Drunken Shenanigans

Even now, Echlerov didn't feel as if he knew the other candidates as well as he should, and that bohtered the young vinter. He was supposed to know everyone, and that was why he had organized things so that they could all get together outside of classes. And the alcohol was to help everyone be relaxed enough to just be themselves.

He had laid claim to one of the study rooms, figuring that it would be best if they did this slightly out of the way. They were there for the candidates to use, and as long as he cleaned up afterwards, he didn't think there would be a problem.

Hopefully.

He had taken the liberty of rearrange the room a bit, to make it mroe comfortable for mingling. Two of the tables were pushed against the side wall, the one, filled with bottles of wine, cider, and other liquors, and the other with snacks that he had managed to get from the kitchen. It was amazing what a little bit of bribery coudl get you, and while the fare wasn't anything amazing, just fruit, and meat rolls, plus a tray of sweetrolls. Those had been the sruprise, but he had made a fair enough trade. Of course, there was plain fruit juice and klah for those who weren't going to drink, and overall, Echlerov felt that he gotten plenty of things for this little gathering.

Of course, now was the fun part, waiting for people to show up, and praying that there wouldn't be any drama.

If there was wine involved, it was no surprise that Erisi was going to show up. He had the pleasure of not planning this little get-together out, and while normally he avoided his classmates like they had caught a plague, the offer of wine was too much for him to pass up. If things began to grate on his nerves, he could always leave, and would have no problem with leaving. Sure, it may cause a scene, but that was something that he was used to by now. Erisi seemed incapable of transitioning into the Katilan lifestyle without causing some sort of disruption. It wasn't that big of a problem until he started getting punished for it.

It was highly likely that Erisi was showing up at this get-together merely to look good in everyone else's eyes after his recent misbehavior. It was more plausible that he was still just showing up for the wine. Despite all the benefits to arriving to this party... he refused to do it alone. He had brought company with him in the form of a reluctant Healer, whom Erisi believed had been sheltered from the moment he was born until he came to Katila. He knew how Talian dealt with wine (poorly), and it wasn't his intention to get his companion drunk.

However, it was his intention to get Talian to live a little, and to have someone to enjoy the festivities with. Erisi led the way into the study, trusting that Talian was following him. He doubted the Healer would ditch him now after all the effort Erisi had gone through to convince him (a few kisses had done the job just fine - it was a miracle what they could accomplish on someone who was so unused to them). "Echlerov!" he greeted. He knew his fellow Candidate from a few occasions, though still not all that well. He could recall most of the other Candidates by name, but little more than that.

He just couldn't be bothered to care about most of them, especially the ones who were enjoying their time here. Echlerov had at least seemed sympathetic to Erisi's plight.

Talian was less than enthusiastic. He'd followed Erisi partially out of loyalty but also partially out of habit, dragging himself along with neat poise and emotionless efficiency. He was dressed neatly but not flashily. A brown collared shirt and some sturdy leather pants were perfectly functional for his profession, and he'd come almost directly from the healing hall to attend this little meeting with Erisi. His white headband hung loosely around his neck and his sleeves were still rolled up, one of them bearing just the slightest impression of dried blood that hadn't quite washed out. There was a reason the boy liked brown.

Most strikingly, he was actually wearing his Master's knots. He'd thought long and hard about his conversation with Valerian and finally decided there was no reason to fear his own skills. He wasn't willing to wear them all over the weyr, so this was something of a test run.

"Eri," he said as they approached the lecture hall where the party was taking place, "I hope you're right about this. I'm trusting you." Erisi had insisted it would be fun, and Tal was tired of being tightly-wound. Perhaps this wasn't too bad of an idea. The young healer had taken a cup of klah and some herbal remedies for depression a couple hours before (though in a much lower concentration than last time!) and was feeling good, but it was an artificial sort of happiness. He wasn't sure if his brain could actually tell the difference or not, but his academic side knew well that his mood would deflate once his medication wore off. Was that a reason not to enjoy himself? Not really, but it still felt spectacularly fake.

It wasn't like last time, though. He wasn't twitching and his mind wasn't racing. He just felt...good. He still felt himself, even. As they finally neared the door, Talian inhaled in anticipation and put on a mellow smile.

Shards.

"Hello, Echlerov," he said as he stepped inside, tilting his head to Echlorov. He didn't know the other candidate, but he'd seen him in class - and even knew his name. Being observant and having a strong memory had their perks. "Thank you for the invitation."

He scanned the room quickly. He hadn't decided if he wanted to drink or not, though he imagined he probably shouldn't.

Alcohol. That was all Volfetti had heard along with the time and place and she had been sold. After toting the dragonspawn around for nine months she was hanging out for a damn drink. While not a ferocious drinker, she need to unwind for Faranth's sake! She still had a fair amount of baby weight on her frame, and had been advised to go light on alcohol if she wanted to breast feed her son, but she had dismissed these suggestions with a wave of a hand. The purpose of the gathering, to mingle with other Candidates, Volfetti was less interested in, but if it was the easiest way to get into some alcohol and not be chastised, she was going.

Along the way to the study room Echlerov had acquired she spotted Erisi and Talian. Erisi she recognised and remembered as being quite whingey and spoilt about the whole situation at Katila, since her little outburst the day of the clutching at him she hadn't gone out of her way to associate with him. Talian however she knew a little better, he had brought her herbal tea not so long ago when she had found herself sobbing in the hallway at some ungodly hour of the night. He was nice and polite, they had a budding friendship it appeared.

Talian's hesitancy was fairly easy to see, to which she shook her head. Picking up her pace she spoke loudly to alert him to her presence, placing her hands on his back after the first few words. "Come on Talian! A little party isn't going to bite you, relax! You should loosen up. What takes your fancy? Red, white? A cider or liquor perhaps?" She offered, leaning around him and flashing a grin. Well, giving birth had certainly brought back her dazzling smile. Benden was nowhere to be seen, though whether he was simply asleep in her room or handed off to a willing person for the night was unknown. The latter was more likely of course, with her clear care for the child, despite his origins.

