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 Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:50 pm
Really, where were people when you needed them! All those candidates doing their chores, dragonmen tending to their beasts...there were simply no friends with whom Kyllae could have fun. Well, she supposed that was easily solvable. She would just have to get new friends! It was never hard. Everyone loved her! Right? No, no doubt, she was the best! She was the party queen! And everyone loved a good party. It just took a little alcohol sometimes to loosen them up. Oh, but who to have fun with!
She needed new friends. New people, new recruits to the rebel cause. She had to find people who were quite, off to the sides, doing the dreaded, 'what they're told'; which was unacceptable. She stuck her tongue out, repulsed at the idea. Ew. Boring. Kyllae had no time for boring in her life. That silly cousin of hers, T'ka and her Haanyath, they were so tense all the time! So uptight! Really, people were so worried all the time, no wonder they weren't happy. After all, life is too important to take seriously!
She slipped the flask out from her pocket, taking a deep swig, polishing it all of. "Shards!" she cursed out loud, staring at the container, willing it to yield more, but it was no use. Kyllae was no more drink! That meant only one thing, a trip to the kitches! Where, if she couldn't get some win by asking, she would steal some. After all, Kyllae believed that if she could steal something and get away with it...she deserved it! And she was quite good at snatching things at this time. It'd been months since the last time she'd been caught.
She grinned with delight at her own genious, strutting over to the kitchen in a way only the drunk or the extremely confidant can; and Kyllae was a little bit of both. Oh, the kitchens were crowded! Jolly good! She would find friends, and take with ease would she could not get by the normal conventions. Pu-leze! Being good was for squares.
After all the practice she'd had, Xy was also quite good at looking inconspicuous when she wanted to. She leaned against a back while, her eyes, ever attentive, flicking over people, evaluating who would be fun and who was simply a lost cause. She had to gather up the right friends! The wrong people at the party was worse than a party without refreshments! And the latter was blasphemy in itself! Kyllae grinned; oh yes, this would be fun!
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 10:37 am
After a brief flight into the terrible unknown, leavened by the heady sight of her home Hold from high in the sky, and the altogether new sight of the great basin that was the Ista Weyr, Saraket found herself back on the ground. And, surprisingly, back to the normal drudge work of the kitchens. Both Hold folk, and Weyr folk had to eat after all, and the controlled chaos that was the kitchens at dinner time were pretty much the same.
Saraket ran to and fro, washing dishes and utensils, preparing dough, stirring various bubbling pots so that the contents wouldn't burn. No one noticed a new girl in the hubbub, which was a comfort for her. Saraket honestly didn't think she could take anything else new right now. Maybe after a night of sleep, and after getting the sight of the Hold and Weyr carefully drawn into her journal. Saraket still didn't quite believe she, of all people, had been Searched!
One of the Journeyman Bakers irately thrust a tray encrusted with burned bread into her hands before turning back to berate an Apprentice. Saraket caught the still hot tray with her apron, and rushed it over to be cleaned, not noticing a certain tall, buzzed person leaning against the wall...
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 10:54 am
Kyllae inhaled deeply, enjoying all the smells of the kitchen. A lot of the Weyr she found a little to stuffy, too musty for her tastes. But the kitchen was always refreshing. If you could stand a crowd, that was. Kyllae thrived in crowds.
It had been amazing how easily and quickly she'd adapted to Weyr life. But then again, Kyllae was hardly one to whine and sulk. She would make due and, well, do what she did best. Have fun. She had been planning on spending a few minutes selecting her first friend, but it proved easier than that. A shorter girl, whom with Kyllae was not yet acquianted, proved herself a perfect target! The way she rushed so, not awkwardly, but...obediantly. Quitely. Not barking orders but listening, frantically rushing about to do what she was told. Ew.
Smiling, Kyllae slid through the mass of people, content, at ease, seemingly immune to the jostling and shoving that was affecting everyone else. She stood a little behind the girl, watching her for a minute. Why yes, this girl would make an excellent friend! She just had to be...converted.
Kyllae stepped forward, clapping her hands down on both of the girls shoulders, and bending down a little to chuckle into her ear. "Surely you can't find these chores fun, can you?" Her grip, while not offensive, was not loose either. She held tightly, as if to assure the girl wouldn't escape. It would be a bad thing, to lose a potential friend. Like loosing a fish, back when she lived in Southern. No, she wouldn't have that. "Come with me, I have something much better to do."
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 11:13 am
Saraket just about jumped out of her skin. Thankfully, the hands on her shoulders prevented her skeleton from doing so, but the grip was also preventing her from slipping away or pretending to ignore the person who chuckled a question into her ear.
