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It had been quite a few weeks now since Khamaith's clutch had hatched and Surel found herself finally with a free moment to seek out Etansi. While Surel wouldn't call herself particularly social, she did have a small group of friends that she enjoyed spending time with. Etansi was in that little group and since the hatching, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of her friend. That was to be expected, of course. Junior weyrlings were moved from the Candidate barracks, their schedules changed, and she had a dragon to care for now so every spare moment was surely spent strengthening their bond and enjoying some relaxing time together. She certainly didn't want to intrude on any of that, but it was strange waking up in the girls dorms and not seeing the familiar face. Sure, there were other friends that hadn't Impressed - Dystzha among them, though she was a newer friend who Surel found herself spending more time with now that people like Etansi had been removed - but Surel didn't want a friendship to wither and die simply because they were no longer in close proximation to one another.

And yet...Etansi hadn't come to find her. Surel knew that was a ridiculous thought to have considering how busy Etansi probably was, but she was insecure at heart and being the one to reach out was hard. She'd resolved to seek Etansi and her little white out and, if they looked busy, would retreat and call it a day. She didn't want to infringe on Etansi's time, nor did she want to make her feel pressured to continue being friends. Maybe she'd just been very polite this whole time and now could use being in different living areas as a good excuse not to-

No! No no. Stop that. Don't put words in Etansi's mouth. Surel scolded herself lightly as she walked, keeping an eye out on the sands as she walked along the beach. She was pretty sure today was the weyrling's break day and while Western weyr didn't have a true winter, it did get cooler and many dragons took to the sands to stay warm. She hoped she'd spot them quickly as each step she took put more and more doubt into her mind. Surel began to make a plan in case Etansi seemed busy or like she didn't want her company and repeated it over and over with each pace. Find Etansi, say hello, congratulate her on her new partner, assess the situation, leave if things seem off.

She didn't realize quite how far she got down the beach as she murmured her little mantra over and over to herself, but a flash of pale rainbow and bright white caught her eye a little closer to the water, making her stop. There they were! Oh, Surel felt so silly...she didn't even know Etansi's beautiful dragon's name! She faltered where she stood, feeling so uncertain that she couldn't even call out to her friend. Hopefully friend.

Surel stood at what she figured would be a safe distance - close enough to be seen but far enough away that if Etansi didn't want company she could pass off the quick interaction as just passing by - as she weighed her options. She could call out to the pair to let them know she was there, or perhaps she could move a little closer, or maybe she could start whistling a tune to draw their attention, or maybe-

A voice was suddenly in her mind, one that was a bit...fancy? Was that the right word? Her memories of the white dragon in his shell were brought back to the front of her mind and she decided that proper was a better word to describe how he spoke. Each syllable was pronounced, each word well thought out and weighed. Surel couldn't help the little smile that was brought to her face at the thought of such a well-spoken dragon choosing her less than proper friend, but when said friend turned quickly and spotted her she felt her face flush a deep shade of red.

"That's all right," she said quickly as Etansi sort of apologized for not noticing her. That wasn't uncommon, really. Surel didn't go out of her way to stand out and be noticed, after all. More often she was trying to find ways to stay in the background. She had been rather quiet and she hadn't plucked up the courage to even draw Etansi's attention by the time the little dragon saw her so she couldn't blame her at all! The question was answered before she could reply and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too broadly. Oh, but he was precious!

"I was hoping to meet him, yes, but also to congratulate you," Surel said to clear things up. "And please don't feel badly in that regard," she added as the dragon chimed in about friendship responsibilities, even though that was the reason she'd set out to find the pair. Etansi wasn't very big on emotions and Surel understood that, so she kept her touchy-feely things to herself. "You've got a pretty good reason to be occupied." Turning her gaze from her friend to the dragon, Surel's expression softened as she got a good look at him. He was bigger now and the subtle rainbow shimmering on his wings was easier to see in the sunlight.

"I'm Surel," she offered, realizing that he'd called her 'Etansi's friend'. "Um. It's very nice to meet you. I've never actually met a white dragon before." She'd seen them of course, but they were just about as rare as golds. Only one, maybe two hatched per clutch and even then sometimes there were none at all.

