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The Last Supper


Date:  January 27, 1999
Place:  Telgar Weyr Living Cavern
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  It's more the fact that I believe this was the last big
event before the Hatching for this Candidate class that gives this log
its name than that any messiahs or apostles were in attendance. ;)  
Though my memory of it is a touch foggy at this point, this dinner 
seems to be of my design/execution and went, I think, very well. :)
That's more due to the Candidates and others who attended than me, 
mind!  Thanks to everyone who showed up and made the evening such a
blast, and thanks especially to Syrali for doing the music @emits that
appear towards the end.

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The Log:

Keron stands as Kassima enters. "Hello Wingleader." He smiles as he got it 
right this time.

Meli accepts a cider mug from one of the servers, gratefully wrapping her 
fingers around it before venturing a sip. "Kassi, g'evening," she calls 
over, then gives Maylia a wide smile as well.

Syrali walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Neliea edges towards the cider, looking over her shoulder to nod a greeting 
to Kassi and Maylia before taking one of the mugs already poured.

Ceria walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Maylia follows on the heels of Kassi, her stride relaxed a bit from her 
usual half march. "Evening," She greets her mentor with a smile, as the she 
catches up. "How's Kris doing? Evening, all!"

Ceria emerges back into the living cavern looking much relieved. Apparently 
she managed to talk her firelizard out of that flight.

The fingers of Alyssa's free hand massage the bridge of her nose in that way 
of saying mutely, "It's going to be one of those nights," or, "It's been one 
of those days."

Kassima, for once, doesn't bother groaning or rolling her eyes at Keron or 
the other Candidates. She's too busy freaking. "*Nay*, I didn't ask Ofira 
t'serve raw oysters, are you kidding me?" she asks of a bemused-looking 
serving lad who's tagging at her heels. "I don't care who said I did, unless 
'tis Ofira herself, and we both know better. Scoot, scoot!" A roll of the 
eyes is given to the Cavern at large as the Wingleader turns away. "Faranth 
preserve me. And g'deve, too, aye. Kris is fine--he'd wave for you, but he's 
somehow still managing t'be asleep, the first queen knows how."

Syrali sneaks up from the caverns, looking a little out of character in 
slightly better than grubby clothes. She keeps plucking at the tunic as she 
sidles around toward the Candidates' table, sometimes shooing irritably at 
one of her fair, trying to land in their usual places -- but without the 
padding in this shirt that she usually has, no surprise she doesn't want 
them there.

Keron sits back down at the Candidates table with a mug of klah.

Daffela walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Ceria moves quietly to the Candidate table and straightens her dress before 
sitting down. She pauses on her way over to give everyone the appropriate 
greeting.

Leigh walks here from the Inner Cavern.

"Raw oysters?" Maylia mouths the words more than utters them. A shrug is 
given, but the young Weyrlingmasters' distracted by a passing caverns girl 
serving cider. A mug procured, and she heads towards Meli. "G'deve, to you," 
she greets, her v oice raised to carry over the excited babble around them.

Telgar Weyr> Leigh says, "Not wasabi? ;)"

Schmitt smiles at Leigh an dDaffela as they enter, "Hello!"

Leigh pauses just before entering the living cavern to tug the hem of her 
overjacket and smooth its line.

Saskia blinksblinks at Kassi, "Evening Wingleader." and tonight she wears 
the blood red gather dress the Wingleader gave her.

Meli nods, gesturing to an empty spot on the bench. "How're you t'night, May?"

Ceria waves at Leigh and Daffela with a smile.

Daffela follows Ceria's example, her soft skirts swirling lightly about her 
feet and she looking a bit different than normal in the dark emerald colour. 
Proper greetings and gestures to all present before she careful find a seat. 
"Hi." she calls softly to Schmitt with a smile.

Kassima manages to make it to her seat without being further accosted by 
anyone mentioning raw oysters, though several servitors are giving her odd 
looks regardless. Kris, she settles comfortably against her dress 
leather-clad shoulder. "I haven't missed the first course, have I?" she 
asks, rather hopefully. "I heard 'tis t'be stuffed mushrooms and pepper 
salad. Despite that rumor about raw oysters. If'n I find whoever started 
*that* one, I'll drop-kick him so that he sails right over the Star Stones! 
G'deve, Candidates, by the by. Wonderful outfits you've found!"

Syrali scatters her fair to a perch with a few well-placed glares, and drops 
into a seat at the table, all hunched up and darting uncertain glances 
around. After a moment, she leans across to whisper toward Ceria, "You 
/sure/ this's the night we don't have t'serve?"

Ceria giggles quietly at Syrali. "I'm sure," she returns. "By the way, you 
might want to keep your firelizards from going outside. Kirina's gold just 
rose."

Alyssa seems to enjoy the quiet or, at least, the break in the routine and 
settles more in her chair, gaze on the table and, rarely, those seated at it.

"G'evening, Wingleader," Syrali calls back dutifully, eyes Ceria, and 
glances over her shoulder at her group. "They're too young," she says 
firmly, but stares at them for another moment before turning her attention 
back. "Thanks, though."

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon waves hello to everyone here and bye to those leaving

Telgar Weyr> Syrali snugs Thae! Dinnertime! Dress up! It's a black tie-do... 
er... tie party. :)

Maylia drops into a seat, a certain ammount of effervescence bubbling around 
her person. Brightly shining eyes catch the light of the glows in the 
cavern, as she answers Meli. "Oh, fine, fine, thank you." The young 
greenriders' attention swings to Kassi, beaming a smile. Luckily, whatever's 
muttered about the similar properties of raw oysters and mushrooms is lost 
in the general noise around her.

Ceria nods to Syrali. "Just thought I'd let you know," she murmurs.

Neliea has a mug of cider in one hand, the other about Iriana as she crosses 
over towards the table everyone's seated at close to the hearth. Manuvering 
about in her dress, she manages to set the mug on the table before sitting 
herself. "Evening, Alyssa," she quietly calls over in greeting, not wanting 
to disturb the bluerider's space so soon.

Leigh greets those of rank near enough to hear her, seating herself with 
formal posture and glancing around to them for cues as to whether she's on 
time, whether to pass food or unfold her napkin, whether to speak at all. "I 
hope so," she murmurs in Syrali's direction, back straight.

Pale purplish irises raise and focus on Neliea as the other bluerider 
answers mildly, almost meekly, "Good evening, Neliea." She then half-rises 
to green Kassima and Maylia, foregoing the salutes.

"W'all of us in dresses an' such," Meli says, "too bad w'don't have an 
artist here t'capture th'evening." She murmurs quietly with some others at 
the table, then says "Mushrooms?"

Daffela slides Firla from her shoulder, coaxing the fire lizard onto the 
back of her chair as she listens quietly to tthe others, hands tweaking her 
chunkily braided hair nervously. "Feels odd. Very odd." she observes softly, 
glancing towards the kitchens. "An artist? True..."

Kassima beams at Neliea as the bluerider and her child pass through. 
"G'deve, Nel, Iriana," she calls to the duo; she is, of course, carrying 
Kris, the well-bundled baby snuggled against her shoulder. "And you, too, 
Lys. Meli, you make me regret that I couldn't find a dress I'd fit into 
decently yet!"

Keron sips his klah and looks around to see if a main course has been 
served. Noticing the lack of one, and of oysters *phew*, he walks over and 
gets a few meatrolls to munch on. "Anyone know what's for dinner?"

Gaivn walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Meli chuckles upon hearing Kassi. "New mothers look radiant in wha'ever 
they're wearing, Kassi. Right?" she asks more generally.

Gaivn says an even more general "Sirs-and-ma'ams," all around and, face and 
hands washed but hair still straggly, awkwardly approaches the other 
candidates.

Daffela waves at Gaivn as he arrives, gesturing for him to join the growing 
group. A warm smile is there though she turns after a moment to glance at 
Keron. "I don't know. Haven't heard a thing."

Mushrooms, indeed. No sooner have the Candidate guests of honor begun to 
assemble than serving lads and lasses stream from the kitchen, carrying 
large trays of first course appertifs. Steaming mushrooms stuffed with 
finely-ground porcine meat and cheeses adorn each table, alongside enormous 
bowls of Istan pepper salad; decanters of dressing are offered with the 
latter. Someone, apparently, was still confused--because here and there, 
plates of uncooked oysters have indeed been set. Better safe than sorry. Yet 
more kitchen-workers thread through the throng to offer glasses of wine, Red 
and White.

Thaelon walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Pierron makes a thundering chopping noise as he annihilates a fingerroot.

Neliea smiles to Alyssa, looking over to Kassima with another, more knowing 
one. "Evening, Kassi, Kris," she returns in greeting, Iriana fairly quiet 
except for the off sighs coming from her tiny direction.

Gaivn slides into a spot by or near Daffela, the set of his shoulders easing 
at her invitation, and waves encouragingly to Thaelon to pass it on. "It 
looks... fancy," he says of the food, wide-eyed.

Alyssa's fingers linger briefly over the mushrooms before the scent of 
porcine within them becomes apparent; sensing that, she eschrews the food 
and returns to her cider.

Thaelon walks in tucking his tunic in his pants as he discreetly makes hs 
way around the cavern towards a group of candidates clustered on one side.

"Ooooh, looks wonderful." Meli waits her turn to be served, choosing the Red 
to start. "Too bad we don't get t'eat like this all the time."

Ceria eyes the offered food with a critical eye. After a moment she smiles.

Keron munches on a meatroll and sips his klah. He glances around the room, 
gaze ending up on the kitchen. He brightened up when the food is served. 
"Oooh, food." He grabs a plate and fills it with faveorites. He passes up 
the once-in-a-lifetime oppertuinty for raw oysters though. "Ick."

Syrali, though still looking a little awkward being /served/ instead of the 
other way around, doesn't exactly balk at silding a whole three of the 
mushrooms off onto her plate, licking her fingers avidly enough.

Daffela ooohs softly as the various trays and plates find their way to the 
table, amber eyes wide for a moment with delight. She's not balking either, 
claiming a fair share of mushrooms and a little haul of the oysters so many 
disdain. "Very fancy... but yummy too." she answers Gaivn.

Kassima asks Meli rather wryly, "You honestly expect me t'be arguing 
otherwise? Ooh!" Yes, she's spotted the mushrooms. And, being Kassi, isn't 
adverse to helping herself to a serving of both those and the salad--though 
the oysters are most definitely eschewed. "Milk, please?" she asks a 
wine-bearer, and is given a mug in due course. "Wait'll you see the main 
course," she comments to the Candidates as she takes up a fork in her free 
hand. "But do try the mushrooms. Ofira's staff's never done a less than 
thoroughly lovely job with them, that I've tasted."

Leigh accepts a very small serving of the mushrooms, and another offer of 
something to fill her glass. "Water, please," she says with a smile for the 
kitchen worker, alongside whom she had worked only yesterday. "Thank you."

Syrali eyes the oysters askance. "Raw?" she mutters to the nearest other 
Candidate. "We never ate 'em raw at home..." She shakes her head at the 
wine, instead requesting cider a bit hopefully. "Salad... salad's all right, 
though."

Keron pops up from eating the food on the plate and asks Kassima, "This 
isn't the main course then. What /is/ the main course?"

Aurian walks in from the bowl.

Aurian stretches as she enters. "I hate those sweeps."

Thaelon slides into a seat next to Gaivn, nodding at his comment, "Sure is." 
He takes a sniff as he immediatly grabs a plate and begins filling it, 
"Smells great too."

Gaivn dismisses the oysters likewise, in favor of echoing Keron with, "How 
many courses -are- there?" and trying a mushroom on for size.

Ceria jumps up suddenly and disappears into the lower caverns.

Ceria walks towards the inner cavern.

Kassima has to finish chewing a mouthful of mushroom before she can answer. 
"Nay telling! Best you be surprised--and nay too full when it gets here, 
I'll tell you that." Mind, she doesn't seem to be paying much heed to her 
own advice. "Mmph. The starter course, main course, cheese-and-fruit course, 
and dessert course, if'n I heard rightly. Meli, May, Nel, have any of you 
tried this salad?"

Meli shakes her head, nibbling at a mushroom. "Neh, not yet," she speaks for 
herself. "Thought th'guests o'honor should get first crack at things."

Alyssa gives the oysters absolutely no attention whatsoever, and servers who 
know the wingsecond would not even dream of offering Alyssa that sort of 
thing. For now, the cider seems to keep her content.

Daffela shakes her head and shrugs non-committaly, deftly using her knife to 
extract the slippery oysters. "Add the sauce to them - compliements them 
just /so/." she urges the others, finishing her own few quickly enough. 
"Courses? Have to ask someone else I fear."

Gaivn speculates after a moment of what might be silent counting, "...Four. 
Or three left, anyway. Here, Thaelon, have enough room? We can squeeze in 
more, maybe, if Daffela doesn't mind."

Keron Mmmmms at the mention of 1,2,3.. 4 courses served especially for them. 
He gets a salad just because Kassima said it was good, hoping she has good 
taste. "Can't wait for the main and dessert courses."

Aurian rubs her eyes, "How goes the dinner?"

Syrali ends up chasing a mushroom around her plate with her fork; slippery 
little thing. She finally pins it down with the point of her belt knife and 
starts munching happily, until little peepings with every bite draw a scowl. 
She starts to scold her lot... but then her eye falls on a particular 
untouched plate. "Ah-hah," she mutters softly, and even as oysters begin to 
vanish off the table, firelizards disappear off their stand. But the floor 
beside Syr's chair abruptly becomes wing-and-tail hazardous.

Gaivn rephrases, "For sitting, not in your plate, or stomach either, I mean."

Daffela adds in between mouthfuls. "If I don't mind what?"

"Slimy, I should think," Alyssa murmurs to Aurian as she rises and distances 
herself, albeit briefly, from the slurping sounds that are made when raw 
oysters are consumed.

