==== August 6th, 2013
==== Lendai, Dimitri
==== Dimitri comes with an apology of sorts for Lendai and the Weyr gains another candidate.

Who Lendai, Dimitri
What Dimitri comes with an apology of sorts for Lendai and the Weyr gains another candidate.
When There is 1 turn 6 months and 20 days until the 12th pass.
Where Hatching Sands, Southern Weyr

lendai_6.jpg Dimitri.jpg


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Hatching Sands
The Sands are surprisingly soft to the feet and to the eyes: rich grains of gold commingle with the ground basalt-black that mark the shores of Azov's Sea. The whorls of lighter color pattern into the sands, larger-grained and often settling at the top, as golden driftwood against dark shores. … but the moaning from above sounds like the chorus of the damned, lessening the natural beauty here below.
Gold Talicanitath is here.


It’s mid-morning at Southern, most of the residents and riders have eaten their breakfast and begun their days as the jungle Weyr continues to be cleaned and fixed up. Though there is one person who is not really doing her fair share, as she is stuck on the sands. At least, however, she’s able to sit on her new, lovely pink platform. There stands Lendai, looking a tad bit bored, as she scans over the clutch and her mildly dozing dragon. There is no Q’fex this morning, the Weyrleader probably off overseeing one thing or another. So yep, bored, alone, wishing vehemently she could be anywhere but on these sands is Lendai. “Talicanitath!” Finally after moments of never-ending silence the Weyrwoman speaks. “How much longer, do you suppose?” Well, she was sleeping, but not anymore. The gold lifts her head and says something mentally, as the goldrider is now rolling her eyes and descending from her platform. “Fine. I’ll just check them myself.” Towards the eggs does the woman walk, probably to feel their hardness.

Well! With any luck, Lendai might not be bored much longer. Whether she'll approve of the new mood that's about to be bestowed on her, however, is a different matter altogether. "So!" There's suddenly a word, coming from— oh look, it's Dimitri. Standing just far enough, it seems, to warrant a louder than normal speaking voice. He does appear to be coming closer, but it's a bit of a weasel-in-a-snake-nest affair. Careful steps, shoulders back, forced smile. Granted, his forced smile is perhaps slightly more practised than they generally are, being a performer, but it seems out of place nonetheless. "Years ago, there was a boy. Smart boy, really clever." He stops walking, close enough now not to feel like he has to raise his voice too much, but keeping his distance all the same. "Couple of siblings, loving parent, adventure and entertainment, food and water, the gist. The one thing that was missing from his closest and theirs— some extra marks. So, what's a really clever boy to do?" Rhetorical question or not, there is a pause as he looks toward rider and dragon alike. Not, as is perhaps worth mentioning, toward the eggs.

It’s a good thing Dimitri is keeping his distance, as the moment his voice hits the ears of both Lendai and Talicanitath, the clutchmother is instantly on alert. A low rumble, angry at the intrusion on her grounds, has Lendai rushing away from the eggs and towards the interloper. Her hand is held up as she gets closer, helping to decrease the distance between the two individuals. “I’d suggest not getting any nearer to her eggs.” Unless he wants his face mauled off. It’d be a shame, as he’s not terrible to look at. Lendai listens to the story, an eyebrow arched up as she purses her lips. Rhetorical question or not, the goldrider can’t help but answer. “Not sell any of my dragon’s eggs, that’s for sure.” is muttered out. “I hope you have good reason to have so boldly stepped out onto my sands this morning.” Her lips zip shut a moment, almost as if she’s waiting for something, anything. Alas, curiosity does kill this cat. “So what did he do?” The clever boy, that is.