Glancing around she gave Erisi a nod and a smile, not a sour one but it had nothing on the grin Talian had received. Spotting Echlerov she waved, approaching the table full of alcohol. "Hey Ech, how's things? This is a nice little set up you've got going. Is some of this your own brew?" She asked, looking over the range of alcohol that was set up and waiting to be consumed. The night was still young, and even with her burning desire to hoe in, she decided that a white wine would be a nice, civilised way to start the night. Pouring herself a glass she turned back to face the room, taking a slow and long sip. Ah… it had been so long. So sweet, and light! No other drink was like a good wine.

All spruced up, Jek had thought about wearing his best gather shirt but had decided that that might be too smart, given that the other candidates were well aware of his usual scruffy clothing. He did find a fresh shirt, one that had been on a hangar rather than crumpled in the bottom of his cupboard, and had brushed his hair and re-tied it with a fresh cord. Luckily, his beard didn't grow in quick enough to need daily care and he'd shaved yesterday so the stubble wasn't too long.

Jereken had seen Volfetti, Erisi and Talian entering the room, but had been a bit too far behind to catch up without running and seeming a bit too eager. At home, he would have called out but he was still a little nervous of Erisi's sharp tongue, the young man seemed like the type who would choose his own friends.

At least they meant that he wouldn't be the first one there, so the conversation might have a chance to get started before he went in. In fact, that was quite a good plan. Maybe if he waited just outside the door, he could see how the evening was going and not be the extra person who intrudes on a group of friends. Thinking this through a bit more, it might be awkward if they happened to turn around and see him lurking in the doorway. Moving a bit further out into the corridor, he stepped in close to lean on the wall and listen, not obviously visible from inside the room but not thinking at all about what it might look like to any other candidates joining the group.

The day of the party, Lymsleia had been enthusiastic. Maybe this was the time she could patch up things. Escherlov had actually reached out to her. Stepped into the small out of the way room, Lym frowned it wasn't big but the spread was impressive.  Lymsleia dressed simply, a carefully chosen, pale red shirt, and pair of brown pants. "Escherlov!" She called out gingerly.  She waved to the vinter with a smile.  Talian,Volfetti, Erisi--- ugh he was here. That was a great way to kill the mood.

She  reached into her pocket and tied back her hair with a bit of ribbon. She noticed someone she couldn't immediately place. "Hello." she says to Jereken warmly. She offered a wave to the others, letting them mingle. The new face had her attention, though. "I'm Lymsleia." she said proudly. Her heterochromia gazed wandered along  Jereken's form as if trying to figure him out, in a single sweeping glance. "Journeywoman Healer."

People!

Talian turned his head just enough to get a good peripheral glance at Volfetti. Ah yes, he remembered her. He'd taken care of her one night. What was meant as a simple medical call turned into the poor girl sobbing. Talian had manged to restrain his own tears, but he'd done a fair bit of sympathizing. He'd tried not to spill his guts to her, but surely she knew. It was hard to have that kind of conversation with Talian and not learn exactly how he felt, thanks not to his actual words but to his body language and eyes.

"I'm not much of a drinker," he confessed to her in a light voice. He thought it funny that she of all people would suggest he loosen up, but perhaps she was just happy to be rid of the baby. He still greeted with with a smile, albeit a reserved, almost nervous one.

Behind him, he heard a familiar voice. He spun around, expecting to see Lymsleia, but instead came face to face with a boy he didn't know. He jumped. Now, he recognized Jereken from class, but that was about it. Talian was too shy to introduce himself to people out of the blue, and no occasion had arisen for him to meet this guy.  "Oh! Um, hello," he said, losing his composure for just a moment. "Nice to meet you."

Ah, there was Lym. Talian turned his eyes to her and nodded a silent greeting.

So many people already. It was making his head spin. Maybe he would be having a drink after all...

Jereken jumped, a little startled by being noticed, but the general air was welcoming so he moved into the room when Lymsleia came in. Responding to her friendly greeting, he realised that he hadn't transferred his knots to his fresh shirt. Now that he was attending candidate classes, he felt as though the rank he'd been so proud of at home was less meaningful. It made a good conversation starter though, and at least showed what had been an interest before being stolen away.

"Hello Lymsleia, I'm Jereken, journeyman farmer." He returned her gaze, staring a little at her eyes, and bobbing his head from side to side to see if it was an effect of the light or if they truly were different colours. Then, realising that this was actually quite rude, he apologised: "Um, sorry. I didn't mean to be staring, I was just, well, looking at your eyes". Maybe not the smoothest of apologies, but better than trying to pretend that he hadn't been looking.

Luckily, Talian then spoke to him, giving him an excuse to turn away from the striking journeywoman and collect his thoughts. He automatically twisted at the knot on the cord at his wrist, a sign of nerves to those who knew him. "Nice to meet you too," he said calmly, having noticed Talian's start of surprise, and moved further into the room and away from the door, although given the size of the room, it wasn't too far. "I'm Jereken. Oh, I just said that. I'm looking good now - and I haven't even had a drink yet." This wasn't a great start to the evening, but with any luck everyone else would get drunk enough to forget about it.

Talian should have learned by now not to trust Erisi. Why he continued to do so was beyond the Harper's comprehension, but he was silently thankful for their friendship. Erisi really wasn't inclined to jump into this to-be drunkfest without a good friend. Most of the Candidates he notoriously did not get along well with. Without any alcohol in him right now, there was a slight risk that he'd pick at and needle someone he didn't like. Talian was almost roped along just for his ability to keep Erisi from stirring up too much trouble. Usually, the Harper was mindful around Talian, almost respectful of the man's desires. It was the closest he came to respecting someone at Katila Weyr.

Aid in getting Talian even into the study room came in the form of a not-pregnant Candidate. What was notable about that was that she had been pregnant, and had recently popped out a kid the size of the whole sharding Weyr. She had named the baby Benden, which Erisi silently approved of. He knew the subtle insults that came with the name. Benden Weyr had been a glorious, rightful Weyr. Katila was nothing but a shadow and a mockery of what Benden once had been. "What happened to the spawn?" he asked Volfetti, only calling the baby 'spawn' because Lymsleia was nearby.

