Good Time (C'dest, Wisthia, anyone who applies)

[Adobe]

"Honestly, Ama, you are the only one with enough gall to throw themselves a birthing day party." Nashira said as she placed a rather large and lumpy looking bubbly pie on a table Amala had brought into the kitchens. "Were you flaunting when you made this pie? It's twice the size of a normal bubbly. Where did you get the pan? Maybe Cook Kaylee was good to get rid of you."

Amala snorted as she stirred a pot of klah over the hearth. She turned to her sister and grinned, "First of all, I deserve a party. They don't make excellent young women like myself any more. Second of all, Wisthia loves me." Amala paused for dramatic effect and went on, near ready to burst with laughter, "Just like a tunnelcat loves a snake. I give her plenty of reason to want to choke me."

Nashira laughed, "Ha! I bet! I hope you obey her well enough. I know how you tend to get yourself into trouble. Now I can't watch over you..." She meant that she couldn't because now her life would revolve around Aramyth and thread.

Amala pursed her lips and turned back to the hearth, she said quite seriously, "Well, yeah 'Shira. No one ever saw potential in me before Cook Kaylee, and because of her word, I got to apprentice to Wisthia. I'm not going to let Kaylee down." She took the klah off the hearth and placed it on the stone for the kettle to cool a bit, "Besides, I love this job, Nashira. I love to cook, I love the attention I get from doing well. I like that Wisthia believes in me. I'm not going to screw this up. Which was why I was happy I didn't Impress the first time around. I get more time doing this, cooking, what I love. I've never felt like I belonged any where else."

Nashira smiled, maybe her baby sister was finally growing up. She moved to embrace Amala, "Hey, wait until you've bonded with a dragon. Then you will know ultimate belonging." She kissed her sister's forehead, "Happy fifteenth birthing day, Amala. Who did you all invite?"

"Oh, Wisthia, of course, some people I know... and of course, C'dest. I figured you'd need something to look at."

"Ama!" Nashira blushed furiously and tried to look angry, but she was failing fast. The little green dragonet, who had been snoozing in their weyrling bunk, came alive with, Oh, Mine, she got you!

[Zenniel]

Live had been slightly confused when Amala had invited her to her own birthing day party. But, of course, Live had said yes. Live knew Amala from her constant candidate work. She was always sent to the kitchens nowadays, and had become fast friends with most, if not all, of the kitchen hands—Wisthia, Amala, and Sarias included. And Live had to admit that cooking was fun, and that each time she cooked she learned better recipes.

Cooking, though, would not stand in her way when Elfreth’s clutch hatched. She would Impress this time. And when Weyrling chores were finally beginning to slow down, she’d take her dragon and go cook some more. Live’s insatiable appetite for knowledge included, but was not limited to, learning most, if not all, of the best recipes. Live could not be kept away from any knowledgeable source for long.

But now was Amala’s birthing day. She wondered if she should get Amala anything—if Amala’d want anything. In the end, however, Live took an old, sturdy apron from before she moved to the Weyr with her. It was a very fine piece of crafted cloth being very sturdy with a couple pockets on the breast. It even had some dyed thread bordering the outside of it. It looked very stylish. And, coincidentally, Live had washed it the night before. Live knew that that apron would be the perfect present—even if Amala was not accepting presents. She quickly wrapped it so only the bland inner material showed and then tied it with a piece of coarse string.

Then she hurried to Amala’s rooms. She was sure she remembered Amala telling her which way to go, what hallways to turn down, what door to stop at. When she was there, she walked in, “Knock knock?” She asked, “I hope I’m not too late, or am intruding on anything.”

[Adobe]

Ama was fine with her sister's affections, when they were around family, so when Live showed up, Amala stepped away from her sister. Amala was never a touchy huggy sort of person, despite Nashira's best efforts to mother smother all her younger siblings.

Seeing it was Live, Amala smiled a bit, "Hello, Live, how goes it?" Being a sharp one too, she spied that Live was holding something, but she couldn't tell what. She beamed even bigger, "Oh, what's that you've got there, Live?"

Nashira rolled her eyes a little at Amala, "Let the poor girl come in. Maybe it's not even for you. You don't need anything."

"That doesn't mean I don't want anything." Amala smirked, she hadn't asked for gifts, but secretly she wished some one would remember her. It wasn't like she would be upset if she didn't get anything, but she wouldn't refuse any gift, either. It was a perk of getting older. "Come on in, Live, I have some klah and a nice bubbly for tonight."

[E]

C'dest checked for the third time that the little bronze was fast asleep before he grabbed the clean shirt on his bunk and made his way out of the barraks. Coming to the lower caverns, he paused to double check which way was which before making his way once again. He had not explored the lower caverns, not yet having a reason to go beyond the men's bathing area. In fact, he was even thankful when Tain showed up at the thought of food, at least then he wouldn't be lost alone. Turning another corner, he paused again frowning. Was he suppose to take a right here or a left?