Gaivn says diffidently, "Mind us moving in. To give him more room." To 
Aurian, "Real good, so far, ma'am. I mean, it's not as if I think it'll get 
worse."

Thaelon drops a few mushrooms onto his plate, eyes scanning left and right 
at the array of food spread out. He grins at Gaivn and nods, "I've got 
plenty. Only need enough room to get my food to my mouth."

Kassima winks at the Candidates. "A'course four. Mayhaps they figure that 
nay matter what, you'll all come back t'visit us if'n only t'get another 
taste of Ofira's cooking! Help yourself, Auri... first course just came out. 
The salad's divine. Wish I could eat more'n a bit of it m'self."

Leigh eyes her plate, barely laden with the smallest portions she could talk 
the kitchen worker into putting on it. "Three more? I thought maybe one 
more, but three?" From now on she takes even smaller bites, spearing fat 
little mushrooms with the tines of her fork and letting the juices run onto 
her plate before she eats. However, the firelizards' activities make her 
smile in Syrali's direction.

Aurian looks repulsed, "Slimey?"

D'ton walks in from the bowl.

Pierron nods knowingly as the assistant weyrlingmaster enters.

Neliea sees Aurian enter, rising and grimacing at the slurping commences. 
"Hi, Aurian," she manages to get out before waving to another seat.

Gaivn wonders, "Y'fly us over?" of Kassima before nodding agreeably at 
Thaelon, beginning to resume stuffing his own with the help of a cloaking 
napkin.

Daffela shakes her head, picking up her skirts with one hand and manging to 
move along enough to give the others room. "I don't mind. Oh hush Firla." 
The latter to the green who hops along the chair backs behind her human and 
gets a scrap of oyster to quiet her again.

Syrali catches the look and grins sheepishly back at Leigh, but the oysters 
don't stop disappearing until the plate's empty and five little firelizards 
go toddling off for a nap. "Oh! Thanks." She leans to one side, scootching 
over to leave enough room for a server to set down her cider, then goes 
fishing for more mushrooms off a passing plate. "These are awfully good." 
And her salad, notably, untouched.

Gaivn, for his part, eats his own greens with a comfortable cud-chewing 
motion to get the task done and swallowed. Preferably without choking.

Telgar Weyr> Maylia snugs y'all and heads out to brave the storm...

Kassima informs Auri, turning her head to peer over Kris at the brownrider, 
"The raw oysters are *nay* m'fault, nay matter what those kitchen folk say. 
If'n I didn't know better, I'd say Richenda must've had something t'do with 
it. Rides can usually be gotten, Candidate, surely."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali snugs! Take care, Sparky. :)

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa has a dress desc for Alyssa but can't find it. Just 
assume she's wearing this square-necked amethyst gather gown. Night, Maylia!!!!

From the kitchen comes the sound of a snort of derision followed by the 
former Headwoman's stentorian, "I certainly did NOT."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima hees and is starting to feel out of place in her dress 
leathers, but better those than the pink lace outfit. ;) Zhai, May! :)

Aurian murmurs, "What does she mean by slimey?" She is still dressed in her 
leathers and all. Sharding sunset sweeps.

D'ton enters late, and dressed no differently from usual. Sionelle and Emlyn 
may have broken him of being scruffy, but no one has ever seen him in 
anything even remotely resembling finery. He edges around the back, trying 
not to draw attention to himself.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's not in a dress. I guess Syr'd have one, but I doubt it 
fits anymore.

Aurian blinks at Kassima, "Oysters??? You?"

Kassima stifles a laugh, and raises her voice to call as loud as she dares, 
"Sorry, Riche! It just sounded rather like you!" One last mushroom is 
speared and popped into the greenrider's mouth, and she eyes those remaining 
on the tray with longing. "What d'you think?" she wonders of those near 
enough to hear. "Should I...? Oh, Auri! 'Twasn't my doing, and you won't see 
me eating 'em!"

Thaelon stabs one of the raw oysters, holding it in front of his face for 
inspection. As quick as he pops it into his mouth, a gulping noise is heard, 
"Wow! That thing was slimy. I didn't even have time to chew."

Keron munches on the salad and can be seen constantly looking towards the 
kitchen for the next course to appear. "I'm not one for oysters or 
muchrooms, but I might try them."

Syrali wrinkles up her nose at Thaelon, and in tones of extreme disgust, 
asks, "You actually ATE one?"

From the kitchen is a muttered, "If those bloody, twice-blasted, sharding 
things worked I'd have fed 'em all to Rennick Turns ago, for the love of 
Aunt Mary's muscles."

Gaivn nods somewhat dubious acknowledgment at Kassima before catching on 
Syrali's tone. "Ate what? - You did, really, Thae?"

Meli leans back against the wall, watching with quiet amusement at the 
activity of the younger diners, nibbling occasionally at a mushroom or a bit 
of salad.

Daffela casts a look at Syrali for amoment. "What's wrong with them?" she 
demands, scoffing another of the maligned oysters. "Better'n the mushrooms."

Thaelon nods towards Syrali, "Sure. Never seen em before. Thought I might as 
well have one, see what it's like." he replies. Pointing towards one of the 
riders eating one he remarks, "They're eating them, so I don't figure 
they'll kill ya."

Syrali's glance at Daffela is all but aghast. "Eww-wwww.... /raw/?" 
Shuddering theatrically, she goes forking for another couple mushrooms. 
"Nasty. They're fine /cooked/, but..."

Oyster-eaters to the left of him, oyster-eaters to the right of him - Gaivn 
slides back in his seat. O the five hundred!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali gahs at Gaivn. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Daffela giggles!

Kassima is trying not to giggle. Really. Truly. Of course, 'trying' is the 
operative word. "I never claimed they did!" she shouts towards the kitchen. 
"You were the one that told me of 'em; Faranth knows, I don't go around 
testing out aphrodesiacs!"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Theirs was not to reason why...."

Aurian just shudders and drops into a seat, "That's not what I heard"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Theirs was but to eat and die? No, no. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "With you around, Kassi, I wouldn't be surprised. ;)"

D'ton pulls up a chair next to Alyssa, and asks her quietly, "Is that stuff 
dinner?"

Alyssa gives the kitchen a glance that harbors certain fear, then sinks a 
bit in her new chair and remains stalwartly ignorant of the oysters. "For 
those who eat meat and animals as if they were dragons and firelizards, 
D'ton, I belive it is..."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali has a craving for stuffed mushrooms now, baked with 
mozzarella and well-ground beef, touch of garlic....

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa makes parmesan and breadcrumb-stuffed mushrooms sauteed 
in sherry and butter.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali drools.

Telgar Weyr> Gaivn says, "I'm with you!"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali moves in with Lys on the days she's not living with K'ti.

Kassima whispers into a tiny baby ear, "Don't ever go near raw oysters, by 
the by, m'son." Kris is mercifully non-attentive, else he'd surely be 
thoroughly confused. A dirty look is shot towards L'cher by the greenrider; 
the bluerider seems to be eating all of Thunderbolt's allotment of the 
oysters. Go figure.

Telgar Weyr> Daffela hides. Me can't stand mushrooms. (Or oysters for that 
matter. :P)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali mmmmms, mushrooms. Portabella tortellini in cream sauce.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti already has grabbed Lys up, Syrali dear.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima doesn't care for any of the appertifs RL, actually, but 
they *sounded* good. :) Next course, though... drool. And yes, Lys, there'll 
be something vegetarian. Promise! :)

As all this talk of oysters reaches Leigh, and as she's finished her stuffed 
mushrooms, the Healer-cum-candidate glances at one of the dishes where the 
dubious delicacies sit. While talk swirls around her, she glances towards a 
few faces as if to make sure they're turned elsewhere, then reaches for one, 
tilts her head back, and pours the slimy thing down her throat all at once. 
Eating oysters, drinking the water...she must have latent self-destructive 
tendencies.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali pouts at K'ti. You grabbed /me/, too.

Telgar Weyr> Keron mentions for all those not quite that he must leave due 
to the time. "I'll be back later."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Bye, Ker!"

Telgar Weyr> K'ti says, "Right.. but this means you get cheesecake and those 
nice mushrooms."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali can live with that, oh yes.

Telgar Weyr> Chayla waves :)

Telgar Weyr> Meli is going to be semi-idle, ship's on maneuvers elseMu ;)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Heya, Chay. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon says, "All this talk of oysters has me craving one now. 
An oyster on a Ritz cracker. Mmmmm."

Alyssa cannot even begin to watch Leigh and the others who actually 
voluntarily devour those uncooked critters. Around the edges she looks green.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali peers interestedly at Meli. Whazzis, Star Wars?

Telgar Weyr> K'ti considers making chedder mushroom caps tonight..

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Yup."

Keron grabs a few mushrooms and excuses hisself. "I need to feed those 
begger 'lizards of mine. "(OOCly I have to sign-off due to time.)

Keron walks towards the inner cavern.

Aurian is looking equally green as she watches the eating of raw grey slime 
drenched things, "Oh faranth."

Gaivn's face, not formerly having been particularly turned away from Leigh, 
now quickly averts. "Ah, er, everything's got to be easier from here, 
right?" he asks his neighbors.

D'ton picks up one of the uncooked critters. He looks at it carefully. He 
sniffs it, to no effect. Then he puts it back down. "Does eating them do 
anything funny to one?" he asks Aurian, after a brief glance at Alyssa's 
slowly greening visage.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti asks.. some type of gather going on tonight? I saw the 
dressup talk...

Syrali ignores the next plate of oysters passed by, looking not the least 
bit sick, but neither inclined to eat them. She watches the mushrooms go by 
longingly, though, and finally snitches another few off the plate.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Yup. Formal dinner. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Come goof it up? ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "Candidate dinner. :) We're fattening them up now!"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali blahs at Lys. So /that's/ what you feed the dragonets.

Telgar Weyr> Gaivn eyes Alyssa, and watches out for candidate-sized roast 
platters and redfruits to stuff our mouths. <g>

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa whistles innocently.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti missed that she thinks... hm, I could come down and have 
forgotten it icly too.. *grins*

Leigh swallows the oyster and takes a thoughtful moment before reaching for 
her water glass, taking a long rinse before answering Gaivn, "I don't think 
it would do anything other than affecting one's sensibilities. It doesn't 
taste harmful, but I won't be testing it again."

Chayla walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Thaelon quirks a brow and stares at the few remaining oysters, "I'm not 
going to waste m'time eating another of those. Can't get a taste or enjoy 
chewing it." He turns to the candidate he's sitting next to, "What's got to 
be easier Gaivn?"

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Good thing they don't have red tide on Pern. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali grins.

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan ummms. Well, they do. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa eeeech at Mart.

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa :)

Telgar Weyr> K'ti is heading up for barbeque'd oysters this weekend.. fresh 
off Point Reys.

Aurian places her gloved hand over her mouth, she clenches her eyes tightly.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Everybody ready for the main course? :)"

Alyssa shudders and remarks faintly, "I wouldn't touch them with a 
ten-length rod..."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Before we're too stuffed or ill, sure. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "There'll be no oysters, I promise. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Neliea tries to keep up and blinks. Oooh, boy. :)

Gaivn replies to the one, "Next courses. Although, I guess if you wanted to 
make faces, it's a good excuse, but that's silly anyway." To the other, once 
he realizes Leigh meant him, he asks, "Do you think harmful tastes are 
different than bad tastes? Some of the ovines, they eat things they oughtn't."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali turns on Nel's turbo button. ;)

Daffela gives the little bowl of thick orangy souce a nudge. "They taste 
much better with that smearing on them." she counter's Thae round Gaivn, 
nibbling on innocuous yellowvein and other greens.

As the appertifs slowly disappear down hungry gullets, the dishes heavily 
laden with the main course are brought forth from the kitchen. The idea here 
seems to have been to make something for everyone: a succulent roast wherry 
is served with bowls of a bread-and-spices dressing, small bowls of gravy 
provided as well; on another table is set out a truly delectable portion of 
herdbeast. Prime rib, in fact, and tiny cups of an excellent 
mushroom-and-wine sauce are set nearby to be applied at the diner's 
discretion. For those who don't care so much for meats, a generously-sized 
legume casserole steams warmth into the room; arranged around its platter 
are tiny tubers, dressed as their larger baked cousins, with cream and 
whiteroot sauce slathered on for taste.

Tubers and legumes! Alyssa perks up and, for her, assaults the food with 
greater enthusiasm than she showed for the meat-laden course just before. 
"This smells good," she observes quietly, helping herself to the vegetables.

Gaivn sits back again with a, "Sorry about that. What's the orange... oh, by 
Faranth's first blooding, -that's- more like what I'm used to. Although we 
mostly eat the culls, back home."

K'ti walks in from the bowl.

Pierron sits down and wipes the beads of sweat from his forehead with a big 
red handkerchief.

Chayla steps into living cavern, blinking as she notices how everone is 
dressed..or more pointedly, how she /isn't/. But a smile crosses her face as 
she notices that not /everyone/ is dressed to the nines. With quiet strides 
she makes her way further into the room, nodding and smiling to those she 
knows...and even those she doesn't.

K'ti shuffles in then stops, still, at the entryway. She frowns then her 
face turns a brilliant red over the jacket's collars. She pulls that jacket 
closer.

D'ton removes the remaining oysters from in front of Alyssa and Aurian. "You 
not eating those?" he queries, then, not waiting for an answer says, "Kyo 
wants to try a few. Save some wherry for me."

Syrali scoots her mushrooms out of the way at knifepoint, and proceeds to 
accost several slices of wherry and a generous portion of the stuffing, not 
to mention a fair dollop of gravy. "Wish we ate like this /every/ night," 
she mutters in Leigh's general direction, grinning. "This's awful good 
stuff. Never had /those/ at home--" She taps the mushrooms with her knife 
again, spears one, and pops it in her mouth.

