Tess sighed, giving one more brush of fingers through her still-damp hair. She hadn't spent much time in her own quarters for the past few sevendays, but after the afternoon's events she had needed a nice, long soak. There was no need to spend every moment possible near the Sands to be company to Trith, her promise to Samhara fulfilled to the last. And now, finally, the flow of the infirmary was getting back to manageable levels after the attack. Certainly there were still a few who were bedridden, but most were on the mend enough to be out and about their usual activities.
There was a small, exhausted part of her that wanted to simply stay back and sleep through the feast, but she knew she couldn't. She knew what was coming, so the 'mandatory' aspect wasn't something she particularly took heed of. It was more...she knew that she
should be there. If anything, to support her friend. ...And possibly to have a few
skins of wine after this whole ordeal. She knew that wasn't the greatest idea, seeing as tomorrow the new Weyrlings would begin their training and it was always likely that some pair or another would trip all over themselves or someone else. New as those talons were, they were still quite sharp, and a dragonet wasn't necessarily light. There would be two dragonhealers in the lot to tend the hatchlings, but if the human halves of the pairs were injured they would likely be brought to her.
Sighing and pushing away from where she'd let her head softly
thunk and rest against the wall, she gave one last smoothing brush to her clothes and set off. Jaser appeared to snuggle into her neck and trill at her lovingly for a moment before popping off to heckle the kitchen workers some more. Her generally brisk stride brought her to the Weyrhall quickly, and then up to the head table she waltzed. A wineskin was snagged with a smile as she dodged a Candidate here, a Weyrling there, and a few other milling bodies along the way. Getting to the head table, she shot V'ton a quick nod and polite smile before quirking a brow at K'roi and letting the skin dangle from a finger.
"You look like Fall, my friend," she greeted cheerily, knowing full well that there were matching circles under her eyes and tiredness in her frame. But, well, it was almost necessary to say. For her, at least. As the current Head Healer, she snagged a chair from the table as was her right, even if she didn't generally care much for pretext. If she was going to be awake, she wanted to spend her time
annoying in the company of one of her two favorite men. K'roi lucked out on that one.
.o0O0o.
V'taph absently rubbed the tiny yellow head of the creature clinging to his shoulder as he scanned the quickly filling room. The night was all set to run smoothly, many of the denizens having been through the events dozens of times before. That didn't, of course, mean that it
would, and thus V'taph would make certain that he kept up a constant state of vigilance. It would be a little easier once people settled in and he could play a few tunes from his little strategically raised platform in the corner. Then he could just let his body play the jaunty tunes on automatic while he got a decent view of the whole room and wouldn't have to worry about talking to or focusing on any one person.
But, for now, he should probably mingle with his fellows a bit. After all, he took his work seriously but he wasn't a stick in the mud.
Passing quietly by one table, he made certain to reach out and give a small tug to a certain now-Impressed imp's braid. A grin tugged at his face as he deftly sped his gait to escape retaliation. Coming up alongside one of his fellow Wingseconds, he clapped U'ar on the shoulder genially. "Hail, friend. You have any of that to share, or did the young one drink it all?" he teased with twinkling eyes, motioning toward the wine.
Well, he
was a Harper, after all.
Of course, came the dry chuckle in his mind, Veneth quite amused at his Rider.
.o0O0o.
L'cin sighed and pulled at his collar again. "Is this really necessary?" he asked for about the fortieth time, watching his sister bustle about the room doing Faranth-knew-what. He could feel the nervous excitement pouring off of her, and while he shared the feeling he somewhat doubted that should mean he let her dress him up. When all she answered him with was a roll of her eyes, he sighed in resignation and leaned against the wall.
"We'll be moving in the morning. Let it rest," he said quietly, giving his twin a gentle smile in return for her hapless one.
"I know, I'm just..." she let it trail with a vague wave of her hand, unable to completely spell out the maelstrom of emotions bounding and twisting within her. Excited, happy, terrified, sad, panicked, and about a million more things she couldn't name.
"I know. Me too." And for a moment, there was actually peace. Crossing the room, S'ren flopped against the wall with a huff of breath, tilting her head to rest it on her brother's shoulder. He was starting to get a little taller than her, and she wasn't certain how to feel about that either. They wouldn't look quite so much alike, but...well, they wouldn't look so much like each other. Which was both a hope and a sorrow.
Shaking her head with a chuckle, she perked back up and turned to regard L'cin's outfit critically. "I really think you should have worn the-"
"
No. No more ornaments. I- You've dressed me up enough," he grumbled with a blush. It would be much harder to remain unnoticeable with the bright colors of his attire and the small flashes of jewelry adorning him.
With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, S'ren mumbled an oh-so-exasperated 'fine' and finished off her own attire. L'cin knew better than to comment on the girliness of taking forever to get ready. He wasn't interested on sporting a black eye to the feast either.
Their arrival in the Weyrhall received little fanfare save a few waves and grins at S'ren, but before L'cin could even look around his sister was steering them in a direction. The evil grin on her face could only mean trouble, so when he saw their destination he could only flush. Honestly, he would likely have headed in that direction anyway, but he knew he was in for a ribbing now.
Coming up on K'vin and K'ron, L'cin managed to stutter out a nervous, "H-hi," and a shy smile, hopefully warning his...whatever-K'vin-is-to-him of his impending doom in the form of lanky blonde female. Fidgeting next to the bench, L'cin looked between the other two and blushed again, not quite certain if the interruption was welcome.
S'ren, of course, had no such hesitations and deftly slid into the bench next to K'ron, nudging his shoulder with a playful wink. "Gooooooood evening, boys," she chirped out cheerily, quickly muffling her own frenzied emotions with the lovely cover of getting to discomfit her brother and his, uh, laddie-love.
.o0O0o.
Mira stepped lightly into the Weyrhall, careful of her still-tender feet. For once she was wearing shoes indoors, even if the soft leather ankleboots barely counted as slippers as far as the sole was concerned. She still had to walk a bit slowly instead of her normal sprightly, sultry dance of a sway, but at least she was mobile again. She had been somewhat devastated by the news that she was unable to walk about - nevermind dance - with the burns to the bottom of her feet, and only the quick addendum that they would heal up fine had quelled her panic.
She had missed the Hatching itself, but both she and Misk has felt the departure of the mighty queen shortly after they woke. Mira frowned for a moment at the memory of twisting emotion, but quickly smoothed out her features to something more neutral. Perhaps in a bit she'd manage her usual mischievous grin, but for now neutral curiosity was good.
Misk was a little grumpy about having to stay behind, but she knew that she wouldn't quite enjoy the close press of people and the bright lights of the celebratory feast. Instead, she was a small presence in Mira's mind, experiencing the events of the night secondhand.
A quick scan around revealed no Dastan, nor any of her other fellow Wherhandlers. With Toven (a.k.a. Sir Stick-in-the-Mud) missing, there was a delightful opportunity for mischief, and she reveled in that knowledge with a terrifying smirk. But for now, she needed to find someone to talk to until this 'mandatory announcement' business was settled.
Passing behind K'vin and seeing the boy near him - likely his sweet L'cin - she sing-songed a quick tease about true love winning out in the end. Letting out a delighted laugh, she headed in the direction of the Master Harper. A little wine would be a nice indulgence while the Wherling Master was absent, and the best way to find it was generally to follow a Harper.