn't, just means there will need to be more wine, right?" She nods in the direction of their initial destination and begins moving again. Now that most people have obtained whatever food or drink they want, at least the queue has thinned a little by now. "So." Time for small talk? Nah. "Think she'll be okay?" Which she? Let the sailor decide.

"Sounds like an opportunity," Drex suggests, though he doesn't linger on that thought, drawn on by the thought of alcohol, even if it's watered-down-wine. He slouches into place alongside Minara in the queue, giving her a little frown, not pretending not to understand what his new drinking companion means. "Everyone says impressing changes you." Which is not really an answer, except in the sailor's mind it probably is, because that means she won't be, clearly. "Aint mine to interfere anymore, it seems," he casts a dark look over his shoulder.

"Changes. Enhances. Subdues," Minara replies, her own musing more along the distracted and scholarly, philosophical, even. Weyrs and dragons aren't remotely her background. And then... "Wine," she reports, spotting the offerings between a break in the few people still in front of them. Those are soon gone, and she touches a couple green-glass bottles before grabbing one of the darker ones, asking Drex, "Is red okay?" while picking up another glass, seeing as the sailor's already procured one. "You wanted to interfere with her?" she asks him curiously, pointedly, this time nodding to an open space in the crowds.

Alida filters all about the party, overhearing tidbits of this and that as she feeds her stomach(s) and plies herself with ample wine. No rotgut tonight!

Drex makes a noise that suggests he doesn't agree with those substitutions, but she has wine and he's fairly easily bought. His silent nod of agreement is consent to her choice. "Not interfere," he corrects himself, a little uncertainty. "Not, really. I dunno. Aint good at talking stuff. Just want her to be safe, you know? Happy. She thinks it will." It seems he thinks otherwise, as he accompanies Minara to the directed spot.

Lycinea doesn't look at the bronzerider as he departs; why should she? Lilah's clearly the important person here. The blonde shifts, "Yes. Like, what you did in Dice, that time, but maybe... Something a little different?" Little lines fold between the girl's brows. "I'm going away for a while. In a while. And I thought I might be able to learn some more skills that might help me. While I'm away." It's all very cryptic, though she does it poorly and she's probably not trying. "Maybe, if you have time, you might visit next seven and I'll explain properly? With cards?"

It's certainly cryptic enough to pique the goldrider's interest, studying Lycinea as she speaks as if there might be an answer held there right now. "I will arrange something," she promises at the suggestion. "Eliyaveith wouldn't want to upset the babies with her presence while they're still young, but I will come alone or send someone or--. Well, I will arrange something," she repeats simply. Her gaze slides away, though, to attempt to find Irianke or K'del again. She may even find them, before she's adding, "If you'll excuse me, however." (She doesn't wait for the younger woman to actually excuse her before moving away.)

Minara reaches out to refill Drex's glass before doing the same for her own, not filling right to the top, but not far from it. They don't need table manners when they're not seated at a table, right? "Talking stuff," she echoes, grinning with honest amusement, "is sometimes overrated. Though honesty never is. So." She tucks the bottle safely into the crook of her arm, then holds her glass toward Drex for a toast. "Here's to honesty, communication in whichever forms it takes, and future happiness both for her and us. With that blue in her life now, maybe she won't need extra mattresses anymore." It makes sense to her, at least, as she follows an entirely made-up conversation and takes a sip of wine.

Drex has already started to gulp down a mouthful of wine... then kind of pauses, then semi-spits it back into the glass as Minara makes a toast. No one noticed, right? He starts to lift his glass, then... stops, and stares at Minara bemusedly. "Blue?" he echoes, confused. "No, she got a gold." A beat. "Didn't she?" He couldn't see so well from the seats they had.

Former training kicks in as it's now Minara's turn to pause, blue eyes locked on Drex as the brain cogs back up a few ticks. Then a few more. This would definitely be one of those social faux pas, and this time it's hers. By the look on her face, she knows it. There's a blink, then another in quick succession, then, "Oh! Oh. Farideh." Is that a blush? Maybe a tiny one as Min tucks hair behind her ear. "I thought you'd meant Laine for... some reason." If she still sounds distracted, it's because those replay tapes are still being rewound in her head. "The punch suddenly makes a lot more sense."

"Laine?" With a sudden surprise, as Drex shakes his head. "No, she likes girls." At least, as far as Drex knows. And, with the toast thoroughly put off track, Drex settles for gulping a few mouthfuls of the red wine down. He looks kind of... awkward... at the reminder of the punch. "I should, uh... go find Itsy."

