Lakeside Meadow(#332RJa$)
The grass ripples across the meadow in a manner reminiscent of water stirred into motion across the surface of a pond, the tall strands swaying to the gentle rustle the wind generates as it blows across the peninsula. Wildflowers often bloom amongst the emerald grasses -- bright yellow, dazzling red and resplendent purple -- but their displays are more prominent right after a rainfall. The trees here appear to be clustered together into small groves perhaps forced that way by the dragons that lounge nonchalantly -- some basking in the sun, others taking advantage of any available shade.
Large, packed trails lead south and north to weyrs, west to the landing field, south to the lakeside meadow, and east to the small clearing for resident cotholds. Doors lead into the main weyrhall, the infirmary, and the kitchens.
There are a number of +views and places here.

Contents:
Cassandra
V'ten
Ryann
Obvious exits:
Courtyard Landing Field Hatching Grounds White Sands Beach Feeding Grounds Weyrling Barracks Southern Weyrs STables Coastal road

R'din walks into the Lakeside Meadow, keeping to the far side of it as he hums a tune to himself, hands tucked into his shorts' pockets.

Cassandra rolls her eyes a bit at V'ten, from where they laze under a tree, the greenrider using him as a casual pillow. "Oh, no. I didn't really have to pry, because I /knew/ what was going on there. I'm not blind. But if you think I'm going to spill my guts about who I like..." the woman laughs. "I'm not sure I want to. I don't know that I could take the riducule or humiliation. Just let an old woman be, with her delusional fantasies about a man that will likely never see her as anything more than a friend and fellow rider, anyways?"

Ryann enters the meadow with a slow, expectant gaze around the area. She spies Cassandra and Vette together and grins to herself before looking on. She doesn't seem to want to disturb them quite yet.

R'din gives Cassandra and V'ten only a glance as he looks about the Meadow, not really focused on anything as he continues to walk and hum the tune, slowly bobbing his head in time with the tune.

V'ten affects a pout as Cassandra refuses. "Ah, c'mon. I won't laugh at you, I promise," he insists. "You can tell me. Maybe I can even get you and the mystery guy hooked up. Faranth knows I should have learned something from T'hvan by now," he notes laughingly. Involved in prying names from the close-mouthed Cassandra, he fails to notice either R'din or Ryann as they first enter.

Cassandra winces. "Oh, shards, no. Please, no. I mean, if he hasn't expressed interest by now, I doubt there's any there. So just..." The greenrider sighs, shaking her head. "Besides, there's someone else interested in him, I think, and she seems to have 'marked' him. I refuse to play those games, of fighting over a guy."

Ryann sighs and moves over the where Cassandra and Vette are. "Hey, you two." She pauses to listen to where the conversation is but it doesn't seem to make much sense to her just yet. "Marked? You're not talking about . . . " she trails off thoughtfully.

R'din blinks as he hears Ryann's voice, turning his head over to where she is. He then shifts walking directions over to her and the others, "Hey, you three. Hiding from poor ol' R'din?"

V'ten eyes Cassandra skeptically. "Why not?" he asks curiously. "I mean, I bet he likes you, too, but he's probably just scared to tell you because he thinks you don't feel the same way or something like that. Who's got him marked? For that matter, who is it? You can tell me, really," he begs. He breaks off that line of thought to beam up at Ryann. "Hey, Ryann!" he says warmly. Then, he gives her an appraising look. "Do you know something I don't know?" he asks curiously, waving at R'din as well. "Hiding? Whyever would we want to hide from you, R'din?" he asks innocently.

"Shards. The shade didn't hide us very well, did it?" Cassandra says with a small laugh, glad for the distraction. "How're you doing, R'din.. Ryann." The woman blinks a bit at the latter, and mms. "So, yea, what's up?" She twists her head to peer at V'ten, and shrugs. "No, I'm sure he's entirely too busy to find time to like me."

Maybe it's just a woman's intuition, but the expression on her face makes it look rather like she has a clue as to who Cassandra's talking about. She doesn't push the subject, though, and waves at R'din. "Hey there, R'din."

R'din nods at V'ten, "Yes, hiding. Well, people have hid from me before." A shrug as he sticks his tongue out at Cassandra in reply, "No, it didn't, and it's for your own good, since my presence always benefits everyone something." A little smirk, nodding at Ryann, bending down to whisper to the girl briefly.
You whisper "I want to be with you soon... Come and see me when you're free later." to Ryann.

V'ten glances between Cassandra and Ryann, looking confused. "Too busy?" he repeats. "So he's got an important job or something? Wingsecond, maybe, or Wingleader? Or maybe even Weyrleader?" he muses, looking slyly at the greenrider. He shrugs, feigning indifference. "Well, if you want to be secretive, I guess," he says, turning to R'din. "I'd never guess why," he tells the bluerider with a smirk. He eyes the whispering going on with a bit of confusion, but then ignores it to look back at Cassandra, as if waiting for her to give in and speak a name.

