As she walks, Tye removes her old knot to put on her knew one. The one tassel
is beamed at and patted. Yes, she is happy. "G'ram's up now?" She turns.
"Well, we all know what /that/ means." The bluerider lets out a cheer, that
is, before she is thrown down into the ground by a raving guard recruit.
"Ack! Ajala! Shards!" She lets out a breath and pats Ajala's back. "Thanks,
now please get off!" Tye raises herself up and dusts the snow off of her
itchy uniform. Ceran's scream is well heard, and the bluerider sends a smile
and a wink his way. G'ram takes her attention away now, however, as she waits
for his answer. And there it is. "Alright G'ram! Congrats on your position!"
Fear, fear for the Avalanche Wing.

Indeed!

Larna cheers for G'ram upon his promotion to weyrling wing wingleader, before
shedding her jacket entirely. Stupid stuffy thing. It's tossed in
Rashkecharath's direction, who can't take retribution as - unfortunately -
she's headed towards the LC, it would seem. If that's where the party is.
If not, Larna'd better be ready to run.

Wyn ruffles her hair slightly, nestling more deeply into the fleece lining of
her leathers-jacket. "You did..." she admits to Zai. "But you /bet/ on
F'red... If you're low on marks, I'll take a bottle of Benden red in trade,
though..."

Zai huffs, insulted. "I am not low on marks. You can have it now!" She reaches
into her belt pouch and pulls out a mark piece, which she shoves at Wyn.
"See? Here." Nyah.

G'ram looks at Lylia drily after the paperwork comment and repeats, "Gee.
Thanks." Twirling the knot by one of its loops around his forefinger, he jogs
over toward the others and points out, "She called us kids." No respect.

Ajala pauses in her mauling of Tye in order to hollar and shake her booty for
G'ram. Which requires her to stand and allow Tye up. Unfortunately "Yeah
G'ram! Way to go! Good job!" And the guardlet leaps on Valedath, beautiful
blue that he is, and soundly embraces his foreleg. "I'm so sharding proud!"
And she watches Larna dash off with a longing glance. "Really, though, you
all need to get smashed," she declares matter-of-factly to the group at
general whilst delivering hugs to random werylings. "Congratulations, all of
you!"

Wyn replies with nothing more or less than a perfectly pretty and delightful
smile, taking the mark delicately and dropping it into another inner pocket
of her jacket. "Thank you, Zai. A pleasure as always. But on the topic of
Benden red, I brought down a couple crates from my weyr for the
celebration... They ought to be in the LC now, want to go make a personal
inspection?"

Party hard! Tye knows she will be. Maybe. Perhaps. "Thanks Ajala! Thanks
Sinead! Thanks everyone! But hey, we finally graduated to Sr. Weyrlings!"
Valedath rears his head back with surprise at the affectionate guard, but
does give a little whuffle at her. After getting the human off, the blue
walks up to his lifemate and nuzzles her head. "Aw! Thanks Val! We are gonna
go a great job!" Or completely screw up, but Tye doesn't want to think of
that right at the moment.

Ceran positively /beams/ at Tye's acknowledgement of his own screams and the
like. He goes -tip-toe, not jsut to see, but to look bigger and more 'manly',
with another great puff of his chest. He gives a sharp poke to someone to his
side, a male, at least twice as big as he is, "Hey! Lookit /her/! NoNo..
/that/ one, the pretty one! The one named Tye.. No /that/s the wrong
direction. here, look!" a point is given to the girl, "That's my old
girlfriend,. y'know? We had to end it a few days ago though.. Her dragon
keptlooking at me the wrong way.. I just had to say.. I did, I did say it..
you don't beleive me? I said: Y'know, babe, " a giggle at his own
worldliness, " I jsut think things aren't workin' out, y'know? I mean, yer a
good kid, you'll make someone /real/ happy one of these days. We just need to
begin movin' on.. I mean, there are so many things I ahven't seen.. I dont
want to be tied down to one girl.. Now, now.. dont cry.." a pause, he can't
really remember what else that other guy had said to his girlfriend so he
stops, " I had to let her down easy, y'know? She's a good kid, yep."

"I don't like wine, much," Zai grumbles. "Or anything alcohol, really," she
admits as she eyes the disappearing mark. "But I suppose just this once. The
Wingleader /is/ a brownrider, you know." The thought cheers her a bit, and
she finally nods. "Can't resist Benden, anyway."

Sinead chuckles and decides to attempt to give Tye a hug. "You did good
TyeTye, and you deserve that knot," sh enotes with a wink. "Now all of you,
go, drink and be merry, but not too merry, for in the morning you'll all be
busy," well, probably anyway.

Larna adores Wyn. Such a considerate person! "You brought /wine/, Wyn?"
Whoot! Larna bolts, then, towards the LC and alcoholic beverages, finally
allowed to the (sr.) weyrlings after such a long time. Sniff. Pausing,
however, she makes a few motions. "Come!" She's going, for certain.

Living Caverns (#392)
The rough-hewn majesty of this cavern far outpaces any delight in the
multitudes of curves that form its enclosure. The glabrous grey granite is
shot through with translucent obsidian, lending subtly-veined sparkle to the
walls and the foot-trodden smoothness of the floor that shows centuries-old
placements of the scarred trestle tables; carven hollows give homes for the
glow baskets and the coat-pegs that line the walls. No mosaics, no painting,
no tiles: just a few well-done tapestries mark the pathway that lead to the
kitchen to the north and the inner caverns to the west, and frame the
nighthearth's stew and snacks, while a heavier strip of oiled canvas shields
the unwary from the wind in the bowl.
Scattered about in various perches and niches are fifty-three firelizards.
You see OOC NOTICE (look sign), Llaammaa, Thief, Wild Feline Scoreboard, and
Tabea the Drudge here.
Ajala, Larna, Pae, Vaeli, and Wyn are here.
Obvious exits:
Bowl Kitchens Inner Caverns Crafting Area Hearth

"That merely shows you have excellent taste, my dear brownrider," replies the
Benden-Weyrbred Wyn to Zai in an amused drawl as she enters the Caverns and
unfastens her jacket with one hand, tracking towards a wine crate settled
prominantly in the middle of the floor and blazoned with Benden markings.
Appropriating a skin and two glasses, she steps to the side to avoid any
collisions with sprinting Larnas, and takes a seat at a table nearby, The
weyrlings may stop by, if they want to socialize with her.

Puizuth> Ceran watches the crowd slowly disperse into the caverns, then the
lake, then, heck some just go 'up', he stands there a bit confusedly and
walks up to the nearest one, who jsut happenes to be D'ean, "Uh, where'd
everyone go? I thought there was a party or something.

Puizuth> D'ean smiles toward Ceran, "Of course there is a party. Its in the
caverns where we don't have to freeze our tooshies off."

D'ean steps lively in from the Central Bowl.

Vaeli is one of the first to break for the wineskin she spots along one wall.
A glass is close by, and Vae deftly fills the glass, maybe a bit /too/ full.
She makes her way back across the caverns, before spotting familiar faces.
"Ajala! Tye! Ooo, come share a drink. Its a good day." A nod goes to others
she knows but may not familiarize with before she sets herself down at a
table, strategically close to the beverages.

Zai trails along behind Wyn, nodding absently. "Good taste. I suppose. I just
like Benden, like everyone does." Dropping into a seat beside the bluerider,
she peers at the crate. "You're just letting people have this?" She raises an
eyebrow at Wyn. "That's very nice of you." Zai tugs at her Tsunami scarf,
loosing it from around her neck, and tugs off her gloves.

Ajala bounces around the caverns, squealing something about getting the party
started in a notch too loud of a voice. So what if she's not supposed to be
here. Pbbt. "Drink what where?" Vaeli is spotted, and the guardlet
slip-slides over towards the goldling. A gentle hug is given to Vae in
congrats, and then the guardlet snatches up her wine glass. "Let's get these
beverages passed out so we can have a toast or something!" She nods
excitedly, eyes sparkling.

G'ram's just shoving his old knot into his pocket, for lack of anything better
to do with it, as he comes strolling on in. "I don't suppose anyone thought
to get something less itchy for us to wear?" he asks of no one in particular
as he gladly unbuttons the overcoat.

Ceran walks in from the Central Bowl.

Larna makes a beeline for the drinks, offering a quick wave to the Wyns trying
to avoid sprinting hers. If that makes any sense. "May I have some, Wyn?"
is asked politely. If Wyn won't give her some, she can always try those pile
of alcoholic beverages next to Vaeli. They should all drink to their new
wing, after all. Those around Wyn, such as Zai, are ignored - Larna's got a
one-track mind at the moment.

"By the time everyone sits down and shuts up to toast, Ajala, I won't be able
to hold my glass straight." An evil glint lurks in her eyes as she sheds her
itchy wool tunic to expose the cooler and more comfortable black tunic
underneath. "Eh, just get rid of the wool, G'ram. You're a man. No one will
care if they can see through." She smiles as Larna attacks the beverages. Ha.
They're contagious.
[OOC:] Vaeli claims that.

D'ean wanders in, and throws off his jacket. "Finally, get off you dang'd
jacket." He whips the thing around and it lands on his chosen chair. "I'm
freeee!"

Wyn uncaps her wineskin with a neat flourish, and stands just long enough to
announce to the weyrlings that "There's a crate of wine over here that I have
had in my posession far too long. I want to see it empty by the end of
tonight. Congratulations, and you've all worked very hard." Speech made,
she sits down again and pours two glasses of wine, handing one to her fellow
AWLM with a mild shrug. "My father's ridden for Benden Weyr for decades... he
has contacts, and I'm one of his favourite daughters."

Tye rushes into the Caverns, along with the massive crowd. "Alright! Let's get
this thing going on!" She declares, making her way over by Ajala and Vaeli.
"I'm not one for drinking, you know." The bluerider says, her face dead
serious. "But.. I gues sone or two can't really hurt. Hook me up with one."
Tye grins as she starts to reach over to grab herself some alcoholic
beverages. But, alas, she is stopped by the horrible uniform she still wears.
"Must.. be rid.. of this." And following in her fellow Wingsecond's
footsteps, her jacket is quickly unbuttoned and thrown into the air.

G'ram looks down at his person for a moment and then tells Vaeli, "I'm not
quite sure I'm prepared to get rid of everything woolen just at this moment.
Perhaps after a few hours and lots and lots of drinks, we'll discuss this
matter again." He drops down beside the others at the table just in time to
lean out of the way of Tye's discarded jacket.

Ceran slowly follows the crowd of 'riders and their friends and family and
whatnot, who really knows? Some of it are just people like Ceran who want to
join in, but dont exactly know how, so they pretend to be dragon riders
themselves.. or maybe it's just him. A few have flung their jackets around
onto chairs, tables or just.. the floor, and gone off drinking, no, no, it's
not just D'ean, they're other too... He moves back into the background,
trying to hush his chittering flizzard who swoops about him, "Shush Valon..I
want to try something, /hush/. Please..? Darnit Valon, go for a second, they
might recognise me." So, with an angry outburts and nips at Ceran the brown
flies upwards to go find a seat with the other 'lizards, making a sort fo
growling noise now and again. Ceran however slinks out from the shadows,
grabs a jacket and simply runs to the other side of the room, behind a mess
of the 'riders. He does his best to make it look like it's his.. even though
it's not even being worn correctly.. Slowly he goes up to a random person,
who just happens to be 'Wyn' and goes, "So.." how is it that 'riders are
supposed to talk.. he gulps.." Eh, so me and me drag'n were.. uh.. we were
flyin' right?"

D'ean hmms as he looks around, "Bah, you guys don't have connections until
you've connected with a Baker Journeyman." He chuckles walking into the
kitchens and back out, wielding a glass of white wine. "Usually they save
this good stuff for the food. And now off with the shirt." The pants stay on
of course, but now there is a shirtless greenrider in our presence.

Zai takes the offered wing glass with a beam. "Thanks." She swishes it in the
glass a moment, then peers at Wyn, "Favorite daughter? Lucky you." At Tatia's
entrance, Zai waves. "Tatia! Over here! We have wine!" She raises the glass
to show her wingleader, and beckons her over. "Join us!" Straight back to the
crates of wine, hang a right at the table.

Larna, receiving Wyn's permission, snitches a skin or two, waving good-bye to
the bluerider and making her way over so that she can mingle with those in
her weyrling wing. "How many of you've had alcohol before? All, right?"
Larna asks curiously, popping off the top of one of her skins, and diving in.
Wine. Mmm. Her own jacket has long been discarded, but being female, she
can't really get away with ditching her shirt. Obviously.

