Morning Klah. [Open, B'jin]

Nevani began this morning like she did most other mornings. She had rolled out of her bed, made it, washed her face, put on some clothes, and took some time to brush her tangled hair. Then as usual she headed straight for the kitchens to have her morning klah. It hadn't taken long for her to find a cup, and some of her favorite beverage to pour into the afore mentioned vessel. She was now off in a corner, out of the way softly blowing on the hot surface of the drink to cool it enough to drink. A deep yawn escaped for she had not slept very well the prior night. There was much on her mind, indeed.

She wasn't getting any younger, and it was her dream to ride a gold. Her father had ridden a bronze, and ever since her first flight with her father on that magnificent beast this had been her dream. She however was facing many obstacles, it seeming that perhaps even fate was against her dreams. When she had reached age, Only the searched and kidnapped women from outside the weyr had been allowed to stand on the sands for a gold egg. Then, when this was no longer required, there was still the fact that it was preferred that candidates were not virgins. Especially those of the older ages, and Neva, was of twenty turns now, and very much not experienced at all with sex. She had decided to ask anyway if perhaps she could stand.

She took a tentative sip, knowing more out of habit more than from testing the temperature of the drink that it was now cool enough to not burn. The warm liquid felt good all the way down to her belly, but it didn't quell her thoughts for very long. Where is B'jin, I wonder... she thought to herself. Not that she actually expected to be allowed to stand this clutch, or even be allowed to stand the next if she hadn't had that required experience. It was her plan that in the most likely event that she was declined that perhaps she would be able to ask the rider if he knew anyone who would be willing to have sex for the purpose of sex. She had learned that it wasn't wise to be up-front and ask for sex. When she had, she had been promptly slapped, and she hadn't seen that person since, no doubt that person was avoiding her. She had been too startled by the slap to even react. She shook her head, ridding herself of that embarrassing memory.

Another longer sip, and her courage was beginning to gather, and her grumpiness to wane. Surely, today she would at least have made a seemingly wiser step towards her dream. There was no doubt someone here among the many, that would be more than happy to have a pretty young lady in their arms for something simply physical, never having to worry about the constraints of a relationship. Nevani wasn't ready for a relationship herself, she wasn't even ready for a friend. Simply put, she was too blunt and honest for her own good. Perhaps her tendency to have negative thoughts added to this greatly. It was true that her opinions and views often caused rage in others. It was simply better if Nevani didn't open her mouth, and avoided people, and this is what she normally did. This, however, was the cause of her being still a virgin. She sighed, took another sip, and continued with her thoughts, almost oblivious to the people around her in the kitchen.

B’jin staggered sleepily from the hut, hair dishevelled and sticking up oddly. While clothed, the job was a little hodgepodge, and included wearing one of R’nd’s shirts with a pair of B’jin’s own pants. He had managed to shove his feet into the correct boots, though that had taken a moment to sort out. All the while that was happening, little Shimmer had been crying and creeling to be fed, somehow managing to tug at B’jin’s heart enough to wake the man up from a very sound sleep. Her pitiful cries continued to keep him mostly conscious as he stumbled from R’nd’s bed to the Weyr kitchens, all without falling back asleep – though R’nd had been the recipient of a very filthy look as he slept on, oblivious.

A jaw stretching yawn escaped the man as he shouldered through the door with a low grunt, looking around sulkily for something to feed the firelizard. After a moment, the klah pot was spotted, and B’jin wavered. While not overly fond of the drink (he’d suffered heavy withdrawals after the banishment South) the greenrider knew that the drink would certainly wake him up! After a short moment to consider, during which Shimmer’s pitiful creels were completely ignored, B’jin finally moved towards the pot and set about getting himself a drink, eyes crossing with delight as he took the first sip.

Only as the warmth coiled in his belly did B’jin return to reality enough to hear the whining demands of the little gold firelizard clinging to the crook of his right arm. B’jin lowered his mug, and eyed the baby firelizard with a disgruntled expression. All of twelve days old, the firelizard was barely the length of his hand, all spindly wings and coiled golden tail wrapped around his wrist. “Fine.” B’jin’s tone was less than agreeable, and he put his mug down and started poking around, quickly finding a slow roasting chunk of meat on a spit.