Minara mirrors the wine gulping as confused amusement gives way to just confused. After she's finished swallowing, she frowns at Drex and takes the moment to top up their glasses. Open bar. Open bottle. Non-filled glasses. It's something to do. "What does liking girls have to do with it? Holders have no right to insult a Weyr's newest goldrider on the Weyr's own turf, especially right after the hatching. It was intensely rude of them."

Yeah, Drex just has no idea, now, so he settles for gulping down another mouthful of that sweet, sweet, free, wine. "Because I wouldn't..." and he trails off, and just gives up, with another gulp. "Um. Yeah." He just seems kind of awkwardly embarrassed by the whole thing, now it's being dissected by Minara in front of him. He gives a look over his shoulder.

Not a fan of talking to those she doesn't know well enough (much less like), Alida continues to circulate and to drink, though not to excess. She's on the last half of her second glass of wine, though, and feeling a little 'looser,' especially since H'vier's left.

It is only after her lifemate is soundly asleep, that Edyis braves the Living Caverns in search of something to feed herself. She did at least change, before hand. Grabbing a plate and piling it high, before spotting a familiar face and moving in that direction. "Alida." She murmurs.

Not expecting any of the weyrlings to have the stamina or the inclination to be seen after their big day, Alida instantly jerks her green gaze up to Edyis's call, the bluerider at first surprised, then rather bemused. "Ed..." is noted to the newly-minted brownrider after she nears, the dress-clad blonde looking to hang an arm over the weyrling's shoulders, if allowed, and give her a brisk, though sound squeeze. "Knew ya had it in ya. Apparently *he* knew, too." Smirk-grin. "What's 'is name?"

Minara grimaces a little, catching on that she's goofed yet again. "Okay, so... clearly I have no idea what's going on tonight. Other than Farideh, goldrider. Laine, bluerider." A beat as a stranger butts into their conversation. "Brownrider," Min amends, then frowns turning to the stranger. "Really?" A muttered oath later, she turns back to Drex, still frowning as she takes a healthy, deep gulp of that wine. "Well. In any case. You were right to deck him." Another moment as the mental cogs start moving forward again. "Oh, hey! Some of the weyrlings are joining the party. Did you want to go see?"

"Akluseth." Edyis offers a touch tiredly, "I didn't." She says of knowing, brows drwing together, "And it complicates a few things. I ... needed space to think." She explains even as her belly makes a familiar grumbling noise. "He's... " She stops herself stuffing a meat roll into her mouth instead.

Drex can't help giving a little grin at the correction of a stranger. "Think they'd post a list somewhere for the non riders, eh?" He looks pleased that Minara agrees with his earlier actions, now, and after a moment's consideration. He might actually look uh, nervous, or something, at her suggestion they go meet some of the weyrlings. "I have to... really have to go find Itsy. But uh, you go ahead. Thanks for the," he lifts his glass in silent toast to Minara, then slips off into the crowd. Clearly he's not game to prove his theory about impression tonight.

The bluerider listens intently to her former student, green eyes only sweeping the crowd once during that whole time, releasing the weyrling from her grasp in order to nudge her over to the food tables, where she hopefully finds better than meatrolls to sup on. Nod. "I know..." And *how*. While nobody with a bigger knot is apparently looking, Alida offers Ed a sip or two of the wine in her glass, though she cuts the other woman off at two. "Tell me..." is offered in her direct fashion.

Minara has a lame and not entirely attractive (yet quite grateful) smile in reply for Drex's suggestion of a list, but as he makes his farewell, she can only lift her glass silently and nod, watching as he disappears. More than likely, she's still not quite sure how she got so wrong-footed in the conversational path, going by her expression, but she soldiers on, moving to join Alida and Edyis, raising her glass to the latter of the two. "Congratulations," she wishes the new weyrling, oblivious to their conversation thus far, then silently offers the nearly half-full bottle of wine, brow raised.

Edyis says, "I'm just tired." Edyis waves it off. "I'm not used... to having to share my brain. It's weird explaining things like chewing, or bathing.... and personality wise... he feels like my polar opposite." Stuffing herself it seems is the best option."

"Takes time..." Alida murmurs to Edyis, the bluerider nodding once, silently empathizing with the weyrling. "Like I said...just really the weirdest thing." A few blinks have her instantly recalling the whole ordeal she (and Ilicaeth, too) went through in those first months of their bonding...and even later. Again to Edyis is murmured, "Just get as much sleep as ya can, whenever ya can. Babies 'r..." Shrug. "...a handful." Minara's approach gains her a a look of veiled curiosity, but she's accepted for the moment with a small nod of greeting.