Thaelon's face wrinkles and he starts to complain as the first course is 
taken away. He starts so say something and then stops as the cooks come in 
with the heavily laden trays. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as 
the aroma from the herdbeast reaches his nose, "Ahhh, that looks great!"

Aurian murmurs, "I don't think I'm eating tonight."

Alyssa smiles at D'ton, gaze lingering warmly there, then she begins to eat 
the legumes. With relish of a metaphorical sense.

K'ti mutters to herself, "I musta missed an announcement or somethin... oh 
shards." With that she edges around the sides of the gathering, attempting 
not to be noticed.

Meli's brows rise in appreciation, when her turn arrives she's got a bit of 
this, a bit of that, on a rather well-laden plate. "Extra calesthenics in 
th'Bowl in skivvies later, neh?" she jokes with some of the others at her 
table.

Kassima groans audibly at the arrival of this next course. "How'm I *ever* 
supposed t'be getting m'figure back?" she demands, rather rhetorically, as 
she manages to juggle baby and plate in the quest to get a little of 
*everything*--save, of course, the small tubers. "Auri," she pleads, "at 
least try the roast. 'Tis too good t'be passed over, and the legumes don't 
smell half-bad either! K'ti," for the Wingleader has always been adept at 
noticing those trying not to be noticed, "aren't you going t'try some of 
this stuff?"

Daffela sighs softly in pure delight, not wastign time is spearing slice of 
the wherry and a generous helping of legumes and tubers to her plate. Gravy 
and sauce are waved aside this time as she tucks in, too engaged with 
enjoying the food to chatter.

M'rgan walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Gaivn glances over his slab of meat at K'ti, and then Chayla; he calls to 
the latter, "Got the littles settled? I hear we'll all be up late with this 
food!"

Leigh follows Alyssa's example, accepting a portion of the legumes and a 
tuber with sauce as she remarks, "This smells delicious. Oh, so does 
that..." The small redhead allows herself the luxury of trying each item, 
though in small doses. "Syrali, what do you mean," she asks the former 
Smith, "when you say you didn't have mushrooms at home?"

"Mean we didn't have 'em cooked like /that/." Syrali pokes through the few 
mushrooms left on her plate again, picking out the stuffing to nibble on it 
separately, smeared in some of the wherry gravy. "Stuffed like that. They're 
d'licious."

K'ti scratches at her out of place hair and says, "Uh, hey Kassi. Perhaps 
s'better I jus' grab it in the kitchens. I, uh, seem t'be unnerdressed fer 
the occasion. What *is* the occasion annaway?"

Aurian whimpers as a plate is put in front of her by some cruel soul. She 
gazes at all the food and blinks, "But I like redfruit.."

D'ton picks up the small dish of oysters that was haunting the visual fields 
of Aurian and Alyssa, and gets to his feet. Spotting Chayla, he offers her 
his seat. "Chayla, why don't you sit here? I should eat with the weyrlings 
anyway," he says, "You've missed the appetizer, but there's still plenty left."

Chayla smiles at K'ti as she passes, "Ma'am." The nanny too seems to be 
underdressed, but that doesn't stop ehr from gathering a thick slice of the 
prime rib and some of that mushroom wine sauce..and a glass of wine for good 
measure. At Gaivn's remark she turns with another smile. "Aye, they were all 
upset that they couldn't stay up as well."

M'rgan is shaking at his shirt as he wanders into the cavern, shaking off 
the globs of dried mud that still cling to it. His face and hands are shiny 
and ruddy-colored so at least he had time to clean up a little before dinner.

"I...wish you wouldn't give your dragon that," Alyssa murmurs to D'ton as 
she watches the bronzerider withdraw, then, sighing, she nods to M'rgan in 
greeting.

Neliea blinks as her attention is turned away from the food as she murmurs 
to Aurian, "If you're not eating, save me a bit of wherry. Xylath's deciding 
/now's/ a good time to be attentive..."

Kassima assures Auri around a mouthful of the roast, "There's a 
fruit-and-cheese course after, t'clean the palate ere dessert. K'ti, you're 
nay much more under-dressed than I; the occasion's the Candidates, so 
t'speak. A dinner for 'em. And dancing after, if'n anyone's nay still too 
stuffed t'be moving. Hey, brownie!" The Wingleader sets down her fork to 
wave her free hand at the brownrider.

Chayla detours at the kind offer, slipping into D'ton's abandoned seat. 
"Thank you D'ton. Now, don't be getting your lifemate sick with those.." she 
warns, an impish glint in her hazel eyes.

Neliea walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Gaivn returns the smile, his own gap-toothed but friendly enough. "Hope they 
forget by morning. M'sisters always did, but..." spotting M'rgan out of his 
peripheral vision, he takes a second look and then ducks a glance down to 
double-check his own shirt.

Leigh informs Syrali, "I've had them stuffed before, but usually with spices 
and bread crumbs. The porcine isn't bad, though the flavor's a little 
strong." But the petite girl breaks off as she hears Kassima 
mention..."Dancing? Did you say there'd be dancing, Wingleader?"

D'ton grins at Alyssa on his way out, and says to her and Chayla, "He's the 
one who wants to eat it. Besides, if I didn't, he'd just find something else 
strange to put in that great maw of his..."

K'ti gets a look at the mud, then gets a look at the kidified lady then 
plunks herself right down next to Alyssa.. she was near there anyway.

D'ton walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

K'ti says "In twenty turns, I guess, they'll all look like this."

Syrali shrugs. "They're good," she says simply, and blinks over at Kassima 
at the mention. "Dancing?" she echoes Leigh. "For everybody?"

Alyssa waves to D'ton's back, then smiles at K'ti and settles more 
comfortably at her place at Skyfire's table, close to the Candidates.

Aurian pushes the meat and tubers about the plate with her fork much like a 
reluctant little.

Licking his lips, Thaelon slices three ribs out of the large rack of 
herdbeast. Scooping a bit of the mushroom and wine sauce up and dribbling it 
over the meat, he drops back into his seat and eyes the dish, "I hope there 
aren't many courses behind this. A slab of meat like this will just about 
fill me."

M'rgan waves to his friends and the others that he knows as he passes them 
on his way to the Skyfire table, still shedding mud and dirt with every 
step. "Evening," he says to Alyssa as he takes a seat near her, his eyes 
turned hungrily towards the food being passed around.

Alyssa, without being asked, nudges the platter of meat that she eschewed 
toward M'rgan and murmurs, "Help yourself, brownrider. Please."

K'ti leans over and stage mutters, "'n a sevenday they'll be eatin gruel 'n 
crusts, lil' do they know." She winks at Alyssa with a merry grin.

Gaivn, his shirt having passed muster, grunts acknowlegment at Thaelon. 
"Maybe by the last course, if they take a while."

"Two others, Thae," Syrali calls past Leigh, catching just a bit of the 
other candidate's words. "/She/ said." She being, by the crooked thumb the 
girl points at a certain greenrider, Kassima. "Cheese, an' fruit, an' dessert."

Chayla chuckles softly, neatly cutting ehr food into tiny bites...hmm, it 
looks like one /can/ spend too much time with toddlers.

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "Mart, isn't your character's 
appetite...ah...infamous?"

Kassima licks a droplet of juice from her fingers before answering. "Aye, 
certes. 'Tis why the center of the room was cleared... well, that and t'give 
the servers room. A'course for everybody! Some of the riders and residents 
aren't bad hands with instruments, though it may nay be Harper-fare. 'Twill 
have t'be setting Kris t'bed ere that starts, I figure. Already a bit 
restless." She presses her lips to the baby's temple a moment, then resumes 
making short work of a food-heavy plate.

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan has cleared a few plates in his time. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa grins.

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa seemst o recall that.

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa seems not to recall how to type, however.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima suddenly has Weird Al Yankovic's 'Eat It' stuck in her 
head.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali grins.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima should've known not to listen to the Food Album on the 
day of a feast....

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's only ever heard his... what's the name of it? Amish 
Paradise, right.

Aurian pushes the meat to the left and then the tubers to the right.. then 
she switches them around again.

Thaelon looks over at Syrali, shaking his head as he swallows a mouthfull, 
"Don't think I'm gonna make that." He peers over at the delicatables on her 
plate and nods approvingly, "Though as good as everything else has been, I 
don't think I could bear to turn it down either."

Chayla looks around and smiles, more then happy to imerse her senses in 
adult speach. "The cooks certainly outdid themselves..."

K'ti takes a spoon into a pile of mashed tubers and shakes them onto her 
plate with gusto. Little, red, different, hungry. Some gravy goes over that, 
as do some slabs of herdbeast.

Telgar Weyr> Meli laughs at K'ti's pose. :)

Telgar Weyr> Kassima hees. Tubers: Pern's Nuprin?

Gaivn mutters at Thaelon, "I heard what some of the Lords do, they go to the 
necessary in between and stick their fingers down to throw up the first 
course, so they can eat more."

M'rgan takes the plate from Alyssa, dipping his head in thanks. Most of the 
meat on that plate ends up on his own but that's not entirely unexpected 
since he passed the tubers by already. Without hesitation he digs into the 
meal as if he'd been starved for a Sevenday though Kena's 'training' of him 
has worked well enough that none of the food ends up on his clothes and very 
little ends up on his face.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti was talking about herself ;) So she's weird...

Leigh fills her taste buds with the onion sauce, having taken a bit of an 
extra portion of sauce to go with her legumes and tubers. But now that 
someone has mentioned dancing, she's taking smaller bites, and there'll 
probably be some left on her plate when it's cleared and the next course is 
served. "That's pleasant, Gaivn," she remarks as the boy's comment reaches 
her. Oh, yes, there will be some food left on this plate. She sets down her 
fork.

Alyssa watches M'rgan with something akin to fascination before murmuring to 
Aurian, "Everything all right?"

Gaivn startles a look back over at Leigh. "-You- weren't supposed to hear 
that. Why'd you go and listen?"

Chayla smirks at Gaivn's comment. "YEah, well from what I've heard you have 
to be careful. What happens if your stomach gets used to ...eptying itself 
between meals? Can't be pretty."

Thaelon looks over at Gaivn with his face turning a bit white, "No way! 
Shards, that's awful." He shakes the thought out of his head, "The foods 
been to good to just toss it back up. Can't believe anything else would 
taste good after that either."

Kassima pauses mid-motion of dipping a forkful of prime rib into the 
mushroom-and-wine sauce to just *gape* at Mart. "Shells. And I thought *I* 
was eating a lot...." A considering look is given to her plate, but she 
apparently resigns herself to finishing off the wherry and legume without 
helping herself to any more.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "You know... this is all really making me miss 
Mountain Jack's Steakhouse."

Leigh lifts and lowers a shoulder. "I guess the sound carried. It doesn't 
really make me ill, though." Already she's picked her fork back up, in fact. 
"When you work in a morgue, you find you can eat through anything."

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Mmmmmm"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima hasn't gotten to go there since Mom went vegetarian.

Syrali licks off her knife with the worst of bad manners, ignoring the quiet 
ruckus at the other end of the table. Lords? No Lords here. "More wherry?" 
she requests of a passing server, and snags another slice and a half off 
onto her plate. The tubers, though, she eyes for a long moment before 
sighing long-sufferingly and plucking off a trio of the smallest, along with 
lots and lots of gravy.

K'ti pauses and looks at that mound of tubers and taps her finger on the 
table. Something's missing. Something's really missing on top of this mound, 
but what. With that she spies legumes passing by. They go into the mess just 
about as quickly. No real organization, just one big pile.

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan thinks Skyfire Wing's table is probably the messiest. ;)

Thaelon shakes his fork at Syrali, "You'll cut your tounge and miss the rest 
of the meal."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "True. At least L'cher cleared Thunderbolt's of 
all the raw oysters. ;)"

Aurian drops the napkin over her plate, trying to look like she's eaten 
everyting.

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa eats very tidily but her wingmates are making up for her 
'slack'.

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Ewwwwww"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "He would. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> K'ti says, "Wait.. oysters? Hmmmmm... where?"

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Is oy-ster anyting like oy-spam?"

Syrali sticks out her demonstrably uncut tongue at Thaelon, and goes back to 
eating, very pointedly licking off the blade in between bites.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "They were part of the appertif course. Probably 
still plenty floating around."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali fed most of the ones on one end of the Candidates table 
to her lizards.

Gaivn's brown eyes round further, and he abandons carrying vs. overhearing 
in favor of, "You eat -in- there? That's where there are dead people, right? 
I don't eat while mucking, I can tell you that much."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima recalled en midst typing that pose that mushrooms, 
Istan peppers, and raw oysters are all purported aphrodesiacs, but decided 
'What the hey.' ;)

K'ti stops and her eyes widen. "Hold it, what's that over there?" She points 
then as she scoots up in her chair her face turns into delight, "Oysters? 
Fer dinner here?"

M'rgan pauses in his shovelling long enough to gape at Aurian's plate. He 
gestures towards it with his knife. "You can eat something other than 
redfruit you know. It won't kill you. Unless it's tubers. Then...Hey, K'ti, 
could you pass those legumes?"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali hees. Evil, Kassi. And for the Candidate feast, no less!

Telgar Weyr> Kassima wells, it wasn't *intentional*!

Gaivn's words catch Alyssa's attention, and that greenish pallor returns, 
then she coughs and starts moving vegetables around her own plate.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali uh huhs. Suuuure. ;)

K'ti says "Mart, I c'n pass ye annathing as long as ye promise t'pass me 
that platter of oysters."

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra, having just unquieted her knot, won't ask.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali snickers. Heya, Ky. Come join the dinner! ;)

Leigh shakes her head towards Gaivn, replying after swallowing a succulent 
bite of sliced wherry, "I don't eat in the morgue, of course. But I did work 
there right before the noon meal, and if I was squeamish I'd never have been 
able to eat luncheon."

Kassima asks, "Meli, are any bowls of stuffing making the rounds over there? 
I seem t'have missed m'share... aigh, K'ti, those oysters are evil. Evil, I 
tell you. So which of the foods has been the best so far?" she then wonders 
of the Candidates.