He kind of hoped she overheard him, but it seemed like she was engrossed in talking to another male Candidate. Deciding that he really would have liked her to hear that, he decided to greet her from across the room. "Ly-slime-ah! How's it going!?" Erisi had no idea that Talian actually liked Lymsleia. He'd be disappointed in his friend to find out. Talian did have some questionable tastes, and grew up in a questionable environment (at least Erisi assumed so since the man was so unused to even the idea of sex).

"Come on, Tal. I'll even go grab it for you. You don't have to drink that much, just enough to look polite. You want anything, Volfetti?" Look, he was being nice... part of the time. He still sympathized greatly with Volfetti. How he would have hated to be a girl and knocked up by some unnamed dragonrider.

Kuminari made her way lightly through the corridors, her ankle length skirts swirling with each step. Decked in a delicate, soft baby blue and hemmed with silvery lacing, Kuminari felt the outfit was suitably eye catching without being demanding of attention. Her long hair fell down her back in loose waves of red, while her arms were oddly bared by the high-cut sleeveless dress. Her skin was pearly white, betraying the extreme lack of sunshine it received, while a scattering of pale freckles were just beginning to make themselves at home across the bridge of her nose - a fact she was not at all happy about. Hazelnut eyes flashed as she stopped in the doorway, taking note of who was already present within.

She ignored a couple of inviting waves and smiles thrown her way by some of her fellows, and instead slipped into the room quietly. Making her way along the wall, Kuminari watched the gathering with interest, picking up on the bubble of conversation. With her gaze flickering to those who were taking the opportunity to get better acquainted with someone they knew of, but didn't know she quietly made her way over to the ladened tables. An eyebrow arched elegantly at some of the drinking options that were available, though whether because she was impressed or not wasn't immediately apparent. Her small, elegant hand picked up a glass, which was filled with plain redfruit juice. Taking a delicate sip, Kuminari moved quietly away from the table, her face lightly inviting with a delicate half-smile.

As with most things, Valerian was fairly neutral on the idea of attending a gathering with his classmates. He didn't particularly care to know all of them on a personal level but he did like collecting facts, especially of the embarrassing variety and when there was alcohol involved, those times always increased. He also did have a small handful of people he considered to be friends of one level or another though most of them held the possibility of needing to be dragged along. Since he didn't find Erisi or Talian on his way out, they were either in hiding or managed to find their way to the party after all and Valerian found himself hoping for the latter. Both men were interesting in their own ways and while he wasn't one to talk, they both needed to get out and interact with others a bit more.

Just like Allendris did. It was the glass-smith's own fault for putting up with him so much and then dragging Valerian along to that D'ren guy's announcement. It was only fair play to return the favour by letting the snooty man know he had a date that night involving drinks and socializing. Any and all complaints had fallen on deaf ears as Valerian waited for what felt like forever for Allendris to make himself presentable. It was a mixer with people neither of them overly liked so the amount of time spent on hair and clothes was baffling, though Valerian had also taken some time to change into a nicer set of clothing he had acquired since arriving at Katila with tan-coloured pants and a matching long sleeved shirt with one of the sleeves swapped out with one of Harper blue. He was proud of his status and loved showing it off, especially in his odd way of only various parts of clothes being highlighted.

With Allendris in tow, Valerian led them to the room that was hosting the gathering and wandered in with a casual glance around to see who had already arrived. It was an odd mixture with people he didn't care for, some he didn't know outside of a name and rank, and the ones he mingled with more regularly. "Try to play nice now, Allendris. I won't be so one of us has to." Smirking he started to head towards Talian as the knots on his shoulder had immediately caught his eye on that sweeping intake of the room.

He came up beside the healer and as way of greeting, ran his fingers over the knots and simply whispered, "they look good on you." He didn't wait for a response since the man was already surrounded by a group that seemed interested in taking up his time so a rare friendly smile was given to Talian before Valerian grabbed a glass of cider and ended up beside Kuminari.

"Bets on who will get drunk first?"

"Well," Talian said, lacing his fingers together in a subtle gesture of anxiety, "I suppose I could have a little something. You don't have to worry about it." He whispered these words over one shoulder and he nodded a greeting to Jereken. So much was happening at once!

"Talian," he said. "Master Healer." It was one of the few times he'd ever introduced himself in such a way. He paused and chewed on his tongue for a moment, trying to decide if he liked the feel of the words. Bragging contradicted his nature, and even mentioning his rank felt like exactly that. The only place were it had any practical application was back at home, and we was never going home again.

"I saw you in class," Talian said. "I believe this is the first time we've met, though." Talian cleaned up well and wasn't so bad with small talk once he had taken something to take the edge off. He looked more cheerful than usual. Inside, he was vaguely aware of his usual misgivings, all dancing around on the peripherals of his subconscious. Jereken seemed like a nice enough fellow, though. The way he'd lurked nervously outside the door reminded Talian of himself in a way.

"I think I'm going to get a drink," Tal announced, both to his escort Erisi and his new acquaintance, Jereken. He left his comment open-ended, welcoming either, both or neither of them to accompany him. He turned away just in time to hear Erisi's jab at Lym, which stopped him short. He turned around inquiringly, a bit disappointed to her Erisi jeering at someone else he was fond of.  "Eri!" Tal said pointedly, raising a brow at the harper, though he didn't expect Erisi would change his behavior. "Come on now."

Before he could say anything else, another familiar voice reached him. The healer spun around to see Valerian, whose comment caused a faint blush to stir in Tal's cheeks. "Thank you," he said, accepting the compliment with a smile. He still wasn't sure how he'd drawn such kindness out of people like Erisi and Valerian, but he was thankful for it. He made a passing nod to Allendris as well, who continued to intimidate him just a bit. The healer assumed a timid posture and brushed past them to fetch a drink for himself.

Hmm. What did he want?

Valerian's remark earned the harper little more than a cool look from the tall man who walked begrudgingly beside him, for Allendris didn't see fit to grace such an unnecessary warning with a reply. They he supposed he could have thanked his companion for the warning to stay as far away from him as possible at this party, as the glass-smith did not feel too keen on the idea of getting himself entangled in whatever drama the smart-mouthed young man was so eager to kick up with his usual acerbic commentary. Actually, to be quite honest he hadn't wanted to get entangled in the party at all, as it seemed to him that nothing good could possibly come of mixing such a crowd with alcohol. Faranth only knew what nature of unrestrained debauchery would unfold here tonight.

