I Dare You

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 24th September 2013

Characters: Rorela, Harki
Description: Rorela and Harki discuss Rorela's promotion, and Harki issues a challenge
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 7

"So when are you moving weyrs, Lady Wingthird?" Harki asked. She was draped
across Rorela's bed with a wine glass in one hand and a bit of cheese in the
other. "Do you get your own bathing pool?"

Rorela sprawled easily over her chair, both legs up over the side of the chair.
One leg idly kicked in slow rhythm. "I don't know yet, actually. I've been
in this one since I was a Weyrling." She looked around. "It is high time
for something new, you know." She idily picked up a piece of her own cheese
and flicked it towards the other greenrider. "My own bathing pool..."
Her smile slowly widened and her eyes sparkled. "Now that has possibilities,
doesn't it?" Her brows waggled.

"I give it a sevenday before you fall in," Harki said.

"As long as there are some nice biceps to catch me, I'm okay with that.
And besides, I don't fall in _all_ the time. And that one time, you helped me
in, if I recall." She eyed Harki with one brow arched. "Fully
clothed."

The other greenrider shrugged and finished her cheese. "You looked dirty.
I was just helping you out."

There was an indelicate snort and piece of cracker was flung at Harki. "So...any
new romances to blab about? Come on...spill."

"Me?!" Harki eyed the bit of cracker in Rorela's furs and decided to leave
it where it was. "I just got back. I figure I need a little time after
B'lac."

"Yes, you." Rorela grinned. "You're the romantic, not me."
Her foot bobbed again and her nose wrinkled. "I never really liked him anyway,
but...you know..they always say that that if you fall off a runner, climb right
back on." She grinned. "So to speak."

Harki rolled her eyes. Falling in love once did not make her a romantic, even
if she had moved Weyrs for the man. "I wish you'd told me you didn't like
B'lac when you met him. You could have saved me _so_ much work packing and
unpacking."

"Hmph...you wouldn't have listened. Besides, I'm smart enough to know not to
interfere. I value my ass and I know a few men who would have been most
perturbed if you had damaged it."

"So say you!" Harki said goodnaturedly. Although it was probably
true. She sipped her wine and tried to forget about B'lac. "When do you start?
The whole Wingthird thing, I mean."

"And I say correct." Rorela took a sip of her own wine and grinned. "Next
drill. And that means that you have to listen to me!" Her grin widened. "I'm in
charge...didn't think of that, now did you?"

Harki snorted. "You might be in the air, but if you expect me to grovel
before your knots on the ground you've got another think coming."

"Bow, wench, bow!" Rorela snickered. "Aw, you take all the fun
out of promotions."

"I spent my youth apprenticing at the Hall of Joy-Killing, with a specialty
in Deflating Puffed Egos. It's what I do," she said primly.

"Me? Have an ego?" She placed her hand on her chest with wide innocent
eyes. "I'm the soul of humility." She wasn't able to keep the expression
on her face for long before it cracked and she giggled.

"Do you think you'll like working closer with G'nir?"

"G'nir? I've known him since Candidacy. He wasn't always so stodgy, you
know. If anything, I figure my new goal is to get the man to loosen up."
She sat up. "Faranth knows he needs a little fun in his life."

Harki wrinkled her nose. "I barely know him. I don't think I've said more
than 'boo' to him before."

"He keeps to himself." Her lips lifted. "I was just a kid first
time I saw him. I think I was fourteen and I had such a huge crush on
him." She smiled at the memory. "Of course, he didn't even notice me.
Far too serious and holdbred and well...you know me. I think I annoyed him more
than anything. We Impressed out of the same clutch, you know. And then he was
so focused on being the big-leader-type-manly rider that I gave up." She
shrugged. "He's okay, really. Just...so serious."

"Ooo, so what you're saying is that you accepted new knots so you could
get closer to your weyrlinghood crush!" Harki pushed herself upright on
the bed to sit cross-legged. "That's more like the greenrider I
know!"

There was a soft snort. "Are you kidding? G'nir's even less likely to get
'close' now." She lowered her voice to mimic the Weyrleader's. "Must
keep the chain of command smooth and without underlying issues..." She
shook her head, spoke normally and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.
"And it was a long time ago, Harki. His bronze has never chased Upinth.
He's not interested and that's fine. Plenty of others are. I just want him to
loosen up a little."

"Sure you do." Harki waggled her eyebrows suggestively and made a mental
note to bug Rorela about G'nir. Frequently. "So what's your plan? Rum in
his oatmeal? Puns at pre-Thread speeches?"

"You're impossible." Rorela sniffed indignantly, but couldn't help
but snicker at the suggestions. "No...Rum is too obvious and the puns, well,
they're a given! He's used to those coming from me. I'm just going to be
myself." She sat up and grinned brightly. "But I'm _not_ hankering
after him." She shook her finger at Harki. "I've got more than enough
men to juggle. I could even introduce you to a few, you know."

"Thanks, but I don't need your sloppy seconds." Harki drained her
wine glass and got off the bed to find the bottle. "But I _will_ give you
a quarter-mark if you give his ass a smack at the next drill meeting."

Rorela sat up sharply her smile widening with devious intent. "You're
on."

"Excellent." Harki hid a smile as she poured herself another glass of
wine, then raised it to Rorela in a salute. "I'll be watching."

Last updated on the October 17th 2013

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

I Dare You