Aurian murmurs, "I do sometimes eat other things."

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra says, "Dinner, huh? Give me one reason to come down 
from my nice, safe ledge and mingle with you scary people, and I'll think 
about it.;)"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "We're fun. Aphrodisiacs. Dancing. There, three."

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Um, dessert is still coming?"

Gaivn offers, "Some people forget more easily than others. Why, Tasso, he - 
" but right around then, he gets a nudge from one of the others and, after 
glancing at Alyssa as directed, immediately reddens. That's Gaivn, can't 
even color coordinate.

Meli cranes her neck, then rouses herself enough to snag a bowl of stuffing 
and head it down the line toward Kassi.

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra hmms and is definitely tempted by the idea of dessert."

K'ti grasps the bowl of legumes just as she hears that phrase of 'Evil'. She 
gives a brilliant and warm grin to Kassi just as she says, "Kassi, m'dear, 
Evil is onna th' things I do best, 'n happiest." That bowl starts heading in 
Mart's direction.

M'rgan shoves a few more forkfuls of the wherry into his mouth before 
reaching for the platter of oysters. He selects one of the oysters for 
himself, one being all that he'll need, and passes the rest over to K'ti. 
"Something you've been keeping a secret?" he asks through his mouthful of 
wherry.

Alyssa backs away from the table and from that bowl of oysters. She wants no 
part of it.

Leigh gives Kassima a smile, leaning a little so she can see the Wingleader. 
"All of it in combination," is her answer. "The flavors compliment noe 
another perfectly."

Chayla eats her plate, making certain to shew each piece carefully before 
swallowing. It is rather amusing considering their starting size. She 
notices Alyssa's coloring and asks with a touch of concern, "Ma'am, you 
doing alright?"

Thaelon concentrates on the rib he's holding between his hands, pointedly 
ignoring the conversation on his left for the moment. He sets he rib down 
occasionally to wipe up the sauce as it begins to pool on his chin.

Daffela is and has been quiet, alternating between slipping tidbits to Firla 
and contentedly working her way through the last of what occupies her plate.

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra grins and decides to come. Just for good measure, she 
drags C'lus with her too.;)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali giggles. Crunchy enough, Chay?

"I'm well, thank you, Chayla," replies the bluerider, tone mild if a touch 
quivery, as she heads for the beverages and the wine. "I don't care for 
meat. I haven't in Turns."

Aurian delicately pushes the plate into a bin.

Kassima salutes first Meli, in thanks, and then K'ti, in acknowledgement, 
with the bowl of stuffing. "Evil is a girl's best friend," she agrees with 
certain contentment. "Though how you can *eat* those things... aye, I agree! 
I just wish I could be drinking wine with 'em rather than milk, but even 
that can't ruin the flavor."

K'ti takes one of the shells and a bit of citron. She squeezes the latter 
into the first then upends the shell into her mouth, letting the sweet 
oyster slide down her throat- experianced. She licks her lips and asks, 
"secret?"

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa eech.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima is so glad her player has a strong stomach. Raw 
oysters, ewwww.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti loves 'em, herself :)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's eaten scallops. Oysters aren't much different.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima isn't much for any kind of seafood, 'cept shrimp, and 
that rarely. :)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali hated the scallops, mind. ;) I love seafood.

Telgar Weyr> Meli grins at that, and at Leigh's earlier RP. In vet school, 
we'd find ourselves out to eat somewhere nice talking about cases and such 
and suddenly realize we might be... upsetting the other diners. ;)

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan liked raw oysters with tabasco sauce in his 
pre-vegetarian days.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali recommends baby squid sometime, deep-fried. They're nice 
and squiggly. Hee, Meli, we get that with my grandma -- she was an RN for 
years.

Kylandra walks in from the bowl.

Pierron tells a lower caverns girl to hurry up with the dishes.

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon says, "I love em. Especially with mustard on a cracker, 
or like M'rgan said :)"

C'lus walks in from the bowl.

Aurian turns green as she watches K'ti eat the oysters.

Syrali slows down about halfway through her second helping of gravied 
wherry, and stops a few bites into that. She stares at her plate for a 
while, takes a deep breath, and sets her knife down in favor of her cider.

Meli's plate is as empty as it's going to get for now, but she gestures to 
get a refill of her Red as she plays with the rest of her servings with her 
fork.

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Squid is dandy"

Telgar Weyr> K'ti has eaten much weirder things.. and figures that if it's 
digestible and doesn't taste bad, then hey.. it's just perspective.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali is not inclined to try chicken feet.

Chayla smiles, nodding in understanding and acceptance of alyssa's answer. 
"Fair enough. Faranth knows there is enough of a selection of ways to 
prepare legumes that you won't get bored. Probably more so then meats even, 
though I must admit to prefereing the latter."

Telgar Weyr> Meara wrinkles her nose, "Squid."

K'ti grabs up another of those fine shells and this time it gets some red 
sauce as well as citron juice. She swirls it once then downs it just as fast 
as the first- with a slurping sound this time.

Though the main course isn't near done for most, the serving folk are 
anything but slack... and as a matter of fact, some of them aren't even 
regular serving folk. Riders, evidently on punishment duty, are the ones to 
serve the trays of exotic cheeses of all types and slices of fresh 
fruit--redfruit, kiwi, mango, citron, banana, anything your heart might 
desire--to the Candidates. Similar platters are set all around the room, 
accompanied by baskets of fine-grained bread and miniature cups of creamy 
butter to spread on it.

Aurian starts snatching bits of fruit and cheese.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti looks happy. She gets soem of these this weekend too :)

While the food that has just arrived - cheeses, fruit, bread - is what 
Alyssa most prefers, she is already finished, by and large, and begs quiet 
permission from her superiors to depart. It's a social thing, overall.

Syrali's eyes go wide at this new course, part of her wherry still on the 
plate before her. "Ooooh, I ate too much," she mumbles to herself, but picks 
off a few of each type anyway, scooting aside the half-eaten meat.

Gaivn murmurs at Daffela, lowering his voice, "Think we have to stand up for 
them?" with a nod to the rider-servers.

C'lus moves into the cavern a little behind Kylandra, and while a tray is 
going past him, he reaches out to snatch up a piece of redfruit. Taking a 
quick bite of it, he follows his weyrmate on into the room, waving while he 
can (to who he can, with Kylandra blocking his view).

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa wants to stay, but she's really tired and sneezy. She'll 
be back tomorrow, promise.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima snugs a Lys. Thankee for coming. :)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali snugs Lys! Go have some orange juice and get better. :)

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "See ya Lyssa"

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa hugs yas back. "And thank you, Kassi, for a great idea." :)

Kylandra gives a wide yawn and a good stretching as she saunters into the 
cavern with C'lus, and manages to look surprised at the number of people 
already eating. "Well, shards, our sweeps must have run late." Her mood 
doesn't seem to be too bad though as she starts waving and smiling in every 
direction.

Meli selects some kiwi and some of the other less common fruits, making sure 
not to take more than her share, which is apparently not too much at this 
point. Dessert awaits...

Chayla inclines her head towards Alyssa in polite farewell as the Bluerider 
makes her departure. She ignores the fruit for the most part, sticking to 
the different choices of cheese instead.

Leigh lets her plate be taken as with a brighter smile she finds a fruit 
tray offered to her. She's no stranger to the fruits that wouldn't come 
close to growing this far north, and takes at least one slice of each as 
well as of those more familiar in this region. "I haven't had these since I 
went with my father on his Journey route when I was a little girl," says the 
candidate, disregarding the fact that she's still a little girl...that is, 
she's female and short.

Thaelon doesn't even begin to complain this time as the main course is 
removed, and looks back towards the kitchen expectantly. His eyes widen as 
he is rewarded by seeing several well laden platters heading his way.

Alyssa walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima had *just* cleared her plate when the newest course was served. Her 
expression is a mixture between happiness and agony--oh, the temptation! "I 
suppose I need dairy *anyway*," she philosophizes, taking up a knife to cut 
herself just one slice of bread to go with minimal portions of cheese, kiwi, 
and perhaps a berry or two. "Kylandra, C'lus, g'deve!" she calls, espying 
the bluerider pair, though not too loudly; the baby in her other arm is 
still asleep, if restless. "There should still be food from the other 
courses about--ribs and wherry and casserole, if'n you fancy."

K'ti keeps ahold of her plate, making sure that her mashed tubers stay with 
her. She takes a few bites of those, alternating them with a slurppy oyster 
on occasion.

M'rgan pokes his oyster with a forefinger until it slips easily around in 
its shell. Smiling the whole time he tosses his head back and downs the 
oyster in one swallow, dropping the shell back onto the table with a 
clatter. As the slippery seafood makes its way down his gullet he resumes 
shoveling in as much meat as possible.

Kassima can only remark, watching this spectacle, "Mart, that's positively 
*disgusting*."

Daffela takes long moment to register anythign but she casts a sideways 
glance at Gaivn when she does. "I don't know." she murmurs back.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "What do raw oysters taste like, anyway? O.o If 
you just /gulp/ them..."

Telgar Weyr> Meli has only had oysters rockefeller once... give me scallops 
in butter any day ;)

Telgar Weyr> Spyte smiles. "Kind of metallic."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali icks. I've had scallops twice, and both times they were 
rubbery and disgusting.

Telgar Weyr> Meara says, "Scallops and oysters are delish."

Telgar Weyr> Gaivn says, "Sounds like bad scallops, then, all right."

Telgar Weyr> Meara says, "Though I've never tried them raw."

Telgar Weyr> Alyssa says, "Sounds like bay scallops, Syrali. Get sea 
scallops, They're sweet and tender."

Telgar Weyr> Daffela studyied oyster farming for geography in her last year 
of high school.

Kylandra's smile brightens if anything for her wingleader, and somehow a 
plate finds its way into her hand. And then wherry slathered liberally with 
gravy appears on the plate, followed by a warm roll (also covered with 
gravy). "Evening, Kassima. How's dinner gone so far?" she asks 
conversationally, sliding into a nearby seat and beckoning C'lus to sit with 
her.

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan thinks they are rubbery and slimy. Oysters, that is. 
That's why you need hot sauce.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali hmms. I'll have to see if I can find 'em.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima okays, and takes a vote: should I have them bring out 
the dessert course now, so that we can get to the dancing too, or would that 
be too rushed? :)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's in no hurry, so s'up to you. ;)

Thaelon looks over the tray for several moments before selecting a citron 
and a variety of white and yellow cheese which he forks onto his plate. 
Peering across the table at Syrali he grins, "Quitting so soon?"

Telgar Weyr> Daffela says, "An oyster farmer brought some along to the class 
when he gave a talk and two of the girls decided to eat them."

Chayla chuckles softly as she watches how one single type of food can result 
in such a varied opinion amoung people.

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra says, "Dessert? I haven't gulped down my first portion 
of gravy-drowned meat yet! ;)"

Syrali sticks her tongue out at Thaelon again, and grimaces down at her 
plate. "Just 'cause my legs aren't hollow like /your/ long ol' pegs," she 
grumbles, popping a smallish slice of banana into her mouth.

"Stuffingly," is Kassi's half-groaned answer. "I'll have t'run m'self and 
most of the Wing around the Bowl a few times just t'be working this off. And 
they say you never see a fat rider...."

C'lus follows Kylandra towards the table, and has a seat. A modest helping 
of some fruit makes it to his hands, which he eats away at. Glancing over, 
he sees the empty oyster shells, glances to his fruit, and slowly eats.

Aurian eats a redfruit wedge, "Much better."

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon's in no rush either. *shrug*

Telgar Weyr> Syrali makes a coffee run, and wisely puts the screen on hold 
first. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Kassima okays. :) Just don't want to go so slowly that 
everyone's bored stiff but too polite to tell me! (I'm not very experienced 
at this dinner gig, I have to confess. :)

Kylandra chuckles before taking a gravy-dripping bite of her food. "With all 
this food, no wonder! If I don't eat too much, can I get out of running?" 
she jokes. A glance at her weyrmate and she nudges him in the ribs. "S'that 
all you're gonna eat, that little bit of fruit?"

Gaivn nods at Daffela, then glances to the others for a cue - which leads to 
eating rather than salutations. "Who likes the peppers in these, and who 
doesn't? The cheese, I mean."

"Who says that?" M'rgan asks Kassima as he pushes his licked-clean plate 
away from him and reaches down the table for that platter of oysters. The 
buttons on his waistband groan with the movement but somehow manage to keep 
from popping.

Thaelon chuckles as he slices a bit of fruit off and wraps it in a bit of 
cheese, "You were the one that told me I didn't eat enough. Though I've not 
been able to keep up with him at all." he says, jerking his head towards 
M'rgan.

K'ti smooshes some of the meat into the tubers then stuffs it into her 
mouth. She was hungry, and her plate's starting to show it. Not near as much 
the oyster platter, it's clearing off with help from Mart. She takes another 
one and sprinkles some lemon atop of it.

C'lus grins, snapping off a piece of redfruit from what he has, "Yes, this 
is what I'm eating. I'm not all That hungry you know, I did eat a little 
earlier."

Meli rises from her seat, moves down the line to stand behind M'rgan, and 
whispers something to him. She then makes her way back to her spot and 
continues to nibble at the fruit.

Daffela nibbles on fruit, not very enthusiatic about this course for once. 
Cheese is also nibbled at cautiously as she listens.

"Hmmm... well, 'twill *think* about it," Kassi promises Kylandra, with a 
wink. "Mayhaps if'n you're lucky, Kris will keep me up so late that I'll 
forget about it entirely! Mart, plenty of people do, but I'm starting 
t'think they're all nuts. How'd you manage t'put so much food away? Don't 
fret, Thaelon--only one I know who could ever keep up with that one in the 
eating department is Kiat."