Clothes are flying and girls are showing their ankles, this /could/ be
considered indecent exposure. But in any case, Ajala's enjoying herself
already, even though she has yet to even sip her drink. Demanding gaze goes
to G'ram and she orders, "G'ram! We want a toast! Now!" Insert whip
cracking noises here. A raised brow is send Ceran-wards, and the girl blinks
slowly. Wow... "Vaeli, I promise, if you end up passed out on the floor, I
will not allow random passerby-ers maul you, and I will, in fact, drag you
all the way back to your weyr. Or at least to your dragon." Sagenod.

Vaeli laughs and tips her glass towards G'ram. "I'll hold you to that, G'ram."
She kicks back her feet on an empty chair, her woolen tunic and jact already
discarded. Eh, there were more than enough wineskins to go around, and Vae
reache sover her shoulder to grab a Benden white for her table. "Aww, Ajala,
that possibly the sweetest thing anyone is gonna do for me. Unless you konk
out first."

Tatia steps into the 'caverns from inside the weyr, head bent over a note held
in her hand with a frown of concentration. She's obviously not expecting to
see the loud, energetic crowd that meets her eyes when she glances up into
the 'Caverns. Her frown deepens, and the wingleader spins, obviously ready to
flee the scene. Ah, but duty calls. Or Zai, at least. She glances over her
shoulder, raises a brow, and then with a shrug tucks the note back into her
pocket and starts toward Zai. "So I've seen!" she calls over the crowd. "Is
there a reason for the overrun of weyrlings, or are we just lucky today?"
Good wingleader. Obviously paying attention to the Big Events at the weyr.

Tye eyes her jacket and quickly gathers it from the ground and toses it on her
chair. Though she does not want to ever wear the horrid thing again, it's
better to be safe then sorry. "Uh.. alcohol? Uh. I haven't really ever had
all that much." The poor girl never touched the stuff, in fear of what could
happen. "So.. yeah." Enough of the talking, it's about time for Tye to get
her first taste of some hard-core alcohol. "What would anyone suggest?"

"Are you offering, D'ean...?" drawls Wyn, voiced pitched to carry across the
gap between them and the crowd filling it as she take a sip of her wine and
eyes the sudden lack of upper clothing among the weyrlings. She's now
decided that, since Vor's gone and been a pest, she may as well enjoy a
little quiet teasing, delivered with perfectly serene expression. And then
she gets another glass, fills it, and hands it over to "Tatia," with a nod of
greeting. Ceran's arrival is noted then, and she lifts an eyebrow. "Really.
Myself as well... So, are you a new transfer to Mudslide Wing then...?"
she queries in another drawl, eyeing the badge on the young man's borrowed
jacket.

"And you want me to make it?" G'ram asks, barking a laugh as he gestures with
a cup toward the shirtless greenrider. "Why not let D'ean? I'd say we ought
to have our Wingseconds do the honors," he suggests pleasantly.

Ajala flutters her lashes at Vaeli and places a long-fingered hand over her
heart with a mock swoon. "Its because I care, Vae. And there's no way I'm
going to pass out first." The guard eyes the diminutive goldrider
specutatively (if that's even a word). "In fact, I'd wager I could drink you
right under the table." Her eyes narrow in a calculating, determined glare.
Good, healthy, drinking contests are always the way to go, donchya know.

D'ean looks innocent, "Why me? I'm just sitting her with a nice glass of white
wine and waiting for you to toast." He's shirtless, its all good. A look over
toward Wyn and the man blushes again slightly, but behind the tan you can
barely tell.

Larna shrugs. And, being the kind sort, feels pity for Tye, and decides to
bless her with knowledge. "Benden red's, good." Her spare skin is therefore
shoved at the new wingsecond, as Larna takes another swig, elaborating.
"So're a few others - I've never had much of the hard-core stuff, due to
bakers and other circumstances, but they have more kick." The names,
Larna-player's unaware of. "Isn't there one called Benden Cross, or
somesuch?" In her element, for the moment, Larna pauses to fill up a glass.
"Are we toasting, then?"

"Graduation day," Zai explains for Tatia's benefit. "That cute looking
brownrider --" she points out G'ram with her wine-hand. "He's the new
Weyrling Wingleader. And those two --" She indicates D'ean and Tye. "They're
they Wingseconds." She takes a sip of her wine. "F'red's nothing," she adds
with a slightl sulk to her voice.

Vaeli grins at Larna motions for Tye to sit. "Benden White, actually." She
gestures towards the snatched wineskin on the table top. "My personal fav. Or
the red. that's absolutely delish, too." A sip is allowed to trickle down her
throat. "Mm, a bit tart, but, good all the same." She's about to kick off her
boots. The boots are bothering her. "Oh, is that right, AJ?" A brow is
cocked. "Fine. A wager it'll be." A grin crosses her lips as she raises her
glass for a toast. "Tillek, actually, has quite a taste to is, Larna. Not
nearly as good as Benden, but hard all the same."

Ceran grins faintly as he is duely noted and not mistaken for one of those
darned Weyr brats, oh no, he's valient C'ran! Right of brown.. uh.. he'll get
to that later, "Yes, I am! i came from.. Fort! It's great there y'know? Me
and my drag'n, brown.." erm, "Brown Bariseth! We were flyin' one day and we
saw this monster! This big, huge.. monster! Oh, it was scary-lookin! We were
fighting it, Bariseth was roarin' and a-flamin'.. and we almost had it
licked! But no! Another head appeared so Bariseth and me we killed it.. he
flew close and bite it in its.. neck! Then he flamed it and I blashed it with
my club and down it went! Yes! I was named a hero that day, I saved the
/entire/ Fort.. Just me.. oh.. what's my name? Why! My name is C'ran!"

Tye takes the wineskin and gives it a wary look. A cup is gathered and the
wine is then poured. "Eh. Here goes nothing." And down the hatch the Benden
red goes. After much coughing and choking, Tye nods her head. "Smooth." She
cracks out, trying to breath at the same time. A few smaller sips are now
taken, as the Sr. Weyrling does her best to get used to the stuff. "Hmm. Not
so bad after that first drink." Oh so she thinks. "I think a toast is in
order. And then maybe a drinking contest, if Vaeli and Ajala must. Though I
think I'd put my marks down on Larna."

That cute looking brownrider - Zai said so - finally says, "Right. Everyone
thinks a toast is in order, and no one wants to make one. So!" G'ram lifts
his cup and says, "To Avalanche Wing - the least likely lot to do anything
worthwhile, ever! Cheers." And he knocks back a gulp, then looks very sorry
to have done so.

"You want to toast me?" Wyn misinterprets with quiet mischief. "Why D'ean,
how kind of you... You really /do/ appreciate your weyrling staff, don't
you..." Now, anyone who knows Wyn would know to be quite afraid at seeing
her in a playful mood with wine in her hand, but perhaps D'ean hasn't been
informed. "Bariseth..." she returns to eyeing 'C'ran', doing her best to
keep her amusement under wraps. "Well... C'ran... where were you in drills
today? We missed you and Bariseth. Can you surf-- Oh, time for a toast."
She lifts her glass and calls, in good voice "To Avalanche Wing."

Larna aww's. "Really, Tye?" She's touched! "Baker is looser with
restrictions, though, so it's easier to get away with drinking," she admits,
before cocking a curious eyebrow lazily at Vaeli. "Tillek, then? Have to
try some, now that I'm /finally/ free to do so." Pausing to consider a few
more swallows before toasting, Larna decides another is in order, and then
her glass is raised. "To Avalanche Wing, then."

Ajala raises her glass to G'ram with a wry chuckle and declares, "Cheers,
indeed!" And she gulps down a good portion of the contents of her glass,
then sets it aside and pulls two shot glasses from the nearby table. The
competitive glint has returned and she eyes her most worthy opponent, Vaeli
the Small, with a raised brow. "You sure you're up for this, little one?"
she questions, with just a hint of a giggle in her voice. A smile is barely
supressed. Must...appear...serious... "Larna, you wanna get in on this?"

Zai nods happily at Tatia. "Indeed. Used to be a healer, you know," she adds
before lifting her glass to toast. "Avalanche Wing!" She sits back, then,
siping her wine idly. "Don't look so upset, Tatia. He's not leading Tsunami
or anything. He can hardly burn down the Weyr." She glances at Wyn's new
'rider' friend, gives him a skeptical look, and returns to eyeing the new Sr.
Weyrlings.

"Of course, Larna. I've heard enough stories about you that I would put my
money on you in a drinking contest any day." Tye smirks before lifting her
hand along with all the others. "Aye, to Avalanche Wing! Faranth have pity on
it!" And anorther long drink is taken. The cup is refilled once more, as she
sits herself down with ease. "Let's do this thing. I bet I can at least get
Ajala dumped over." Tye comments, rubbing her hands together for the
competition to come.

D'ean raises his class happily, "To Avalanche Wing, and to our /lovely/
weyrlingmasters." He winks before taking his drink. D'ean's been a Journeyman
most of his life so Candidacy and weyrlinghood were a break from drinking.

G'ram's still half-coughing when he looks back to the others at his table and
asks, "Wait. Let's do what thing? What thing are you going to do?"

A gulp is emitted fromt eh lad as his little mind races, "Where was I in
drills? I was uh.." Saved by the bell, "YES! Toast! Toast to the glorious..
uh, Avalanche wing! Indeed! No one.. uh saves Pern better'n /that/ wing." Oh
dear.. where's his drink to properly toast? Why? It's over there! On that
tables where some poor rider had to go around looking for their missing
jacket. "C'ran" quickly moves over to swipe said drinka nd sniffs it, a look
of, well,, a look washes over his features as he eyes the swishy read liquid.
He lifts the glass to his lips, and tilts it back, none of it actually gets
into his mouth, but he hopes it looks like he took a mighty swig. He difts
back over to Wyn and beams at her, "Yes, I'm C'ran, rider of mighty brown
Baristeh... who are you?"

"To the Avalanche Wing!" Vae's voice resounds a bit in the caverns. She nods
with a smile to Larna. "Oh, yes, its quite...a tastefull experience." She
knocks back half her glass, causing her to catch her breath for a few
seconds. "Cheers! To all those merry enough to share a glass and have some
dancing!" Course, Vae has to have a few more glasses before dancing. "Aw,
Tye, its not that bad." She grins as Ajala's voice reaches her ears. "Yes,
I'm /up/ to it. By Faranth, I may be drank under the table, but I'll have fun
doing it!" She raises her glass to that as well, and peers at the others at
her table. "How about, Tye, Larna? Care to join? And G'ram? Work starts
tomorrow. We have a whole day of festivities to do!"

Larna nods eagerly. "Sure. Drinking contest, eh?" And then, Tye is briefly
stared at. "Am I really that bad?" Perhaps she should stop. Ah, well, too
late now! In fact, she might just giggle any second, a very un-Larnaish
thing to do. Tolerance only holds you out for so long. "Drinking contest,
G'ram." And then, for the record, "I think I've already got one skin down.
Right?" *hiccup*

"And then became a lazy, disrespectful Candidate," Tatia points out without
hesitation. "Or do you not /remember/ last Candidacy.. /Shards/ no!" The last
explosion comes with widened eyes and a swift headshake. "He's not getting
close to Tsunami, ifI have anything to say about it." Which Tat often
doesn't. As evidenced by S'titch's prescence in the wing. At the toast, she
sighs, rather melodramtically, really, and lifts her glass with the others.
"Boy can't even make a decent toast, and he's supposed to be leading the
weyrlings.. right." She's muttering under her breath the entire time her
glass is raised, and it stops only for the swallow of wine, which is followed
by a pleased, rather surprised smile. "Good vintage, this."

D'ean doesn't look to be up for a drinking contest, knowing he has years upon
most of them and definitely can outdrink the best. He just casually swirls
his wine glass and looks about the room. "This just seems like a good time
for some song and music doesn't it?" The greenling examines the full-fledged
riders, so many of them here.

Zai raises an eyebrow at Tatia. "No need to get upset. I didn't suggest he
take over your wing, I just said he's not the Tsunami Wingleader. Only a
silly Weyrling Wing." She eyes him from over her wine glass. "Although, I
dunno. He seems like a decent sort to me. From classes and things." She
pauses. "Plus he's a brownrider," which never hurts. "Wyn," she turns to the
bluerider, interrupting the debate over 'C'ran's' riderhood. "You know him
somewhat, right? Healers and such. What do you think?"