A quizical look is given to Ryann once more, then she ohs. "No, no, not V'ten," the woman laughs a bit. "I mean, sure he's a nice pillow and all, and he squirms so nicely, but I already told you... Or was it someone else? Anyways, I don't interfere with couples, not on purpose, anyways. I've had my heart broken too many times when that happened to me. I might be a watchwher sometimes, but I don't get a kick out of ruining people's lives, like some." Cassandra closes her eyes as V'ten speaks, giving no outward sign of a clue to him. "Sorry, V'ten. I just... your heart has a tendency to not get broken, if you don't stick it out there for someone to do that to."

Ryann blinks then smiles at R'din and nods. She giggles at Cassandra. "It's not Vette that I'm thinking of, Cass, but I won't suggest who's on my mind. I'm not as nosy as V'ten is," she blatantly lies with a cheerful grin.

R'din falls the rest of the way to the ground, laying on his belly as soon as he's finished whispering to Ryann, giving Cassandra a sly look, answering V'ten with, "Ah, Wingseconds, Wingleaders, and Weyrleaders get the most attention." A nod, "When Analisa told me not to wait for her, I used to say that the broken pieces of my heart could fit through the eye of a needle."

"Me?" V'ten squeaks, once more giving Cassandra and Ryann a look. "Guess it's just my extraordinary good looks and my charming personality," he confides in R'din, smirking at both women. He sighs in exasperation at Cassandra and then eyes Ryann. "Uh-huh," he says, unbelieving. "I'm sure /that's/ true."

"Erm, right, V'ten," Cassandra says with a crooked grin. "How're you doing, Ryann? And what's on your devious little mind, mm? Honestly, you should have been my daughter. It'd be nice to have a girl in the bunch. But noooo. All boys, so far."

Ryann eyes widen as though Vette has just said exactly what was on her mind, then she giggles and it all falls apart. "That's it, Vette," she manages through a laugh. After regain her composure, Ryann grins at Cassandra. "I'm doing very well and I do think I know who you fancy," she winks at Cassandra conspiratorially. "You know, I'm my ma's only girl. I can imagine the all boys thing."

R'din raises a brow at V'ten, "Whatever you say, buddy." He gives him a grin, turning to watch Ryann at Cassandra's question. "Ahh, my ma has at least a thousand kids. Not that it concerns me that much, I've only visited my family once and that's all I need. Told 'em I'm too busy right after Graduation."

"So far," V'ten insists, smirking. "See, if you'd just tell me who you like and let me set y'all up or something, you might end up like a girl like Ryann. Or you might end up with a boy," he adds, thinking. "Then you could name him after me in gratitude for hooking you and Mystery Man up." He grins as Ryann affirms his earlier statement before adding, "My mom had three boys, no girls. I'm the oldest. She always said she should have stopped after me. She said it she was hoping for better luck the next two times, but I always figured it was just because she knew she couldn't improve on me." He shrugs, grinning.

"Like I said, don't worry about it. He's not ready to 'settle' anyways. So," the greenrider shrugs. "And no guarantee my child would be his, the next one I have. Gin doesn't give me much choice who I sleep with after a flight, you know."

Ryann wrinkles her nose at the greenrider. "You know, Cass, your advice to yourself is a lot different from the advice you give to other people." After that statement, it seems that Ryann more or less drops the subject. "Doesn't it make you nervous sometimes of who you'll end up with? I mean, you know, right, and just can't help it?"

R'din looks at Cassandra, "You're ready to settle?" he queries, seeming surprised, "Well, a couple of months before Analisa told me not to wait for her, I wanted to have a baby, but..." A shrug, "She was already distant by then... but one of the hardest things about dealing with separation is that my cottage is right next to hers."

V'ten frowns thoughtfully, conceding, "Okay, yeah. Maybe you have a point there. But still," he insists doggedly. Then, he shrugs, deciding suddenly to allow the subject to drop. He doesn't input much as R'din and Ryann turn the conversation elsewhere, though he continues to glance speculatively at Cassandra periodically.

"I'm not as young as I used to be, R'din," Cassandra says, "And, well, I've always been more of the committed type, even though I've tried other ways. But I was born and raised in a Hold, I guess those values stick with me, even after this long. If you love someone, you don't need to be with anyone else. While granted, as a rider, you have to take flights into exception, but that's a given." The woman smiles faintly, then shifts against V'ten, seeming to get a bit more comfortable. "It's easier to give advise, based on experience, Ryann... Yours was an easy case. I don't always butt my nose in, but.. I guess I just couldn't stand you always looking like you were slighted, and V'ten looking like a lost wherry."

Ryann glances at V'ten and giggles. "He still kinna looks like a lost wherry." She tilts her head, maybe he'll look different from another angle. "Hmmm," she murmurs with a shrug. "I guess your right, Cass."