Chayla stands momentarily, stepping away from the table to get a refil on 
her wine. While out of the way she reaches up and behind her, gathering her 
hair and looping it into a loose knot. Smiling at the kitchen helper who 
pours her a new glass, the nanny turns and makes her wya back to the table.

K'ti says around a munched goodie, "course.. " smack, "I ain't had annathing 
t'day. I almost missed me duties as it was.." chew chew. "'n I didn't expect 
a feast."

Leigh has been so good all during candidacy, working herself and eating 
sensibly. Surely this one little binge won't hurt, will it? She chooses 
deliberately to eat all the fruit she wants, which is perhaps more than it 
should be, but at least it's not sweets. "Are candidates allowed wine 
tonight, bluerider?" she asks Alyssa, not only the candidate coordinator but 
the rider who brought her here in the first place, and therefore singular in 
her mind.

M'rgan downs another oyster as he listens to Meli and as he swallows it he 
winks at her. "I'd only be worried about that if you were still my 
wingsecond. And K'ti's too nice to send me out there when I've already spent 
the day clearing a road. Right, K'ti." He beams at the bluerider as he 
snatches another oyster from the platter.

Leigh's brows draw together as she notices that Alyssa has left when she was 
snagging another helping of fruits, and casts about for another person who 
might answer her question. "Wingleader Kassima, are candidates permitted 
wine tonight?"

Gaivn mutters apologetically about the privy at Daffela and Thaelon, 
squeezing out from between them and at least attempting not to step on 
anyone's foot.

K'ti pauses on her way towards raising another bite. "Huh? Did I miss 
somethin here? Am I bein too nice t'my crew?"

Thaelon scoots over to allow Gaivn room to get up, "Done already?" he asks, 
poking another hunk of fruit in his mouth, "Well, see you in the barracks 
later."

Kylandra chuckles and shakes her head at C'lus, contentedly munching on her 
gravy-drowned wherry. She washes the latest bite down with a swig of wine 
and says, "And what would Olynth think if he knew his rider wasn't eating 
any good, warm, juicy meat, hmm?"

Meli's nose wrinkles as she mutters a quiet "Drat.... t'see ... snort ... 
out ... nose."

C'lus swallows the last of his redfruit, grinning, "He'd probably be glad, 
as long as he got what I didn't eat that is,"

Gaivn replies, "For now, anyway! Hope I make it back in time for the next 
course," grins, and threads his way between the people.

Gaivn walks towards the inner cavern.

M'rgan crooks his thumb back over his shoulder at Meli. "She was trying to 
scare me into thinking that there would be exercises after this." He sucks 
in a breath and twists in his chair to move his waistband a bit lower before 
looking around for the next platter of food.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti is getting quite hungry. Soon it's time to go home.. and 
go to the grocery store.. (eek, not while I'm hungry!)

Kassima blinks out of a dragon-inspired trance, peering at Leigh in 
confusion for a moment. "Hmm? Oh... I'd assume a bit would be all right--so 
long as 'tis nay to excess. That's the rule for Candidates, unless Lys and 
Nimiriel have changed it."

Syrali nibbles a bit halfheartedly at her fruits and cheeses, sliding 
sidelong glances at the congealing half of a wherry slice in its gravy, 
still nearby. She sneaks a look behind her, grimaces at the empty firelizard 
perch, and looks back down at her food. "Anybody else hungry still?"

Kylandra smiles good-naturedly and warns, "Well, when you wake up in the 
middle of the night dying of hunger, /you/ can get on that big blue beastie 
of yours and come down here yourself!" Hearing mention of the word 
'Candidate', she turns and looks out at the general crowd. "So many 
Candidates here," she says to nobody in particular. "We certainly picked an 
interesting time to transfer here."

K'ti slurps up another oyster and calmly says, "Oh, ye didn't know there 
was? I ain't postponin anna chores or duties fer a small dinner wi' the 
candidates. I'm countin wherry slices 'n fer each one I see a body eat, they 
git five reps of whatever exercise."

Thaelon scoots over and waggles his arms, "Ahhh. Elbow room, now I can 
shovel it in." He nods to Syrali, "Yeah. We haven't even had dessert yet."

Aurian stretches as she bites into her fruit.

K'ti licks her thumb. "That's why I'm stickin t'oysters. THey ain't on the 
list."

Leigh listens to Kassima and reluctantly shakes her head at the server, 
contenting herself with her water. She also tells Syrali, "I'm not hungry 
anymore, but it's all so good I want to keep tasting it."

Chayla breaks her slices of cheese into smaller bits, popping them into her 
mouth with delight. She glances to the kitchens at the mentions going around 
the tables of the desert still to come.

Syrali shoves the wherry plate toward Thaelon. "Here. /You're/ the one with 
the hollow legs an' hollow head, too." She flashes a quick, almost shy grin, 
and ducks her head again to work on the lighter course.

"Two laps in th'lake for each three tubers, too," Meli chimes in. "Right, 
K'ti?"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali has a nice normal vegetable beef soup for dinner. Heck 
with this exotic stuff.

Kassima can't help but point out, with a wink, "There *is*, Mart. Dancing. 
And we'll tease thoroughly anyone who's too stuffed t'do their share of 
that; they'll never live it down! Right a'fore a Hatching's the best time 
t'be anywhere, I'd say." She finishes the last crumb of her own cheese, and 
pushes the plate away; though she's done her best to clean it, meat juices 
and dessert just don't mix. "You're in luck if'n you are, Syrali. M'Aunt 
Keysanna came up from Greystones t'help out with the dessert course. You 
remember her, Mart? The one who made you that pastry?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima had breadsticks and Doritos for dinner, and would kill 
for the exotic stuff. :P :)

K'ti grins, looking in Meli's direction, "that's only th'beginning, Meli. 
Since ye left I revised the mornin' workout schedule."

Thaelon sticks his tounge at Syrali as he snags the plate and drags it 
towards him, "Stuff's good. Plus I didn't eat much today."

M'rgan's hand hovers above the platter as he gives K'ti a long, long look. 
Is she joking or isn't she joking? The man evidently concludes that she is 
since he reaches for one of the slices of cheese being passed around as a 
dessert. "As long as I can still get up on the lump's neck, I'm fine."

Meli's brows rise as she gets into it further. "Oh? I'll have t'get w'you 
and see your changes, might want to do th'same in Shadowflame..." Her lip 
quivers at Mart's comment. "Poor Uly."

Telgar Weyr> Aurian had leftover potroast and noodles

M'rgan's reaction to Kassima's words is the same as it always is when 
anything potentially embarassing is being discussed. "I don't know of any 
such pastry."

"I'm saving room for dessert." Syrali shoves the cheese bits around her 
plate, only rarely nibbling at one and casting glances toward the kitchen. 
"S'good dessert?" she adds, glancing up toward Kassima.

K'ti says "what, eight wherry slices 'n two cheese, Meli? Sounds like fun 
t'morrow."

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon had a spicy chicken from Wendy's. Although it wasn't 
near as hot as the commercial led me to believe.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Sometimes it is. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's had 'em mild and /way/ hot.

Kassima prods, her own reaction always being to reinforce the something 
embarrassing as much as she can, "The one shaped like the tent peg, brownie? 
Should be, Syrali. A couple of choices again."

Telgar Weyr> Meli suddenly gets a craving for mediterranean....

Daffela nibbles some more on cheese but dumps the tick back to her plate 
when her small glass gets filled by the slow moving servers. "Wonder if 
they've given us anythign worth having." she sighs to herself, resettling 
her skirts in the extra room left by Gaivn's departure.

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra had...oh, that's right, I haven't /had/ dinner yet.;) 
and now I'm drooling for turkey and gravy. :)

Telgar Weyr> Kassima, thinking of fast food, visualizes a roast beef 
sandwich from Rax and starts to whimper.

C'lus just smiles at Kylandra's words, and reaches out to get himself a mug 
of cider from nearby, then takes a long, slow swallow it. That done, he 
looks up and listens to the talk nearby.

Telgar Weyr> Reed meeps. People!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali meeps. Dinner! ;)

Telgar Weyr> Daffela hugsa Reed!!!!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali dubs Reed 'Roadrunner'

Telgar Weyr> Reed snuggles Daffela and grins at the others. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Meli says 'baba ganouch' to herself a few times. Can't spell 
it, love the way it sounds. Then she shuts up. :)

Kylandra uses her sodden roll to mop up the remaining gravy on her plate, 
popping it into her mouth. "Mmm..now where's some of that cheese I've seen 
floating around?" She gives one of the servers a Look and eventually gets 
herself a sample of just about every kind of cheese being served.

Telgar Weyr> Canus wows at the group in the lc

K'ti says "Oh Meli.." and pulls a hide from a pocket, "I'm gonna be passin 
this t'the Weyrlin' master later. Will ye keep track of the amounts 
th'candidates are takin? It'll add up fer their workout befer dawn 
t'morrow." She passes the hide Kassiwards to be passed further.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Dinnertime, Canus. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Canus ahs and forgot so will find a reason to go to fort :)

Defiantly, M'rgan reaches both hands out for the cheese slices, grabbing up 
as much as he can. Kassima is ignored of course as that's the much safer 
course. The brownrider smiles at both K'ti and Meli as he consumes the 
cheese one wedge at a time. He's going to stuff himself even if it kills him.

Chayla chuckles, softly commenting, "Sometimes its very good to be a simple 
nanny."

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra grins and would like to stay longer, but I've a phone 
call to make, and then midterm studying to do. See y'all tomorrow! :)

Speak of the dessert course enough, and lo, it appears. True to Kassi's 
words, there are choices: cups of fruit ice from Boll for those too stuffed 
to consume much more, and slices of rich, gooey baklava for those with no 
such problems. However, the masterpiece is the large item carried out by 
several servitors at once: a cake sculpture, about two feet high and nearly 
that far across, depicting the outside portions of Telgar Weyr in amazingly 
detailed miniature. Dyed rock-candy dragons perch on rim and Star Stones, 
mouths open in a silent bugle to greet some unseen visitor.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Night, Ky. :)"

Meli hmms. "Nah, K'ti, I think this was s'posed t'be a celebration f'them, 
maybe we c'n let them off."

Telgar Weyr> Reed snugs a Kylandra. :)

Telgar Weyr> C'lus heads out as well, as he is the phone call being made to 
:) Night everyone :)

Telgar Weyr> Kylandra takes just enough time to pose a 'fade into the 
background' and drool on the baklava.;)

Reed wanders in fron the caverns freshly scrubbed and clean. He murmurs 
appologise to a few people upon his late arrival then steals himself towards 
the candidate's table.

Kassima obediantly takes the hide, and starts to pass it, but pauses when 
she hears Meli. "So whom should I give the hide to, then?" she wants to know.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "G'night Kylandra, C'lus! Thanks for coming. :)"

Syrali's mouth falls open in unintentional mimicry of the dragons. "We never 
had /that/ at home, either," she mutters, staring as the cake's carried over 
to its place. "Faranth's shell..."

Aurian hmmms, "Pretty brown, looks like Kvasith." Yep looks like Kvasith 
when he's sulkin' on the stones. She takes up a thick slice of baklava.

K'ti frowns then insists, "at least will ye look at the hide?"

Kylandra makes sure to get herself a large helping of baklava, and sits back 
to listen to the conversations around her while pigging out on cheese and 
sweets.

Kylandra walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

C'lus walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Chayla blinks, "Oh my...how do they expect people to eat that?" she glances 
around, "It almost seems a shame to ruin such a..picturesque creation."

Kassima is starting to look nearly as frustrated as her son does when he 
needs a diaper change and it isn't immediately forthcoming--though, one 
hopes, not for the same reasons. "Will someone take this thing so I can get 
some cake?" she pleads.

Meli shrugs, grinning and being sure to keep an eye on the baklava. "Look it 
over, maybe let th'candidate coordinators deal w'it?"

Keeping one eye on the cake heading his way, Thaelon begins shoveling the 
remains of his plate into his mouth. He mops up the last of it as the cake 
is placed onto the table, "Shards. That looks too good to cut up."

Reed seats himself in the near vacinity of some of the girls and smiles. 
"Anyone recommend anything? I'm afraid my stomach can't devour anything that 
isn't light this evening."

Daffela waves Reed over, shuffling up and gathering her skirts together 
again so the late Candidate can find a seat. "Oh my. I wish I wasn't so 
full." she murmurs, eyeing the sculpture and offerings longingly. "Oysters, 
Reed!"

Leigh covers her mouth as the cake is brought in. "Oh, my word," she 
exhales. "Look at that. I wonder if Bracoy will draw it later."

Reed wipes a finger over the edge of his eye before sitting down next to 
Daffela. "Oysters? Well..I was hoping for good old non-healthy food." He 
winks and grins, then glances over the spreads still avaliable.

Kassima leaves off her frustration at the hide battle long enough to note, 
with some pride, "Aunt Keysanna's speciality is cake-sculpture. A'course, 
she usually doesn't do Weyrs... she prefers animals or strange inanimate 
objects. More challenging, she claims."

Telgar Weyr> K'ti says, "Needs to go... assume K'ti's still munching away 
with the best of them ;) Hungry for a little thin bugger."

Chayla takes a small slice of the countyside...no one would miss it, right? 
And it /is/ suposed to be for eating....and the nanny /does/ have a fondness 
for swwets. "Oh well, the Bakers would probably be upset if we didn't enjoy 
the taste as well as the sight..." enough justification... "Oh, this is 
good, you all should try some."

Syrali gingerly plucks one cup of fruit ice off a tray, and one teeny tiny 
bit of baklava -- just a mouthful, at best. "It's awful pretty," she 
comments toward Kassima. "She's really good at it."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali grins. Take care, Kitty.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima snugs a K'ti. Thanks for coming, too, evil oysters and 
all. ;)

Aurian grins and places down her baklava, "Hmmmm need a hand Kassima?"