Fun? What did being a Candidate have to do with fun? Was this a Journeyman from another part of the Weyr? Did they want her to work someplace besides the kitchen?
Head reeling with questions, Saraket slowly turned her head to see who exactly was holding her. A tall, tanned girl, young enough to be a Candidate.
Saraket avoided meeting her eyes, but tried to stammer out an answer.
"I- I don't think I s-should." she said, "I- I'll get in trouble. What if they won't let us S- Stand?"
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 11:27 am
Kyllae swelled with pride. Why! This poor girl, she really did need help! It was a good thing Kyllae was here to help her, huh? Kyllae patted herself on the back inwardly. Oh yeah, she sure knew how to pick 'em. The way she meekly responded, honestly worried about trouble. It alarmed Kyllae a little, even as she was amused. It was impossible to think that anyone lived so seriously. So content to just...do what they're told. Kyllae was all about being on top. She was in charge; she did her own thing; obviously.
"Trouble? Nonsense, not thinking is what keeps you here. Think, act, have fun!" She let go of the girl's shoulders only to grab a hold of one of her wrists, tugging a little, encouraging her to follow. "And standing? Please, they let everybody stand. Trust me, I know," she tapped her head knowledgably with the index finger of her free hand.
'Now come on, we have to go get some food and drink! Can't have a party without food and drink now can we." The last part was more to herself, and rehtorical if anything.
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 1:44 pm
Saraket at first resisted the tugging, alarmed that the girl wasn't about to listen to reason, and let her get on with her job. What did this girl see in her, anyway? Back at the Hold, everyone knew to ignore Saraket. She'd always assumed it was because she just wasn't that interesting a person. And Saraket was very capable of filling her own time in her own way, so she'd gotten along just fine.
So, why the attention, suddenly? Saraket had no idea how to respond. She resisted a moment longer, trying to think of what would let her get away, and then abruptly relaxed. If they let this girl Stand, then they'd probably let Saraket as well, right? And the easiest way to get back to work was to do as the girl said. She'd probably lose interest in her after a bit, anyway. This talk of a party sounded ominous, though.
"Um, I guess not." she responded to taller Candidate's question.
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 2:22 pm
It seemed this girl had some sense after all! At least she was smart enough to follow along. Now for the refreshments. Never releasing her hold on the girl's wrist, Kyllae lead her along, parting the people in front of her like a boat parts the water, and keeping Saraket behind her, so the the girl wouldn't get caught in the crowd. She kept along the back wall, slinking over to where a few wine barrels were bathered. She gave them a quick look over, and noticed that one had already been opened. Good. That meant she wouldn't have to bother with opening it. She let go of Saraket's arm for a moment to unscrew the lid of her flask, and fill it up. Oh, that wine smelled so good! She took a long drink and filled it up again. It was never a good thing to be running on empty.
She smiled as she looked back to Saraket, foregoing her wrist in favor of linking her arm with the shorter girls. Now that she had made her point, she could afford to be more friendly. She didn't want to scare her off now, did she! "I don't suppose you like wine, do you?" she teased, but not unkindly. Even as she spoke, her eyes darted around, looking for the food the easiest for snatching. A few loaves of bread sat on a counter, still warm, just having finished baking. That was an easy target. "Prepare to get out of here pretty darn fast," she whispered, looking at Saraket in the eyes, trying to understand what she was feeling at the moment.
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 10:57 am
Saraket found herself being pulled along like thread to Kyllae's needle, through the crowd bustling about in the kitchen. It really was near dinner time, and the Weyr was near full to bursting with hungry people. The older girl seemed to have a near magical ability to make herself a path. Saraket was wondering how she managed it, when she was jarred to a stop at the wine barrels.
As she watched, the older girl drank some. Shells. Then she filled her flask up with even more of the fermented drink. Well, at least she wasn't demanding Saraket drink it, too!
"No, not really." she responded, now finding herself linked to the tan girl by the elbow, who was eying to loaves of bread. Oh dear.
Not wanting to be responsible for all the things that would no doubt be knocked over, burned, or spilled in their wake, Saraket forcefully disentangled her elbow from the older girls. Calmly, she walked over to a stack of trays, took one, placed the two loaves on the tray, along with a small pat of butter, and one of the smaller pots that the Riders liked to keep in their Weyrs to make Klah.
As was expected, one of the Apprentice Bakers asked her what she was doing. Doing her best to appear unconcerned, though her heart was pounding wildly, Saraket responded.
"I was told to bring some bread and Klah to one of the Weyrs. One of the Riders wants to eat in."
The Apprentice relaxed, and told Saraket to hurry with the tray, and return as soon as possible for dinner. Saraket nodded, and turned back towards the tanned girl.