Keeping his distance seems very much a thing Dimitri is intending to do. His smile momentarily pulls into something a bit more nervous with a look toward Talicanitath. For a second, it seems like he might change the subject, before his mouth closes again, and his smile once more shows confidence, forced or not. "So— " He swallows, "So he looked for something to fix it with. He knew no real crafts, his family, quite big," he says this like it's a bittersweet thing, taking a step slowly to the side rather than away to toward Lendai, "paid little mind to his worries. And then one day— " He leans down, now, carefully digging… through the sand with the tips of his fingers? And finding— a thing! A little charm of glistening silver. Maybe it'd been there all along. It's held up just long enough for Lendai to see, before promptly being palmed. When he opens his hand against his stomach a split second later, there is a different charm on his fingers all together, gold, with a speck of green in the middle, slightly bigger than the first. "— One day he figured out how to entertain." His smile widens, almost as though to say 'you ARE entertained, right'.

Curse Lendai’s short attention span and childlike wonderment. No matter how she tries to maintain the stoic Weyrwoman-face, it fades as she can’t quite take her eyes off of the tricks the young man is doing with his hands. Brief flashes of surprise and intrigue cover her features, perhaps even the smallest hint of a smile. Talicanitath takes some comfort in the lack of alarm radiating from her rider, though she does not leave her place as she protects her eggs. Truth be told though, the gold’s head is angled towards the slight of hand that Dimitri seems to be doing, just as curious as her rider seems to be. As the story comes to it’s end, that hint of a smile turns into a small one. Her head inclining slightly. “Very nice.” She finally states, arms crossing at her chest. “Is that your round about way of apologizing for daring to speak of selling a dragon egg that belong to the dragons of the Weyrleader’s?” It’s a legitimate question.

"Nn-well- hold on just a moment, that wasn't all. Not much of a storyteller, am I. You'll get your explanation." Legitimate question maybe, but a legitimate answer will have to wait. As though suspecting he may have said something bad again ALREADY, Dimitri tacks on almost immediately, "See, the boy, he, uh. He wasn't very good at this entertaining thing." His hand closes again, turns knuckles side up, and opens - but nothing falls. Treasure lost! "So he asked for help. From a smith, good man, made jewelry. Hated the boy, naturally," His smile brightens again, though a certain air of nervousness does not manage to leave him, still. "But after many pleas for help, allowed to lend him small trinkets to sell for a small part of the marks made." His other hand lifts now, next to the first, and both open to reveal what appear to be two earrings, shiny white and sharp teeth on bases of oily-coloured metals. And then his hands clap together with the pieces in between, and stay that way while he pauses once more and looks up. Swallowing back what may very well be the urge to up and run, mixed liberally with an attempt to look his charmingest! Quietly, "I'm almost done, I promise."

This is easily the most exciting thing that will happen to Lendai all day, so as much as she schools her expression to be one of somewhat irritation at being told the story isn’t finished, in truth she’s enraptured. As the young man’s sorcery with his hands is done once again, her eyes touch on the earrings, her interest being perked more and more. Talicanitath is actually edging closer now, the dragon have never seen such an act done before (HE’S A WITCH) and while her wings are still flared somewhat over the eggs, her attention is on Dimitri. “Keep going then,” Lendai states, waving her hand for him to continue the story. Her focus shifts from the hands in question and look up at his face. Again that eyebrow arches, the Weyrwoman showing some eagerness at where this whole tale is going.