G'ram either can't hear Tatia's grousing or has decided to ignore her; guess
which is more likely. "A drinking game?" He looks into his cup, then very
adamantly shakes his head. "No, no. You all can count me out. But I'll be the
referee for you." He's such a charitable soul like that.

Tye brings up the wineskin and gives it a little shake. "Hmm.. I'm about half
way there." She comments, before draining what was left in her cup. Her eyes
unfocus for a minute and she gives a rough shake of her head. "Oi. Moving
things." Tye closes her eyes a moment and then flutteres them open. "Oh.
That's better." Grin. "Not /that/ bad Larna. But I think your better then any
of the rest of us weyrlings. Unless G'ram shows us his true colors." The
wingleader is spotted a smile. More of her skin is poured into the cup and
the process begins again.

"Glad you approve of something, at least, Tatia," Wyn points out, after
favouring D'ean with a pixie-wink while no-one is looking, and then returning
to conversation. "But I rather like it... my father brought it around a few
months ago. I just don't drink enough wine to clear an entire crate while
it's still at it's peak... And G'ram will do all right... Have you no faith
in my abilities as weyrling staff?" she queries with an arch look. The
erstwhile 'brownrider' joining gets a little smile. "Hmm?" You mean her
opinion is actually being /asked/? "As I said, he'll shape up. He's cocky
and perhaps a touch overconfident, but that's primarily due to teenage
hormones and the fact that he's a former Mindhealer."

And the contestants gather around the small, circular table as Ajala slides a
shot glass to each. One for Larna, one for Tye, and she and Vae already have
theirs. "Alright, is this everyone then? Round one...refereed by the fair
leader G'ram." She gestures to him rather ceremoniously and pulls forth a
wine skin of a particularly hard liquor, filling each shot to the brim.
Taking her own in hand she lifts it in a miniature toast to her opponents.
"Here goes nothing!" And she waits for G'ram's word.

Larna fingers her shot glass, nodding, and placing her now-emptied skin down.
"Bah. Pish. Coward," Larna notes G'ram-wards, a faint grin on her features,
although it's likely to be attributed to the atmosphere rather than the
drinking. Hopefully. Works better that way. "You're drinking, too, Ajala?"
Just noticed. Was distracted, you see. "Either way. We going to start,
soon?"

The wine must be putting Tatia in a better mood, because she responds to Zai's
explanation with an easy shrug. "I suppose so. Maybe weyrlinghood has been
good for him. Still. It'll be a warm day in 'Reaches before I let him into
Tsunami." Of course. It's really a somewhat idle threat, as 'Reaches /does/
have a few warm days. The greenrider smirks at Wyn and lifts her wine for
another sip. "One has to appreciate some things in life," she points out,
/almost/ teasing and lighthearted." She snorts at the second, though, and
tilts her head. "No, just your abilities are miracle worker, you see. Are you
certain he's ready for such.. responsibility? It just seems.. ah." And then
Tatia's looking smug. Cocky and overconfident. Just as she thought.

Vaeli clears her throat as people count in or out. "I think we're going to
need another skin. Wineskin, that is." She places her hands on her glass,
ready to knock back at the word. The conversation of the elder riders doesn't
reach her ears, and perhaps that is a good thing. "Ready, huzzah." Yep. She's
ready. And after this shot she's yanking the boots and going barefoot.

G'ram repeats with a snerk, "My true colors. So says the Wingsecond who stuck
her tongue out at me in the middle of our graduation." He waves a hand kind
of grandiosely to the table in general and says, "Yes, yes. We're starting
now. If anyone passes out, though, don't expect me to do mouth-to-mouth on
you drunkards."

Tye takes up her glass and swirls it around a few times. "This'll prove to be
interesting." Her hand is raised and ready to knock back this drink and then
quickly get some more. "I'm as ready as I will ever be." G'ram is glares at,
this time Tye refraining to using childish measures. "I could have always
done worse, y'know." The bluerider retorts. And once again, she is ready.

Ajala cocks a suggestive eyebrow at G'ram upon his last comment and states
blandly, "You know you'd love it," before tilting her head back, opening up
her throat, and swallowing the first shot in one breathless gulp. Glass
clinks to the table as Ajala blinks, a hand lifting to teary to rub them
clear once more. "And I move on! To round two!" Beam. She's so proud.

D'ean stands up and walks into the kitchens again, bringing out a tray of warm
meatrolls and cookies, and some semi-fresh fruit... thats always good...
"Anyone hungry? The cooks look like they wanna stuff us." He chuckles as he
puts the tray down, grabbing himself a meatroll and dancing.... yes
dancing... merrily toward his chair.

Vaeli mock-pouts. "But, G'raaam. That's what us ladies all were betting for!
Who would get to be mouthed by the brownrider first!" She passes a grin
around to the girls and a lash-batting glance at G'ram. She then knocks back
her glass, struggling not to cough. Oo, blurry vision. Boots off, now. She
shucks them quickly and tosses them under the table, waggling her toes.
"/Much/ better. To round two!" The phrase is repeated and Vae refills the
glasses.

Larna coughs, either clearing out her throat or stifling a laugh at Ajala's
comment. Fingering her shot glass one last time, Larna drains it quickly,
vision blurring and a giggle emerging. "Heeheeheehee. Are we on to the next
one, then?" Her own shoes are kicked off, since everyone seems to be doing
it, after all.

"Keh." Tye snorts, quickly draining her glass and putting it back onto the
table. "Looks like I'm well on my way also." She gives a cocky smirk.
"This'll be so easy. Y'all are goin' down!" Or at least that is what she
wants to think. Tye shuffles around in her chair, the itchy pants starting to
irritate her. "Don't know how long these are gonna stay on." She glares at
the offending article of clothing.

G'ram points toward where F'red has wound up, eating eating eating, and says,
"There's a brownrider right over there for you to mouth. And look." He points
toward Zai. "Another one. I dare you." He raises challenging brows at Vaeli
and adds, "Right. Round two. And don't get naked, Tye. You're Somebody now."
Ah, the sober voice of reason.

Ceran retuns the smile of the girl before he begins to amble away from her as
she gets distracted with something else. He gives a blink at all fo the
discarded clothing, even the male who seems clad in only his pants and...
"Wow." He murmurs, his eyes simply landing on the girls, "'Onestly..."
Watching as some of they simply drop out of their jackets and.. well.. he
stares and turns red. Is he over his head? Not just yet. He giggles.

Wyn settles back in her chair, cradling her wineglass with the air of some New
York bohemian at a gallery opening as she watches the weyrlings, or a knot of
them at least, attempt to drink each other under a table, or a collection of
them. "I think," she muses to the other older riders. "That I'm going to
have to charm Mosiah into loaning me some more willowsalic. My hangover
remedy is going to require approximately a four-times-larger batch, tomorrow
morning..." The tray of cookies is noted, and Wyn perks up in her seat.
"There wouldn't happen to be baklavah on that tray, would there...? This
wine really /does/ require something semisweet to complement it."

Ajala gives Tye a skeptical look. "Tye, dearest, you stand no chance against
me. I'm a weathered drinker. That's all us guards do, don't you know?" She
sets about refilling the shot glasses, and then hands the skin to G'ram, with
a murmur about how he's better off handling that duty from now on,
considering that she will, more than likely, be three sheets to the wind soon
enough. "Ah yes! Round two!" And down the hatch goes the second one, with
a cough and sputter immediately following. "MAN, that stuff is strong."

D'ean smirks toward Wyn, "Well, since I promised the riders baklavah when I
was Searched, I wouldn't not redeem a promise." The greenling disappears and
comes back with a tray of fresh baklavah. A plate is stacked with it and then
D'ean moves over toward Wyn, "Here ya're ladies, fresh Benden-style baklavah.
Plenty of it to go around."

Tye flicks her hand at G'ram. "We all someone now! And I'm not about to just
take it all off." So long as Valedath keeps nagging at her in the back of her
mind. Tye rolls her eyes at Ajala. "It's good to know that we are being
protected by such rea...reasur.. reasurring guards." Her glass is soon
refilled and that is also soon mended with all else in Tye's stomach. "Ah ha!
T' round three I do! Jus' you wait an' see what I can do!"

Zai wrinkles her nose at Tatia. "Oh, relax. Who says he even /wants/ to be in
Tsunami. And you can't keep him out anyway. Look at S'titch." She swishes her
wine around before taking a gulp. "Hey!" She glares at G'ram, catching his
comment. "There will be no one 'mouthing' me!" Whatever that means. Huff.
"Anyway," she continues. "He's really not that bad." Another sip of her wine,
and she smirks at Wyn. "I say let 'em suffer. It's their own fault, for doing
something as silly as a drinking contest."

G'ram takes the skin like a good little referree, sniffing the contents for a
second. "Shards'n'shells. You're all going to have Pern's worst hangover in
the morning." But he makes with refilling the glasses for round three,
adding, "Of course you're not about to just take it all off, my dear
Wingsecond. You're going to do a little dance first, I'm sure." He flashes a
smile Zai's way like that makes it all better.

Larna, with her shot glass refilled, stifles a hiccup, and prepares to down
it. Coughing a bit at the end, Larna's world goes pleasantly vague for a
minute or two, before it's only slightly swirly. "Probably going to regret
this later," is murmured to herself, afore not-reason takes over again, and
another one of those giggles emerges. She won't consider taking off her
clothes, however, as Tye might - her pants aren't itchy enough for /that/.
Now round three! Compressing time, Larna downs this, too. And everything
goes woozy, before it goes vague. But she's still in there. And thinking
semi-rationally.

Vaeli gives G'ram a mock glare, which is destroyed with a laugh. Her glass
slams down on the table as she knocks back another that caught her by the
tonsils. Cough. "Ya know, Tye, these pants /are/ getting itchy." Whatever
that's going to lead up to, who knows. "Round three?" It comes out in a
squeak, the wine still clutching her throat. "You know, its giving awfully
warm in here." And Vae shucks her scarf. More clothes to add to the pile!
"And someone refill my glass, please. I don't have the coordination. Ah,
thank you, wingleader." All better. "I don't want to see the bottom of my
glass!" And she downs the third.v

Ajala's eyes suddenly glaze over and the guard recruit's head smacks to the
table. She's out. Cold.

Tye nods in agreement. "Ya see. Vaeli even agrees wit' meh. These pants are
gonna have'ta go sooner o' la'er." And now, the 3rd glass is downed. The
world starts to blend together as Tye stares straight forward. Wow! The
colors! "But dun'cha worry none, Wingleader. I'll be keepin' 'em on fer now."
The wingsecond adds this last part in, as she tried to distinguish what is
what and who is where.

"CPR," Wyn translates to Zai. "And since neither you 'nor I is going to get
nearly as blind as the weyrlings, I doubt your mouth is going to have any
unauthorized contact with the dear boy's." She takes another sip of her
wine, before favouring D'ean with a pretty little smile rarely seen on the
self-contained bluerider's face. "Mmm, clearly the Search riders were onto
something." As opposed to on something? "This looks almost exactly like how
it's made back home." She helps herself to three triangles, two neatly
shuffled off onto a little plate to wait for later predation. "Have a seat
and some of the good wine, D'ean."

"S'titch is a mistake Tsunami will /not/ be making again," Tatia replies,
voice hard, before her eyes light up in a sudden shift of mood. "Ooooh,
baklavah. Wyn, you're a genious." In the matter of food, anyway. She reaches
to snack a bit from the tray, and then flicks her eyes toward the drinking
weyrlings. "Well. At least he's not like our illustrious weyrleader. Seems to
know when less is more, where alcohol is concerned." Gee. Tat just doesn't
like /anyone/, does she?

Sein triapses in, her brow furrowed. "Shardin' dragon, interupting the
celebration for an oiling," she mutters grudgingly. She shimmies up to the
wine and pours a great deal of the rich liquid into a wine glass, probably
pouring so much because her attention is stollen away by the sight of D'ean
without a shirt. "Hey!" she shoots cold glares around the room, "Who
convinced D'ean to start stripping without me?!" She strips out of her winter
coat (having had the opportunity to change while up in her weyr) and lounges
in her tight black pants and loose tunic however /not/ revealing for once.
She'd much rather be comfortable than restricted after wearing that wool
uniform.

D'ean smiles toward the conversation between Wyn and Zai, "No unauthorized
contact? I think you're underestimating G'ram." He chuckles a moment before
plopping himself in the offered chair. A half bow from his seating position,
"Well, on my visit to Benden I attempting to steal as much of the secret
recipe as possible." A beam on the man's face as he watches the other
weyrlings 'enjoy' themselves. A chuckle toward Sein, "Well, I vaguely
remember you telling me to 'take it off' so I took your advice."

