Foof And Consequences
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Xanadu Weyr - Observation Level

Dark blue seats form a semi-circle around the sands below, the lowest row separated from the multicolored red and white sands by merely a railing. The seats climb upwards, each row a bit higher than the previous, and they are broken up into sections by three sets of staircases. Between the first and second section, a glass wall descends to separate the observers from the heat of the sands. Air is kept in motion through a set of fans, and so these seats are quieter and cooler than the rest… though the noise and heat of the sands is still present.

Lights are evenly spaced along the outer wall, lighting the seats and the sands easily, though they tend to be dimmed unless a major event is taking place. A large balcony overhead connects to the glass wall. Vents for cooling run along the bottom of it, and the ledge provides a place for observers of the draconic kind to watch without obstructing the view for others.

The sand below is variegated in hue, individual grains of red and white that have a pinkish hue when seen from across the circle of the hatching grounds but - up close over that railing - are clearly two varieties mingled.


Rinian had the joy of fishing on this cold winter day. And…she loved it. But the end result is a mane of hair blown wildly out of control, reddened cheeks, and in general being frozen. Now where is better to warm up than so near the sands where warmth would be all around, than in front of a unidirectional fireplace? Plus the added bonus of seeing the eggs and maybe, if she's in the mood, a hello from this not-wife to Leirith.

It was probably Fern who'd spilled the beans to Bocote who fluff-thought at Mathis, which is why he arrives on the observation level wearing his overly stuffed bag and carrying a plate of all Rinian's favorites as well as a still steaming mug of klah with sweetner and cream. "Did you love it?" he grins with all those teeth as he makes his way over at reasonable speed. The boy seemed more coordinated as of late, no doubt that has something to do with their twice a sevenday training lessons, also responsible for him looking somewhat less like a walking skeleton wearing a skin suit. Hooray for meat on his bones! "Here, I brought you some stuff."

Rinian gives him a look reserved for a life-saver. "How did you know?" Speaking of Fern, she floats in to settle on Rin's shoulder. She reaches for that hot mug of klah first, her fingers that brush against his unintentionally like little shards of ice. "Thank you!" And in answer to the question, a really big grin. "I loved it, but I have fisherfolk family so…" Lucky Matty. She's just as short and tiny as ever.

Rinian's grateful expression just increases the broadness of that smile shown her, hazel eyes darting to and locking onto Fern as she flutters in on hidden thermals to land so gracefully upon the girl's shoulder. An honest to goodness chuckle (rather than a giggle) emerges from him, broadening shoulders lifted then dropped. "It's a mystery," he says, stiffening with a brief suck of breath past his teeth at the brush of icy-cold fingers against his own skin that must seem molten to her in comparison. "Not a moment too soon, I see." Cause, yikes. Bobbling his head, "Sure!" Once everything he was holding was passed on, he rummages inside his bag to pull out…her hairbrush and an elastic, applying the band to his wrist as he moves in behind her to get started trying to tame that wild mane. Starting at the bottom, brush-brush-brush, "Are you trying to say that it's in your blood?" Another soft round of laughter, "Fish in your blood, sounds kinda gross to me." He's teasing of course.

Rinian sighs contentedly as he starts to brush her hair. She loves how her friend knows that having her hair brushed is one of her favorite things ever, and he's willing to do it and..prepared! That much hair should keep him busy for awhile. She wonders if she can adopt him as her little brother. The food waits while she tries to warm her hands around that mug, taking small sips and letting its warmth work on her core. She laughs softly at hs comment. "Well, maybe sea water?" Her hands are already work roughened tough from her own craft, so besides being cold they've suffered no ill from the work of the day.

A wild green flitter appears! …Literally, in fact. It appears from *between* somewhere overhead, and starts circling lazily on unsteady wings. Eventually, it comes to rest with a heavy *thunk* on a seat somewhere near Rinian and Mathis. She shivers from nose to tail, shaking off that rough landing, then starts slinking toward the two Candidates. She gives a questioning whistle, probably begging for treats! And then her human appears, rising out of the stairs and emerging onto the observation level with an only faintly concerned look. Teinon looks around, until a bit of searching spots the green, and he starts trotting in that direction.