That's right, look up at his face, while his fingers do the work. Dimitri's hands, with a quick motion or two that MAY be hard to catch, separate again with a gesture upward- with nothing actually being thrown into the air, the earrings vanished from sight. Or at the very least to those in front of him. Having been encouraged to continue, he seems a bit more sure of himself, though the approaching dragon is spared a brief glance. Just to make sure she isn't getting TOO close, perhaps. "The— " Where was he? Oh yes. He straightens, one hand now nonchalantly behind his back, while he presents the other flat and empty in front of him. "The boy did pretty well. Eventually he was allowed to peddle more expensive things, entertaining as he did so, and selling his 'magically' appearing items. And— " He stops, takes his hand out from behind his back to put it next to the other, both now closed. And suddenly his words are rushed and bored all at once: "Actually there's really no good end to this story - the man did well, I did well, we were all very happy and I just wanted to show you this." His left hand clasps over the right, lifts as if something grows inside of the space between them, and when his hands separate once more — there is an egg! Or sort of, anyway. It's a finely crafted bit of artistry, impressively created with mosaic stones that shimmer shades of green, then blue, save for a shimmering pearl representation of a dragon carved and embedded on Lendai's side, curled and tiny as though still growing within. The other shinies? They've gone. Who knows where. But this one, clearly superior and quite possibly priceless in the here and now, is… offered forward. A bit stiffly. Like Dimitri suspects she might tear his arms off WITH IT, lion tamer with a steak gift style. "Me 'n Cerise. We sold these. When I said egg, I, uh. Well. I meant this." It may not be eloquent, but that's what he's got.

Lendai is not an overly observant person. It’s a flaw, though one she doesn’t seem to mind as the quick hand movements are generally lost on her. All she knows is there were earrings, the earrings were then gone, and as the story comes to it’s rather anticlimactic end a stunning egg is produced. The gasp is easily torn from the goldrider’s throat, her eyes wide as she leans in to get a better look. Anything shiny is a weakness of Lendai. Yet another flaw. “Ooooo!” She’s hushed in her awe, reaching a single finger out to delicately touch one of the stones that make up the ‘egg’. “How lovely!” She withdraws her hand, standing up straight once more, now a thoughtful frown on her lips as she eyes up Dimitri fully. A long look over the lad’s entire length, before a sigh escapes her. “So. It was simply a misunderstanding?” There is a trace of suspicion and doubt in her words, but general regret in her eyes. “I apologize, young sir. We take dragon eggs very seriously…” Lendai pauses, trying to put the words together. “Well, all of Pern does really, but in particular us goldriders are particularly twitchy when it comes to clutches. More so those of our own dragons. I fear we get more maternal about the babies born from our dragons than those that come from our own loins.” Or at least Lendai does. “It may not be the greatest of excuses for me booting you out of your home for all this time, but it is all I have.” As she looks upon the jeweled egg still held in Dimitri’s hands, the Weyrwoman can only shake her head. “I did not even consider you meant something like this instead of,” Her arm sweeps back, gesturing at the clutch. The threat officially over, Talicanitath is totally at ease now, folding her giant wings back but maneuvering herself closer to be between the humans and her eggs (she is still an overprotective clutchmother, after all). “I hope you will forgive me?”

There's a certain kind of hesitance in Dimitri's answer, upon listening to all Lendai has to say in return. A request for forgiveness? That's like a honeytrap for the worst possible responses. There's a twitch in the young man's face, like the face of a child who's just had its mother pose it a trick question. Or so it THINKS. The answer that does leave him, eventually, is only slightly tenser-sounding than it should be. "No need. Just, uh. Have this. And we'll call it even. I guess we both learned something, eh?" That's when his teeth grit. Cue the shiny mosaic-y egg being thrust forward. As a distraction, perhaps. Look look take it please?

Lendai seems surprised at the egg-turned-gift, the woman about to reach her hand out to take the egg before her arms drop back to her side and she’s shaking her head. “I couldn’t, not in good faith. Not after I misjudged you unfairly.” Contrite is the Weyrwoman, a lesson she has learned about ejecting people from her Weyr. If Thread was falling, the young lad might not even be alive to have explained himself. It’s a thought that rests heavy on the goldrider’s shoulders. Her head is shaken again, with much more vigor. “I really can’t, it’s too much. Not that I don’t find it lovely, I do!” And seriously, she loves shiny things. So does Talicanitath, who is mentally urging the rider to TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT. But responsibility rears its stupid, ugly head. “You could sell it and make much more than simply giving it aw— Oh! Yes! Let’s do that.” Fingers are snapped with a flourish. “How about I buy it from you?” Pleased with her idea, Lendai is all smiles now, staring straight into Dimitri’s face to await his response. Though she does tack on. “And of course, you are more than allowed back in the Weyr’s walls.”