"You'll show me how to get there, right?" she asked, loudly, for the sake of the Apprentice. If the older girl wasn't completely drunk, she'd get the hint.
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 4:46 pm
Kyllae watched with interest her little friend's actions. Hell, the girl even lied! She might have promise yet! She beamed at the girl, patting her head affectionately, though not terribly gently. "Good job...friend." She almost stumbled when she realized she hadn't caught the girl's name. "Come on, we'll talk on the way there," she ractically sang, hop-stepping a little as she led the way out. Oh, what fun what fun! Friends were so good and nice. And Saraket had shown her value, why, she was familiar in the kitchen.
"Again, that was quite a good job in there. I couldn't have planned it better myself. And guess what, you don't have to feel bad about lying! We're gonna go pay a quick little visit to my cousin and her pesk of a dragon. And then you and me can get acquainted! I think I like you...what's your name?"
Despite her seemingly aloof and dazed attitude, Kyllae was sharper than she let on. And she wasn't really drunk. Just a little. After so much practice, Kyllae could really hold her liquor. Although she did note that her current motive was relatively pointless. She just wanted to go say hi to her cousin, and maybe tease Haanyath a little. That little dragon had growled at her the other day! That was definately not okay by Kyllae. And the bread would serve as an excuse to stop by. And...Kyllae wanted to see her cousin's firelizards. T'ka had two, and, the more Kyllae saw them, the more she wanted one of her own.
"I don't suppose you have a firelizard, do you?" Kyllae just had to ask; as she lead the way over to the Sr. Weyrling barracks.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 11:41 am
Saraket followed her animated companion from the kitchens, head so low she was practically trailing thunderclouds.
I can't believe I just did that. On my first day, too. she thought to herself glumly, and sighed heavily. The noise of the kitchens gradually faded behind them, as they traversed the maze-like halls of the Weyr. Without the loud noise to talk over, it was a lot easier to hear the older girl. She actually had a nice voice when she wasn't shouting.
"Uh, thanks?" Saraket offered, a bit confused. Did a lie that became a truth after the fact still count as a lie? Well, if they really did go meet this girl's cousin, and her dragon (Saraket shuddered mentally at the thought), it meant that she wouldn't get in trouble with the kitchen heads. That thought perked her up a bit, and the thunderclouds began to dissipate.
"My name is Saraket. I'm from Ista Hold. I just got here today." she replied. "No, I don't have one. I'm afraid they would mess up my dia-"
Saraket clammed up abruptly, her cheeks reddening. Generally, she didn't talk about her diaries with anyone. Shells, she generally didn't talk, period! What was it about this girl that was throwing her off?
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 12:13 pm
Kyllae hummed a little, very softly, as she marched up the stairs. Hopefully T'ka would be in. If not...well, then they could hang out in her room until she got there! Hopefully T'ka's roomate wouldn't be there. She usually wasn't, thankfully. Probably to try and avoid Haanyath. No one wanted to be in the room with a dragon that crabby.
Kyllae could care less whether it was a lie or the truth. As long as she didn't get caught...what did it matter? "I'm Kyllae. Dolphineer and Candidate extraordinare. I'm from Southern," she laughed. "In case you were wondering where my little bit of accent came from."
Oh, how nice it would be to have a flit! They could benefeit her in a lot of ways. She was determined to get her hands on one. Why, it could be a look out, or deliver messages, or get food, or cheat in poker. Amongst other things, of course. "That's too bad. Having a flit seems pretty fun." Not being totally dimwitted, she decided to ignore that seemingly little slip up on the girl's part. She didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she seemed. Her dia-...diary maybe? It was the only word off the top of Kyllae's head that seemed to fit. Oh well, whatever it was, she would let it be. People were allowed to have secrets.
They were almost there now. If Saraket just got here, she obviously wouldn't know much about dragons. So...Kyllae felt she should give her a warning of sorts. She stopped walking to turn around, giving Saraket an almost apologetic look. "I'd advise minding your distance and tongue around my cousin's dragon. She's a little...fiery."
Kyllae was glad to see that Saraket seemed a be a little more talkative. Good. Kyllae had hoped she might be able to egg a little out of the girl. Probably from a lot of practice. Kyllae was hardly ever alone, and, being around people so often...you learned some things about behavior, psychology etc. Saraket seemed like a shy, sweet girl. It would be interesting to see how long that lasted in a rambunctious, busy place like the Weyr. It wasn't exactly easy to be reserved when you were sharing a room with two or three other candidates.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 2:19 pm
So that was why she had that odd intonation! A girl from Southern, all the way up here? And a Dolphineer, nonetheless! Saraket was instantly intrigued, peering curiously at Kyllae in a new light. Saraket didn't know much about Dolphineers. There had been the occasional story, or song she'd been able to catch that she'd written down in her diaries. But Dolphineers, while exotic, hadn't earned much notice in a Hold more concerned with Dragons.