If anyone of the candidates knew Rinian best, it was probably Mathis, and much could be be said in reverse. He was more than willing and certainly capable of pampering her relentlessly, simply because he loved her. Crinkling his nose, which she can't see with her head turned away, "That sounds painful. Remember that time you cut your foot on that clamshell and Journeyman Felin told you to put your foot in the water?" Yeah, that stung like all get out didn't it Rinian? Even as they converse, he was working her hairbrush through a little at a time to reduce the possibility of snagging something and hurting her. Already it was looking smoother, and his intent wasn't to stop until it shown like fine silk. Mathis doesn't notice the green firelizard until that thunking sound, pausing as he turns his head towards the direction of the sound. Watching as she shakes off that landing and begins to snake forward, blinking a few times. Her whistle launching his brows upwards, puzzled by the looks of it as to what it is that she could want. So, nothing wrong with the old standby, "I don't have any food for you." A side-eye to Rinain, because while it might not have been meant for random firelizards it was food all the same. With Teinon's arrival, the woodcrafter lad gestures with a jerk of his head towards the green, "She belong to you?" He would have pointed as to be more specific, but his hands were busy presently.

Rinian smiles at the memory. "It wasn't that bad of a cut after all." She ohs softy as the poor little firelizard plops in. "Are you cold too?" She doesn't mind sharing, and even before she sees Teinon she offers the little green a meatroll from the plate Mathis brought for her. Only after Matty's question does she notice, "Oh, do you mind?" She still has the food stretched out towards the green in her still rather frozen little fingers.

Teinon nods a little to Mathis's question, and signs repeatedly as he's approaching: "Sorry, sorry, sorry…" Meanwhile, the green doesn't wait for approval. Meat is being waggled her direction, so she /pounces/. It's a quick but surprisingly dainty maneuver as she scrambles forward, plucks the food out of Rin's fingers, then retreats a short distance to enjoy her prize. Tei nods a little as he arrives, waving off any concern about there being a problem with feeding her. He picks up the flit, and it totally ignores the fact while continuing to snarf down the meatroll.

"I don't know about you, but I saw bone," Mathis claims, which is a total exaggeration, the truth being much closer to Rinian's recollection. Softly he tuts she offers food, not exactly in disapproval but whatever further opinion he had he keeps to himself. Gaze flickered back to Teinon long enough to see his nod and the signs depicting apology, the boy laughs wholeheartedly, "For what? Weyr's full of plenty of little beggers hoping for scraps now that the weather's turned." Snow, just a dusting, but it'd stuck overnight to give the outdoors a dusting resembling closely the sweetener powder Sylvarin sometimes used on his desserts. He turns back then to the foofy head before him, cracking the whip of that brush down upon it in very gentle strokes.

Rinian is slowly starting to thaw thanks to the warmth from the sands, the klah and the food now that she starts to nibble it too. The melting from having her hair brushed has nothing to do with the warmth. Tame that foof, Mathis! "Its ok, Teinon. Can't really blame them, trying to keep themselves warm."

Teinon smiles vaguely, but it's that LOOK he gets sometimes. The one that says 'Oh noes, I am where I don't belong and do not know how to politely extract myself, WHOOPS'… After finishing the meatroom, the green scurries up Tei's shoulder for a slightly better vantage, and /watches/ Rin. Like an eagle getting ready to pounce. FOOD.

Taming of the Foof, a novel by Mathis. Brushing away like it weren't no thang, he's about half way or so up the length, the bristles felt at the base of the girl's skull, a bit prickly. Without even looking, perhaps sensing the quiet lingering, "Have a seat and join us if you want Teinon," is said softly, accomplishing another pass of that brush and beginning another. As he can't see the green and her greedy eyes locked onto the contents of the plate he'd brought to the other woodcrafter, he can't issue a warning. Hopefully, someone else has taken note, or Rinian has progressed to such a point that she wouldn't mind a bit of extra garnish.

Rinian should probably eat it all herself, to refuel after out working the boat and fishing, and to get her body generating some heat. But she of course offers another tidbit to the hungry green. Her own Fern rests a gentle foot on her ear in a -hey-don't-forget-me- way. She sets down her half-empty mug to offer another tidbit to her own. "Thank you, Matty. You're saving me a lot of work." Meaning the Taming of the Foof.