Yet Valerian had insisted he go, citing revenge or something of that sort, and for some reason that was still completely beyond the glass-smith at his side, he had followed. He'd even made himself presentable for it, as he felt it quite objectionable to have the snarky harper showing him up in that regard. He did have an image to maintain, after all, and Allendris felt confident that the crisp white of his long-sleeved shirt and the silvery blue-grey of his vest would be enough to preserve the reputation he'd enjoyed back at Ista of a well-dressed young man who spared no expense on his clothing. Tonight he even wore a thin pair of gloves, which lent a certain regal air to his appearance while serving the more immediate purpose of hiding the jagged scar on his palm from plain view.

As Valerian split off to address Talian, Allendris felt it more prudent to first locate the wine before he took on the challenge of greetings and socialization with the other Candidates. He knew the rules of etiquette demanded that he first find and pay his respects to the host of the party, but since the young journeyman had no idea who that was - and because he had already noticed that Katilans seemed to have dropped the entire idea of 'etiquette' off into between anyhow - he wasn't going to let that bother him. If cruel fate demanded that he mingle with this bunch, then he would do it well-prepared with drink. Thus determined, Allendris set upon the refreshments table, gingerly selecting an innocuous looking glass of white after a moment's consideration. Truthfully he preferred red, but he had learned not to expect much by means of quality here at Katila, and the young man found it much easier to stomach a bad white than a sub-par red.

Allendris braced himself for the sour taste he knew was soon to come as he raised the glass to his lips, careful not to let this room full of stranger see him do anything as undistinguished as scowl or pinch up his face in offense if the flavor were to prove as acrid as he feared. Perhaps as a distraction, he let his dark eyes wander the room, taking in the sight of so many familiar faces. Fortunately he found himself pleasantly surprised, not only by the shockingly tolerable taste of the wine (perhaps he was growing used to these deplorable living conditions? perish the thought!) but also by the view of the loveliest young woman he'd yet seen within this makeshift Weyr's accursed borders. Of course he'd noticed her before. It was hard not to, with her flawless complexion and striking red hair, and recently he'd noticed the pale shower of freckles springing up against the snow-white skin of her perfectly formed face and silently lauded them as nothing short of adorable. And yet with her haughty and obviously high-bred demeanor, she'd seemed so very unapproachable.

And yet there Valerian was, approaching her!

And smiling, as if they were friends!

Allendris struggled to pick his jaw back up off the floor before anyone noticed.

"Definitely," Kuminari purred softly, her eyes amused as she met Valerian's gaze. She slipped her fingers delicately into a pocked at her waist and retrieved a blue coloured betting chip. She held it up between her pointer and middle finger, arching an eyebrow slyly at her fellow Harper. "How much, and on whom?" Her smile was deviously sweet and she flicked her head, tossing red locks fluttering over her shoulders once more. She tilted her hand, and two more chips appeared, green and brown, between her remaining fingers. The chips, the worth reminisce of commonality of the dragon's hide they were based on, were small and round. She palmed them, and offered them lightly to the fellow Harper. Gambling was, perhaps, not a particularly ladylike occupation, but it was one Kuminari enjoyed. Mostly because she often won; not always - that would take the thrill out of it! - but often enough to be considered a good challenge to go up against at least most of the time.

"Dogul," she murmured, nodding at the thickly built man who was obviously one to enjoy alcohol. She scrunched her nose delicately at the disgusting man, before her eyes turned to scan the rest of the gathering. "Of those worth breathing?" Her eyebrows arched slightly as she let her hazel gaze take in the collection that was brewing. While she knew most of them by reputation, she knew very little of them on a more personal basis. A frown flickered slightly between her eyebrows, though it didn't touch her lips, which were parted just slightly as she sipped in an almost bored manner at her juice. "Talian, if he isn't careful, will wind up drunk of no desire of his own." Her voice was a cautious murmur here, as she watched the timid young Healer approach the table as if he were afraid it might leap up and attack him.

Shifting her demure gaze once more, Kuminari's focus landed on Allendris, and a slight smile flickered over her lips, mostly hidden behind her glass, as she took in his awestruck expression. Her gaze flickered to Valerian before returning to Allendris. "A friend of yours?" Amusement was thick on the soft tones of her voice, though the way she purred the sentence gave no allusions as to her delight at such attentions.

Andol was walking through the hallway and frankly trying to find his way to his room... he had just been off eating and had also recorded his notes down about his newest meal and recipe that he had made up. So this was really the only notes that he had on the mixture... and so he knew that he would need to copy them down quickly. The last bit of food mixing had turned out one new result and that was the fact that the tomates and mushrooms he had been putting in all this time... where indeed good for him. He was just now trying to prefect a good flavorful mixture of greens. Though he was sure that it had more to do with trying to prefect a good taste than actually trying to increase how healthy it would turn out to be. He held his notes in his hand and stared at them seriously as he got closer to the barracks though... he began to here what sounded like the awful rackit... of way way to much coversation.

As he rounded the cornor and came in with a sigh... that was exactlly what the raven haired man found. Not only that though, there seemed to be quite a bit of alchocal... and at the same time quite a few people drinking it. Letting out a soft sigh of annoyance he turned to the wall and pulled out his notes and wrote on the back 'Don't ever ever drink alchocal... it makes you act like a wherry' He deicded he would tuck that little note away at the front of his book, then in basic health facts section. Now Andol was really the type who would sit there and tell someone they where stupid for drinking, it was simply that he didn't find it healthy and wanted no part in it for himself. Though he had never tried it, form what he could observe in the way it effected others just by there actions while drinking... he knew that it couldn't be good.

Noticing though that there was some juice avaiable... Andol figured that he could at least take a brake for today, and drink somthing besides water. So he walked over to the table and got himself a glass, and poured into it some water before taking it over and leaning against the nearest wall to go over his notes. He was really quite excited about his new breakthrough, and he felt that his recent feeling of valitity where also reflected in that. He wanted to make sure to get everything recorded in his book, and that nothing happened to his notes. Yet at the same time, someone had been nice egough to throw a party for the candidates, so he figured he could stick around a bit... it was not like he had to talk to anyone, but someone had taken the time to make the juice, and he could at least pay them back by making sure it was drunk.