Brown eyes darting around tentatively, B’jin set about hacking off a chunk of meat, before literally scrambling back to his mug of klah. He radiated innocence as he very casually relocated himself to the far side of the room, barely glancing at the young woman he passed in order to settle himself down in a corner of the room. The mug was set on the table top, and B’jin put the chunk of meat beside it. “There you go.” He told the tiny queen, shifting his hand so he could shove her at the meat, which was easily twice the size of her.

She eyed it, then eyed B’jin, before creeling in pitiful distress all over again. B’jin sighed ever so dramatically, and gently pulled her off his hand in order to set her on the table. Then he slowly pulled the meat apart, shredding it by following the grain. He flicked the little strips at Shimmer’s head, looking mildly amused at the way she would catch them and nibble daintily before looking up expectantly for the next one.

Nevani was pulled from her thoughts as someone passed in front of her closer than anyone else had of yet this morning. Then for a few seconds, in pure shock, her mouth hung open as she realized that B'jin was that person. This wasn't how she expected to find him, and for a moment her courage faltered, and so she took another sip of her klah watching him feed his firelizard. A hesitation to better gather her courage. She would of course be blunt in her question, Nevani wasn't one to beat around the bush, however, she was uncertain if he man would be willing to actually help her, in the very likely case that her first request was declined. She knew that there was no hiding the fact that she she was still a virgin, of all the rumors about her, none even suggested that she was anything but a virgin. Or so she was lead to believe from the whisperings she had heard.

As she watched, the little firelizard eat daintily, she began to feel some of her courage build back. The little creature was very much like a miniature queen, and seeing her eating was somehow peaceful. For a moment all thoughts of the questions she wished to ask were put away in her mind, though briefly as she realized that this might be her only chance to ask what she needed to ask. She took another sip of her klah, feeling the warm liquid go down her throat, and focused on the exact question she would ask. Surely, she told herself, no harm could come from at least asking, and if she didn't ask, she would probably never get to stand on the sands for a hatching.  This was far more scarey than two questions that were perhaps very unexpected from the seemingly sleepy B'jin who was tending to his little queen.

Further, she told herself, it was unlikely that he would slap her for asking if he knew anyone who was looking for what she would be looking for if he declined her first question. After all, asking for that type of information wasn't the same as asking for sex like she had before when she did get slapped. Surely, there wasn't a way the man could find this inquiry that offensive, and if he did, well, she would then try to ask help from one of the queen riders. If she looked hard enough, surely a way would be found.

Finally, she managed to gather her courage, and trying to be unobtrusive, she moved quietly closer before softly saying, "Excuse me, B'jin, would you have a moment? I wanted to ask something..." Her normally confident posture definitely wasn't how she now carried herself, her shoulders even if slightly were slumped, and her face showed her fear and worry. A hand went to push her hair back uneasily almost as soon as she had finished speaking. She of course would wait for his answer before asking, it was only polite, and she was hoping to gain any favor that she could. This was after all, a matter of a dream.

All of her fears flashed in her mind as she awaited his answer, had she been a dragon, her eyes would have been a pulsating rainbow of colors from all the worries flashing through her mind. Her hand lowered, finding her hair already behind her ear, and she tried to take a deep breath to calm herself. Social interactions were bad enough, but to have such an important query to go along with it made her very uncomfortable. As she thought about her second question, her cheeks flared up in a blush though she hadn't even asked it yet. She wondered if she could get herself to actually put the thoughts into words now that she was face to face with the man. She then tried just as soon as they flooded her to push them away, fighting for her courage to remain with her.

While B’jin’s gaze was focused solely on the baby firelizard, his mind was quite a distance away as he went over a million and one things – from actually important things, to really unimportant things, to the completely random and bizarre. The woes of a greenrider-harper’s mind; Larrikith watched his thoughts flutter around with amusement, before she became aware of the young woman approaching B’jin, and alerted him to the girl.

The greenrider’s brown eyes blinked, then shifted to look up at the girl that was creeping closer to him. A slightly amused, but warm, smile flickered over his lips in encouragement though curiosity fuelled the eyes that were now focused on the girl. Shimmer, realising she was no longer the centre of her human’s attention, sighed softly before climbing up his arm to curl against the crook of his neck on his shoulder. The tiny firelizard fell asleep quickly, but B’jin seemed oblivious to her as Nevani finally found it within her to speak.