R'din shrugs at Cassandra, "So? You're still eye-catching, and besides, I don't care about age. Though, of course, others do." He starts to pick at the grass in front of him, tearing apart a blade, "Lost wherry ready to be eaten up by a dragon." he adds, grinning at V'ten.

V'ten smiles slightly at Cassandra, then scowls at both her and Ryann. "I do not look like a lost wherry," he states indignantly, folding his arms across his chest. He can't keep up the mad routine for but a moment, however; in a second, he's grinning brightly. "Well, lost, maybe, but wherry? Definitely not," he amends.

"Would you prefer herdbeast?" Cassandra pokes at V'ten's side experimentally. "Okay, maybe you are a herdbeast. But you need just a /bit/ more weight, before you're ready to be fed to a dragon," the woman teases, before starting to tickle that side she just prodded.

Ryann nods her head. "Maybe herdbeast suits better. But you're way too skinny for any sort of dragon meal," she agrees. She sighs and lays back in the grass next to R'din. "What's up with you, R'din?"

R'din tilts his head at V'ten, "Herdbeast... Where's his horns, then?" he asks, blinking at Ryann, "What's up with me? I don't know what you mean." He flashes her a smile, "If V'ten's a herdbeast, not a wherry, then what am I? A wherry? Tunnelsnake?"

V'ten eyes Cassandra and Ryann, unimpressed. "Oh, yeah. That's loads better," he says drily. "Oh, so y'all are going to fatten me up for the slaughter, huh?" He shakes his head sadly, then starts giggling childishly, completely ruining the image he was trying to convey, as Cassandra commences her tickling. "Hey, stop that," he gasps out, squirming away from the greenrider. "Tunnelsnake," he affirms to R'din in the meantime.

As most of her weight had been supported by V'ten, when he squirms away, Cassandra falls over, and rolls a few feet away, laughing brightly. "I prefer kittens!" she says, then laughs more, holding her stomache as R'din is called a tunnelsnake. "Oooh, ouch, V'ten! Careful, tunnelsnake bites hurt!"

Ryann giggles at R'din. "Very much a tunnelsnake," she informs the bluerider. "And I meant what have you been doing lately," she says, rolling her eyes. "Somehow I don't think Ryanath would simply let us fatten you up, Vette."

R'din lifts his chin proudly, "What makes me a tunnelsnake, hmm?" At Cassandra's words, he shows V'ten his teeth, giving him a growl, "Grrr." Back to Ryann, "I've been walking around and lying around and making people trip lately. That and stealing lots and lots of sweets, but not one ounce of fat to show for it."

V'ten snickers at Cassandra. "Serves you right," he announces brightly, sticking out his tongue at the greenrider. He shrugs to Ryann. "Well, maybe not," the brownrider concedes with a grin. He smirks at R'din, shrugging. "I dunno," he answers the bluerider's question. "I think it's just a Ryann and Cassandra thing," he explains further, gesturing vaguely at the two women. "I'm a herdbeast; you're a tunnelsnake. Only their minds know why."

Cassandra just sprawls on the ground now, her laughs subsiding. "Oh, we're just being silly. You aren't herdbeasts or tunnelsnakes," she says with a grin, looking up at the sky. "Now, that cloud, however... It looks like a herdbeast standing on a tunnelsnake. Or maybe not." What a way to deflect the whole topic!

Ryann nearly crosses her eyes at R'din's last comment and shifts her head up to look at herself. "You're not saying I've gained weight, are you?" Her tone is uncertain, then she laughs. "You probably wouldn't answer that even if it were the case, would you?" She shrugs and turns her head to look at R'din and then Vette. "Nah, you two are just normal guys."

R'din peers at a blade of grass more closely, deciding to taste it and he does so, putting it into his mouth before promptly spitting it out, smacking his lips. "Yeah, women're that way." he agrees with V'ten, "But better a tunnelsnake than a herdbeast." A slight smirk, looking up at the cloud, "Never, Ryann. Still as thin and sexy as ever." he replies.

"Normal?" V'ten repeats with a smirk. "Well, I have my normal moments, every once in a while," he admits, laughing. "Sometimes, though.." He trails off, glancing up to the sky briefly and then back down to Ryann as he nods agreement with R'din. "Yeah, what he.. said," he notes slowly, glancing to R'din. He shrugs absently and looks up at the clouds again, pointing at a particular one. "That looks like a.. cloud?" he says, grinning.

"Oh, sure. Tell /her/ she's thin and sexy. But all you tell me is that I don't 'look old'. Hmph!" Cassandra mutters, as she pulls a knee up, and crosses one leg over it, then rolls her hips side to side. "I see how it is." Expelling a long-suffering sigh, the rider covers her face with her hands, and rubs it, as if trying to wipe away weariness.

Ryann takes in a breath and lets it out. "Oh, you two are so sweet," she says in her own sweet little way. She too glances up at the clouds. "They all look like clouds. Oh, wait, that one kind of looks like, well, a stick, I guess." She sighs, "I'm no good at this." The blonde glances at Cassandra as she speaks, but doesn't seem to know exactly how to reply.