"Nice to meet you." she said, a pretty much automatic response, from the well-mannered girl. Thankfully, Kyllae overlooked Saraket's slip, whether on purpose, or inebriation, Saraket couldn't tell. Keeping careful track of both tray and shoes on the stairs, she nearly ran into the older Candidate when she turned around. The expression on her face nearly turned Saraket to glass.
Oh dear.
"F-fiery." she repeated, eyes asking Kyllae if this was really a good idea.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 2:52 pm
Kyllae would have loved to hear that she was 'exotic'. She loved to stand apart, and to be complemented. Truth be told, when she'd first come here, she'd been expecting to run into at least a few other dolphineers. She had yet to meet a single one. She was beginning to suspect she was the only one here! There weren't that many Southerners here either...probably because most of them went to Southern Weyr. Only strange coincidence had resulted in her coming here.
"Nice to meet you too," Kyllae laughed. This girl sure was strange. At least compared to the people Kyllae usually partied with. Oh well. There was something to be said for variety. Saraket sure was cute, in an innocent sense.
Kyllae had to try very hard not to roll her eyes. Were she craving a laugh, she would have went on to say that Haanyath was the nastiest, meanest dragon on Pern. It was probably true. But she felt she should at least be a little comforting to Saraket, lest the girl flee in terror. "Don't worry. Ol' Haany's just a little bit of a whiner. She won't hurt you though. That's a promise." Dragons didn't hurt people, true. Though Haanyath was prone to snapping...as long as Saraket didn't get too close though, she figured it would be fine.
Trudging up the remaining steps, she banged on the wall with her knuckles. "Hey T'ka, Haany, I've brought food!" she yelled, as if by bringing food she could be forgiven for intruding. A snort from up in the weyr confirmed that the pair were indeed within. Rounding the corner, she spied T'ka louging out on her bed, glaring, looking still half asleep. Haanyath was sitting out on the lip of stone that stuck out of the cave and into the open air. "And I've brought a friend!" she announced.
T'ka, realizing she would probably have to move, sat up and rubbed her head. "Shards Kyllae, can at you at least give me some warning before you decide to pay a visit?" T'ka grumbled, though she knew it was lost on Kyllae. Her cousin obviously had her own agenda.
Kyllae waved at Haanyath, smile never faltering, though the dragons eyes were swirling yellow with annoyance. "Morning Haany," she greeted. Haanyath grumbled a little, and Kyllae could only imagine how much Haanyath was complaining to T'ka right now.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 3:01 pm
"Okay." Saraket agreed, tone suggesting she was anything but. She seemed to fall farther and farther behind during the last few steps, and Kyllae's knocking made her jump. Still, part of her was beyond curious about seeing her very first dragon up close. From the sound of it, though, just not too close. Saraket practically hid behind Kyllae when they entered, ready to turn the tray into a shield if need be.
Oh, and there was the dragon! Saraket nearly retreated when she saw its eyes swirling yellow. Strangely, she remembered Kyllae's promise, and felt a tiny bit better. Taking a bit of initiative, she walked forward and offered the tray to T'ka.
"I- I can make Klah, if you like." she mumbled, trying very hard to look non-threatening.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 3:36 pm
Kyllae was quite pleased. Saraket seemed quite hospitable and willing to please. What a good girl. Kyllae laughed to herself that she'd run into the girl. Poor thing was unfortunate to have ended up with her. Kyllae knew she wasn't exactly 'good'.
T'ka blinked a few times, rubbing her forehead. Her thoughts felt slow. Then again, she'd been asleep less than thirty seconds ago. "I, uhm..." she paused, trying to make her words coherent in her head before she dared speak aloud. "No, I'm fine. Thank you for the bread though." Unlike some of the weyrlings, T'ka didn't consider herself better than the candidates just because she had a dragon. So she didn't take things like this for granted. If she hadn't just been sleeping, a little suprise visit like this would have been much appreciated. "Mmm, that bread smells good though," she remarked.
Haanyath, not content to let anyone foreign into her Weyr without inspection, stood up grudgingly, paddind her way over...
SHELLS! Kyllae thought. So much for keeping Saraket away from Haanyath. "Stay calm, she just wants to smell you," Kyllae warned, hoping the poor girl wouldn't have a heart attack. Haanyath didn't exactly look like a friendly dragon. Short, stocky, almost grotesquely muscular, she looked more like an overgrown wher than anything else. Paying no heed to the things around her, Haanyath stomped across the floor irratably, making a beeline for Saraket.
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