M'rgan turns up his nose at the fruit ices passed his way but he stops the 
baklava in its tracks. A little for him. A little more for him. A lot more 
for him. And a touch more so that it's not lonely because it's separated 
from the 'a lot'. What remains is passed on down the line.

Telgar Weyr> Canus perks up "Oysters?" ;)

Daffela grins then, pushing over a tray with a selection of things from the 
previous courses. Fruit, salad, stuffed mushroos, a few oysters and wherry, 
legume casserole and herdbeast. "Eat somat else to start and then you can 
join us for dessert?" she suggests, claiming her own fruit ice cup and 
sipping her glass of wine carefully.

Telgar Weyr> K'ti will be getting those..nummmy. :)

Meli unfolds the hide finally, eyebrows rising as she scans it. She smiles, 
turning to give K'ti a nod.

Telgar Weyr> Reed grins. ;) You don't even wanna /know/ what I'm craving RL 
ATM. ;)

Telgar Weyr> K'ti sends y'all hugs and goes *poof*

Telgar Weyr> Reed snugs K!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali probably doesn't. ;)

Kassima pleads with Aurian, "Please? Just a small slice from the Thunderbolt 
section of the rim? And two green dragons and a brown for me and the 
lasslings? Oh--or I can get it m'self now," she says with some relief as the 
hide is finally taken from her. "I'll pass that on t'her, Syrali; she'll 
likely be pleased t'be hearing it."

Reed hrms quietly and picks up a few of those stuffed mushrooms greedily. 
Only several oysters and herdbeast slices join those on his plate. "Works 
for me," he murmurs, quickly chowing down.

Aurian chuckles and cuts the indicated pieces, "These?"

Thaelon holds out his plate as the cake is carved into. A good sized wedged 
is deposited on it with a few of the candied dragons on top. He waves the 
cake under Syrali's nose as he returns to his seat, "Mmmm. don'tcha want a 
hunk of this?"

Kassima agrees with some relief, "Those. Thankee, Auri; you're a Faranth-send."

Damian enters from the Bowl.

Pierron sits down and wipes the beads of sweat from his forehead with a big 
red handkerchief.

Damian says "Hullo."

Syrali gulps noticably, and finally plucks one dragon off the top. Someone, 
it seems, was creative with the dyes -- it's a bit hard to tell if it's 
green or blue, given the green head and blue tail and clear body. "Thanks, 
Thae. I think."

Meli has already snagged her baklava, sticky sweetness the perfect final 
touch to the meal. "S'enough there t'feed th'whole weyr, neh?" she comments.

Aurian chuckles, "So they say." She places the slices before Kassima and 
then dives back to her baklava, "Was this brought from Benden?"

Half way through the desert, one of the old Aunties steps into the living 
cavern, scanning those pressent till she spots Chayla. Coming to the young 
woman's side, she whispers softly in her ear. Chayla nods, standing and 
leaving the uneaten portion on her plate. "If you will excuse me.." She says 
in soft apology to the others at her table as she follows the old auntie out.

Chayla walks towards the inner cavern.

Reed lifts a messy hand to the newcomer but can't say much because his mouth 
is full of mushrooms at the moment. "Zis iz good..." he mumbles Daffela's way.

Telgar Weyr> Chayla says, "Thanks all for the RP :)"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Thanks for coming, Chayla! :)"

Telgar Weyr> Canus tortures the Fort crew ;)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Bye, Chay!"

Telgar Weyr> Reed says, "Thankee Chayla, for what little I was here for. ;)"

Leigh nods at the server's offer of baklava. "Just half?" she begs, 
reluctantly but resolutely. Dancing after dinner just wouldn't work on a 
stomach much fuller than hers already is.

Damian says laughingly, "Obvioulsly I'm of no consequence..."

"That's the idea," Kassi replies to Meli, with a wide grin. "And aye, 
'twas--nay place makes baklava as home does." She carefully plucks the 
rock-candy dragons from the cake slice, then gets up from her seat. "Kris is 
starting t'fuss... I should turn him over to Simaeva for a bit. Be right back."

Thaelon mock scowls at Syrali as he takes a bite of the cake, "Hey. Get your 
own candy dragon." His eyes roll back slightly in his head as he swallows 
the first mouthfull, "Mmm mmm mmm."

Telgar Weyr> J'lyn says, "We have a new nanny?"

"But yours is so much nicer," Syrali says cheerfully, nipping off the 
dragon's tail with a *crunch* between her teeth. She keeps crunching as she 
studies the other things on her plate, prodding with one finger at the 
sticky corner of baklava.

Damian says "Ok.... What did I miss?"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Chayla? Not /that/ new. She's been here a couple 
weeks."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Lieutenant! You're just in time for dessert!"

Meli finishes her baklava and manages to wipe her fingers fairly clean on a 
cloth.

Daffela just slowly devours her ice cup, refusing any offers of a 
candy-dragon most reluctantly but certainly resolutely. "I'd not be able to 
move if I ate that too." she informs the server, just a little tartly.

Kassima returns in due course, minus the baby, and some of her recent 
inherent luminescence also. Nevertheless, she seems cheerful enough as she 
plunks back into her seat to attend to that piece of cake. Wouldn't want it 
to get lonely out on its plate like that. "Is anybody going t'be up for 
dancing after all this?" she wonders between mouthfuls.

Aurian licks her thumb, "No one to dance with."

Damian smiles and says, "I'd dance with ya, but I'm taken."

"Me neither," Syrali says, tucking that little baklava bit into her cheek 
and scrubbing off her fingers. "Don't know how, neither."

Reed, once his meal is completed, does snitch two candy dragons. One gets 
shoved awkwardly into his mouth, and the other dissapears into one of his 
pockets. His fingers drum along the table quietly as he tries to look like 
he's busy, sucking away on that thing in his mouth.

Thaelon looks up the table towards Kassima, "I am ma'am. Well, if someone 
want's to."

M'rgan has the presence of mind to wipe the baklava stains from his face 
before saying to Aurian, "I'll dance with you. Since Kena's still in the 
weyr with the kids."

Syrali sneaks a look at Thaelon, speculative and shy at once, but says nothing.

"Wingleader," Kassima corrects automatically. "I don't dance, either, out of 
a wish nay t'be maiming m'partners, but watching's more fun anyway." 
Especially if lots of people fall on their rear ends, though she's not quite 
impolite enough to say so. "Ask Syrali?" she suggests to Thaelon.

Syrali goes a good two shades redder, and her darting look at Kassima is 
accusatory. "But..."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima discovers, idly, that Telgar tops the Weyrs in numbers 
of K-named riders. We have fourteen to the nearest competition's six.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali whews.

Telgar Weyr> Canus chuckles and has noticed that as well

Thaelon winces as he forget's the correct term to use with the greenrider 
and apologises automatically, "Sorry wingleader." Glancing over at at 
Syrali, he grins slightly.

Telgar Weyr> Reed smirks. ;)

Aurian hmphs and takes another bite out of the baklava.

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "M's rule, K's drool."

Kassima replies with an innocent blink, wiping a trace of icing from her 
mouth--where'd that cake *go*? It's certainly gone now--"What? You don't 
have a partner, he's looking for a partner. Seems natural enough t'me."

Leigh slides one tine of her fork beneath the top layer of parchment-thin 
pastry atop her baklava, then lifts the delicate thing to her mouth to eat 
it. Baklava can, of course, be eaten all at once, or by the cut bite; but to 
the former Healer, baklava eating is an art to be practiced with precision 
and patience.

Pierron sits down and wipes the beads of sweat from his forehead with a big 
red handkerchief.

Telgar Weyr> Reed says, "And R's duel? :)"

Telgar Weyr> Canus says, "What about Cs"

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon says, "T's cool?"

Damian laughs and says, "Whats wrong Pierron? Tired?"

Telgar Weyr> Canus says, "Cs mule?"

Telgar Weyr> J'lyn says, "And Js don't need to rhyme. We know we're the 
best. ;)"

"But I don't know /how/," Syrali protests, poking her melting ice around 
fretfully with the tines of a fork. "I'll... I'll stomp on his feet, and 
break his toes, and then he won't be able t'stand." Exaggeration? Nahhhh.

Telgar Weyr> Reed grins at J'lyn. ;)

Damian laughs at Syrali's remark.

Damian says "Not to suggest anything, but I've been told I'm relatively good 
at dancing."

Aurian murmurs, "I just want to make sure that it will be more than two 
people on the floor."

Thaelon glances over at the grizzled cook and nods to Damian, "I'm sure he 
is, with the feast we've just had." He turns and chuckles at Syrali, leaning 
close and lowering his voice, "How do you know my feet won't be on top of 
yours and we'll both have to watch." he says with a wink.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Ks rule, Ms drool, Cs worship toadstools, and 
there are no Js, only Zuhl. ;) (No, I'm *not* serious, if there was any 
doubt. :)"

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan points out that M-names are the best. That's why they 
are so rare. Since so few people rise to their worth. ;) ;) ;) *duck*

Telgar Weyr> Reed says, "Hey hey, there aren't that many R's. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Daffela can't say anything on D names. Not with -him- lurking? ;)

Telgar Weyr> Spyte grumbles as she has to go feed the horses and dogs. 
"Later all. See ya's tomorrow.

Telgar Weyr> Canus grins "I like toadstools" :)

Telgar Weyr> Reed snugs Spyte!

Syrali snorts. "Get a lot of dancing done /that/ way," she grumbles, but 
shoves the flavored ice aside, reluctant. "'Least I'm not so likely t'break 
toes."

"Can't do worse than I would," Kassi points out matter-of-factly to Syrali. 
"C'mon, you two. Go! If'n we were worried about looking silly, none of us 
would've eaten those oysters. Nay that I did anyway."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Is everyone cool with the dancing starting 
nowish? :)"

Telgar Weyr> Meli says, "Make 'em do the chicken dance."

"Neither did I," Syrali retorts. Nevertheless, she scoots back her chair, 
brushing off her hands nervously against her breeches knees, leaving little 
discolorations. So much for her 'best pair.' "You ever danced, Thae?"

Damian says "Syr, would you like me to show ya how to dance?"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali's fine with it. Meeeeliiiii, that's cruel.

M'rgan overhears Aurian and his brow furrows as his face takes on an 
expression of...disappointment? "Worried that I'll take advantage of you?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima gets out her pom-poms. "How funky is your chicken? How 
funky is your chicken?"

Aurian sighs, and shakes her head, "No!"

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan does the Hustle.

Reed stays where he's at, though over the progress of the past few minutes 
he seems to of slid to the furthest part of the table, towards the shadows. 
When the word 'dancing' is even mentioned, he seems to cower just a tad more.

Telgar Weyr> Reed feels silly tonight anyways. ;)

Thaelon shove his plate, now littered with cake crumbs aside and stands up, 
"A couple of times back home with my sisters."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima hees as, appropriately enough, 'Johnny Saucep'n' comes 
on her Real Audio. A danceable song about exotic food.

Syrali shakes her head mutely at Damian, tugging her tunic hem 
self-consciously. "Nah... if I'm going t'stomp somebody, may as well be 
Thae." She flashes a quick, nervous grin at the other candidate, and stuffs 
her hands in her breeches pockets, shrugging. "Least you /sorta/ know what 
you're doing."

Meli watches the dancing, showing no signs of intending to participate. 
Indeed, with a full belly and a warm spot near the hearth, her eyes begin to 
droop closed as she leans back against the wall.

Daffela finishes at last, handing the last scrap to the firelizard who's 
tired enough now to turn into a small green ball in the middle of the table. 
"Reed?" she queries after moment, turning to her friend. "Feel like dancing 
with a girl for once?" Amber eys dancing with mischeif as Reed slides away 
from her.

Damian says "Hey... you think I dont know what I'm doing?"

Thaelon rolls his eyes at Syrali's comment, "Thanks. And I said I only did a 
-couple- of times. I'm far from any kind of expert at it." He glances around 
the cavern, searching for any harpers that might be gathering.

Reed winces just a bit, but is never one to be rude. He sighs quietly and 
nods back towards Daffela. "Well, sure. A'ser never danced with me 
anyways...only one I ever did dance with was Kassima over there." He nods to 
the rider, waving.

A few residents and even the odd rider with some instrumental ability have 
gathered in a corner of the cavern while everyone was finishing up dessert. 
Now their tuning and short practice notes begin floating into audible 
ranges, and heads begin to turn.

Aurian thuds her head against the table at the mention of A'ser and dancing, 
"Sharding N'ren!."

Damian says "Come on Syr, I can only dace once in a while and Spyte refused."

"Didn't mean that," Syrali says hastily to Damian. "Meant he knows more'n I 
do, I guess." She grins lopsidedly, and untucks a hand to offer Thaelon. 
"Maybe after, Dami. I want to step on his feet a few times."

Daffela chuckles then, bounding to her feet despite her meal. Skirts 
swirling lightly about her ankles, she holds out her hand cheerfully. "Least 
I won't try and steal you. Or you me." she observes impishly.

Kassima settles back in her own chair, clearly inclined to stay on the 
sidelines herself. "At the Benden Hold ball," she agrees, nodding to Reed. 
"Been ages! Go on, Candidates. Take a chance t'show riders how 'tis done for 
a change!"

Damian shrugs and says, "Ok then."

Reed blinks over towards Aurian, grinning slightly. "N'ren?" That's all he 
asks as he stands up and holds out his hand to Daffela. "Oh, who knows. I've 
started liking women, oddly enough." He winks then grins Kassima's way. "Yes 
Benden, and yes, /ages/."

Damian says "Nothing serious mind you... just a fun and basic dance."

Aurian rakes her hands through her hair, "N'ren forced A'ser and I to Dance 
together."

Thaelon shakes his head as he takes Syrali's hand, "I've been critisized for 
watching m'feet while I dance. Guess I've got a good excuse now." he replies 
with a wink. He steps up next to Syrali, getting in dance position as the 
harpers finish tuning up.