R'din wrinkles his nose at the word, 'normal.' "I'd prefer to be called anything /but/ normal." he tosses in, glancing at Cassandra, grinning. "You're not old, you're experienced as well as eye-catching, like I told you before. I'd try for you, but I doubt I could succeed." A wink, looking up at the clouds again. "That cloud looks like a combination of herdbeast, tunnelsnake, and wherry. See, it has wherry wings, herdbeast legs and body, but a tunnelsnake's neck and head."

V'ten beams. "Aren't we, though," he remarks brightly to Ryann. He nods. "Yeah, really. I never spent much time cloud-watching. Too many other things to do -- wreak havoc and all that," explains the brownrider with a smirk. He glances at the one R'din points out another cloud. "Uh-huh," he replies dubiously. "If you say so, R'din."

Cassandra stares at the indicated cloud, after a noncomittal grunt concerning R'din's previous words. "Just what have you been eating?" she asks the bluerider. "How did you get all those animals out of that fluff of cloud?"

Ryann laughs at Cass' words. "It must be something good at the very least, but I'm inclined to believe that's just how his mind works," she grins brightly at R'din. "I still just see fluff. And the stick," she adds, brows furrowing. "Maybe I'd get better after a few glasses of wine."

R'din raises both his brows at Cassandra, "I'm serious." at her noncommittal grunt, smiling afterwards. "Imagination." he answers, "And I've been eating grass." A nod at Ryann, "A /very/ fluffy wherry/tunnelsnake/herdbeast."

V'ten eyes Ryann. "A few glasses of wine," he repeats, raising an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And we know just how well you handle a few glasses of wine," he notes teasingly." He eyes R'din, shrugging and squinting up at the cloud, twisting his head to get a better angle. "I can kind of see it, if I squint and look at it from this position and then add in lots of imagination," he says, frowning slightly.

Cassandra suddenly gets up from the ground. "Yea, well... We already tried, remember, R'din?" She sighs heavily. "It's nothing against you. You're a great friend. But.. Things didn't click then, for it to be anything more." Her brow furrows, and she hugs her arms about herself. "I'm going for a walk, now..." She doesn't look at R'din, probably sure she has just somehow hurt his feelings.

Ryann giggles at V'ten. "I was emotional to begin with. But, you're right, I'm not that great with it. Practice makes perfect," she grins. Sitting up and looking between the blue and greenrider, Ryann blinks and frowns.

R'din points at V'ten, "He sees it! I knew I could count on someone to see it." Another grass blade is plucked and torn apart, blinking at Cassandra's sudden words. "That was because I was with Analisa at the time, Cassie. I wouldn't have done anything while I was still with her." he says, starting to push himself up from the ground, "I didn't mean anything by it."

V'ten frowns at Cassandra, but doesn't say anything, merely blinking as he looks between the bluerider and the greenrider. Instead, he grins at Ryann, nodding. "So you need practice, huh? I've never heard of practicing drinking before, but it sounds like something I could get into. I knew there was a reason they gave me a bottle of rum or something-or-'nother for graduation," he muses, smirking.

"I know that," Cassandra says softly, "That's why I didn't interfere. But also, knew there wasn't anything there. Not for us, anyways. You can just, feel those things sometimes, you know?" The greenrider shrugs, and starts to walk towards the beach. "Ancient history now. Like most things in my life."

Ryann watches Cass for a moment and can't seem to think of anything to say. "Wine's sounding like a better idea by the moment right now, Vette. Have you opened that rum? Guess if it was a present you might wanna hang onto it." She trails off as she moves to kneel.

R'din stands on his knees, blinking at Cassandra's words before leaning back and sitting on his feet, silent as he watches her leave. He heaves a sigh, looking back at Ryann and V'ten for a moment before rising to his feet, turning around and heading back towards the Southern Weyrs without a word.

V'ten frowns at R'din's abrupt departure but chooses not to comment on it. He nods to Ryann, grinning. "Does sound pretty good, doesn't it," he agrees. "Nope, haven't opened it yet. In fact, it's still sitting on the table in my cottage. Haven't really had an occasion to open it for yet. I could go get it now, though, and maybe some glasses from the weyrhall, if you'd like?" he suggests, glancing at both Ryann and Cassandra curiously.

Ryann watches R'din leave and frowns, staring after him for a moment. "If you think the occasion's worth it, Vette, then I'm willing," she says brightly, cheering up a bit already. "What do you think, Cass?"

Well, she didn't get very far, did she? "What? I thought drinking should be for celebrating... Or losing flights, course I've never lost a flight," she smirks a bit. Sighing, Cassandra shakes her head. "I probably shouldn't drink. I've never had anything good come of me drinking, especially if I'm kind of down." She looks after R'din, and sighs. "Like, see? I probably just ruined a perfectly good friendship, because I'm such a wherryhead."