“Of course,” B’jin nodded slightly to follow up the words, before indicating with one hand that she should sit herself down so they could have a proper conversation, without one of them towering over the other. While B’jin was disinclined to be afraid of women, he was inclined to easily feel trapped. Such thoughts and feelings were far from apparent in the man’s posture or actions, and even his own thoughts – subconscious processes designed to keep his own hide safe, really.

She’s not one of your candidates, Larrikith yawned in the back of B’jin’s mind, blinking owlishly from where she was curled up outside.
No, she isn’t. Which only made the greenrider that much more curious to see why she’d approach him.

Nevani sat as she was invited, and felt a little better. Sitting was less frightening than speaking of such matters standing seemed. It was less impersonal, more inviting. Her courage strengthened. Then, in her usually blunt manner, no sugar coating, and no beating around a bush, she came out with her question frankly. "I understand that candidates my age need to have sexual experience before becoming a candidate," She paused, a short pause when her courage faltered, and her cheeks brightened once again. "However, I was hoping to request anyway to stand for a gold at the next clutch. If that isn't possible, I was hoping that you knew someone who would not mind helping me gain the required experience with no emotions attached so that I may ask again, as a better qualified candidate."  By the time she had finished her fair skin was a bright red, as she blushed with almost her whole body.

The words were out, now however and she sat uneasily as she awaited his reply, looking intently to see his reaction and try to read all of his expression. It was her dream to stand on the sands, it was where she knew she belonged at this point in her life. Now she was doing the unthinkable, she was asking for help.  Her posture had slumped a little more, this wasn't her usual confident manner, her pride was definitely taking a beating from this, but it needed be done. She couldn't see herself doing drudge work all her life, living out her life in the weyr unable to even be sexual as the majority of the people living with her, and ending up alone, so close to her dream, but never achieving it. That just wouldn't do.

She shifted in her seat, her eyes unable to look into his any longer, for she had basically turned her dreams over to him. He could turn her down and offer no help, then laugh about how pitiful she was to his friends if he chose. She well knew this, and desperately hoped that he wouldn't so choose.  He was the only Weyrlingmaster that she felt she could talk to for such advice, the only one that she felt wouldn't choose to turn her down outright with no help at all. Granted she wasn't always a good judge of character, and often times she would be completely wrong about a person. Oh how she hoped in this small moment. A hope filled with all her heart.

B’jin blinked, startled by the abrupt introduction to the topic that the girl clearly wanted to bring to the table. His surprise showed quite clearly on B’jin’s expressive face, before his features altered into one of consideration as he waited for Nevani to continue; he could tell that she was gathering her strength to continue, and waited patiently. There was no point is frightening her or chasing off whatever courage it had taken her to come forth. She was not the first to ask such things, and B’jin knew she would not be the last, but that did not mean that he should jump to conclusions about the answer she was seeking.

B’jin studied the girl very quietly for several moments. Leaning back in his seat, B’jin gently pet Shimmer as she sprawled on his arm. “I was the one that brought up such a request with the other masters, Nervani. I shan’t go back on that, nor make exceptions.” His words were spoken firmly, but there was no bite in them; they were simple facts and the way he saw it, there for a reason. Besides, how would it look if he – who had gone out of his way to implement the request and see it brought into action – went back on that now? The girl would not thank him in the long run if she did manage a virgin Impression.

“A dragon’s flight takes a lot out of the human body, and going into it without a solid idea of what will happen, or how your body should react or feel afterward, is the entire purpose of denying virgins the right to stand. By assuring the women standing for gold are not virgins, we have that much less to worry about when her gold takes to the sky for her maiden flight, and it lets the woman in question keep that much more control over the beast. You won’t be able to focus on keeping her from gorging, if you’re terrified of what exactly is going to happen between the sheets.” Or on the floor, or against the wall… or on Ayyonth’s back… Larrikith inserted privately, sniggering at B’jin’s half sighed ‘Shut up, Larrikith’ she got in response.

Her request for assistance with finding someone suitable was met with furrowed eyebrows. R’nd was, quite naturally, the first person that came to B’jin’s mind, but the greenrider was disinclined to share his lover, and besides, all the candidates he’d offered R’nd to had baulked at sleeping with their Weyrlingmaster’s mate, even if B’jin had sighed dramatically each time and assured the candidate in question they weren’t mates. Why was everyone obsessed with them being mates? The only saving grace, at least, was that such talk hadn’t sent R’nd running. Maybe that was because B’jin was so insistent that they were not, and R’nd knew it was not B’jin parading around with that mind frame?