The musicians begin to warm up, though not without general laughter and 
jeerings among themselves as this or that volunteer skips or flats a note in 
the wrong place. The tune they start off with is a quick enough reel, meant 
to get the blood stirring and people out onto the floor.

Leigh watches people getting up to dance, but she holds back, waiting for 
her overindulgence at the table to settle so she can take part. In the mean 
time, she smiles at the pairings, both expected and unexpected, as they 
join, separate, remix.

Telgar Weyr> Leigh apologizes, everybody, but I have to cut out. I don't 
think I can handle my lag-spam-lag cycles with these new glasses.

Daffela chuckles again, smileing at her partner enough to make her little 
dimple appear. "A'ser would never forgive me for stealing you but." she 
mumurs, listenign to Aurian only distractedly as she begins to make her way 
towards the dance floor.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali blahs. Night, Leigh!

Telgar Weyr> Leigh says, "Please assume I'm still out there, but in the 
background."

Telgar Weyr> Reed wavies to Leigh!!

Aurian wipes her hands on her napkin, "Well if you want to M'rgan.. its 
fine.. though I promise you. I'm talentless."

Telgar Weyr> Canus waves to Leigh

Telgar Weyr> Kassima ouches and sympathizes, remembering the horror of new 
glasses. G'night, Leigh, and thanks for coming. :)

Reed ahs softly. "Yes...I recall that...I think that's when one of my 
'lizards sent me visuals and I hadn't a clue as to what was going on..." He 
drops that topic quickly, set on enjoying the evening as he dips down and 
bows his legs out, then frolicks out onto the floor. "May I lead?" he 
murmurs to his partner, smirk never leaving his lips for an instant. 
"A'ser...pah."

Syrali tries to match Thaelon, albeit awkwardly. "You'll have to show me how 
to do this," she notes, voice low. "Or I really /will/ step on your feet."

Damian privately wishes that Spyte hadn't refused, it would've been a great 
chhance to get closer.

Meli does one of those 'starts' as her head falls forward, waking herself 
from her drowse. "Tch, need t'get some sleep." She rises and tucks K'ti's 
hide in her jacket before pulling it on, then begins to work her way through 
the crowd slowly, making her good nights.

Telgar Weyr> Leigh says, "I'm not leaving yet, I'm just going out so I don't 
clutter up the rolelpay with my too-late poses. :) If I unlag, I'll be back 
out there. Thank you for organizing this for us, everyone who took part in it."

Kassima calls after Meli, "Clear skies, m'friend! Tell Runner-Rump hey for 
me, would you? And Ed, too?"

M'rgan pops a last piece of baklava into his mouth as he rises, giving 
Aurian a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine. This song's pretty easy." He 
shakes off the last of the dried mud that clings to his shirt and trousers 
before extending his hand for Aurian's.

Thaelon smiles and nods, "Well, I only know a few steps. But I'll lead 
strongly. The musicians are even playing a good dance tune." he replies, 
lowering his voice as well.

Kassima cups her hands around her mouth and shouts towards the dance floor, 
"G'luck surviving the experience, Aurian!"

There's a roar of laughter as one of the more daring pairs' leader attempts 
a too-deep dip... and doesn't quite manage it. The music falters, only to 
regain cohesion a few staggering notes later, as the couple match the 
staggering to get themselves sheepishly out of the way.

Aurian takes M'rgan's hand, "Yeah that's what they always say."

Syrali nods as well, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "Sounds good 
enough t'dance to," she offers, and steps back a little. "You start?"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali, who really can't dance, RL, hopes you can, Thae. ;)

Meli walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Daffela shrugs and lets Reed lead, yet showing her own skill as she follows. 
Without treading on any feet.

Telgar Weyr> Meli gets ready to hit the hay. Have fun, no broken toes!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Night, Meli. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima snugs a Meli much. Thankee for RPing with us! :)

Telgar Weyr> Reed says, "Night Meli. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Canus says, "Night Meli"

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon hehs, I'm the /worst/ dancer irl there ever was. Might 
as well give it a go on here ;)

Telgar Weyr> Syrali grins. I don't even know how to pose it very well. ;) 
Invention is the mother of necessity....

Telgar Weyr> J'lyn could be Irene Cara sometimes. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Canus hides his feet from Thaelon, even at Fort, just to be 
safe ;)

M'rgan murmurs to Aurian with a friendly smile, "Trust me," as he gives her 
hand a soft squeeze. He waits by the side and watches the dancers pass, 
looking for a break to sweep Aurian into the line.

Reed smiles and carries the couple around the floor with expertice. It's a 
wonder why he doesn't /like/ doing this when he's so good at it. He's 
laughing and nodding the couple down and up again as the hop around.

The music's pace picks up incrementally as time passes, the reel slipping 
into a strathspey, and the strathspey into nearly a jig, each faster than 
the one before it -- perhaps even faster than they really /should/ be 
played. Here and there a jarring note will cut up the fluidity of the 
pieces, but each time the musicians manage to recover themselves, laughing 
throughout, and pick up the threads of the music again.

Thaelon squeezes Syrali's hand a bit and gives her a gentle push as they 
start to dance. He guides her slightly as they make their way around the 
dance floor and he isn't even watching his feet, "See, this is an easy dance."

Aurian whimpers with her usual fear.

Syrali /is/ watching her feet, on the other hand, much more than Thaelon's 
face, so that her forehead's practically bumping the middle of his chest. 
"Uh-huh," she says distractedly, catching herself as she nearly steps on her 
own foot, and then nearly /his/.

Daffela flows easily enough with the movements, subtly pressure occasionally 
helping them avoid bumping into others. And she breaks witht he standard 
movements to draw her partner into a slitly more complex set of turns before 
letting them return to the crowd. "You dance well." she informs Reed, her 
pace quickening in time with the music.

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon resists the urge to do some disco moves ;)

Telgar Weyr> Leigh says, "John Thaevolta?"

Telgar Weyr> Canus chuckles

Telgar Weyr> Syrali shudders. Polyester.

Kassima claps her hands and stomps a foot in time with the music, 
occasionally yelling suggestions to some hapless couple out there falling 
all over each other. "Did someone drop those oysters on the dance floor?" is 
one comment she can't resist making.

As Syrali and Thaelon pass by them, M'rgan steps out onto the dance area, 
his hand still holding Aurian's. "Here we go."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Stayin' alive! Stayin' alive!"

Reed grins and waggles both brows, bemused as ever. "As do you." Such 
formalness from the mos tunlikely pair. He does an occasional twirling of 
the other candidate before resuming the newly customized tempo.

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon does the splits, pointing one finger up in the air

Telgar Weyr> Syrali ughs. Please. The oysters weren't bad, but the 
conversation is making me ill. ;)

Thaelon chuckles and holds Syrali away from him a bit farther as they swing 
easily across the floor. "You're far enough away, I don't think you could 
step on my feet now without trying." he says humorously. He smiles at M'rgan 
and Aurian as they pass by, "So you can look at me if you want."

Daffela spins giddily under Reeds hands, almost too fast to pick up the 
quick series of stesp that follow. "I taught some of my cousins. One learns 
to be good to prevent 9 yr old boys laughing at one?" she offers impishly, 
making a face at Kassima while they pass. Candidates shouldn't stick their 
tongues out at wingleaders.

Aurian looks ready to duck under the table like a little.

"I don't know... maybe I /want/ to try," Syrali mumbles, giggling despite 
herself. But her eyes come up, focusing at about throat-level on her 
partner. "Maybe I'm just afraid /you'll/ stomp me instead."

Wingleaders shouldn't stick their tongues out at Candidates, either, but 
that doesn't stop Kassi.

Damian grins and watches Syrali dance and says, "You give yourself too 
little credit Syr, you're pretty good at this."

Telgar Weyr> Reed grins at Daffela and Kassima. ;) Behave you two. ;)

Another reel comes up, this one just ribald enough that the leader of the 
ragtag music group cuts it off with a sharp comment partway through the 
first verse. There's a dead pause in the instrumentals, then another quick 
suggestion, and the music starts up again, this time a slightly slower 
piece, more nearly a waltz set to reel tempo.

Telgar Weyr> Daffela awwwes.

Telgar Weyr> Daffela says, "Must I?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima does behave!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali snickers.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Badly, but that counts. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Daffela giggles!

Thaelon chuckles as they sidestep around Reed and Daffela barely missing 
bumping into them, "Now that you might have to worry about." He nods as 
Daffela's comment reaches him, "Yeah. I'd never been able to tell you'd 
never danced before if you hadn't said anything."

Reed snickers and gives Kassima a wink, one might assume he's grown a twitch 
in his eye he's winking so often. "Now now Daf, save the tongue for..." A 
pause while he looks at the riders, grins, then whispers something to the 
candidate.

M'rgan doesn't do any fancy stuff as he twirls around with Aurian. His steps 
are almost waltz-like in their simplicity. A beaming smile is plastered on 
his face as he senses Aurian's uncomfortableness and he chuckles now and 
then to try and lighten her mood.

Syrali snorts disbelievingly at Daffela, putting both comments to lie as she 
manages to stumble over some unseen bump in the floor. Or, then again, maybe 
it's just her feet. She's still growing into her puppy-paws, y'see. "There, 
see? I almost got you, that time."

Damian says "Well Syr, I see you're having fun, so I'll leave you to it, I 
must go now."

Daffela -almost- stumbles then, catching herself managing to distract her 
from whatever retort she had had in store for her partner. A delightful 
smile takes the place of the surprise and she mmms softly. "Indeed." she 
returns, her voice rich with her own laughter. Syr is winked at as she turns.

More barely audible comments kick the music a notch slower yet, and, 
finally, the jarring notes that kept cutting into the faster pieces start to 
fade out, until barely a wrong string-pluck ruins the mood of the much 
mellower piece.

Reed snickers quietly, then lets himself errupt into a bout of laughing. 
Each and every one of the riders gets a good eyeing over in turn before he 
looks back to his partner and smirks. "I might have to dance more often!"

Slowing the pace slightly with the music, Thaelon grins, "Nahh. You're doing 
fine. See, now we can dance a bit slower, and that's easier to learn." He 
glances sidelong at M'rgan and Aurian, quirking a brow curiously as the 
browrider dances very well.

Aurian smiles a little, but there goes her well booted foot right onto 
M'rgan's."

Daffela slows her own movements, feet moving lightly over the next pattern 
that weaves through the crowd. "You should, indeed you should. Or is it that 
no one asked you, hmm?" she teases, well aware thatit is usually the men 
doign the asking.

M'rgan has danced with Kassima before so when Aurian stamps on his foot he 
just smiles. Though it is a grimaced smile to be honest. He loses track of 
the steps for a second as he recovers, only limping for two turns before the 
pain is forgotten. "You're doing very well," he mentions as the spiral past 
the musicians.

"Guess so." Syrali does do a little better at this pace, though the fierce 
look of concentration suggests that's probably more the cause than the music 
itself. "Just watch your feet still. I got my foot stomped on by a runner, 
once," she adds, conversationally. "Couldn't walk for days. You're not much 
shorter."

Reed smiles a bit. "No one asks me. But I wait, just figured I'd be sitting 
down forever is all." There goes that twitch in his eye again as another 
wink feebly makes it's way to his face. "Girls can dance...A'ser'd just be 
awkward at this."

Kassima starts turning her attention to calling helpful tips to Aurian. Tips 
like, "Break his toes! Break his toes!"

Soft snickers rise from a couple of members of the makeshift band as the 
brownrider pair pass, along with a hushed suggestion. They finish the piece 
they're on, then segue into "The Maclenny Reel" -- or better known as, 
"Tossing Boots (at firelizards)."

Aurian stumbles against M'rgan, "Ack"

Daffela mms, quite deliberately changing where her feet land in the next 
turn. Did Reed move his toes in time? "I asked you." she offers, amber eyes 
dancing with laughter still. "And if one doesn't practise of course, one 
does not improve."

Thaelon chuckles and decideds to try a slow twirl, which the couple manage 
to pull off shakily, "I've had that happen to me too. Hurts bad for a few 
days, but.." he lifts on Surali a few times, "You don't weigh anywhere close 
to what a runner does." he adds with a lilt to his voice.

M'rgan reaches out to keep Aurian from falling as she stumbles though fear 
flashes in his own eyes as she falls against him. "Whoop!"

"Maul him! Maul him!" Kassi continues to cheer on Aurian from the sidelines.

"Whoop! Don't do that," Syrali protests with a giggle, mock-thumping 
Thaelon. "Don't pick me up. I should /hope/ not. Neither d'you, though. Ooh, 
a quicker one again."

Reed pulls his foot out just in time to be spared a stomping, smiling slyly 
back towards the girl. "I know you did...and where would I practice? With 
whom?"

Thaelon quickens the pace a bit, his movements becoming more relaxed as his 
partner starts to settle down a bit, "It's the same thing, just move a bit 
faster. Nothing to it. Besides.." he remarks, having caught a snippet of 
conversation from the other side of the room, "No telling when we'll get to 
do this again. Better live it up while we've got the chance y'know." he 
says, smiling a bit.

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon wonders if he could have put 'bit' in that pose any more.

Telgar Weyr> Daffela /hates/ her ISP crashing. Brr. Please can someone page 
everythign after my last pose??

Telgar Weyr> Syrali sures, Daff.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali hees. Probably not too easily, Thae. ;)

Syrali nods, sobering a little. "Or at all," she says, more or less under 
her breath, and that look of serious concentration returns. Her head dips 
again, and she's back to watching both pairs of feet, scarcely remembering 
to breath in between bursts.

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon says, "I'll try harder next time ;)"

"A girl?" is the sweetly voiced suggestion emerging from Daffy now, her feet 
going back to the proscribed pattern. Toes are out of danger... for now. 
Sturdy girl isn't a feather weight either, though she's certainly not heavy.

Reed rolls his eyes a bit and grins. "Well of course. I highly doubt I'll 
find men that want to dance with me anyways." He pauses for a moment as he 
twists his own ankle, wincing. "Shards...I think I'm going to have to sit 
down."