Vaeli leans on the table for support. "Does anyone just want to wait a minute
for round ah...round ah....what round are we on?" Yes, that is 'Reaches
youngest goldrider making a fool out of herself. Its gonna get worse. Her
glass is filled again as she pushes at her pants. They are really being a
pest. Seriously. Her gaze meets across the room where a shirtless greenrider
is indefinately flirting with the females. Oo...another greenrider. Come join
the drinking! But Vae just can't work her mouth at the moment. It'll pass.
And it does. It isn't long before she's muttering something about drinking
and clothes. Or no clothes. And dancing. Don't let Vae dance. Just don't.
"Where are those Harpers? Lunch break?"

Zai reaches out to grab a peice of baklavah, blinking at Wyn as she does so.
"Oh. Right. CPR." The triangle in one hand, and wine in the other, she
gestures wildly as she scowls at Tatia. "Be nice. G'ram is certainly not
S'titch. And even if he was, what harm has he really done Tsunami?" She
pauses, getting a deeply thoughtful expression. "Well, except for that whole
wildflower tapestry debacle." She waves her wine-hand and continues on. "The
point is, he's not gonna ruin the wing." He being either G'ram or S'titch.
She pauses in mid-bite of her baklavah to wrinkle up her nose at D'ean.
"G'ram? I thought he was talking about someone /else/ mouthing me."

G'ram shakes his head at Tye and gives her a two-fingered salute from his
forehead. "You're a credit to your position, Tye. No. Really." He leans back
presently, still holding the glass from which he's had all of one drink and
the skin he's using to fill everyone else's glasses, and peers at D'ean.
"Who's doing what to me? And why don't you go find them, Vaeli. The Harpers,
that is."

Tye slams her head on the table. No, no more. She doesn't think she can take
another bit of the horrid liqquid. "Arg. I don't feel all that great." What a
great way for a new time drinker to figure out the downside to alcohol. "S'no
more.

Tye slams her head on the table. No, no more. She doesn't think she can take
another bit of the horrid liqquid. "Arg. I don't feel all that great." What a
great way for a new time drinker to figure out the downside to alcohol. "S'no
more. 'm gonna be sick." The bluelet splutters out, groaning. "Out. All out.
Done." THe wineskin that lays near her is pushed away. Far, far away. "Now I
can see why Nylca won' drink n'more." Smart girl, that Nylca is.

"Wildflower tapestry debacle...?" Wyn, although a proud Mudslider, shared a
barracks with S'titch for the better part of two turns between Candidacy and
weyrlinghood. She can sympathize. "Do I want to know...? And Tatia, be
nice. Our illustrious weyrleader, as you call him, is my best friend."
Ooooh... Was Wyn just chiding? Tatia? She doesn't stay on that topic long
enough to let anyone ponder this, instead pouring D'ean a glass from the
pile of 'good' skins she's rescued from the crate. "Here," she extends it,
giving Sein a smile and a nod as she does so. "/You/ look like you might be
able to appreciate it."

Larna, finding her glass unfilled, looks somewhat surprised. Heeey. Why is
there no more liquid in it? G'ram, moderator, is looked at blankly. "Why
isn't there any more?" Larna dares to ask, somewhat stupidly. But then.
She's been drinking, so it can be excused. "Maybe one more?" she wheedles.
But not any more than that. Passing out is bad, after all. She still wants
to avoid it.

Sein smirks and nods in a 'touche' fashion towards D'ean and then winking in
response to Wyn, touching her wine glass to her lips. She appreciates only
the finest things in life. Mostly alcohol. Innocent twinkle. Vaeli's voice
draws Sein's attention and she nearly bursts into laughter in mid-swallow.
"Vaeli's nearly had enough..." Cough. And then in walks B'ane and *poof*
Sein's childhood memories come flooding back. "B'ane!" Sein squeals, rushing
across the room, passing her glass off to someone and opening her arms for a
fond embrace. "What a surprise! Come have a drink, won't you?

At Zai's comment, Tatia sputters, nearly wasting a mouthful of that oh-so-good
wine. "Shards. Yes," she replies, grinning at Wyn as she dabs at the corners
of her mouth. "In the Tsunami Lo.. er.. yes. S'titch made a wildflower
tapestry. With himself..er.. starring. With strategically placed
wildflowers," she explains. Brows rise, and Tatia doesn't even begin to back
down. "Your best friend /twice/ insulted me because he couldn't hold his
drink. And I outranked him by quite a bit at the moment, too," she reminds
without hesitation. "Friend doesn't mean without fault."

"Yes! And wait until the morning, Tye! You'll feel even worse!" G'ram,
revelling in his lack of intoxication, tops off Larna's glass with what's
left in the skin he somehow acquired and says, "I have no idea who won, so I
declare that you're all losers." He smiles brightly at his tablemates.

B'ane slips past a throng of people crowding around the door, the Istan
bronzerider keeping close to the walls to both avoid weaving through the
masses and to keep a low profile. Ah yes, he can remember when he was here
the time before last there was a Reaches graduation. Of course he was a
resident then. He'll have to mingle on his own now, won't he? But in truth
the only one he knows this night is Sein, oo and there's a hug! "I've never
been one to turn down a drink, have I?" He grins fondly at the greenrider.
"Actually that's really the reason I came was to wish you well." Ain't that
sweet?

Vaeli scuffles a laugh out for the sick feeling Tye. "But Tye..we haven't
danced yet! C'mon. Let's go find the Harpers an' grab us some food. Then,
after food, we can drink more!" Did that make sense? No. But she has the
liberty. With a look towards G'ram for the notion of finding those dratted
Harpers and the conclusion. "I wun. I did. We all did. Ajala didn't. She
passed out." A glance is given to the girl, almost snoring on the tabletop.
She rises from her seat, a bit unstable, and marches, or wobbles, towards the
other table of familiar riders. "None of y'all would happen to know just
where those shardin' Harpers got off to, do ya? They quit just as we were
goin' to dansssse." She tries to sound sober and courteous. Courtesy comes
out, but words don't.
"
"Luckily they were tall flowers," Zai expands with a raise eyebrow and a
giggle. Nursing her wine glass, she watches the debate between Tatia and Wyn,
finally adding in her own advice. "Everyone's got faults. I mean, look at
Tsunami." She giggles again. "There isn't a sane one in the whole wing." She
pauses and fixes her face into a sincere look. "Except me of course. And our
fabulous Wingleader." With that, Zai downs the last of her glass.

Larna, slurring her words, glares at G'ram. "Thass not /fair/." In fact,
Larna even hurls her glass at the fellow brownrider, although knowing drunk
people's aim, it'll go off to the side, and miss him entirely. In something
of a snit, Larna realizes she's wasted her last drink. Sob. But there's
always more, so a bit /is/ poured from her last remaining skin into the shot
glass. And then downed. But no more. Larna'd already be walking into
walls, if she managed to stand up.

"Hey, I drunk 'jala out. So I'm not to much o' a loser." Tye comments, raising
her head from the table. "I'll be jus' fine in a few moments. Can I have some
klah?" She tugs on a passing drudge, who complies and brings her the drink.
"T'anks." is slurred out. The klah is merely sipped at before she is forced
to her feet. "Now we gotta dance? Fine, but no more drinking." The klah mug
is left on the table and given a forlorn look. "Where's the music? No
'arper's, eh? We gonna have to sing if we want music, looks like." And one
thing someone does not want to hear, is Tye's singing.

D'ean looks at the two riders, "Simmer down now. Simmer ladies. Remember this
is supposed to be a 'happy' celebration for the /weyrlings/." He smirks with
a rather friendly face and then sips at the wine, "Its wonderful Wyn. You
must have good connections." Almost as good as his of course.

G'ram does manage to avoid getting beaned in the head with the glass, but
there's a good splash on the table now and doesn't he look amused. "Larna,
hon. You're making a spectacle. Giving us brownriders a bad name." He puffs
his chest a little, then turns to watch Vaeli in her quest for Harpers. "You
ought help Vae find the Harpers, Tye," he suggests pleasantly.

Wyn winces. That's the only word for an expression of that much shocked
horror. "That's... That's..." The normally quite eloquent bluerider is
quite without words in the face of the sheer concept of Naked! S'titch on a
tapestry. "That's..." she tries again, before managing "I hope you burnt
it?" in a tone of faint hope. And takes a hearty sip of her wine, dropping
the level of her glass quite noticeably, before lifting an eyebrow at Tatia's
bristling, and countering simply, and as calmly as ever "And I poured a skin
of wine over your head during a flight once when I was still a weyrling... We
all have... lapses... of judgement. And naturally, D'ean." she smiles,
changing the subject. "I /am/ Benden born, you know... You must have some
/fascinating/ ones yourself..." she drawls. "We /must/ talk, some time..."

Sein laughs softly and reclaims her wine glass, gesturing for B'ane to join
her near the beverage and snack tables. "I have to say, it's /great/ to see
you again," she smiles, pouring a fair amount of Benden for the Istan rider
and lavishing him with her naturally flirtacious tone. She winks playfully.
"You'll have to excuse some of us Weyrlings. We haven't had anything for
drink in /Turns/ now, and I'm almost positive some others of us haven't woken
up to a hangover before," Sein comments with cheery amusement. "I guess you
have to learn /some/where, aye?"

"Flights aren't voluntary," Tatia grumbles into another sip of her wine -
obviously a sore point with the Tsunami wingleader - before shaking her head
and sending a gleaming gaze of mischief toward Zai. "No. But we.. dealt with
it." Suffice it to say that it's in a good place now. A place that will keep
anyone unwelcome from wandering into their sanctuary.

Larna simply rolls her eyes at G'ram's comment, looking through the haze
somewhat blankly at Tye and Vaeli. "Dancing? We're going to dance? Urrrh."
Managing to stand up with a fair amount of success, Larna now focuses on
staying up, grappling for a chair to keep her so.

Zai giggles again. "Dealt with it. Yes." She leans toward Wyn. "I wanted to
burn it, but Tatia said I couldn't. Something about how 'all the Tsunami
riders need to have input and blah blah blah'." Zai takes on a rediculous
tone as she attempts to imitate Tatia, but she beams over at her Wingleader.
"But we fixed it."

D'ean smiles toward Wyn and chuckles, "We must talk sometime, but my history
isn't really... important." His face is a little flush as he sips at the
wine. "But you sound like you have an interesting history." He looks toward
Tatia and begins to ponder, "Erm, Wyn? When do greens start to... y'know,
get... errr.... flustered?"

Vaeli walks unusually slow, using an imaginary crooked tunnel-snake line for
help. She disappears within the inner caverns for a few moments, reappearing
with a Harper in tow. "I found one of 'em! But we gotta find the others.
G'ram? If you will, fill my glass, would ya? I'll get to the table in a
minute." And Vae stops to keep the room from spinning. Some food, a nap, and
later tonight she can return for more festivities. The Harper disappears over
by a food tray, and Vae attempts to make it back to the table, with a bit of
success, falling into her seat and reclining. "Tye, either we go and change
clothes, or we must find another solution. These pants are really gettin' on
me nerves, yeah." She looks at Larna and laughs. "I can't danssse in these!"

B'ane's hand clutch naturally on the goblet and his lips soon come in contact
with the tingly effervescence within. "Of course I don't blame you folks in
the least; everything's been restricted since you were candidates and now you
can finally let loose and have a good time." He lowers himself down into the
comfort of a chair and drapes a leather-clad arm over the back. "I saw you on
the Sands so long ago, but I know you couldn't have heard my voice from up
there. Plus I think you would have cared little, with what just happened
then." A tilted smile is then masked as he takes a draught from the glass
again.

Tye clasp her hands. "Ya got one Vaeli! I'm s'proud! Where are all them
others, though? Don' those blasted 'arper's know wha' t'day is?" Obviously
not, since only one can be found at the moment. "Aye, ya right. These pants
are gonna have'ta get a goin'. All itcky an' hot." And eye searches the room.
"I'm taking it none o' yous got an extra pair o' pants fer me an' my friend
Vaeli here?" Bad enough for the poor bluerider, her shirt is also made of
cotton, causing the girl to scratch at her stomach. "I also need me a new
shirt, or this one is gonna be gone."