The baker arrives, sans Sir Moldenstein for /now/. The baker seems to have just freshly washed up because he's smelling like that fancy sweet sand he's just so terribly fond of. He continues to work at his hair with a towel because wet hair in the cold is the /last/ thing he needs. It's hard to say what's led him to the observation level, perhaps he wanted to glare at some of the eggs again. Or /perhaps/ it's Sir Moldenstein suddenly appearing on Teinon's back and clinging to the man's shirt. "Leave it to my flit to follow his stomach…" Because sorry Tei, you've forever been associated with food now! "What are you lot up to?"

Teinon was just about to decline Mathis's invitation, but a firelizard appears on his back, and that is a pretty darn good distraction, it turns out. Siren wails a quick greeting, but then hops off her perch to sail down and swoop up that offered tidbit. She successfully nabs her prize… only to tumble to an awkward landing on the bench. On the bright side, she seems unhurt and has not lost her prize! She settles in to gobble it down. Tei, meanwhile, sends an awkward sort of smile toward the freshly-cleaned baker, and waggles his fingers in that direction.

Mathis side-eyes the distribution of nibblets, pressing his lips together and keeping himself from putting a voice to the thought eager to leave his head. Don't feed them like that, or else you'll end up starving to death with a plateful of firelizards. Firelizards, not edible. They wiggle around too much and would probably try to eat you back. Instead, "I like brushing your hair, always have. It feels really nice when it's not all wind blown and coursified." Was that a word? Well, it was now. The appearance of Sylvarin is not surprising, gaining a passing glance from the woodcrafter lad before focused again before him as he starts passing the brush in his hand through the hair up against Rinian's scalp. He does this in relative silence, simply shrugging a bit to the baker's question.

Rinian says, "Its a good place to warm up, and apparently Matty is phsycic and brought me food. The rest seems to be hungry firelizards following their noses." Speaking of which, she offers more of her food, now to all three of the firelizards, starting with Fern on her shoulder, the little green than tumbled, then the one on Teinon's back. Oh yes, and Matty is the best ever and brushing out her hair that was more than a little wind wild from her chore today.

Sylvarin moves forward, a small grin on his face as he watches Sir Moldenstein scramble onto Teinon's shoulders before taking flight to rest on his own head. He reaches into a pocket, pulling out a little bag with meat and offering a piece of dried jerky…that is promptly refused. Because HELLO, Teinon is /right there/ and he always has the good stuff. Don't mind those eyes just boring holes into the herder's back! "Ah yes, Mathis the child psychic. How…extraordinary." Sarcasm drips from the baker's voice as well as a bit of distaste, though perhaps the woodcrafter won't find that surprising. "And how's Siren? Though…she /looks/ quite well."

Teinon must catch that look from Mathis, because even as Siren is stalking Rinian for another bite of that food, Teinon is jumping forward to catch her up. He holds her up against his chest, almost as one might a cat. The green looks a bit disgruntled about it, but in the end she settles there. He shoots a little smile at Sylvarin, and lifts one shoulder. "Well," he signs, one-handed, in agreement with the assessment. He's already backed away a step or two, allowing himself to stand slightly apart from the Candidates.

For Rinian there is a warm smile, Mathis shaking his head a little at the idea of being psychic as he's finally is able to pull through all of the other woodcrafter's hair without pulling on a snag, having returned it to its silken state. No more fly aways! He'll keep it up for a while longer, just because he likes doing it and Rinian seemed to enjoy it so much. All that motion of Teinon catching firelizards before they can decimate the contents of the girl's plate, draws his attention, on along the way catches the full brunt of all that snark, a brow raised as he's called a child. He won't flat out deny it, for reasons, but it was written all over his face. "How was your dirt nap, Sylvarin. Comfortable?" Mathis tucks Rinian's hair brush away into his bag and gets to gathering up sections at the top in preparation of the plait he was planning to leave her with.

Rinian would look between Syl and Matty for that exchange, but for that Matty is behind her spoiling her rotten with hair brushing. No way is she moving to make that stop any time soon. She is slowly thawing, and as the other firelizards seem to be barred by their people on eating her of her food, she goes back to nibbling it herself, and feeding a tidbit now and then to Fern. She does, however, gesture Teinon to come closer to them.