“He doesn’t count,” Valerian curled his lips in disgust at the mere mentioning of the miner but naturally his gaze had to seek out the man as well just in time to see a finger going toward his nose. Normally he was in far better control of his emotions and reactions to his surroundings but this time Valerian had to work to suppress a shudder. Some people, and his gaze flicked about the room to land on a few more Candidates, were a waste of skin or more importantly, a waste of his time. Kuminari, while not entirely pleasant to be around for extended periods of time, was still worth the time he was willing to give her.

He eyed the marks she produced with minor interest, though he hadn’t actually expected her to want to do literal bets. He wasn’t the sort to go in on any and every bet and rarely put anything down to back up his words but this time Valerian felt inclined to do so and pulled out the matching marks to the ones Kuminari passed to him. In truth, he could believe Talian being the first to get drunk especially after the incident in the Dining Hall while he was on some drug or another, the healer was going to have a lot of people trying to bring him back to that particular level of happy and carefree. But if Erisi stayed close to their friend’s side, Valerian saw all other efforts wasted and Talian would stay sober, or pretty close to it. Now Erisi, on the other hand, could be the first to go if he had to deal with too many stupid people for too long but Valerian returned to his previous thought and figured the third member of their Harper group would stay of a clear mind to keep Talian out of trouble.

He was still debating his options, fingers toying with the chips absently, when Kuminari’s question drew his gaze first to her and then to where she was looking. He nearly burst out laughing at Allendris trying to keep his composure. The glass-smith looked completely smitten and since he was usually treated with a barely tolerated look, Valerian knew the attention was aimed at Kuminari. He supposed he could see the attraction as Kuminari was kind of cute and her personality was similar to his own, though Allendris probably didn’t realize that which made the Harper smile a little. The shock his friend displayed though quickly tried to hide also brought amusement to Valerian since he could guess what had caused it. How could he, with his acerbic wit, dare to approach such a delicate flower and presume he worthy enough to speak to her? His poor delusional friend. “I guess so. We go way back to Candidate Isle together and I’ve been making his life entertaining ever since.”

At an exuberant shout of greeting, Valerian wondered if that hyper brat Rakormund could hold his liquor. Then again given how much energy the kid had, the alcohol probably burned right out of his system upon consumption. No, he had an idea for where to place his marks. “I’m also going to bet on him to be the first to get drunk.” He didn’t have much to go on to make that bet other than it would be amusing if he turned out to be correct but considering how rocked Allendris’ world already seemed, Valerian figured the comforts that only wine could provide would be mighty appealing.

Jereken's stare made her smile. "It's fine, they're rather odd. It's perfectly ok." she didn't exactly brush it off. No in fact Lymsleia seemed, overjoyed that someone had mentioned her eyes. Almost with a prideful smile she took good look at Jereken's all the same. "Your eyes are just as interesting." she cooed softly. She stepped away, after excusing herself.

The table with the drinks called to her like a siren. She weaved in and out of the small groups of people listening to conversations. She found a cup of cider and strolled along, trying to pick out the faces she knew and interact with those she didn't.  She didn't get to far though.

Lymsleia inhaled as Eri's jab of 'slime' sank into her chest. She downed the small cup of alcoholic cider- ahh liquid courage-. "Erisi." she snapped at him, feeling the alcohol warm her blood, and burn her throat. "Do that one more time..." she half-threatened, leaving the words dangling, she'd let him imagine what she might do to him. "But if you want me to be honest, its going quiet well. My life's  wonderful Eggs on the sands, and good friends." she gestured towards the crowd of half-strangers, the other candidates.

Glad that the attractive candidate hadn't been offended by his comment, Jereken smiled back, but really didn't know how to reply to her comment about his own eyes. Blushing slightly under his tan, he was glad when she turned away to respond to someone else, although once her attention was elsewhere he skimmed a quick look over the rest of her body.

The room was filling up quickly, and Jereken decided to get a drink before the supply of glasses ran low. Nodding to Talian, he followed him over to the table set up by the wall and chose a glass of wine. He didn't want to follow Talian around for the evening, although the young man seemed nice, and was obviously intelligent - a Master Healer, so young - he'd come in with Erisi and Jereken was still a little nervous around the harper.

Sipping the wine, he leant against the wall, seeing how the group of people was still growing and conversations starting and breaking up. Deciding to be an observer for a while, he listened in to as many different conversations as possible, waiting to see if there was anything interesting and worth joining.

Talian approached the table cautiously, eyes skimming over the table with analytic attention. What did he want? He exhaled softly and cleared his throat before reaching for a glass.

"Pardon me," he murmured as he brushed passed another young man at the table. Talian recalled the young man's name from class roll call. Andol. He nodded a silent greeting as he lifted his chosen glass and reached for a wineskin. He'd chosen a dry red wine, ever his favorite. He made a modest pour before turning back to Jereken. "I saw you talking to Lym," he said smoothly, setting his eyes on Lymsleia and Erisi on the far side of the room.

He frowned. He didn't care to see them arguing like that, but he knew telling Erisi to lay off wouldn't do much except possibly inspire the harper to be even nastier. He just shook his head. He wasn't one to question Erisi's ways, though. People were as people were. Lymsleia seemed to be handling herself valiantly, but Tal imagined that just letting Erisi's stinging words bounce off would be more effective in the long run. Eri enjoyed outrageous responses. Tal made a note to voice his objections to the harper later, but right now he would just wind up diving into a fight and having to take sides....and he just didn't want to. He'd gotten rather close to Erisi, but Lym still didn't deserve that tongue lashing.

He shook his head and turned away. Like most of his problems, he'd resolved himself to ignore it. He took a careful sip of wine and lifted a brow to Jereken. It looked like he was an observer, too. Of course, the healer also remained oblivious to Valerian's watchful eye, as well as the girl making bets about his drinking habits. As if secretly eager to fulfill them, he took another drink.

"I'm surprised everyone's tolerating each other's presence in such a small space," he said with a bit of dry humor.