V'ten raises an eyebrow at Cassandra. "It's alcohol. Trust me: you can drink it pretty much any time you want to. You can celebrate something with it or you can drown your woes in it," he states firmly, smiling at the greenrider. "I'll be back in a second." Quickly, he jumps to his feet and heads south to his cottage.
"You sure, Cass?" Ryann adds to Vette's words with a nod. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen now?" She watches Vette move off, a small smile touching her lips.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Cass practically throws herself to the ground, then stares up at the sky filling with stars. "I guess one drink can't hurt," she concedes after a long while.

True to his word, V'ten returns quickly, a bottle of rum in one hand and three glasses held precariously in the other. Carefully, he seats himself once more on the ground, and immediately sets down the glasses before he can drop and break any or all of them. "I'm back," he announces quite unnecessarily as he proceeds to open the bottle and pour some of its contents into each of the glasses. "Here y'all go," he says, offering a glass to each woman and keeping the third for himself.

Ryann grins at Cass for her decision, again as Vette come's back and once more as he offers her a glass. "Thanks, Vette," she beams, bringing her glass to her mouth to test this rum.

Cassandra just eyes the smiley Ryann curiously for the longest time, before she accepts her rum from V'ten. "Thanks," she murmurs, and stares down at the golden-brown liquid, before lifting the glass to her lips and knocking back the whole glass in a matter of a few swallows. When done, she shudders, her face scrunching up slightly, then she holds out her glass towards V'ten.

V'ten leans back, grinning as he takes a drink. He nods appreciatively, commenting after a moment, "Yeah, this stuff is pretty good." He eyes Cassandra dubiously, however, as she drains the glass quickly and then holds it back out to him. "More already?" he asks, surprised.

Ryann mmms and lifts up the class to look at it's bit of remain contents. "Nice, Vette." She grins at Cass, "Very nice. More, me too," she insists as she downs the rest of the glass with only the slightest twitch.
Arching a brow at V'ten, Cassandra says, "The glass is empty, isn't it?" Her gaze drifts to Ryann for a moment, and she smiles as the girl downs the rest of her glass. "You're learning."

V'ten looks from Ryann to Cassandra and back again as if he were already regretting supplying them with alcohol, but in the end, the brownrider shrugs and refills both glass with a grin. More slowly than either woman, he sips at his own glass, though soon enough he has to refill it as well. V'ten eyes the remainder of the rum in the bottle critically, smirking. "This stuff won't last long at this rate," he remarks. "But it'll be good while it lasts, I guess."

Ryann wrinkles her nose at the greenrider while V'ten refills their glasses. "Is it learning or just me being stupid?" She looks at V'ten with wide eyes, "Maybe we should get something from the kitchen instead. You know, so we don't waste yours." Or maybe so they can just have more? She finally just shakes her head and takes a smaller sip from her glass.

"Both, maybe?" Cass says, her cheeks already coloring from the alcohol. She did say she doesn't drink much, right? "Hmm.. no, no, kitchen supply isn't the best.. Maybe, maybe there's some Benden somewhere, if this doesn't last. Or I'll just buy you more."

V'ten grins. "What else is it for if not drinking?" he questions, raising an eyebrow slightly and taking another drink. "I mean, it's either going to sit indefinitely in my cottage or it's gonna get drunk. Personally, I'd rather drink it." He glances at Cassandra, shrugging. "No, really. Don't worry about it. It's going to a good use after all, right?"

Ryann lifts an eyebrow suspiciously. "A good use, eh, Vette? That sounds, hmmm, I dunno." She obviously looses her train of thought and brings a hand to touch her cheek, which has since become flushed.

Cassandra drinks about half her current glass, and looks between the two for a long moment, then says, "We should probably... go somewhere else. Passing out, out here, could cause one to get sick." Someone plans on passing out?

V'ten just stares at Ryann. "It sounds /how/?" he asks her, looking uncertain. Cassandra earns herself a startled look from the brownrider for her most recent comment. "Go somewhere else?" V'ten repeats blankly. "I'll agree passing out here wouldn't be that great of a way to spend the night, but where else are we going to go?" he questions, frowning.