Wyn gives Zai an understanding nod. "I /do/ hear you... V'der is one
Mudslider I would prefer a little less input from but... such is life. At
least you haven't seen sign of his ideas for wing uniforms?" she attempts to
find a bright spot, before nodding and noting "Point." to Tatia, and
returning to her wineglass, topping it up and nibbling at her baklavah with a
quietly blissful look. "Mmmm... if your history includes how you learned to
make baklavah like this, D'ean... forgive me for doubting that opinion," she
notes, a purr starting to creep into her tone as she sits in contentment with
baklavah, Benden wine, and a shirtless male within range of visual
appreciation. Life is good. "But to answer your question, 18 months is the
standard. Some go earlier, some rise later... if their rider is quite
nervous about the whole thing, or prepubescent themselves, they can inhibit
them."

G'ram does fill Vaeli's glass, though it bears noting that he fills it with
water. It's at this point that he does a very smart thing and shuts up and
stays out of it; if they're going to get naked, that's none of his business.

Tatia's brows go up at the rather unflattering immitation, but she allows it
to slide off with a shrug and a grin and, for the first time, sweeps her gaze
across the gathered weyrlings and weyrfolk, and.. visiting bronzeriders? Her
eyes narrow slightly, hovering around Sein and B'ane for several minutes.
"Or," the Tsunami responds bitterly to D'ean, "They may go up just to spite
you. Depends on the dragon."

D'ean puts his hand on his face, "Good Faranth, I hope that Iztenith never
rises." Then there is Wyn's final comment and Tatia's, "Err, I know that Izzy
is gonna be the first and I'm gonna hide under a rock if I have to, just to
avoid it all." The greenling looks over toward Vaeli and Tye and shakes his
head, "To think that I almost felt like a peer with those people." He
chuckles to himself.

Larna is never drunk enough to undress in public rooms. She makes sure she
never gets /quite/ that drunk. Fearing she's about to reach her limit, Larna
lurches into a nearby wall, grabbing some poor tapestry to keep herself
upright. Poor tapestry. It deserves everyone's sympathy. "Mmmrr. Are you
guys...sure about /dancing/?" is asked amidst voice slurring. Slurslurslur.

G'ram, to Larna, "Maybe you should sit down for a little while. Pass on the
dancing, huh?" He even goes so far as to kick out a bench just for Larna,
nodding to it helpfully.

Wyn reaches over to pat comfortingly at the hand that's not being pressed up
against D'ean's face. "She will... but there will be plenty of people
around to talk you through it. Other, more experience greenriders, former
mindhealers like myself... You shan't be left totally alone to face
something that's a complete paradigm shift away from normal human behavior...
But this is a party, I'll stop offering therapy now," she quips. "Do you
think they'll ever get the dancing off the ground before they all hit it?"

Sein folds smoothly into a seat near B'ane, revelling in the memory of her
Impression. "I've heard a lot of old friends were there to cheer me on.
Standing on those sands though all the cheers just mesh into one unending hum
of energy -- and added with the hum of the dragons, it's a wonder I got
through that mess without a headache." She giggles softly and touches her
glass to her lip, downing a good sip of the rich red liquid. Tatia's
eye-narrow is spied and Sein muses to herself. "I should probably introduce
you to the crowd, hmm?" She pauses to eye Larna and Vaeli questionably.
"Well, the less intoxicated of the crowd? Those two drunk nuts are Larna and
Vaeli. With them, our wingleader G'ram." She shifts her grey-green eyes upon
the visiting Istan rider. "You don't mind getting up to meet the others, do
you? I'm sure they'll be delighted to have some new company to chat with."
Smile.

Imediately after Wyn's comment, Tatia leans toward Wyn with an
uncharateristically serious offer. "If you want to chat before she does..
stop by sometime," she offers, brows arcing at D'ean before she rocks back on
her heels. "I think I can set aside Tsunami paperwork long enough for a chat
or two. Wish I'd had one, before Vesp went up." She seems to have given up on
glaring at Sein and B'ane. Well. So long as you ignore the glares that flash
that direction every few moments.

Larna decides passing is good - but not as in passing /out/. Therefore, she
accepts G'ram's offer of a bench, latching onto it. Sobriety isn't coming
quickly - duh - but Larna can still here. "Am /not/ a drunk nut, Sein."
Stupid Sein. She only gets drunk every so often, after all. This is a
normal get-drunk time. It's to be expected, right? "If you guys are going
to dance, then, I'll dance from over here." Not a smart plan, but eh -
Larn's drunk.

Vaeli glears around and ends up on Tye. "Well, the 'arper's are gone, and our
danssin' buddy can't danssse. An' no 'un has any clothesss. These pants are
buggin' me." She glances around, as her group is getting stares. Good. Eye
the drunk people. Eye the fun people. Eye us. Envy us. Enjoy us. Vae's
thoughts? Faranth forbid. Sein's voice doesn't carry to Vaeli, but Larna's
does. "We ain' dunk. Drunk. Just...happy."

Auri pokes her head around the corner for only a second before she plunges
headfirst into the crowd with a joyful "Wheeee!" One Busty Tsunami
Greenrider, present and ready to socialize, sir. "Weyrlings! And Other
Riders! And People! And... hiiii!" Can anyone hear her in all this ruckus?
Her piping soprano is loud and shrill enough, anyways.

Zai, the lightweight that she is, giggles at this. What the 'this' is, is
unclear. She glances down at her wine glass and frowns. "Empty," she
announces. And it's probably for the better. Moving a few steps behind the
conversation, Zai shakes her head with an attempt at a sage-look. "I don't
think you could actually hide under a rock," she adds helpfully to the
conversation. She eyes Wyn and the Tsunami wingleader with a puzzled look.
"Isn't there a whole class on it? I mean on flights."

D'ean says "Well, I'll remember that for later days so if I come screaming and
running into your weyr, you'll know why." shrugs it off, thats a thought for
another day. The greenling smiles and chuckles at Wyn, "Well, I'd bet that by
the time that the pair finally get to getting Harpers and dancing, they'll be
on the ground passed out." Another sip at the wine, he's not planning on
going inebriated anytime soon. "Blah, I wish I was young and uncaring again."
He says this to himself, thinking himself at 24 turns as being old.

G'ram, to B'ane, "Yes, Avalanche Wingleader and wrangler of drunken weyrlings
at your service." He looks quite amused, though perhaps a BIT daunted when
Auri comes breezing into the cavern. "As if there wasn't enough chaos..." He
mumbles, trailing off with some comment about squirrels; no, he never will
forget it. "Have you thought at all, Vae, about going back to your weyr and
changing? Y'know, the sensible thing to do?"

B'ane even lost some bets on the Hatching day with his dragon since D'baji
didn't want to risk anything. The ol' fuddy-duddy. Onyx-blessed eyes do their
best as Sein sifts through the faces in the crowd and gives them names.
"Sure, I always thought it was more appropriate to meet with other people
face-to-face." At least introductions will take some time off of having to
dance. Straighting the creases from his jacket, he gives time for Sein to
lead the way. He can be bashful at times.

Walking in slowly, Panell stops as he hears voices, and continues in
curiously. He nods to the various people gathered before pouring himself some
Klah and sittind down at a random table. His eyes dart around the caverns,
looking for people he knows.

"Eh? No takers. Well fine." Tye sniffs the air. "I'll jus' stand here and be
all uncomfortable. Glad y'all care." Sneer. Sneeeeer! Vaeli leaned on, as the
bluerider lets out a groan. "Shards, my stomach ain' really agreein' wit' me.
ow ya feeling, Vae?" She jabs the goldrider, peering up at her. "Ya don' see
all tha' bad t'me." Drunk wise, that is. But alas, the weyrling does not say
much more, as she finds herself walking to a table and thusly falling onto it.

Larna most certainly doesn't feel like dancing, it would seem. Perhaps the
itchy pants are getting to her. Perhaps she's afraid she'll drink more.
Perhaps she doesn't like being called a 'drunk nut'. In any case, Larna
decides her weyr's the place to be, and with slurred good-byes to all, exits.

Vaeli manages a glare at G'ram and takes a sip from her glass, it tasting a
bit suspicious. Ah well, her taste buds are shot. Her drunken state is
wearing a bit, it being water she is downing. She sighs, enjoying the
fuzziness around her. Ah, Sein. And a friend. Vae decides to sit down before
she further makes a fool of herself. "I don' feel like goin' to my weyr,
G'ram." Her words are still slurring, even with the attempt at keeping them
straight. Her drinking buddies are eyed, and she sits, just sits. "Is there
food somewhere around here?" Slur.

Tatia snorts softly. "No screaming, please. A nice, calm, preannounced
entrance will do just fine," she replies to D'ean. She absently taps her
fingers against the edge of her glass for a moment, then swirls the liquid
slowly. Obviously not one to down alcohol quickly, is Tat. Not unless Tsunami
wing pride and dragon games are somehow involved. She glances at Zai and
inclines her head toward the brownrider. "Do you know who that is?" she
questions, wine glass lifted to indicate B'ane before her attention is taken
by the loudly entering Auri, who gets a short wave.

Wyn is the youngest of the 'older' crowd, but Wyn's always been slightly older
than her years, so it all works out? "We should get out on the floor and
dance, then," she opines after a moment's thought, and another assault on
the baklavah, daintily licking the tips of her fingers. "Otherwise, it might
offend the Harpers... Hmm?" Zai's question gets a considering look from the
petite brunette. "Well, yes, there is, but that's more of a group lecture.
I'm referring to individualized support."

G'ram's feeling his oats or something, and says to Vaeli, "Then quit whining
about your pants. We're all itchy, y'know." He scratches his knee, just to
prove his point. "And drink that," he adds, pushing her glass (full of water)
down the table toward the goldrider even as he eyes where Tye's parked
herself. "That doesn't look especially comfortable."

D'ean looks toward the dance floor and shrugs, "We could, but then I'd have to
get up from my comfortable seat and enjoy myself. Why would I want to do
that?" He smirks and winks at Wyn before leaning back in his chair and
sipping at the wine.

With wine glass and Istan rider in tow, the young blond Sein sashays through
the crowd, sending Auri a finger-waggle and pointing out the mass amount of
alcoholic beverages -- oh... and the klah and snacks -- for the Tsunami
Bombshell as the weyrling passes. Time to meet the more sober of the crowd.
"D'ean, Wyn, Tatia!" she chipperly greets, "Do you mind if I interupt for a
moment?" That message is mostly sent Tat-wards. She grins broadly, gesturing
to the hunk of Istan rider beside her. "/This/ is B'ane, bronzerider of
Aboleoth of Ista Weyr. B'ane, this is Wyn, the most intriguing bluerider
you'll ever meet, D'ean my fellow weyrling and wingsecond of Avalanche wing,
and greenrider Tatia, probably the sole reason why I dreamed of being a
dragonrider and why my Apprentice Master did everything in her power to keep
me from being a Candidate." She sends a wink towards the former
StarCrafter-gone-Greenrider. There. Introductions. See?

Zai, the 'oldest' of the 'older' crowd, blinks blearily at Tatia. "Who who
is?" She peers around the room and points at B'ane blatently. "Him? No."
Auri's entrance startes her, and she turns with a jump. "Auri! You're
/here/!" She waves the other Tsunami over to the table. "Come join us! We
have /wine/!" Well, really Wyn has wine. But Zai's offering. "Do you know,"
Zai whispers loudly toward Auri, "That brownrider who Tatia doesn't like,
G'ram, he's the Weyrling Wingleader. But Tat doesn't want him in Tsunami."
This is all, somehow, deemed relevent by Zai as she relates it to the Tsunami
greenrider.

Panell an eybrow quirks, as he listens to the group, obviously a good number of
them had been drinking a bit too much. He grins, and just watches curiously.
Quite glad that they hadn't realized he was there. He watches the others
quite amused.

Auri catches Tatia's wave and Zai's entreaties, so she pushes through the
crowd, passing by G'ram on her way to sit at the Tsunami table. "G'rammie!
Miravith says hello," she informs him, accompanying her words with a sweet,
innocent giggle. The little greenrider ducks past Vaeli and Larna, sniffing
about and babbling something about it "smelling awfully wine-y" in the room
before she plops herself next to Zai. "Aww, how could anybody not like
G'rammie? He's so squishy and huggable," she says with a pout. Her pout is
soon interrupted with a smile and a finger-wiggle at Sein, however.

Tye mutters a few random incoheret sentences, and moves her head left and
right. An arm is slung over her eyes and one leg is thrown out onto another
nearby chair. In all honestly, no, the position the Wingsecond is in isn't
all the comfortable at all. Which forces the bluerider to raise her head and
peer towards G'ram.. and then Vaeli. "Ug." Is all else she says, before
slamming her head right back on the table.