B’jin was completely oblivious to the way Larrikith was trying to prevent a brain bleed at her human’s own thick headedness. Stupid man!

“Most dragonriders will undertake such without strings attached.” He really was trying to think of someone, and he was drawing blanks terribly. “A bluerider would likely be your best bet.” A lot of the greenriders blatantly favoured their own sex, and B’jin had a bias against brownriders about twenty times the width of Larrikith. “A fellow candidate is under the same requirements, though I don’t think I’d advise another virgin. That tends to be rather awkward from what I gather. The older batches of Weyrlings – those in their tenth month – should also be available.” He paused again and tilted his head thoughtfully as he eyed Nevani. “What type of partner would you fancy?”

Nevani listened quietly, feeling better that it was at least off her chest. His facial expression wasn't the one she had expected, and it actually reassured her, and her ease showed in her now more relaxed posture, as well as the red slowly leaving her face. She was glad that he hadn't just sent her on her way to figure it out by herself, for she had already tried to with no luck.

As he paused, she waited, knowing that the sort of question she had asked would need some thinking over before a good responce could be given. Seeing the man leaned back as he thought reminded her of her father a little, the way he took his time when answering important questions. When he spoke, his first words hadn't really come as a surprise for her, she, after all, she hadn't expected that she would somehow be granted an exemption to a rule made for everyone. She was vain, not stupid.  She held her ground, waiting for him to continue.

His next words helped her to better understand the restrictions, and she couldn't help but to think about how it might be to enter a maiden flight as a virgin. It would probably be terrifying, no, actually, she knew it would terrify her. This was certain the more she pondered it as he spoke. She even realized that she might have been ignorant to have even asked. Yet her wish to stand was so strong, she knew that she would have asked even knowing these things. To ride a gold was what she knew she must do in her life.

Then when he started to name types of people to go to, she realized her mistake, her first request had not been of a blue rider, candidate or a weryling. She was almost certain that he wasn't even a rider. The question that followed cut her thoughts short as she was faced with something she hadn't even considered before... What type of partner would she fancy indeed?

She mulled this over for a moment, by now she knew the physical aspects that she adored in men, large, muscular, but gentle, and perhaps a soft edge to them. She even knew that she liked them to be gentle sometimes and rough other times, because her dreams had told her this. Dark hair and light eyes could make her swoon when combined with the other things, but how was she to put these things into words?

Slowly she put together a sentence in her mind, I fancy someone who will treat me right. was all she could come up with, and so she opened her mouth and let the words fall out. "I fancy someone who will treat me right." Once out, they didn't seem adequate. There was a lot more to what she wanted, and she didn't know if she truly simply wanted someone to get the job done and be gone. That is what she was willing to do, but was that what she really wanted? Part of her said no. Finally she added, "I'm willing to be with someone just to get it done, but at the same time, someone more.... long term would be nice." Again her cheeks blazed, and this time, her eyes dropped as she felt herself once again grow uneasy, for having admitted such a thing to the man.

B’jin’s brown eyes sparkled playfully as he watched the girl’s confidence rise and fall like the ocean’s tides. One moment, the girl was so forthright and knowing exactly what she wanted, and the next squirming like a child in trouble as she heard the words she had spoken. It was more than a little endearing and B’jin watched it with amusement. “Of course,” B’jin murmured in response to her original statement, his expression altering just slightly as his mind wandered towards R’nd, a smile far more full of love than lust curling up the corners of his lips just slightly as the greenrider pet Shimmer on the head, causing the tiny gold firelizard to purr happily.

You are truly pathetic, you know that, right? the green dragon sent B’jin’s thoughts scattering, and the man blinked his way back to reality with a questioning look. “Hmm?” Larrikith gave a chirp of amusement that was clearly heard through the wall, and B’jin threw the offending wall a dirty look before turning his attention back upon the would-be candidate before him.