You walk into V'ten and Brown Ryanath's Weyr.
Ryanath's Realm(#2051RJ$)
At one time, thick patches of reeds grew on this ground, a fact testified to by the few stalks still standing to either side of a small bridge that leads to V'ten and Ryanath's cottage. The bridge itself has been painstakingly repaired, its planks washed clean of mud and straightened in their places. Under the bridge, a trench has been dug. This trench stretches through the middle of the field, providing drainage for the low-lying land around it. A steady stream of water flows into the trench, creating a pleasingly tranquil scene. Once off the bridge, the path veers upward once more, leaving behind the peaceful stream. Grass has been carefully cultivated to grow in the dry, sandy soil that surrounds the cottage itself. Small beds of flowers at the yard's edges bear bright blossoms of both naturally growing and planted flora. The yard's crowning glory is a magnificent magnolia tree which stands between Ryanath's hollow and V'ten's cottage.
The cottage itself is made of wood, greyed with age. Once painted a fading shade of pink, the wood has been scraped clean of any remnants of its former colour. The stone steps that lead up to the porch have been raised once more from oblivion to outline the pathway to the entrance, though the porch itself still stubbornly sags. Hanging from one beam of its ceiling is an exquisitely crafted lightcatcher. The door to the interior of the cottage looks to be newer than the cottage itself, as do the open shutters on the windows. Inside, the floor has been swept clean of all dirt and debris it once possessed. A brightly coloured rug lies across the floor, and a chair and table sit to one side of it. In an out-of-the-way corner is a small but functional bed with perpetually rumbled sheets that testify to V'ten's housekeeping skills; beside the bed is an endtable which bears various items its owner has collected. The focal point of the cottage is a great hearth made of river stones carved with a scene of delicate reeds.

+views are available here

Contents:
Cassandra
Ryann
V'ten
Tybalt(#4917Japs$)
Ryanath(#99JOaeps$)
Obvious exits:
Southern Weyrs

Ryann seems to have lost where their conversation went and just sits herself back in the chair she's claimed for her own. She looks around slowly, trying to take everything in.

"They're not too different from men... Well, other than the really short memories," Cass laughs, as she moves to pour herself some more rum. "Hrm.. you got any more of this, or something else?" the greenrider asks, pouting prettily at V'ten.

V'ten shakes his head sadly. "Nope, nothing else. That's all I've got, actually," he says, frowning as he thinks. Finally, he shakes his head more confidently. "Nope, nothing else," he affirms. "Haven't hidden a secret stash anywhere or anything like that. Which, now that I think about it, is a really great idea. Then I'll always have stuff stored away for an emergency like this."

R'din sits close to one of the darker corners, on the floor, his back leaning against the wall with his head resting against the wall as well, eyes closed. He's cross-legged, hands resting on either knee, silent and immovable.

Ryann's eyes settle on R'din for a few moments, then turn to Vette, who seems otherwise occupied talking to Cass. She moves to where the bluerider is seated, crouching down, glass still in hand, and tilting her head to look at him.

"Blast," Cass mutters, and seems to concentrate really, really hard for a moment, before she drinks more from her glass. Swaying on her feet again, she looks towards R'din and Ryann, calling, "Hey, Din... you got any more? Once you stop.. you can't start!" She starts to head over towards V'ten with the bottle of rum, not even realizing her word switching. "More, V'ten. Puts hair on your chest, or something like that."

V'ten blinks at Cassandra, knowing something wasn't quite right about what she just said but not quite sure what the fault was. After a moment's thought, he shrugs indifferently and repeats blankly, "Hair.. on my chest?" He grins. "If you say so. And, hey, I don't remember bringing /you/ home," he tells R'din, canting his head as he notices the bluerider.

R'din opens his eyes at Cassandra's query to him slowly, finding Ryann staring at him. He studies Ryann for a moment before looking sideways at Cassandra without moving his head, "No." is all he says in reply, turning his eyes back onto Ryann before closing them once again, "Shut up, V'ten." Silent once again.

Ryann shrugs and stands, moving to Vette's side to comfort and be comforted. She reaches to touch his shoulder, but stops and moves to his other side. "Maybe your next rest day we can go to the Hold and see what we can buy."

"Hair.. on your chest," the greenrider giggles, and is about to say more, perhaps, when Ryann passes her by, and sits next to V'ten. "Here," she says, with a furrowing brow, thrusting the bottle to him. If he doesn't take it, the rider sets the bottle on the floor, then, and shuffles over to R'din. "I'm sorry Din," she says with a pout. "Here..." She offers him the last of her rum.

"Touchy, ain't he?" V'ten notes blithely, shrugging and looking away from R'din. He glances up at Ryann, smiling brightly. "Sounds like a plan," he tells her cheerfully. "More is definitely a good thing. Speaking of which.." V'ten accepts the bottle from Cassandra with a grin, showing it to Ryann. "Care for a refill?"

R'din opens his eyes once again as he hears shuffling in his direction, eyes swiveling about to lock on Cassandra, then the rum, one hand rising up. He takes the rum and downs it in one gulp then sets the glass down on the floor and closes his eyes once again. All without a word.

With a glance towards V'ten and Ryann, Cass sighs a bit, and curls herself up on the floor, trying to rest her head against R'din. "Seems like someone really doesn't like grey afterall," she comments cryptically.

Ryann lifts up her glass in answer. Just one more seems to be her philosophy tonight and it's not doing her a whole lot of good it seems. It doesn't take her long to down her refill and she starts to tilt in V'ten's direction with a giggle.

R'din raises a brow at the comment, "Grey?" he asks, though he doesn't open any eyes, letting Cassandra rest against him.