Edyis lifts dark eyes to study Minara. "We've met before I think... you are a healer?" She asks eyes narrowing as she tries to place the stranger. She certinly isn't her usual self: bristling with questions.

"Nothing so auspicious," Minara replies to Edyis, grinning crookedly. There's a curious blink for Alida's look, but Min just raises her glass again and takes a sip before topping up her wine and tucking the bottle under her arm again. After a couple seconds, her grin lessens a couple ticks and she remembers to add, "Minara. I'm a stores clerk. It's okay. I don't get out much." Another beat before, "Shells, sorry. I'm interrupting rider things," the woman gushes, blushing slightly before she waggles the couple fingers she doesn't entirely need to hold the glass upright. "I just wanted to say congratulations. A bright day for High Reaches! We've needed it. Good night!" Then she'll perform her own disappearing act into the crowd.

Alida apparently does have a bone of decorum in her body (whether she chooses to exercise it or not at any given moment is a different thing, altogether), for she isn't rude to Minara when the stores clerk apologizes for her precipitous company, just letting things be as they are. "Evening..." the bluie murmurs to the departing young woman, then murmuring something quietly to Edyis.

You whisper "Things 're likely ta be... a little difficult fer you ta manage now... Business an' all. I've decided I'll take over until yer done with weyrlinghood. .. but I'll need an extra cut fer the extra work." to Edyis.

Edyis nods to what is murmured and gives Alida a brief thoughtful look before murmuring back.

Edyis whispers "I have enough from my winnings today to replace the crates delivered to Jo and another with plenty left over. If you don't mind delivering two to R'hin, the third is yours. At present, what do you say to a 40/60 split, You take the sixty naturally?"

Danged riders and their 'stick-together-itiveness!' Though Ed's been one only for an hour or two, Alida's 'inducting' her into the 'old boy' society with full 'honors,' apparently, the bluerider conversing in pointedly quiet fashion with the weyrling brownie as they eat, drink.

You whisper "Made good off yer bets, eh? Excellent. You gotta' safe place ta store yer money, 'special' stuff while yer in the Barracks? I c'n find a decent place, if not, put it under lock an' key. *nod* Two ta R'hin, one fer me. Sounds good. *pause* Whadda I tell our favorite Brewer now tha'cha aren't gonna be showin' up fer nearly two Turns?" *smirk*" to Edyis.

Edyis whispers "Better than good, even with what I lost on my own impression between Keysi Laine and Farideh, I amassed a small fortune. Usually R'hin hangs on to things for me... but he wasn't happy that I chose to stand..." She trails off, before fishing a rather heavy pouch and slipping it over covertly to the bluerider. "I'm trusting you Alida. I'll write a letter, he knows my handwriting."

You whisper "Bet against yerself...smart woman..." Alida murmurs around a thin smirk, using another quick shrug of her arm over Edyis' shoulder in a comraderly 'hug' to hide her acceptance of that heavy pouch. "Not really surprised the ol' man's put off." She won't explain the 'whys' of her belief right now, the bluerider instead looking Ed directly in the eyes, and murmuring in almost oath-like fashion, "Yer trust won't be misplaced." She looks as though she's not dicking around. As for how she'll get that letter from the weyrling... "Hmm. Either look fer me in the cavern when ya eat - *if* 'e allows ya ta go out an' eat while e's awake - 'r I'll try ta have Pyrite look for ya in the afternoon, so you c'n slip a note in 'er leg case." to Edyis.

Edyis nods then, her expression going distant. "I will look for her, he may as well get used to her early." She frowns again. "Fuck, he's awake." Setting down the plate. "I'll look for her," Edyis states again before setting off at a jog to the barracks.

Alida knows that look - intimately - and replies low to Edyis, "Go on. Yer gonna be ultra-close ta anything that piques 'im fer the next few sevens. Lil' squirt needs ya more 'n anything, right now." A lightly shooing motion is made to the weyrling, though Alida hands over a plate that's quickly filled with delights from the buffet in progress. "In case anyone else's hungry, but can't get away. Know how that was when *I* was in there." Snert. Again... "Congrats...weyrling." A triad of taps to her own ear might again indicate that *if* Ed wants to speak, there's a 'special' ear there for her.