Looking around the party at the various people gathered he found himself slightly annoyed for some reason by the presence of so much alcohol here. Normally he had always found that something like alcohol was against what he had planned when it came to his experiment, and trying to remain healthy. Yet the reason went oh so much deeper than that for this candidate... oh so much deeper... which was why you would never see him touch a drop of the liquid. He also didn't really approve of anyone else drinking either, because of the noted effect that it seemed to have on people's impulse control. Yet he wasn't going to stop anyone form doing whatever they wanted, but he was certain not about to tolerate the foolishness of the intoxicated, any less than he would the foolishness of the sober.

As the young man just stood there against the wall he found himself bumped by one of the other candidates who had been going for a drink. He would have said something, but was pleasantly surprised when he received an 'pardon me' form the other male. Now that was something that you didn't find everyday. Andol was kind of a stickler sometimes for people saying those two words whenever politeness would require it, and frankly he found that most people in the Weyr seemed to neglect doing so... at least up until this point. Which in a way made him curious about this lad as he moved away form the wall, and headed on over to the young man and came up behind him just in time to here his comment and without even introducing himself he reached out and slightly tapped the other male on the shoulder while at the same time answering what the other had said, "Yes I can most whole heatedly agree with that." His words that he spoke sounded slightly bored, as though this party wasn't exactlly the most exciting thing in his mind.

He didn't know this candidate so he figured that now would be a good time to introduce himself to this guy, "Oh by the way, my name is Andol... I hope I didn't scare you there..." His voice sounded like he really meant that last part. He figured at this point sinice he was also going to be social at this little event instead of just standing on the edge of it, that he might as well see if there was anyone else whom he knew. It didn't take long before he noticed the girl form the pond, and so he called out to her... though he wasn't speaking very loudly as he tried to get her attention, "Lymsleia... Hey Lymsleia." Really all he remember though was that she was the girl form the pond whom he thought was trying to kill herself. Poor Andol was so bad with faces.

Despite her desire to slowly savour the wine, Volfetti had almost skulled the glass within seconds, unable to resist the alcohol which she had been deprived of for so long. It wasn't that she adored and drank alcohol all the time prior to her pregnancy, but with all the damn stress it had caused her, she was dying for it. Taking a second she threw that one back before she turned to Erisi, her ears zoning in on the word 'spawn'.

"Oh, he came out a few days ago. Or maybe a week I'm not sure." Pausing to sip from a third glass Volfetti gave him a critical look. "His name is Benden." She said, her words weighted. Surely Erisi would understand? The name, while rumoured that it was based off her (non-existent, mind you) dependency on Benden wine during her pregnancy, had a heavy meaning to it. Continuing to sip the white wine she glanced back, pondering whether or not to progress to a red yet. Erisi's belated offer for alcohol earned him a smug grin. "Come now, you think after nine months that I'm going to wait for some sod to offer me my alcohol?" The words stung more than she intended and she frowned lightly, the expression didn't suit her gently features. "Thank-you though, for the offer." She amended, much more pleased with that.

Downing her glass of white wine, again, she reached back and selected a red this time. Beside her she could see both Talian and Allendris selecting the same drink. She watched each of them carefully, both were quite the prissy types from her past encounters with them, in such a social setting they would be quite interesting to watch. This thought was rewarded with a reaction instantly from Allendris, who not only had sipped his wine stiff as a board, but shortly after melted into a puddle of goo. Glancing over and realising that his eyes were glued to Kuminari Volfetti rolled her own, her green gaze narrowed at the now-useless lump. Stepping around Talian she leant in to him, speaking with a sour voice. "Allendris, you're drooling." Sipping the red wine she smacked her lips softly, having been surprised slightly by the taste; she had expected white. "She's been here since you arrived, are you really that blind that you haven't seen her yet? Or'd that sip of wine get your drunk goggles on?"

Ah… she didn't mean to make a dig at Kuminari, but she was out of earshot for the time being, so Volfetti made no effort to correct her jibe to only be directed at Allendris.

Comments  and words flitted through the air, and Lymsleia allowed herself to  be assulted by them all. It wasn't unpleasant, this thought and feeling- how lonley she could feel in a crowded room full of people. But made her realize, she didn't socialize enough with her Candidate-mates.

Hearing Andol, Lymsleia offered a polite wave, the wave of someone who  was only greeting in passing, and Lymsleia made a beeline right for Volfetti. "Congradulations,Volfetti." she said , in a pleasant voice. "How's the little boy?" she tried to keept he beaming pride out of her voice, but it was just too hard to contain.

Lymsleia let her eyes follow  Volfetti's line of site, and noticed Allendris. "Who's he..." she fell silent noticing Kuminari. "Oh her," she practically spat the words out in disgust. She knew Allendris- but only just and reached out to touch his shoulder, echoing Volfetti's words. "You aredrooling. And you can do much... better than that stuck up little high-bred hold-daughter." Lymsleia could feel the venom dripping from her voice and took a drink of her wine to cover the acid-dripping fangs that she was almost sure were protruding from her mouth. She disliked Kuminari and it was a bit of a sore spot.

Echlerov had greeted everyone as they came in. With a hi there to Erisi and Talian, and then a response to Volfetti. "Thanks, and yeah. Well, the cider is at least, most of the wines I've been working on are still aging." He could have served a couple of the batches, but they would be much better after they aged a couple more years.

"Hey, Lymsleia," he greeted the girl when she called out his name. He had hoped that she would come, the girl was a sweetheart, and it would be nice to see her in a casual environment. In fact it was nice to see them all in a casual environment, especially the ones that he didn't really know. He wasn't quite ready to mingle, not yet, as he was still hanging near the entrance for latecomers. He didn't want anyone to come in and not be greeted, though in about another fifteen minutes or so, he'd go ahead. These guys were his friends.

He grinned brightly at everyone from where he was, and glanced over the crowd. It was about half and half of people he knew and people he didn't.  So far so good. He knew that some of them didn't get along very well, and he hoped that it would stay just as calm as it was now for the rest of the night.