Cassandra shakes her head, and just rests against R'din. Nothing untoward, just someone that's been a long time friend. "Grey... shades of grey.. You know, when someone can't decide whether they want to bed you, or not. Reserving you, in case they decide they want to, so that no one else can take you in the meantime," the greenrider blathers. Oh, the joy of alcohol.

V'ten smirks at Cassandra. "Maybe not," he answers her with a shrug and a glance at Ryann. "Already?" he asks, willingly refilling the glass. Then, he eyes it, frowning. "Not much left at all," he comments sadly before glancing to Cassandra and R'din on the floor. "I think there's enough for a last glass if y'all want it," he announces to the pair, either not hearing or pointedly ignoring Cassandra's ramblings.

R'din opens one eye closest to Cassandra and peers down at her, the brow remaining raised as he regards her silently for several moments. "Just who are you talking about?" He gives V'ten a glance, "No more for her." Meaning Cassandra. "Or I'll kill you." His tone is unclear, therefore, it's unclear whether he means it or not.

Ryann leans forward to set her glass 'gently' on the ground then moves to stand up and look at the door. "Mab ye I should go," she attempts and sits back in her seat as though it's too difficult to coordinate her movements. She glances at R'din and smiles, then does the same to Vette.

"I can't have no more?" Cassandra whimpers a bit, sitting up to pout at R'din. "Why not?" Her eyes look to V'ten then, and she licks her lips. "I kin finish it fer ya!" And she does start the difficult process of untangling herself from herself, to stand. "Ryn. Walkin' isn't quite workin' for ya right now," she states, as if she's not having her own problems.

"Your loss," V'ten declares with a shrug, setting the nearly empty bottle on the floor beside Ryann's glass. He eyes Cassandra dubiously. "Um, 'cause he said so? I think he means it, too," he tells the greenrider, looking slightly confused. "You don't have to go, really. I don't care if you spend the night," he insists, beaming at Ryann.

R'din shakes his head at Cassandra, "No. You're drunk enough already." he replies, "And you didn't answer my question. Just who are you talking about?" he repeats, reaching up and pulling Cassandra back down to the floor, giving Ryann a look that says, 'Stay right there... Or else.'

Ryann beams up at Vette and doesn't really seem to know what to say at first. She blinks at R'din as her blurry eyes try to focus on him, then glances at the closer Vette. "You mean it? I can stay all night?" She looks around ready to just fall forward on the floor, but manages to keep herself upright for now. Some people just can't hold their alcohol, and for one of them, she's had quite a lot.

V'ten nods. "Yeah, sure. I don't mind, nope, not at all," he says brightly. "But," he adds with a large yawn, "I'm getting really tired, so I think I'm just gonna curl up in my nice bed and go to sleep about now." Despite his words, he doesn't make any move to lie down for the moment; instead, he remains upright, grinning at Ryann, Cassandra, and R'din.

Cassandra gives a strangled cry as she's suddenly pulled to the floor, unceremoniously dropping half on and half off of R'din. "No! Issa.. Isa nobody.. just.. no mind you. Told you, I don't play those games." She is trying to untangle herself from R'din, but really is only making it worse.

Ryann doesn't want for V'ten to move and she gets up to make her own way to the bed. So what if she wasn't specifically invited there, she seems to have it in her mind that that's where she's going. She falls onto the bed and is out almost instantaneously.

R'din eyes V'ten as he grins at him and the others, looking down at Cassandra as she tangles with himself. He proceeds to pull his arms out one at a time, trying to keep them above Cassandra, "I didn't ask you, V'ten did. But who are you talking about, Cassie?" as he attempts to grab her and pull her up to an sitting position besides him.

V'ten eyes R'din and Cassandra's struggles for a moment, then shrugs and moves unsteadily over to the bed himself. "Nightnight, everybody," he says with another large yawn as he collapses beside Ryann on the bed. Within moments, he, too, is sound asleep.

Cassandra struggles for a bit more, then gives up with a huff, and allows R'din to do with her as he will, concerning the untangling. "I'm talking about girls that hemhaw over more than one guy, and then when one of the guys steps forwards about it, she says, things ilke, 'I wanna be more than friends, but not weyrmates, or anything like that'... I mean.. what does that sharding mean?"

R'din sighs as he's the only somber one, and the others are out except for Cassie, handling her gently as he positions her into the correct position, pulling her up and settling her against his side. "That means she doesn't want to be committed, Cassandra. She just wants a relationship with the guy, sex, probably, and more than just one time. But not limit herself to one man. At least that's my experience, and that's what I'm doing. I don't want committment, I just want someone to be with, someone to have a relationship with, conversations, cuddle, make love, all that, but not be limited to just her."

Shivering a bit, Cass snuggles up against the rider, and sniffles. "Never works. Never, never works. Someone always gets hurt," she whispers. "Always. Usually me. But it gets lonely. So lonely, sometimes." She frowns then, "Why she not be honest then, huh? Say she just wants to sleep around with as many men as she can find?"