Tatia's gaze is strict and icy as it settles on Sein and the slide frigidly
toward B'ane. "Istan?" she questions, fingers tightening around her wine
glass. "I see. You must know P'rru, then. /This/ is Zai, Tsunami wingrider,
assistant weyrlingmaster." The additional introduction is followed by a
pointed raising of her brows that indicates she sees Sein's overlooking of
the brownrider as a vast lapse in politeness. "So. Tell me. Whatever could
bring you all this way north?" If B'ane knows anything about the greenrider,
he'll know which answers are the ones /not/ to give.

"Well... I could make it worth your while..." drawls Wyn to D'ean, the purr
decidedly ascendant in her still-Benden-warmed alto, despite the innocence of
her expression. The level in her refilled wineglass is dropping decidedly,
though. "On the dance floor at least." Auri gets a nod, as does Sein and the
apparently kidnapped B'ane. "Greetings, B'ane of Ista... I think we may have
met a time or two before."

G'ram cringes visibly at the G'rammie, but lifts a hand toward Auri, anyway.
"Hullo, Auri. I'm sure I say hi to her, too." Not that anyone at his table is
sober enough to care, but he points out as an aside, "I feel like I'm being
talked about an awful lot over there." He scowls at the Old Folks.

Zai, upon hearing Tatia mention her name, beams up at B'ane. "Hi. I'm Zai,"
she repeats, before falling silent again. She raises an eyebrow at Tatia, and
then leans toward Auri to resume whispering loudly. "I don't think Tatia
likes him much either," she waves a non-discrete hand at B'ane. "She'd
probably throw a fit if he tried to join Tsunami, too." 'G'rammie' distracts
her, before she can continue on, and she turns to eye him. "We were just
talking about how you're a Wingleader now. Mostly. And some other stuff. But
that was mostly it."

B'ane divides a look between the three riders and cants his head amiably.
"I've seen you around before," where could be either here or back at Ista,
"Yes, I went on a feline hunt with Wyn I think and Tatia stopped by to see
P'rru not long ago. He's a good man." His memory is usually keen, but hard
telling when alcohol's involved. "D'ean and Zai, good to meet you." A genuine
smile trickles across his face. He'd shake hands, but aren't most filled with
glasses? "I'm simple here to give an overdue congratulations to Sein." Is
sent Tatia-wards with with a voice colored cordial red.

Vaeli blinks towards G'ram. Hmm. Do people hold grudges against fun people? Or
drunk people? She drinks her wine, or water, which she is completely unaware
of, muttering something about him just trying to absolutely drink her under
the table. She looks at Tye and pats the girl on the back. "It's okay, Tye.
You'll live?" It is more of a slurred question rather than assurance as she
seriously thinks about retiring to her weyr. A slight headache is coming over
her now as she rests her head on her hand. Must think about something else.
The riders across the caverns are noted, as she tries to figure out who is
who. Her vision is straightening a bit as her pulsing temples continue to
pound. Anestetic is what she needs. And she tips back the rest of her
beverage.

"Hey!" squeaks Auri, sitting up straighter so her petite form might be more
noticeable. "Don't I get introductions too? I'm Auri," she says forwardly and
warmly. "I'm just another Tsunami AWLM." She's also not old. Her eyes scan
the table for wine, and she pours herself a nice liberal glass when her
fingers latch onto the flask. "I think he can probably hear you," she
whispers in a voice even louder than Zai's, looking non-so-subtly at B'ane.
"He probably doesn't want to know that Tatia doesn't like him."

D'ean smiles toward B'ane and nods, "A pleasure to meet you." Then a look over
toward Wyn, "How much worth my while. Do I get any money?" He winks toward
the bluerider before just casually glances about the room again. Silly
weyrlings

G'ram looks skeptically at Zai, et al. "Sure," is all he says, making a face
though that might have more to do with the rest of what's left in his glass
than anything else. "I," he begins like his comings and goings are very
important, "am going to change out of this and might come back down later."
With that, he takes his very sober self on out to the bowl.

Zai blinks at Auri, then at B'ane. "Oh," she whispers loudly back. "Right."
She beams at the visiting Istan, then turns back toward G'ram. Only to find
him gone. "Bye," she offers to the space the new Wingleader was formerly
occupying, before returning her attion to the other Tsunami AWLM. "Can you
pour me a little more," she asks pleasantly, holding out her glass to Auri.
"Only a little. I never drink. I wouldn't want it to go to my head."

Sein smiles ever-so-sweetly at Tatia and tips her head to the side, moving her
attention from the cold-eyed greenrider to Auri. "Auri! I'm sorry, dear!
B'ane, that's the sweetest piece of Tsunami hide you'll ever have the
pleasure bumping into right there, and I'm hoping you, Auri and Zai, forgive
me for being a little slow tonight." She shoots a look Tatia-wards. And Tato
for being herself, ne? She downs a sip of her red wine, rising from her glass
smiling a touch more. "I'm surprised no one has dragged anyone away to their
weyr yet," Sei idly comments, disapearing behind the rim of her wine glass
again.

Tatia firmly ignores the other two Tsunami riders in favor of eyeing B'ane.
That, by the way, was one of the 'wrong answers.' The greenrider's gaze is no
less frosty as she nods and swirls the wine in her glass slowly. "To..
congratulate Sein. I /see/," she replies. Sein's comment is evidently the
last straw. Tatia hands her glass off to Zai, giving her Tsunamimate a look
that's meant to silence any questions, and promptly moves forward to link her
arm through B'ane's and drag him toward the area cleared for dancing. "Well
then. Come with me. I need a dance." Uh huh. /Sure/.

B'ane takes another swill of the wine and looks very much at ease. Or perhaps
that's what he wants you to think. Wouldn't you like to know. "If she
dislikes me, then will have to do my best to make her think otherwise." Is
said to everyone and no one, with Tatia obviously in mind. "Well met, Auri."
B'ane has not forgotten, have no fear. "Was that Aibhlusaith I saw in the
bowl?" He targets Sein once more. Alas, his words are cut off from the source
like a dammed river. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a partner," he slips to
Tatia as she strings him along. Dancing is usually avoided at all costs.

Wyn forms her mouth into a small moue at D'ean's wink. An excellent
expression, that: so simple, not requiring Wyn to abandon too much of that
coolly indifferent mask, and yet quite eloquent too. She may have to make
wider use of it. The bluerider tips her wineglass to manage another sip, and
then banters over the top of it that "What...? The charming company of one
of Mudslide's better dancers isn't enough for you...? Tsk. Such a hard sell
you are. Perhaps I should provide a few of the secrets of Benden's kitchens
in the deal?" Standing, as B'ane is hauled off by a determined Tatia, she
extends a hand to the weyrling greenie boy, intent along similar lines, but
more gracefully approached as she tips Sein a wink. "The night is young,
dear. And if anyone's in your weyr tomorrow morning but /you/... I'll have
to be frightfully big-sisterish."

It's certainly not too late for anyone to be dragged off to a weyr. And with
that Auri, takes a very large gulp of wine out of her glass and pours the
rest into Zai's glass, spilling a bit onto the fringe of her Tsunami scarf.
"Oh /eggshells/," she squeaks. "I'll have to scrub at that." She looks up at
Sein with a smile. "You're forgiven," she says belatedly to her, turning to
call at B'ane's back as he's dragged off. "Pleasure's all mine!"

Sein does little in response to Tatia dragging her visitor off other than
raise her brows to B'ane. "Better hope she doesn't toss you in the hearth if
you step on her foot, love," she calls out playfully towards the Istan before
settling in Tatia's seat and sipping at her wine. Wyn is laughed to and she
nods. "I'll try my best not to wake up with company, Wyn," she replies,
winking to the bluerider, "but keep in mnd if /you/ wake up with some
company, I'll just come pry for a bit of juicey details." And that is Sein.

"I'm not picky," Tatia replies coldly, glancing over her shoulder to be sure
no greenriders - of the non-Tsunami sort - are following. "I just wanted to
have a word with you. Or two." And Tatia's nothing if not determined. Her
grip on B'ane's arm is tight, almost bruising, and she continues to tug with
absolutely no consideration for the fact that he may not want to follow.

D'ean smiles toward Wyn and shrugs, "Oh, you are Mudslide's best. Bah, I've
prolly seen better in my old age." He likes to mention being old doesn't he.
Too bad he's been isolated in a fish hold most of his life.

Zai tugs her Tsunami scarf protectively away from any splattering. "Thanks,"
she offers, somewhat startled, to both Auri and Tatia as the Tsunami
Wingleader shoves her wine into her hand. Raising one glass, then the other,
she eyes them with a puzzled expression before finally putting down Tatia's
glass and sipping at her own. She glances after Tatia and B'ane with
curiosity. "I dunno if I've ever seen Tatia dance before," she muses between
sips of wine.

Tye shakes her head, "No Vaeli, I don't think I will.." She whines. "I've
never felt so ill in all my life." The bluerider raises her head one more
time and then rests it on her hands. "Remind me.. please.. to /never/ drink
again." Tye slurs her words a bit, but her speech is starting to make more
sense. "Never, ever, gonna do this again. Nope. Never.." The goldrider is
looked back up at. "Are ya feelin' okay? Or not?" A glass of water is seen
not ot far off. Chewing on her bottem lip, the bluerider reaches over and
grabs up said glass and pulls it towards her.

B'ane lost his glass somewhere along the line, so he has no objects to help
make him look cool and calm. Well, calm he can handle with no such
accessories. "Certainly," if he should be affronted at having been the
recipient of hate, he shows no external sign of it. The man-handling is also
felt, but not exactly adhered to. There's not much that gets by his tight
self-control. Most of the time anyway.

Wyn simply gives Sein an enigmatic little smile over her shoulder. Wyn's
rather good at those. "Ah, but my dear silly Sein... how will you know if I
do or not?" she queries archly. "Unlike N'sync, /I/ don't kiss and tell.
Or... anything else and tell." And then, shrugging out of her leather jacket
with the Mudslide badge, she takes D'ean firmly by the hand. "Best not to
knock it, pet, until you've tried it. Come, let's get moving before I have
to get you drunk to do so, hmm?" Oh, D'ean's dancing. Wyn's just called
him 'pet'. Dancing is now inevitable.

Hate? Nonono. This is not /hate/. Right now, it's just extreme distrust that's
flowing from the Tsunami wingleader in waves. Violent waves. Tsunami-like
waves. Tatia's eyes flash upward at B'ane, and she shifts from tugging to
pulling him into a position that might actually seem legitimate on the dance
floor, one hand in his and the other on his shoulder. "Now," she begins,
smiling sweetly. "Tell me. How do you know Sein?" Her eyes flicker over his
shoulder toward the Tsunami grouping, and then move back to B'ane.

Zai finishes the rest of her drink, and sets the glass on the table. As Wyn
leads D'ean off, she turns large eyes on Auri. "Wanna dance with me?" Auri
and Zai. Tsunamis. AWLMs. Clutchmates. They're like, the same person. Except
Zai's not wearing pink or squealing like a small girl. "Everyone else is
dancing. Let's dance." Please?

D'ean is dragged onto the dancing floor along behind Wyn, "err, Okay. Sure,
I'd love to dance." A little late to agree with the woman, but still he'll
give her the satisfaction of him approving. The 'pet' term though is now
thoroughly etched into his mind. "Nownow, lets not get me drunk. I wouldn't
want to impair my judgement and start hitting on you." He winks with a
chuckle toward the bluelet

Auri looks around the Tsunami table and notes that her wingmates have indeed
abandoned her for the dancefloor. "Of course I'll dance with you, Zai," she
announces cheerfully, and springs to her feet, almost tripping over her
Tsunami scarf. She steadies herself against the table, however, and manages
to keep her balance. "Phew," she exhales, turning around to face Zai. "That
was close." As she turns, her elbow hits a full glass of wine that was on the
table and knocks it over, sending a tsunami of red liquid flowing over the
tabletop.

B'ane at least knows enough about the situation to put his free hand to the
small of his dancing partner's back. It will not go further south, have no
fear. "I first met her when there was a porcine-ball game right here at
Reaches. She was on my team, that is. I've only talked with her once since
then, but I'll wish even a perfect stranger well." Cutting moves around the
designated floor, he is at least a very good actor when it comes to
choreography.

Zai gets to her feet with a wobble, removing her own Tsunami scarf to drop it
on the table. Her blue-and-white patterned Tsunami jacket is also shrugged
off, and she brushes her hands off. "Right," she announces. "Ready." She
refuses to be the only Tsunami sitting at the table alone. "Let's go." She
stalks off toward the dance floor, somewhat unsteadily, glancing behind her
to ensure that her clutchmate, Tsunami-mate and AWLM-mate is following.