A picture of Nashira and Amala came to his mind and he nodded. "Yes Tain, we are looking for those two. Do you know where they are?" The flit nodded proudly before jumping aloft and going between. C'dest did not bother hiding his exasperation as he slapped his forhead loudly. "Moron! Fly there so I can follow... piece of wherry..." Continuing on alone, he wondered if he shouldn't have taken a right instead of a left.

~~~

Tain came out from between a foot above the bubbly pie with a chirp. Spotting the two he was told to find, he landed on the table, chirping again proudly as he made a show of puffing out his chest and fluttering his wings.

[Adobe]

(i couldn't resist replying... sorry...)

Nashira was staring at the bubbly when out of thin air there was a -pop- and there was a firelizard. The girl-woman gasped and jumped nearly out of her skin. "OH, SHARDING-" She clasped her mouth and then forced herself to breath in and out, in and out. "Oh, the creature scared me."

"Tain! It's C'dest's firelizard, I'd bet on it. Nashira where is your blue Deneb?" Amala leapt forward to pet the bronze lizard. "Not yet, Tain, but you can have some later. Okay?"

"I left Deneb keeping an eye on Aramyth. Poor thing doesn't know what to think of the dragonet. But knowing him, most likely he's run off looking for a green or two." Nashira watched Amala tenderly stroke the mini dragon. She said curiously, "Amala, did you tell C'dest where your party was going to be?"

Without looking at her sister the younger girl slowly grinned. She rubbed the bronze lizard's tiny eyeridges, "Well I think so. But why don't you go check on him, make sure he's not lost. He could use a helping hand, eh?"

Nashira's jaw dropped. Of course Ama was a sly little tunnel cat! Ama had been pushing her at C'dest back at home and here too. Ever since Ama realized her sister pined after their childhood playmate. She roughly whispered into Amala's ear, "You planned this, didn't you? Miss matchmaker, eh? What if C'dest wants no part in your little game?"

Amala looked up, this time surprised, if only mockingly so, "If he didn't, why is he intending to come? Tain is here, I am sure he must be out there somewhere. Stumbling about, lost, looking for us. . . You better hurry before he gets to the darkened coridoors. Who knows what tunnelsnakes lie there."

Nashira narrowed her eyes, not quite sure what innuendo lied in her last comment but turned and left the small quarters in search of C'dest. Well whatever she meant, there might be real life tunnelsnakes but she doubted C'dest was too lost. She took possible routes he might have gone and said loudly, "C'dest? C'dest! Are you around?"

[Zenniel]

Live wished she had sisters, or brothers, that had come back in time with her. Then she would not be so lonely. Scratch that, not lonely, just without family. She watched how Amala and her sister acted, and wanted someone like that for her. Her mother had died when she was four, her sister was always helping some other way, and her brothers hadn’t exactly been the loving sort.

She put the wrapped apron down on a table, “A present for you, Amala! What’s a birthing day without a present?”

Not long after she had entered, a Bronze firelizard burst out of nowhere. She was shocked, but only a little. She looked at the firelizard and smiled. It was obviously really happy. Maybe it was happy because it had found the group? She watched the siblings quarrel slightly—for that could only be called quarreling.

Then Amala’s sister left. Live, unable to hold it in, spilled out her laughter. “You sly person, Amala!” She regained her composure after a few seconds, and raised an eyebrow. “Do they like each other, or did you set that up to get her away?” Live honestly didn’t know, and was only asking for the sake that this was the only time Nashira would be away.

After another few seconds, Live asked, “Who else is coming besides C’dest and me?”

[Adobe]

Amala grinned at Live, "Why, thank you, Liv, I do appreciate it. Hmm, I wonder what it is?" She eyed the package but she did not touch it. Ama did have some self control. It would still be there later. Besides, perhaps some one else brought her something and then she could open all of the presents together. More people to watch her, too.

After Nashira left, she laughed with Live. She turned to the other girl, beaming. Ama was very proud of herself, "Sly, yes, perhaps. Cunning, true enough, but I like to think myself insightful, clever even." She caught Live's eye and nodded, "Oh, I do love my sister, 'Shira's been there for me my entire life, always looking after me, getting me out of trouble. If there is a single grey hair on her head prematurely, I'd like to think I put it there. I would not set her up to be leave my party."

Amala took a few mugs she swiped from the kitchen and put the on the table. She poured one mug of warm klah, and looked to Live before she poured another, "Want one? Well you see, when Star Hold was founded the families all got to know eachother quite well. There was a lot of work to be done, and us kids had to entertain ourselves. Nashira, myself, and our other siblings grew up with C'dest and Risran, his brother. Nashira's been affectionate on C'dest since we were kids. He's always been gentle and kind to her, so I figured I'd do them all a favor and speed things up. If it was up to those two, they'd never get together. Nashira realizes what I'm up to. I think she's embarrassed he might find out about her feelings and reject her outright."

Amala shrugged and took a drink of the klah and made a face. She still wasn't used to it, but she was trying. She cleared her throat, "Well I think it would be better than to know than to pine after a boy all your life and wonder. She will thank me in the end. So what about you, Live, any prospects I can hook you up with? I'm thinking of making this a career if the cooking doesn't work out." She laughed.

"Well I just invited some of the drudges I know, my brothers, who are seemingly delinquents and not coming. I invited a few candidates and, well, he's a weyrling now, but greenrider F'lipek. I don't know who's coming though."