Aurian winces, "You alright.." She stumbles again.

Thaelon takes his hand from Syrali's side to tip her head back up, not 
missing a step of the dance, "All the more reason to stop worrying about 
stepping on feet and have fun now." He glances over at Kassima as they swing 
by the greenrider, "Aren't you going to dance now that you can Wingleader?"

Daffela is there, sturdy weight a definate benefit for her own balance isn't 
in the least shaken. "Of course, Reed... Are you ok?" she asks, instantly 
concerned.

M'rgan is larger than Aurian so she doesn't take him down with her. Though 
she does come close. He starts edging towards the edge of the dance floor. 
"Ummm..Why don't we take a break? All that food's made me tired."

The raggle-taggle band's begun to miss notes again on these quicker songs, 
and a few, enthusiasm damped, trade out of positions for other volunteers 
waiting to take their places. The music's forced slower as a result, and 
stays that way.

Reed hobbles for a moment amd smiles to Daffela. "Sure I'm fine, I just need 
to sit down. Twisted a bit too much I think...you don't mind sitting the 
rest of this out do you? You can always find another dance partner."

Aurian nods, "Uh huh... see..told ya." She goes back to her baklava.

Syrali blushes noticeably, but wrinkles her nose in mock-annoyance at 
Thaelon and keeps her head up this time, aside from a quick look to Kassima. 
"She's got the baby, Thae."

Daffela chuckles, offering her shoulder to lean on as they slip out of the 
dance crowd. "Not at all." she answers reassuringly. "I was getting a little 
tired out there myself - I'm glad of a break."

Kassima points out drolly to Thaelon, "I don't dance; I'm a health hazard to 
m'partner. I've nearly caused three Diplomatic Incidents, just by trying 
t'dance." An outright lie, but she makes it with a straight face. The baby, 
actually, was taken back to the room some time ago, but that doesn't seem to 
make much difference to the Wingleader in terms of dancing.

His breathing coming quicker now, Thaelon looks over at Kassima quickly, "Oh 
yeah. Forgot. I'm about winded myself. Care if we take a short break? Maybe 
have another slice of that great cake?"

Reed chuckles. "I wouldn't use the word break," he mutters, rubbing his leg 
as he finds himself a seat. "But yes, time off is good. Might want to soak 
in the hot springs later on too."

"Not hungry," Syrali replies promptly, but disengages and makes for the 
tables, tossing back over her shoulder, "I could do with some'f that cider 
again, though."

M'rgan whispers to Aurian, "You did a lot better than most of my partners. 
Kassima nearly put me in the infirmary once," before he too returns to his 
baklava.

As tired couples begin to clear the floor, the music slows further, finally 
dropping to a very quiet background tune to which only a few pairs dance, 
these few close enough together that surely little beyond each other 
distracts their attentions.

Thaelon laughs at Kassima's reply as he and Syrali make their way off the 
dance floor, "Surely it can't be /that/ bad Wingleader." He gives Syrali a 
push toward's their former seats, "I'll get a mug for ya."

Telgar Weyr> M'rgan waves to everyone as he gets ready to head out. Have a 
good one and thanks for the RP.

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Night, Mart. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon waves to M'rgan, Night :)

Telgar Weyr> Jared waves, too.

Kassima jerks her thumb towards one of the brownrider pair. "Ask Mart 
sometime; I really *am* that bad. Nearly can kill people by dancing alone."

Jared walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima zhaisnugs Mart much. Thankee for coming! :)

Syrali hesitates, then shrugs and changes course. "Thanks, Thae. I'll get 
the cake."

Telgar Weyr> Reed snugs!!

Aurian bites into her baklava, "But you like hurting brownriders."

Daffela mms and nods. "Sounds like a lovely idea. soak away allt he aches I 
think... I'm still stiff after this morning's chores." She settles 
gracefully in a seat next to Reed, spreading her fulls skirts carefully. 
"Anything you'd like?"

Reed shakes his head and retrieves that candy dragon from his pocket, 
breaking it in two. "Naw, here," he says, offering the dragon's head on a 
palm..."Saved it for afterwards, now it's afterwards."

Thaelon quirks a brow, though he is smiling at Aurian's comment, "Is that 
another greenrider thing I've heard so much about?" he asks lightly as he 
shoves a mug of cider towards Syrali, taking the plate of cake in return, 
"Thanks."

Jared stands near the doorway that leads into the Inner Caverns from the 
Living Cavern and looks at the various people who seem to be clustered in 
one part of the room. "Ah," he clears his throat. "I've brought out some 
more wine. May I get some for any of you?"

Aurian shakes her head, "Just a Kassima thing.." She licks some of the sweet 
off her fingers.

Telgar Weyr> Aurian giggles and just realized, "Baklava is not canon."

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Needs honey"

Daffela chuckles softly, accepting the offering graciously though she doen't 
gobble it. A quick wave is directed towards the newcomer (Jared) she can 
see, a face unfamiliar though that is something she's used to by now.

Telgar Weyr> Erdrick says, "There's a Benden Baklava recipe in the DLG."

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon heys, It's in the DLG. Canon enough :)

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon says, "GOMH Erdrick ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Erdrick chuckles.

Telgar Weyr> Aurian says, "Hmmm didn't remember baklava remembered herdbeast 
and how to make klah and bubblies"

Kassima admits wryly, "I've been said t'enjoy tormenting that brownrider in 
particular, aye. Nay, thankee, Steward--wine's forbidden me."

Syrali plunks into her seat, taking a quick gulp of the cider before it ever 
touches the table. "That was kind of fun," she admits, voice hushed again, 
more or less just to Thaelon, though her breath coming as fast as it still 
is keeps it from being quite a whisper. "Leastwise we didn't step on each 
other, huh?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima nodnods. Baklava's in there; I used the recipe to RP 
making it once.

Telgar Weyr> Reed tries to keep her eyelids 
open...trying...trying...failing...oy. I think I'm tired. :) Looks like it's 
bed time for me folks. Thanks for the RP!

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Night, Reed. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Daffela snugs. Night!

Telgar Weyr> Reed snuggles, makes an IC exit, then poofles. :)

Telgar Weyr> Erdrick likes where it says things like "granulated sweetening" 
and "powdered bark spice."

Thaelon smiles and nods at Syrali, "You give yourself too little credit. And 
aye, it was fun." he replies, taking another bite of the intricate cake.

Jared nods, a tinge of regret as there doesn't seem to be anyone who wishes 
to have wine. But no matter. Moving quickly for his size, he turns toward 
the side table to set the dusty bottles aside, unopened.

Reed rubs that ankle some more then hmms. "That hot water will do this a 
bout of good right now, so I think I'm going to go do that. I'll talk with 
you later Daffela." He smiles, kisses the girl's hand, then departs.

Reed walks towards the inner cavern.

Syrali falls quiet for a while, catching her breath back under control 
between swallows of the cider. "Nothing like home, y'know. Nothing at all."

Daffela smiles back at Reed as he goes then looks about for someone else to 
chat to. But not very enrgetically just yet - she's not up to moving.

Kassima jerks from a doze, blinking at Syr with eyes that are finding it 
harder to disguise their own leadened state. "What, the Weyr? I suppose 
'twouldn't be, at that."

As the last couples drift away, the musicians, one by one, drop out of 
playing and retreat to enjoy a bit of after-dance snacking of their own, 
until just one flute-playing fellow's performing alone, a soft, oddly 
haunting tune that finally fades away, and he too retreats.

Thaelon nods, taking a swig out of his own mug to wash the cake down, "Yeah. 
It's been so long since I've seen Far Cry that this place is starting to 
feel like home." he replies, nodding at Kassima's comment.

"Didn't 'spect it'd be so different." Syrali grins a little, sighing, and 
nods. "Yeah... yeah, it kind of does. Been here near's long as I was at the 
Hall."

Quietly, Jared speaks to the Caverns' people, directing them to refill 
glasses and see to the comfort of those seated and standing. Gradually, 
tables are cleaned, chairs and benches settled until the cavern is set to 
rights. It may not exactly be his purview, but there's nothing like 
impressing the headwoman with a quiet show of efficiency.

Thaelon props both elbows up on the table and moans quietly, his eyelids 
dropping a bit, "Between the food and dance, I'm about out of it. Not a good 
activity to engage in after breaking stone all day if you're not planning on 
going to sleep early."

Aurian tucks a curl behind her ear.

Daffela sighs softly as she is left alone and no one about her appeals as 
much as dealing with the usual consequence of a dinner and dance. On her 
feet and the girl flits out silently, levaing behind the small green bundle 
sleepign int he midst of the candidate tables.

Daffela walks towards the inner cavern.

Syrali snorts. "/You/ just bagged it," she reminds Thae tartly. "/I/ was the 
one with the bloody heavy hammer."

Telgar Weyr> Daffela retreats as the Rellies come home. Brr. See ya'll 
t'morrow or Hatching day. ;)

"Benden feels as much like home as Greystones does," Kassima agrees through 
a yawn. "Telgar... well, Telgar's nay home, but 'tisn't a bad place t'be 
working, either." A weary nod of gratitude is given to the servitors who 
clean up her Wing's table. "About out of it m'self... and if'n I get a full 
night's sleep, 'twill be a miracle. Children. Got t'love 'em."

Telgar Weyr> Syrali says, "Night, Daff!"

Telgar Weyr> Syrali gulps. You reminded me. No fair.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Zhai, Daffela! Thanks for coming. :)"

Telgar Weyr> N'kshar says, "Nighters, Daff."

Thaelon grins and looks up at Syrali sleepily, "Oh yeah. I did just bag 
today didn't I. See, I am tired." He casts a wary glance towards Kassima, 
"Shards, that's no fun. But, I guess the good stuff makes up for that. Or so 
I hear."

Jared edges closer to the few left conversing. Eavesdropping? No, not 
exactly. He looks toward Kassima and the others near her. "Ma'am? Meed you 
anything? The undercooks are going to start putting the rest of 
the...meal... away."

"All the days sort'f run together," Syrali notes through a yawn, plopping 
her chin on a balled-up fist. "Don't want children," she adds muzzily. "Hard 
'nough to get sleep already."

"When...." Yawn. Kassi tries again. "When they start sleeping through the 
night, aye. And even a'fore, i'truth; I'd nay trade Kris for all the sleep 
in the world, but I'm going t'be waiting a *long* time ere I've another if'n 
I have any say. Poor 'Maeva has t'take almost sole care of the lasslings 
now." An involuntary wince is given at the ma'aming. "Kassima, Steward, if'n 
you don't mind, or Kassi. Whichever's fine, but I don't stand on formality 
when they don't make me. I should be fine--I'll be going t'sleep soon enough 
nay t'be troubling you. Though if'n there's any roast left over in the 
morning...."

N'kshar walks in from the bowl.

Jared bows. "I'll see that some is set aside, Kassima. My apologies for 
mis-addressing you. I did not quite hear your name, and settled for a 
neutral title so as not to give offence." Can you tell he's lived with Rennick?

Aurian pushes her fingers through her hair, "Faranth."

N'kshar walks into the living cavern, hanging his riding jacket up on the 
wall, casting a tired look about the caverns. Some light colored flecks 
stand out starkly against his dark hair, like a light dusting of snow. He 
heads in the direction that all the people are, summoning up a smile.

Kassima winces again, and holds up her hands. "Apology accepted!" she 
hastens to assure him. "'Tis only that the M-word gives me hives. Ask any 
Candidate; I harp on 'em enough for it, poor folk. G'deve, Nikh."

Syrali's hunched up in a seat, her chin on her fist, with Thaelon at the 
table with her -- the Candidates' table, of course. But she sits up quick 
enough at the newcomer's entrance. "G'evening, Rider N'kshar."

Thaelon opens his eyes enough to reach over and tap Syrali, "You'd better 
head towards the barracks or Ofira'll find you here in the morning. I'm 
heading that way." He stands and waves to everyone, "Night all. I had a 
really good time. Thanks to everyone."

Syrali bats playfully at Thaelon's tapping. "I'll go, I'll go. See you down 
there in a little bit. Just..." She yawns. "Not sleepy yet."

Phoebe walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Jared smiles to indicate his acknowlegement of Kassima's directive before 
turning to look toward the rider who's entered (He sends a young lad over 
with some revitalizing drink) and offers a good evening to those who take 
their leave.

Thaelon chuckles, "Sure. You look wide awake." He nods to Jared at Kassima's 
warning, "I still do it accidentally and she never fails to correct ya." 
With that he dissappears into the inner caverns.

Thaelon walks towards the inner cavern.

Telgar Weyr> Thaelon says, "Night Telgar!"

Phoebe nods a greeting to those present and heads for the serving table to 
pour herself a mug of klah.

N'kshar nods to Kassi. "G'deve, wingleader." He says, the pleasant smile 
lingering on his face. "Oh, g'deve Syrali." He says with another nod and a 
smile. Anybody who's close to him might notice that the light colored flecks 
in his hair aren't snow, sand or even dandruff, but sawdust.

Kassima snaps out of yet another half-sleep as a fire-lizard abruptly blinks 
from *between* not a hand's breadth from her face, chittering urgently. 
"Kris must need me," she surmises at once, springing out of her chair with 
more energy than her shadow-rimmed eyes would suggest she possesses. "Excuse 
me, all, if'n 'twould--"

Syrali stares down into her cider mug for a minute before stirring herself 
to unhunch herself again and swallow the last of it. "Mmm. G'night, 
Wingleader," she calls drowsily after Kassima.

Phoebe waves goodbye to Kassima.

"Goodnight, Kassima," Jared says quietly, moving aside to let a pair of lads 
carry a table across the room. He peers at N'kshar, eyebrows rising as he 
catches sight of the woodchips in his hair. He says nothing, however; riders 
do strange things at times. He does clear his throat a bit, however.

You walk towards the inner cavern.