Wyn would count it a victory with or without D'ean's approval of his
kidnapping, but she'll take approval if she can get it. A few words are
exchanged with the Harpers regarding setting the tempo of the music at a good
clip before she insinuates herself next to the greener with a hand resting on
his bare shoulder in approved dancing style. "Tsk, I'm not sure whether I
should be charmed by your gentlemantly restraint, or offended that you'd only
find me attractive enough to hit on while you're drunk." she teases,
expression completely solemn but for that continuing fey twinkle in the
depths of cool grey eyes.

The Tsunami wingleader doesn't look convinced. Her grip on B'ane's hand
remains tight - quite a bit of strength for such a little thing, isn't it? -
and her gaze is steady and destructive. As a tsunami. "Congratulate, yes,"
she replies tightly. "But come all the way north just to see her? I don't
think so." She glances toward the dancing pair of Tsunamis, complete with
Tsunami scarf - though at least Zai's shed her Tsunami scarf and Tsunami
jacket. A quick roll of her eyes sends her back to B'ane. "So. What is she to
you?"

D'ean shivers at the touch, "Brr, its getting a tad chilly isn't it?" He
smirks at the blue-er and just chuckles, "Oh boy, I'm not a very good drunk
thats for sure. Which is why I don't drink much. Anyway, I'm not as outgoing
as to flirt with anyone if I'm not completely incapacitated." His face
brightens up, "So lets just consider you charmed by my gentlemanly restraint."

Sein watches dryly as the wave of red wine floods over the tabletop, Sein
herself luckily out of the way of the spilled liquid. "What a waste of a good
glass of wine..." she murmurs, refilling her own after downing the last sip.
"Mmm..." The young former Starry smiles fondly into the depths of her
twinkling glass, "I've missed my wine. I should have a crate of Tillek
brought up to the weyr. Mhm. That's what I should do... later." And she hides
in her glass once more. Wee!

Auri scoots back, barely averting the tsunami of wine. She looks down and
checks that neither her Tsunami shirt or her Tsunami badge are stained with
any wine, then quickly scampers after Zai to the dance floor. "Wait for me!"
She's considerably less drunk, but probably twice as hyper. "Look," she
whispers when she's caught up to her wingmate. "It's like, half Tsunamis on
the dance floor." She indicates the large crowd of people moving up and down
to the beat of the music like the energetic ebb and flow of a tsunami. "We
Tsunamis sure know how to dance!" Her eyes, blue and white like Tsunami
colors, sparkle enthusiastically.

Zai grabs Auri's hand as she reaches the dance floor. "I dunno how to dance,
really," she announces brightly. "Do you?" She peers at her wingmate with a
beam, then glances around. "I dunno about half. There are only... four
Tsunamis here." She shrugs this off, and peers after the other dancing pairs
trying to mimic their steps. "Who's gonna lead," she turns back to Auri. "You
or me?"

B'ane trades strength for strength, dark eyes meeting the Wingleader's
solidly. "I also decided that this also would be a good time to visit my
former home, for it's not everyday I get a chance to rekindle my affiliation
with High Reaches, even though I'm no longer residing here. I'm happy to say
that Sein is a friend of mine, a good one I dare say, but its little more
than that." He then decides to try to cut under the protective facade with a
tilt of his head. "Is she a relation of yours?"

Wyn laughs, a light sound, but one not generally heard from the bluerider, who
smiles but rarely grins. "A very nice dodge, my dear greenrider," she
pronounces, keeping the skin-contact light as she sways a few individual
dance steps while the Harpers tune up and argue over what piece to lead with.
"You missed both stammering /and/ being forced into a compliment. Hmmm...
must be the extra two turns of experience you have on me, perchance?"

D'ean chuckles, "You could consider it that, but I don't think that Seacliffs
really dealt too much in the 'avoiding a woman's deathly gaze' department." A
sway here and there the greenling goes before shrugging, "Just learn how to
stay alive best and stay on people's good side."

Rubbing her forhead, Tye lifts herself off her chair. "I'm going to my weyr.."
She grumbles. "If anyone needs me.. I'll be passed out." The bluerider
shuffles towards the door, though turns and gives a quick wave to Vaeli and
the other weyrlings. "Err.. congrats and all." Tye gives a weak smile and
trots out of the Caverns.

The Harpers, imports from Fort Hold both, are indeed arguing. Namely because
the journeyman, a tall, lanky fellow by the name of Adrois that must've been
good friends with N'sync while he was there, is too busy eyeing a winking
weyrgirl, and keeps muffing his chords. The journeywoman he's with finally
gets his attention by whapping him about the side of the head with a
rolled-up musical score, and the two get to work, fiddle and flute combining
in a sprightly 3/4 tune.

Auri winks at Zai playfully. "Don't worry, I know how to dance. Here, just
copy me." The small greenrider tucks her hands beneath her armpits, flapping
her arms and bobbing her head like a wherry. "See? Isn't this fun? We can
both lead this way!" Flapflap. Bobbob. And Auri goes wherry-stepping in
circles around Zai and across the dance floor.

Vaeli massages her pulsing temples and decides to follow Tye's example and get
some rest. "I need to get out of these clothes. And I need rest. Send a
firelizard if an emergency happens." And with that, she finishes her drink,
which is water, and grabs her clothes. No need to put them back on. She has
the basics. Slowly, she drags her feet towards the door to find her dragon.
Maybe that golden bulk will help her find her weyr.

Tatia rolls her eyes, and as his grip matches hers, she backs off a bit. After
all. When it comes down to it, the Tsunami really isn't a match for 'riders
bigger than her. "Oh, come off it," she mutters in irritation. "Rekindle your
affection with High Reaches? A little more than that? I /asked/ you a simple
question," she points out. "A simple, less vague and frightened answer,
shouldn't be that hard, you know." She frowns, and glances toward the
weyrling greenrider in question. "Sein? No. Let's just say that I've known
her for many more Turns than you have, boy." Condenscending? Nah.

Zai stares blankly at Auri. "Auri, my dear, I am /not/ drunk enough to trot
around like a wherry with my head cut off and call it dancing." She scowls at
the other Tsunami. "Can't you be semi-normal? Just once?" She waves at the
harpers. "And they're playing such a nice song, too. Now come dance!" She
reaches out and attempts to grab one of Auri's flapping hands again.

Sein bursts into laughter in the corner of the room with her wine for company
as Auri's wherry dance becomes the most attractive thing on the dance floor.
"Woo! Auri! You're completely /amazing/!" she roars, heaving into a fit of
laughter. At Zai's actions, Sei just falls into more red-faced laughter,
uncontrollably giggling angelically. She manages a finger-waggle to Orbit
while wiping tears from her eyes and trying to relax before her cheeks start
stinging.

Wyn, being almost a half-foot shorter than D'ean, can't see over his shoulders
to watch the exodus of the inebriated, but she can hear them shuffling off,
and is getting a running commentary from Vorkoroth as she stands poised to
let the music settle into it's groove and let D'ean lead. "A good attitude
to have about life," the Mudslide rider agrees. "Certainly more productive
than drinking yourself ill, at least... Dear Faranth, there goes the last of
them."

Orbit returns finger wiggle, eyebrow quirking as she wanders into a room that
appears to be filled with... drunken riders? With a shrug, she flops into a
chair near the action, snagging a glass of wine from somewhere, someone, who
knows.

D'ean chuckles toward Wyn, moving his broad shoulders out of the way to allow
Wyn to view Sein, "Well there seems to be one left. But Sein looks like she's
having a grand time laughing at Auri." The greenrider leads around Wyn across
the dance floor. "Tonight seems to have gone on pretty slow so far." He got a
new knot and he's just sitting here dancing around. For Orbit's information,
he's not drunk, so its all good.

B'ane slows the steps to a mere shuffle and squints, not exactly sure how to
perceive this matter. "I don't know what kind of males call this place home,
or maybe it's just the motives that everyone seems to think accompany
bronzeriders. You'll see I'm not the poster-child for that stereotype. The
point is, we are friends. Period. I don't whisk away girls to my weyr for
added flavor nor are my intentions to befriend females to get them to my bed.
I can't govern what goes on in your mind, so if you don't believe me then
that's your prerogative." His pitch remains level and subdued.

Auri throws her arms over head and waves her hands and fingers in a sort of
twitchy fashion as her body swings from side to side. Hah. Let Zai try to
grab one of those hands. "Come on, Zai. Let's have fun!" She looks behind her
and grins at Sein's laughter, which she takes as encouragement, then shakes
her rump in a circular motion with the beat of the song.

Zai places on hand on her hip, glaring at Sein. "What're you laughing at?
We're just dancing!" Zai huffs softly, and continues to tug Auri into a real
dance. "C'mon. Dance normal." She waves a hand at Tatia and B'ane. "Like
them!" Zai's wine-fuzzed mind misses both the exit of the the drunken Sr.
Weyrlings and the entrance of Orbit. Giving up, Zai throws her hands in the
air. "Fine! At least we'll entertain Sein." At that, Zai throws her dignity
to the wind and joins in Auri's dance -- perhaps a little less
enthusiastically than the other Tsunami, however.

Tatia laughs, the sound both amused and condenscending as she looks up at
B'ane. "Down, boy," she cautions with raised brows. "I'm not accusing you of
anything. And I'm not worried about you dragging her away. It's more
viceversa that has me concerned." She scans him studiously, without any sign
of leniance. "You don't impress me as a terribly rational fellow. Or terribly
fun, for that matter. Which makes me think Sein must see only one thing in
you."

Sein tries to stiffle her laughter for Zai's sake but at Auri's butt-wiggle,
the young'n can't help but collapse into her palms in uncontrollable
laughter, her cheeks bright red, her eyes tearing up and her ribs sore. She
rises to her feet after recovering, downs her nearly-full glass of wine and
shimmies across the room to join Auri and Zai. "Mind if I join in?" she
wonders, still trying her best not to burst into any further laughing fits.

Zai grooves along side Auri, now thoroughly enjoying her loss of self-respect.
"Go ahead," she beams toward Sein, while she waggles her booty in time with
the music. "Its all in the butt," she advises sagely, as she demonstrates.
The brownrider reaches out to grab Auri's hand in an attempt twirl the
greenrider. "Dance, Auri!"

"Ah, so there is," Wyn agrees, upon spotting Sein, spinning herself under and
out from under D'ean's arm at a suitable spot in the music. "Sein, however,
isn't going to get blind drunk tonight, so she doesn't count." Sein doesn't
have a choice in this matter, with Wyn guarding her alchohol intake, and
Tatia apparently guarding her virtue. The entering Orbit gets a nod over the
greenriding weyrling's shoulder from the perfectly-sober bluerider as Wyn
again slips back into classic form for a waltz-tempo and continues to chat,
swaying smoothly. "That it has... my own graduation was a bit livelier... Of
course, we could all hold our liquor a little better, since, on average, we
were older than this clutch."

Auri claps her hands in joy as Zai joins in her dancing. She turns, blonde
locks swinging, to nod vigorously at Sein. "Oh, please do join! This is
/such/ fun!" She continues alternating the wherry dance and the arm waving,
skipping from one foot to the other as she improvises crazy dance moves.
"Come on," she whispers to Zai. "Tatia looks bored. We'll go dance by her."
That said, Auri scoots right up next to where Tat and B'ane are dancing and
starts shaking her rump at them.

Orbit simply quirks an eyebrow at all the rump shaking going on, hiding her
laughter behind goblet of.. someone's wine. Greenrider nods to Wyn in
greeting, foot tapping in time to the music as she takes in the view of
drunken dancing greenriders.

Zai trails along behind Auri, giggling happily as she wherry-flaps her way up
to her Wingleader and the stiff-looking visitor. "Dance!" she shouts happily,
wiggling her rump and flapping her arms.

D'ean smirks toward Sein and then toward the wildly dancing Tsunamis. "Well,
I'm glad I don't have to dance like that." He chuckles a moment. "Well, it
just seems that I am the oldest of the clutch. And the most experienced to
alchohol for that matter. Obvious from today. I'm spoiled cause I was a
Journeyman."

Well that's little more than a slap in the face, but she's right. With a
clenched sigh B'ane stops dancing. "To most people, you're probably right. In
many terms I can be dull, but the social butterfly syndrome was a
characteristic of my youth, not now." He'd be crushed if someone were really
using him. "Sein deserves friends who will make her happy and I don't think
she'll find that with me." Well, at least he's honest.. Or maybe like Tatia
suggested, there's an alterior motive. Auri is looked at, the lively riders
of Reaches living up to their name.