“Okay,” B’jin’s delayed answer was drawn out thoughtfully, “but what type of person do you fancy?” He could certainly pick through the minds of his friends to find one that was suitable, but he would hate to go to all the work only to bring the girl a man made of all the things she did not find appealing. B’jin’s lips quirked into a teasing expression, the light of laughter once more sparkling in his eyes. “Tall, or short?” that was a safe place to start, really, and would easily cut the population. “Mr. Muscles, or lithe? Dark features, or light?”

Why don’t you just send her to Valerian? He’s slept with at least the entire Weyr. B’jin, taken by surprise, snorted in amusement before shaking his head in apology to Nevani, expression contrite. “My dragon thinks it is funny to make suggestions of men I would rather remain on good terms with.” He smiled gently, intent on making sure the girl realised there was no insult to herself in his statement or Larrikith’s suggestion. “Valerian is bonded to a rather randy dragon; Veeth makes it his mission to at least chase every green in the sky, and as a result, Valerian’s sex life is rather…” B’jin smirked devilishly. “Full.”

Still smirking, and rather amused by the exploits of Veeth and the result it had upon V’ler, B’jin waited for Nevani to expand upon her wants in a partner.

Nevani's face showed confusion to the "Hmm?" until she heard the chirping though the wall, and realized that the question hadn't been for her. There was a conversation that she wasn't hearing. Maybe that explained the smile that had shown on his face right prior to the question. Nevani was content to never know.

Then just as her own thoughts began to drift, the question was repeated, but this time he elaborated. It was like a flash of lightning had sparked a fire as she realized that he had indeed meant what her first thoughts had ventured towards. Her face showed clearly her sudden realization, there might have even been a hint of a smile there.

Before she could answer, B'jin was snorting like a madman, then shaking his head as he spoke. Had he not spoken, Nevani might have simply left him there to find better advice elsewhere. The explanation was enough to make sense of it all, and now she actually laughed a little herself.  "I don't imagine that he has time for me then." She said grinning.

Then she opened her mouth to list all the things she found attractive, the words came out more like a waterfall, and almost mushed together now that her confidence was back. "I do like tall, muscles, but not Mr. Muscles, dark hair to be sure, light eyes, oh, and a deep voice." Then she paused for a moment, and laughed. "Granted I don't really need all of these things, if he's able to make up for the lack with personality." Her back and shoulders now were carried as was her normal upright posture, and more out of habit than anything, her fingers went to run through her hair to check for tangles.

“So,” B’jin drawled the word out slowly, the two simple letters containing all the warning anyone could ever need of a playful dig about to be unleashed, “someone like R’nya?” Brown eyes sparkled mischievously as the greenrider awaited the response that would elect from the girl. Tall and dark with pale eyes and a decidedly not feminine voice, the bronzerider sounded just like what the girl was describing. Had she added quirks and personality traits, of course, those similarities would have been washed away (could any bronzerider possibly have a bigger stick up his arse?) but since she wasn’t after the princely personality to go with it (just in exchange) it really did sound like she was mooning after the bronzerider!

“Sorry,” B’jin rounded up with an apology, the smile sincere on his lips as he tilted his head and considered the population of the Weyr. His nose scrunched up a little as various individuals were tossed off the pending list, and finally he brought forth a couple of names, though the questioning lilt of his voice indicated he wasn’t positive they would be the type of men that Nevani was seeking. “Brownrider O’wain is tall and has an abundance of personality,” he was also a brownrider, which B’jin detested, but the man was a known whore and B’jin had never heard so much as a dark whisper about the man. That meant either he was legitimately kind to his lovers, or he was very careful about whom it was he hit. B’jin was inclined to believe the former, having little to no experience to allow otherwise, but he doubted O’wain would hit a girl, anyway. Most brownriders focused their attention on greenriders, not future weyrwomen.

“There is also Lorenuo, he ahh..” B’jin paused as he considered how to phrase the man’s lifestyle without casting him down in the girl’s eyes. “Rather speicalises in such tasks.” That would work. From what B’jin had gathered from the other greenriders, Lorenuo was rather a decent hand a bedding women and had more or less done such as a job back before he was stolen. Probably, he would be the girl’s best bet as far as obtaining what it was she desired. “I think I would recommend him,” B’jin added thoughtfully. After all, who was less inclined to come with strings and attachments, then someone that had been paid not to?

I raided the deceased-in-landslide characters, so you can use either of them as you will, if you opt to. Or you can arrange with a PC, of course!