Somehow, Allendris soon found himself suddenly and quite unexpectedly surrounded by women, which came as quite a surprise to him as he had no idea how wholly caught up he'd been in his sheer disbelief as he watched the casual and friendly interactions between Valerian and the gorgeous young lady beside him. Indeed, the comfortable ease with which that smart-mouthed harper was speaking to her definitely suggested that the two of them had spent time together prior to this party, a thought which the glass-smith was having trouble processing. What in all of Pern could a girl like her possibly have to gain from associating herself with that infuriatingly rude, impossibly lazy, and perpetually dull-eyed harper? Granted, being kidnapped and whisked away to parts unknown and unfamiliar had a way of encouraging one to socialize with people one normally would not. Faranth only knew how many of the candidates in this very room would have hardly ranked more than a 'how do you do' in the world from which he had been Stolen... but now they were all fellows. Equals, regardless of how difficult the young man had found it thus far to come down from his perch and think of some of them as such.

One such example was the first girl to approach him: Volfetti. He could easily tell from her rough mannerisms and slightly crude way of speaking that she had come from a working-class hold. He did not begrudge her for it, however; in fact, she was one of the easier personalities to get along with. It helped that he had a considerable measure of respect for her and the way she had carried her fatherless child to full-term, despite her apparent frustration with the pregnancy itself. Given that the gruesome alternative - a short ride between - had no doubt been readily available to her, he found her decision noble enough.

It was a respect that, sadly, was more or less forgotten when the young woman leaned in and informed him of the rather humiliating fact that he'd been staring (for he refused to believe he would do something as base as actually drool). He blinked down at her, startled to see her suddenly so close, discomforted somewhat by the rude smacking of her lips, and finally even further blindsided by her harsh verbal digs at both himself and Kuminari. All of this coming at him at once was enough to throw him off his usual, standoffish guard, to the point where a flush of color rose to his high-boned cheeks and he stammered just slightly when he opened his mouth to defend himself against her ridiculous accusations. "I was n--"

Whatever Allendris could have said in rebuttal - it likely would not have been too brilliant, anyhow - was interrupted by the gentle touch on his shoulder and Lymsleia's interjection of her own opinion regarding the beautiful girl with the rose-colored hair.  And even she thought he was crass enough to drool! "I wasn't!" he insisted, disturbed somewhat by the high, defensive pitch of his own voice. The glass-smith cleared his throat and tried again, his voice much firmer this time. "That's ridiculous. And in any c--" Allendris stopped himself again, peering at Lymsleia with brown eyes slightly widened with sudden keen interest in what she had said. It was likely the most emotion the two women had ever seen on the usually placid young man's face.

"High-bred, you say?" he asked, apparently oblivious to Lymsleia's disgust. Allendris looked at Kuminari again, wondering if he might recognize her from somewhere - though it had admittedly been many, many turns since he had last attended a gathering of high-ranking Holders and the children they hoped to marry off to equally respectable partners. He concluded that he would simply not forget a face like hers, however, and therefore she must have lived very far from Nerat. "Do you know from where?"

When Escherlov spoke, Lymsleia listened and offered him a polite nod, raising her glass in greeting as she acknowledged him. She turned back to the Vinter a moment. "Make any of these?" she asked before jerking a bit startled at Allendris' question.

"And you were too drooling, at least instead that pretty head of yours." she chimmed. "Probably undressing her with your eyes." she took another sip of the drink. Ahh the liberating moment had arrived, alcohol, loosed her tongue just a enough  that she exhaled and very carefully undid the braids which held her hair. She loved the warm rush  of blood beneath her skin. She knew its reasoning, and was careful to not drink too much. "I don't know, probably Fort, or Ruatha or sometihng like that. She's got that snoody, better than thou atttitude, that just permiates everything she does." Lymsleia gritted her teeth.

"Don't fall for her, please." she whispered to Allendris. "She's got a higher than you, attitude, and the I don't think she'd interested in anyone but herself.  If you lay with her-- metaphorically speaking-" she caught herself  letting her mind wander briefly. "You'll get up with pretty well bred fleas. I mean.. she.." she gesturested to Kuminari with her glass.

"Seems to think popping out children... as per the leadership's command, as many women have done is ok." she felt her mouth twitch in a silent growl. "Of course, then she thinks all riders are sex crazed..." she took another sip. "But its their culture, and ours now too I think." She drained the glass in a single gulp. The gulp wasn't too lady-like, but then when one has had a  hard day of dealing with chores, and people, somtimes being a little unladylike was called for.

"I don't think Kuminar realises, that horror, to having too many children,too close together. At leasty the leaderships only asking for two, and not on any kind of timetable-our and my saving grace-" she smiled, a moment. "Kuminar, its a fitting shortening of her name, I think." she looked at Allendris. "Enjoying yourself, looking at pretty girls?"

Talian lifted his glass for a second sip when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Startled, he gasped, sucking a mouthful of dry wine into this throat. He recoiled slightly and set his glass down, coughing and sputtering with urgency, though not exactly panic. He performed well under pressure, and any anxiety he might have felt from being touched by a stranger faded away as he focused on not choking. He doubled forward and pressed his abdomen against the table, ready to force the air from his chest if he had to, but fortunatly the ordeal was already passed.

"Shards," he croaked hoarsely, face pale from a few long seconds without air and facial expression tightly constricted in embarassment. Seriously, who was that jumpy? Me, apparently he lamented. He spun around to face the man who'd poked him, an overcompensating smile crossing his face. "I am..terribly sorry about that!" he said, his apology flying from his lips before he had a chance to think. His apologetic outburst embarrassed him almost as much as the initial jump has. Was it the medicine talking?

He laughed awkwardly. "Nice to meet you, Andol," he said, extending one hand. He noticed the other male greeting Lym, who seemed more interested in gossiping with Allendris. Tal waved at her in passing as well, then returned his attention to Andol. "I really am sorry about that, I feel like a fool," he said quickly. So much for the calm dignity that had accompanied him into the room only minutes before. "I'm Talian."

As the color returned to his face, he realized he was actually blushing. Well, time for more wine.

Breccan had heard of this gathering a little late, and was feeling unexpectedly bashful about it. She hardly knew these people, and she knew perfectly well she had the alcohol tolerance of a sleepy toddler. Then again, alcohol was probably just the freedom she needed from feeling out of place here. She'd been here since early in the summer, but she'd spent so long on the Candidate Isle that she still felt new. Admitting that would be weak at best; it would be better to just dive in.