Sein isn't drunk but she does begin shaking her booty as told.
Shakeshakeshake... dun da da da dun ... shakeshakeshake. She butt-shimmies
her way along with Auri through the crowd, pausing at D'ean to brandish a
finger at him. "Hey! I've had experience with alcohol too!" She giggles and
winks to the two dancing riders, waving as she butt-sashays and grooves her
way to Tatia and B'ane. Butt-shake. "We're here to liven up your --" Sein
laughs and raises an eyebrow at B'ane. "Come on, B'ane, why are you
stopping?" She diverts her attention from B'ane to Tatia and back again. "Am
I missing something? Aren't we supposed to be butt-shakin'?" Like
wherry-brained... or butted Auri.

Tatia firmly ignores her Tsunami wingmates. "And so you're here.. why?" she
questions bluntly. Never one for tact, has Tat been. "Come on. It's not
difficult, dear. If you don't think you'll make Sein a good friend, then why
on Pern did you drag your hide up into the snow?" She shifts her gaze toward
the butt-shaking Sein, and raises pointed brows. "We're dancing. Go away."
And again with the bluntness.

Zai bobs her head happily at Sein. "We're supposed to be butt-shakin'!" The
brownrider does so, closing her eyes as she momentarily loses herself to the
music and swings herself around, arms still flapping and rump shimmying. She
twirls herself around happily, already having forgotten her purpose in moving
toward Tatia and B'ane. Groove, man, groove.

"We could up the pace a little if you're bored," notes Wyn with a little
smile as she turns her head to take in the mass of booty-shaking that is
Tsunami on the Dance Floor. "Although admittedly I lack the requisite amount
of backside for some of those moves..." She spins again and dips a curtsey,
the movement mildly odd since she's in her dress leathers' trousers. "And
there's a lot to be said for experience, my dear former Journeyman. In many
areas."

Swagger, shuffle, scoot... Pendren is here. The resident looks rather stricken
upon reviewing what he sees... Tsunami... Dancing... Wha? Dren perks as she
sidles along the side of the caverns, looking mildly out of place. Err--
chacha? A leg flails in a lame attempt to fit in.

B'ane shifts his weight slowly onto his opposite foot. "Let's just say you
have an interesting way of putting things into perspective." He says. "If I
can't have a good time then I can sit back and watch other people." There.
Living vicariously through others has its perks. You can get your feet wet
without having to, well, get your feet wet. "Let's just say I wanted a change
of scenery." Oo, sarcasm. Very nice.

Tsunami is indeed dancing. As only Tsunami knows how. Along side Auri, Zai
grooves to the beat, shaking her rump in time to the music and flapping her
arms in a decidedly wherry-like manner. By the enthusiasm with which Zai is
applying herself to the dance it must be enjoyable. How the dancers /look/
however, is another question. One the tipsy Zai doesn't perticularly seem to
care about.

Sein has now completely stopped her butt-grooving and wiggling to stare with
one brow wrinkled, the other raised at Tatia. "Now I'm really confused...
What's all this talk about?" She turns her innocently lost gaze upon B'ane.
"B'ane? I'm lost. Where's the booty-shakin'? Where's the smiles? Where's the
fun? Or atleast an all-out brawl would be nice?" As an example, Sein wiggles
her rump.

From out of nowhere, a certain Assistant Weyrlingmaster and her Istan
dragonhealer friend appeared. That's right - the presence of Pae and Trik was
made as one and the brownrider found herself giggling and leaning on the
bluer. Already a little tipsy perhaps, Pae? "Mmm, Trikie, there are
looooootsa people here." Aren't there now. "Fun graduation, indeed!" A little
finger-waggle goes to the Avalanche wingriders in general, wherever they
might be placed.

Zana sneaks stealthily into the room. She has indeed been celebrating as well
but she is not drunk enough to not realize everything that she is doing. Now,
what would be the enjoyment in that. She saunters into the room looking for a
place to sit, eyeing each table and the other people that are milling about
the room. Now one of course has quite enticed her to come out of her quiet
shell yet today.

D'ean hmms as he looks at Wyn, "Well, I'm just getting tired of this place.
Kinda gets boring for staying in the caverns too long." He yawns a moment as
he looks around, "And it looks like this place might be getting a little too
wild for me."

Very nice. Also, doesn't go over well with Tatia, who uses enough of it to see
straight through it. She'd add more to the pointed conversation, but Sein is
rather inconviently hovering nearby. "If you want a brawl, I can provide
one," Tatia points out, balling the fist on B'ane's shoulder to make her
point. Hey. She's working, here. There's no time for fun.

T'am makes a low-key enterance, staying to the side of the dancers, though his
eyes roam the crowd. "Tsunamis" he mutters, pushing past a couple of
inebriated riders on hiw way to the refreshment tables. He's quite in control
of himself still, having only had a few glasses of wine. Which is, perhaps,
why the first thing he picks up is a skin of something the burns going down.
"Hoo!" Searching for a seat now, he finds himself quite near Zana. "'ello,
Weyrling. Enjoying yourself?"

Orbit hops to her feet, setting glass aside and swaying out onto dance floor
to do a little rear wiggling of her own. It's a party and greenrider has had
enough wine to be pleasently oblivious. Grabbing a partner, she does a
little shimmy over to former candidate friend, "Zai." Beam.

Pendren saunters towards the Tatster, taking his time in getting there as he's
caught up in the rather boistrous merry making and before he can reach his
target he's swept up in some booty shaking and a little exitable flailing.
Ahem. Finaly managing a daring escape from the tortures of a good time, the
boy plucks up a stray glass of wine with an impish grin before scoot next to
Tatia. "Brawling? Tatia, darling, please don't brawl, I might get hurt." And
no one wants that.

A rather unexpected serious of hiccups exits the mouth of Trik; Jovial is the
mood pertaning to her mental and emotional state. An arm is swung casualy
around the shoulderse of her brownrider, and obviously, this claim over here
is hers. Both eyes seem drifitng towards the ground, occasionaly dipping up
and giving a glance around with a stumble here and a trip there. Clumsy? But
of course! It seems the blue rider can't hold things under her...belt.
"People. I like people, Y'know? I'm friendly!" Friendly as a proddy gold,
that is. -- Brawling? Pendren is spotted and flickered a sheepish hand wave.
Ehee.

B'ane watches the punch hit home, but he folds his arms and makes for the
sidelines. "Ah yes, there's that northern charm I've been longing for." And
now he goes on to hunt for his glass that was abandonned earlier in the
night. He just settles with one that's closest to him, his mood having
dropped with the temperature. But he's too proud to leave and hopes that his
standoffish aura will further keep people at bay.

Zana turns her head towards T'am with a smile "I've just arrived sir..
therefore I don't know." she winks and figures she might as well stand there.
Her eyes flit around the crowd watching as the drunk folk become more wild by
the minute. She refuses to join in to the general wild brawl. For her, quiet
is the way or wild in a small group. Well, unless she becomes perfectly
plastered but she has no intentions of doing so.

"It /does/ look like Tatia's going to give someone or something a bloody nose,
before the night is out" Wyn agrees, her fingers tightening once on D'ean's
shirtless shoulder before releasing and trailing lightly against his chest
before she drops her hand to her side, looking up at the greenrider
consideringly. "Care to find some place a little less busy?" she inquires,
the purr to the words quite well hidden. Leading D'ean lightly off the
floor, she passes T'am and Zana, and gives the two a nod.

"Zana!" Zai manages to see the new Sr. Weyrling's entrance. "Zana! Come dance!
It's easy, honest!" Zai spins around to demonstrate. Getting caught up in the
music agian, she forgets to follow up on her invitation to the bluerider.
Instead, she jumps as someone calls her name. "Oh! Hi!" She beams at Orbit.
"Graduation is such fun," she chirps far too brightly for the brownrider to
be in her normal state of mind. "Speaking of graduation," she turns back to
Zana, memory jogged. "Are you coming?" Any drama involvin her illustrious
wingleader is completely missed.

D'ean looks completely innocent, mostly because he is. Following Wyn slowly
behind. "Oh sure, a quieter place would be wonderful." There he goes again,
giving Wyn permission a little belatedly.

T'am grins and offers Zana his skin of...well, he really doesn't know what's
in it. "Have a drink? It's not half bad. A bit rough going down, though..."
The warning trails off as Wyn and D'ean pass. Oh that poor, young, innocent
greenrider. With a small where-was-I? shake of the head, he turns back to
Zana, and immediately finds himself trying to counter Zai's invitation for
the bluerider to dance. "No, no, no! Stay here with me!" Pleeease? Can she
say no to those eyes when he makes them all wide like that? He needs company
and Zana should remember what happened the last time he danced. He nearly
crushed a few sets of toes and knocked a brownrider over.

Sein watches her Istan visitor walk to the sidelines, shooting Tatia a hurt
glare before heading off in the direction of her abandoned wine glass, noting
Wyn's wandering fingertips and managing a wry smile. "Wyn, Wyn, my little
darling, out to corrupt a poor boy before the night's end..." she murmurs
with that touch of elvish amusement that so often touches the young
weyrling's tone. She picks out her wine glass, finding it empty, and hunts
down a mug for klah, then searching B'ane out once more. Her first search
produces a drunken Healer apprentice, her second produces T'am and Zana.
"T'am, come on now, lad, let the girl dance, hmm? Every lady's entitled to
have a bit of fun."

Tsk. You'd think Wyn's name was Mrs. Robinson or something. They might just
be going to go play chess!

Zana hmms and looks out towards the dance floor giving a little wink at Zai
"No, no darling.. I think I'll stay here and get a few more drinks first. I'm
not quite to that point to embarrass myself." she laughs lightly and accepts
the skin full of the drink and lifts it taking a quick drink. Her face
constricts up as it goes down, roughly as he had said "Not bad though, I must
admit." And no, those eyes are just adorable. Hard to resist.

Zai pauses her flounde -- er, dancing, and wanders toward Zana and T'am. "I'm
not embarrassing myself. Just dancing. It was fun." She yawns, and as she
does so, tips to the side a little. She manages to catch herself just before
she goes tumbling to the ground. "Whoops!" She giggles happily. "I think I
had a little too much wine," she confides in the pair.

Tatia isn't particularly worried about Sein's hurt look. Instead, she's
contemplating the retreating Istan bronzerider with an amused, somewhat
thoughtful expression. Well. You can be sure she'll be keeping her eye on him
for a bit. She spins, B'ane and Sein evidently dismissed that easily, and
offers a sardonic smile to Pendren. "Well, in that case, dear, I'll be sure
not to throw any punches your way."

"Trik!" Is chirped by a soon-to-be enebriated Pendren. "Trik, Trik, Triiiik."
Babble. Beam. Tatia gets a companionable pat on the shoulder. Yes, Pendren is
actualy touching Tatia. Faranth save the boy if she takes offense. Of course,
with his glass of wine already demolished he has to hunt for another and
quickly darts from the volitile greenriders side, for the more relaxed aura
of a certain Istan Bluerider. Scamper.

T'am graces Zana with his most sincere smile. "Sein-bunny, glad to see you
enjoying yourself." Or at least she certainly appears to be having a nice
time. He saw her shaking her thing out on the dance floor. He nearly reaches
out a hand to stay Zana, just in case she changes her mind. "You heard her,
more drinks. Drink?" The skin is now offered to Sein, because we all share
germs here.

Zana reaches out and takes the hand looking at T'am as she says softly "Are
you afraid I might leave you by yourself?" she questions with a grin. Wow,
she feels special. Someone wants to spend time with her. Her head does turn
back to the dancing though "In a bit.. I may come out.." she nods to Zai and
all that are dancing with a giggle.

With a second tumble, Zai decides it's time for bed. "Oof. I should sleep,"
she announces. "Tatia!" She turns around to search out her Wingleader.
"Tatia. I'm leaving. Bed." With a cheery finger-waggle, she makes for the
door and the designated driver that is Puizuth. "G'night!"

Her brownrider! No! Pae has left her alone with the other..High Reachians,
leaving her to sidle Pendrens way, making him her new arm sling. Up and oever
comes her arm to wrap around the shoulders of the boy, leaning into him,
"Drreeen. Aw, 'Dren. How're you, sweetstick?" Oh, isnt that cute? She isn't
actually shoving him down a hill or kicking sand is his face this time. It's
a touching moment, as Trik offers over her glass of Red to Pendren, "Y'wan
some, y'know? It'll make ya' feel better." A peculiar eye scans over the area
around her, wiggling a finger, "And Ajala is not to be found!" Take it as
good or bad.