Dimitri's response to not having his offer be accepted is a bit hard to read. If anything, he only looks a mild sort of surprised. But he DOES look a lot happier when the idea of payment is brought up! Nevermind that it makes him look about the cockiest he's looked around her so far. Because success! "'Course, yeah - of couse, if it would make you feel better, who am I to refuse? I was just— going to leave it in the sand with you and walk away if you didn't accept, to be honest." If his voice is any indication, he's either a good liar or this is truth. And his confidence flows over into his subsequent question. "And, about that, actually! The, uh. Candidate thing. Q'fex told Cerise that I— " He pauses, the egg still offered out in front of him but his gaze darting between Lendai, her gold and then - with his eyebrows crumpling toward the middle - the eggs. "… Do I have to?" Genuine curiosity, it seems, unease showing second.

“Excellent!” Lendai states, clapping her hands excitedly for a moment, before she’s reaching out and plucking the egg from Dimitri’s hands and happily holding it in her own. It’s brought closer to her face now, so she can better see the little dragonet made from pearl clearer. A few ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ leave her mouth and then she’s bringing her attention back to the young man on her sands. “Tell me the price and I’ll have a drudge bring over the marks, if that’s alright? I don’t usually carry money on me while I’m sands sitting.” Instead it’s totally hidden in her underwear drawer. Cliche, I know. Her happy expression turns dour, however, at the mention of having to Stand for the clutch. “Are you saying,” She begins, her tone becoming much more neutral. “That our supreme Weyrleader has stated you should Stand for this clutch — his clutch — and you… disagree with this course of action?” The mosaic egg is brought closer to her person, clutched at her chest, just incase the entertainer changes his mind and tries to take it back. Hers now! BACK OFF. “I think you should take a moment or two and rethink that question, young man.” Pause. “Unless you think you are too good to Stand for the Weyrleaders’ clutch?”

"Whatever you think it's worth will do, I'd think." Dimitri mumbles distractedly, now mosaic-egg-less and brushing off his hands (is that a metallic little clinking in his sleeve?) before taking a tiny little bow of gratitude.Not much effort put in, there, hardly a bend, though he does keep a close eye on Lendai's face as he does it. On the subject of the ACTUAL eggs, and his potential claim to one, "I AM saying that, actually," He responds oh so easily, apparently having learned absolutely NOTHING. If anything, he seems doubly smugly confident now, straightening to eye her with his nose wrinkling in thought. "Don't get me wrong, 'supreme Weyrleader' and all, he must know best," that almost definitely sounds a bit like sarcasm, but he's speaking quickly now and moving on already, both hands gesturing inward toward himself with fingers splayed, "but have you looked at me? 'Too good'? If anything, I'm rotten for it, and I don't even LIKE— " His mouth… hangs open, and he is suspended in time for a second, until finally amending with, "— that I don't get along with dragons at all, I mean in the least, but what can you do?" He gives a shrug and his best winning smile! Because he's oh so sorry that clearly, he's just not cut out for this. Surely, Lendai will understand.