So naturally she arranged to do some extra work in the Healing Hall, and then enjoyed the luxury of a long bath. If she was going, at least she'd be clean. Letting her mind drift as she worked a stiff runner-tail brush through her drying hair, she eventually had to give up the pretense; she was dry, and she had to either go or not. Slipping into clean clothes bought her a little more time, but by the time she left the bathing area she had decided. She would not go. Perhaps mingling with her fellow Candidates was a good move, but she'd probably be better served by getting into bed early and rising with the sun. She could head back to the hall early and see if anyone would be willing to give her a quick run-down of native Southern plants and then go gather a few. That would be useful and pleasant; yes, this was a much better plan.

Naturally, Breccan was mildly surprised when she found herself at the doorway to the little-used room one of the Candidates -Echler or something- had chosen for the gathering. It wasn't a bad choice, all things considered. Then again, if she was just going in, she should probably stop considering and you know, just go in. With a deep breath, she pushed the rest of her loose hair behind her shoulders. Stop stalling, she advised herself, and stepped in. At first glance, everyone looked to be busy speaking to someone else, but that wasn't necessarily discouraging. She needed a drink first.

The drink table was fairly obvious, and she moved towards it with interest. Wasn't alcohol supposed to be forbidden to Candidates? The man's resourcefulness was impressive. Surveying the spread, she poured cider for herself, already warned against Katilan wine. A sip of the cider taught her the warning hadn't been quite complete. Trying to smother the grimace that wanted to screw up her face, she made the most philosophical decision possible: drink it quickly. Tossing back her head, she all but threw the cider into her throat, trying to by-pass her tongue as much as possible. Ugh. Not as bad though. Blinking back tears, she swirled water into her cup, then refilled it with a white wine, banking on it being a little sweeter than the harsh cider. Dry wine she didn't think she could handle after the biting sensation that was lingering on her palate. Hopefully the wine wasn't as bad as she'd heard.

Her eyes fell naturally next on the snack table, and a rumble from her stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten. Maybe hadn't even eaten yesterday. Anyway, there were bubbly pies, and she would have jumped all over those even if she'd just finished a fine meal. Helping herself to one, she turned her back to the wall and surveyed the company prospects. Lymsleia she already knew, and Talian, though she'd like to know him better. The others were strangers, and they were who she was most interested in. The cider was practically sizzling in her belly, making her wince. She'd be feeling that soon, without any food to mediate the effects. At least she had a bubbly pie in hand.

He grinned at Lymsleia. "Just the cider," he responded. "The wines I've been working on need to be aged a while longer before they're suitable to drink."

There was a newcomer to the party, one of the younger candidates, a pretty blond, and Echlerov moved over to the table where she was currently at. "Hey. I'm glad you could make it." He thought hard, but couldn't think of her name. Shards. Was he really that out of the loop. He frowned slightly. "I'm afraid that I can't remember your name. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, and then picked up one of the redfruits. It was better to eat before drinking, and during nights like this, it was especially important. "I'm Echlerov." 



   

A bite of the pie earned a pleased smile; it was good! There were some things, at least, that didn't seem to be any different between the North and the South. The flavors were subtly different, yes, but not off or even unfamiliar. Really, she liked it quite a lot.

Belatedly, she realized she should probably have been more focused on socializing than stuffing her face. Just coming in, downing drink, and shoving some food at herself without speaking was a little odd, if not outright anti-social. She didn't want to come across as sullen or unfriendly. It might very well be important to have befriended some of these, some day. The only immediate use that occurred to her was possible aid with an escape plan, but that was useful enough to convince her of the importance of mingling.

Luckily, she didn't even have to stir from her position conveniently by the food. A young man approached and greeted her, helping himself to a redfruit. She studied him even as she supplied an amused smile. He was much taller than she, which was usual, good-looking, with hazel eyes and dark hair. When he introduced himself, she recalled that an Echlerov was responsible for the whole get-together. Well, good for her. Not only was she going to make some sort of connection, she was going to make it with the erstwhile leader of the Candidates. Or, perhaps, just a drunk who wanted company. You never really knew.

That was uncharitable. He might have been seeking allies, just as she was, and was evaluating her usefulness. "I won't hold it against you," she answered, amusement in her grey eyes, "I'm Breccan. And it's my understanding that Echlerov is the man to thank for all this. I'd be impressed by the food alone, but that's quite a selection of drink. How'd you manage?" She made a gesture that encompassed both laden tables, then expanded it to include the other Candidates as well. She'd heard they were a prickly bunch, which was to be expected, but they were moving in and out of conversations with one another quite naturally. She had to wonder which of them already knew which others. 

There was that young man who looked so provocatively familiar, surrounded by girls. That made sense; he was attractive, but she hardly saw anyone who wasn't, with the exception of the fellow who kept surreptitiously trying to pick his nose. Perhaps physical appeal was part of what the riders looked for.

Volfetti didn't bother to stifle her laugh at Allendris's denial of drooling over Kuminari. It was a sweet laugh, but no doubt came across as rude and raucous to the highly bred man. The alcohol was swiftly making its way to Volfetti's head, and her concern for anyone else's personal space was vanishing just as fast. "Oh yes, you were drooling. In here." Reaching forward she tapped him on the temple, a wide grin across her face. The way in which he perked up at Lymsleia's few scattered details of the woman earned him an eye roll and a small hiss cross gag sound as she stuck her tongue. "You, are hopeless." She said, before turning away from him. She didn't have time to associate with a romantic idealist, drunk or not.

Sipping more of her wine her eyes fell on Erisi again. Walking over to him she held her glass up to him. "Cheers, to being free of dragonspawn." She took a deep drink from the glass and paused thoughtfully. "Well, physically anyway." She added. Benden was tucked away safely for the night, some place where drunken candidates couldn't get their grubby mitts on him. Blinking owlishly she peered at Erisi, wondering if he would make a comment on it.

"How has life been for you? Outside of all these classes and lectures I mean. Pretty obvious how it is for everyone in those classes." She asked, genuinely interested. She hadn't made a lot of friends amongst the Candidates who had arrived after Nirinath's clutch in 227 AL. Perhaps now was the time to rectify that.