Sylv's eyebrows raise slightly as Teinon backs away and it's with smooth movements that the baker follows after him. If the herder will stand in place long enough, he'll even place an elbow on the young man's shoulders and lean. "Where do you think you're off to?" Because it seems that Sylvarin is not interested in being left with present company, which probably has everything to do with Mathis' comments. "Not sure. How do you like being a little a—" Look, he's censoring himself because he cuts himself off here and instead switches his attention. Upset would be a mild way to put it but….maybe Tei's taught him a few things? "So. Tei. How're the runners?" Not a forced conversational segue at all, nope!

Teinon would back away further, but then he has a Sylv leaning on his shoulder, and it's kind of hard to back away from /that/. Which…let's be honest, he doesn't really want to. He does give an uncomfortable glance between cook and woodcrafter, all that aggression leaving him looking almost pained. He just shrugs at the question, and then almost as an afterthought, grabs his nose with his free hand. Smelly! He smiles weakly at the joke, but his gaze still sliiiiides over to Mathis, warily.

Braiding away, in a way that would provide a secure hold without risking Rinian acquiring a headache, Mathis pays no attention to the interplay between baker and herder, not because it make him comfortable but rather because it was none of his business. Besides, would be creeping to stare and embarrassing as that eternal burning place to 'oooh and awww'. Teinon certainly didn't deserve that, even if he left him literally hold the 'bag' of very angry feline the other day. Sylvarin might have censored himself, but it works out perfectly with the woodcrafter boy's interjection of, "You're a bully, maybe next time you think something is funny, you'll think about the consequences before following through with it." That Mathis had not spoken to and was actively ignoring the raven-haired baker since Dolphin Hall was not exactly a secret, if one paid close enough attention. Poor Rinian, trapped by her hair and desire for all the hair brushings ever, and Teinon with all the awkward.

Teinon's eyes go round at Mathis's words. That general air of discomfort increases, until even Siren is kind of whining with dismay. Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, he ducks out from under Syl's arm and flees to the stairs. SO LONG SUCKAS, TEI OUT!

Rinian's eyes go wide in surprise at Matty's words and ohs softly. Now she gets it, and she should have gotten it before. "Mathis…" She trails off, uncertain of what really to say, or even if she should. She knows stuff that Syl and Teinon probably don't about her young friend.

Sylvarin doesn't like kids, that's been made abundantly clear on /many/ occasions. Teenagers he can tolerate. But right now? Mathis certainly isn't on that list. "Think what you will." It doesn't seem as if he cares at all about how Mathis thinks of him at this point. The baker gives a slight shrug, attention shifting as Teinon disappears. Apparently this is going to be his cue to leave as well, though perhaps not in the same direction as the herder. In any case, he's already heading out, Sir Moldenstein resting on his heady happily oblivious!

Where did Mathis learn how to do hair because it's just fabulous! Finished with the fullness of a heavily haired plait, the boy pulls the elastic from his wrist and uses it to tie it off at the end. Not a single strand out of place because he is just that good, he takes a moment to admire his work before giving the girl's shoulders a squeeze, not only avoiding Fern but also in perfect timing with his name sliding free past her lips. Leaning over, he presses his own to top of her head, and steps away with the intention to depart perhaps less hurriedly than Teinon did, without another word to Sylvarin.

Rinian sighs as Syl goes without being able to clear things up. But then, maybe she should start with her fellow woodcrafter. She reaches out to gently catch Matty's hand before he can leave. Though still chilled her hand is at least not as cold as when she arrived. "Thank you for taking care of me." She pulls his hand a little, as if wanting him to sit next to her.

There's a shiver in response to those cold fingers, but Rinian is successful in stopping Mathis from leaving as quickly as he would have liked, at least for a moment. There is a nod for the thanks, but he gently retracts his hand from her grasp. "You're welcome," he replies, avoiding her gaze, "I got lessons soon, try to warm up okay?" The baker had put a serious damper on the mood he'd come in with, so even if he was lying about needing to go, he probably still needed to go. This time he was on his way, heading out the same direction Teinon had fled, but probably not destined for the same location.

Rinian frowns a little and calls out to him, "I want you to think about why a bully bullies…" Hopefully he'll see the difference between a friendly joke, and an evil intention.


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