R'din shrugs, "That's what happens." he replies, "You get hurt, yes, but it's well worth it." As she snuggles up against him, he turns his head to her, watching her in silence before deciding to try and wrap an arm around her back, "Probably because she doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but that happens. Me, I make an agreement beforehand first before starting any damn thing, then if she agrees, well, then it's on."

Cassandra snickers. "I hear there's several riders who don't care who they sleep with. And the greenriders of the bunch, give people like me a bad reputation. You ever been looked at like you're a wolf in sheep's clothing, trying to steal everyone's husbands?"

R'din shakes his head, "No, Cassie. I keep my affairs personal, period. I don't like the public sticking their nose into my business." he replies, "And of course there's always bad apples. And no, I haven't, because I don't steal husbands."

Cassandra blinks a bit, then laughs! "I hope not! I'd worry about you then, Din," she snickers, and just relaxes in that simple embrace. "I like someone, who's not ready for settling. I want to settle... But, I fear I'll never find the one to settle with, or he won't want me.. but I don't want to be alone. Sometimes, you just need the company of another, but I don't want to get hurt, or anything like that, I just.." She'd probably keep rambling, but for the fact that she has to stop and take a breath.

R'din finally lets a little smirk creep onto his face, "Look, if he doesn't want to settle, and you do, then forget him. Move on." he suggests, "Cassandra... Did you mean what you said back there about me?"

Cassandra huhs? "I'm not the one.. who called you a tunnelsnake, that was her!" and she points to the passed out Ryann. "Move on, huh? He wants to settle, but, not yet... I guess... i just wait, then."

R'din shakes his head, "Are you going to wait forever for him?" he asks, raising a brow at Cassandra, "No, I meant about us. About there being nothing between us?"

Cassandra blinks. "Oh, I.. We're friends, I know that," she says, brow furrowing. "Why?" Sighing, she wraps her arms about him, hugging him securely as she snuggles up, being a bit cold.

R'din chuckles softly as she wraps her arms around him, "Because I /do/ like you in that way. I always did, but I couldn't do anything while I was with Analisa. I had to be loyal... Now that I'm free, after you said that, I might as well have lost you." A shrug, "Ah well, too bad."

Cassandra blinks. "I never knew," her brow furrows, and she frowns. "I do like you, R'din. And I know I wouldn't mind sharing a bed with you..." She sighs, burying her head into your chest. "And... honestly, I suppose it can't hurt, since you don't want to settle down, and right now, I don't have anyone even looking at me twice..."

R'din raises a brow at Cassandra, "Are you sure? I wouldn't mind keeping you company and giving you someone to be with when you're lonely." he says softly, letting you furrow your head against his chest, "Ah, but Cassie, you're certainly worth a second look. But I want to be with you when you're /not/ drunk. I don't even know if you'll remember this conversation or not."

"You don't have to, you know... Don't need to take pity on me..." the greenrider murmurs, then sits up a bit, looking at him for a moment, before leaning in close, "I'm not as think as you drunk I am," she whispers, before suddenly leaning in to give him one heck of a passionate kiss.


Cassandra
Hazel colored eyes, ever changing with her moods, peer out from under long lashes. Her raven hair, which used to hang freely, is now bound back in a tight braid that falls to her waist and tied with a strip of bluishgrey-dyed wherhide. Her athletic body is hard, lean, all muscle and in peak condition, where it will remain so all her days as a Rider. Standing at 5'7", she moves with the grace and fluidity of a Panther, her muscles rippling beneath her nicely tanned skin. Her smiles no longer have a tinge of sadness to them, she is happier than she's ever been. Her eyes still watch around her warily, following the movements of others closely. Cassie still retains a youthful appearance, her true age not easily determined.
Onyx sisal, married to filaments of silver, caress her body, in the form of a fishnet tunic. Off-the-shoulder, leaving her chest bare to the swells of her breasts, it obviously was not designed for modesty. Modesty, though, is preserved if barely, by the wine colored bodice she wears. Laced up tightly about her slim midriff, her cleavage is enhanced as it pushes her bosom up. The bodice tapers to her waist, hilighting its trimness. Sable leather meshes with the same fishnet material, the latter forming a three-inch wide panel on the outside seam. These are tucked into knee-high boots, the leather dyed a deep wine with gold trimmings. Hanging from her hip, she wears a sheathed dagger.
Carrying:
Locket(#2534C)
Oriel
Cthulu


R'din furrows his brows at Cassandra, "Of course I'm not taking pity on you, you're quite desirable." he answers matter-of-factly, blinking as she leans in close to him, caught off-guard by the passionate kiss, but quickly responding to it with just as much passion as she.

Cassandra laughs a bit through the kiss. "Mmm... Take me home, you big lug," she murmurs, even as she presses close to the man where he sits. "They're too innocent to have to listen, or see what I want to do with you."

Fade to black