Lendai takes a long, hard look at her newest trinket, before giving a quick nod of her head. “Good enough. I’ll end over what I think is fair.” That settled, the Weyrwoman moves onto the next topic of conversation. “Dimitri, that is your name, correct?” She does need to ask, as she’s not entirely sure and just reaching through her memory for a brief flash of someone else speaking the lad’s name. “Yes, well. Dimitri. We have… many eggs out here.” Her arm gestures towards the clutch in question, all 34 eggs strong. Is that pride in her tone and stance? Oh hell yeah there is! “Only so many children of impressionable age were brought forward, a number of them having been taken at Igen for their most recent double clutch. We are staggeringly new here at Southern, if you haven’t noticed.” Her voice turns dry here. “Other holds and halls and, shells, even Weyrs, don’t quite know where we stand yet. Not sure if they are willing to send over candidates. So. If the Weyrleader stated you are to Stand, than you are to Stand. Whether you like dragons or not.” Yeah, Lendai picked up minor pause there. “Because I assure you, once a little beast reaches up and forcibly interconnects his or her,” Dimitri on a green? Yesplz. “mind with yours, it won’t matter if you like them or not. You’re stuck. Till death do you part.” It’s a marriage of the minds. “I’d much prefer someone who thinks he sucks with a dragon versus a dragon that dies on the sands because he cannot find his match due to there not being enough candidates.” Her entire demeanor changes now, becoming much harder and colder. “We cannot force you to Stand.” Well, they could try. “But I do believe it would be in your best interest to take the honor for what it is. Plus!” Suddenly much more cheerful, oh mood swings. “There’s a high chance you wouldn’t impress anyway!” See? All better.

Dimitri's face does a few things. Skepticism joins into his expression, shown through eyebrows bunching toward the middle and his polite (?), winning smile growing less and less genuine. But- wait, what? What? Excuse me what? His smile DISAPPEARS. And suddenly the eyebrows arch upward, shoulders dropping. Like a kicked PUPPY. A really obnoxious kicked puppy. His voice, suddenly, is a tad more absentminded - as though now, TRULY, he's lost the ability to think before he speaks. "… I could do it. I mean— I am clever, after all." And he takes a step back! Sort of… wounded. Like he's gonna go out and impress the shit out of something RIGHT NOW.

“Excellent!” The happiness remains. Hurrah! “Welcome to candidacy, then.” And may the odds be ever in your favor. “This candidacy, from what I’ve seen, is a bit more,” She wrinkles her nose, trying to find the right way to word this. “Loosey goosey, if you will. With the candidate barracks still in some disarray, you all don’t have the structure we would usually enforce. So enjoy it while you can. Hopefully before Hannah and Bailey’s dragons’ clutch, we’ll have it all fixed up. For now, just take up shop in the resident barracks and report to the Headman for candidate duties. Chores and the like. I’m not sure if they are enforcing the whole ‘no drinking, no sex, no fun whatsoever’ rules. I’ll have to ask and see.” If it was up to Lendai, she’d be enforcing it… though with the Weyr in its current shape, it’s probably low on the totem pole of importance. “The Headman get you set up with a white knot as well, unless you already have one?” The question is poised, the Weyrwoman watching Dimitri keenly now.

Dimitri has been challenged to do a thing. He's gonna do this thing. He doesn't seem to be hearing much else, though a little something does cause an eyelid to twitch upon the words 'no drinking' being said. Alas. Sacrifices. He mostly just looks really determined to prove the mosaic egg's new owner WRONG, eyes locked on hers. He's GONNA. "I'm going to go get one." His hands curl into fists - very important when it comes to doing something very determined-like - and he just turns. And walks! A few seconds later, as though he'd almost forgot to say it, he throws a hand up in a sort of— lazy wave over his shoulder, adding as in absent afterthought, "Thanks for not kicking me out again!"

Lendai seem pleased with this turnabout of attitude in Dimitri, her head nodding enthusiastically with his declaration. “You do that!” She pumps her own fist in the air, the seemingly determined shift in mood is lost on Talicanitath, the gold losing interest completely and goes back to moving eggs around and puttering about. Humans. So bizarre. Lendai waves a hand as Dimitri makes his way off the sands, tossing out a quick, “You’re welcome!” as he continues on her way, as well as a belated, “And congrats!” The hatching sands once more vacant of no others but herself, the goldrider makes her way back onto her pretty pink platform and places her new trinket on a small table near her. Nice and close so she can continue to admire it before squirreling it away in her weyr, away from those who might thieve her awesome things!

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