Despite not knowing what it felt like to be bonded to a dragon, Surel knew very well that once a baby dragon chose you, your life was completely different. There was another being living in your head, another set of emotions and thoughts to contend with. The dragon was your second half, after all. How could she blame Etansi for getting so wrapped up in this new, wonderful part of her? She certainly couldn't fault her for something that happened to every dragonrider at some point in their life.

When Quinineth responded to her and gave a bow she couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hand to hide a little giggle. Oh dear...he was so different from Etansi! Well spoken, polite, and absolutely dripping with manners. She always wondered how opposite attracted both with dragons and riders, as well as with other relationships, but clearly they did in this case.

When another apology came from Etansi, Surel turned her gaze back to her friend. The worries that had plagued her on her walk over here were slowly being brushed away as it was clear that the other young woman had been forgetting everything and everyone, not just her.

"I think that's the norm after a hatching, Etansi," she admitted with a shy smile. "Most people seek out the new weyrlings rather than the other way around. Really, it's all right." And it was, wasn't it? She wasn't pushing Surel away, coming up with excuses to leave. It had all been Surel's anxieties and worries making up stories and non-existent problems, as usual. As Etansi showed Quin's hand about knowing her, though, her shy smile turned into a light laugh.

"That's good to know," she admitted, glancing at the small dragon again. "Oh, watching you two Impress was the most wonderful thing. That you had the courage to go help him out of his shell was absolutely perfect." Surel would never be able to approach an egg like that, even if it called out for help. Perhaps if it was directly asking her and her alone, but she'd be shaking like a leaf in a storm the whole time. "I'm so glad I was there to see it."

Surel couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her at the though to Etansi - strong, tough Etansi! - being marched through the weyr as Quinninath tried to find all of her friends, acquaintances, and anyone she may have looked at or spoken to since she started her Candidacy. She hadn't been around the little white for long but she could already tell what an odd but perfect pair they made given his mannerisms. He was so polite and fancy while Etansi was extremely rough around the edges. Why Quin had picked her would only be known to the two of them, but Surel couldn't picture a more perfect partner for her friend.

The cheerful expression faded just a bit, however, as Quinniath spoke to her. She gave a little half-shrug, trying to agree without actually agreeing, but Etansi's hand on her shoulder and the concern on her face let her know she wasn't getting out of ignoring what had been said so easily.

"Oh. Ha- well. Wouldn't be me if I wasn't worrying about something," she said with a little laugh. "Mum always calls me a worrywart and she's not wrong." Surel had been worried about the dragon inside the egg asking for help, but she'd also been worried about the queen becoming angry, about the other babies still free to roam about the sands, about any ill emotion that might set a baby off...

"But it all turned out just fine," she said, quickly changing the subject back to who it belonged on, that being the dragonrider and her white. While it was true that worry and anxiety plagued Surel, she was also a happy young woman and at times like these it was impossible for any bad feeling to victor over good. And truly, despite her worry of being forgotten or unwanted as a friend, she was overjoyed at Etansi's success on the sands.

"I'm so happy for you. The both of you, really," she said, turning her warm smile from Etansi to Quin. "I can't imagine what it's like to find Yours on hatching day. And for Etansi to be the one that helped you from your shell...it's just a perfect match. Well chosen, Quinninath."

Surel mirrored Etansi's smile and nodded as she spoke. It was nice to know she wasn't alone in her overactive worrying, but to her Etansi certainly had a better grip on it. She acted on her worry - or it seemed that way to Surel - and used it to drive her forward, to avoid danger as she'd said. When Surel worried she let it consume her and cripple her, rendering her nearly useless until she managed to talk herself out of it as she had done when going to find her friend today. She'd put off searching for Etansi because she worried she'd bother her, or that she was avoiding her, and maybe not knowing the answer was better than finding out. But at the same time she understood the relief in finding kinship with someone over something that ate away at you whether you dealt with it defiantly or not.

Quinnineth's comment drew another nod from Surel, this one a bit more certain.

"Oh yes, that's actually one thing I'm not worried about," she admitted with a little laugh. She had Turns to go before she aged out and, as Quin had said, good things took time. She'd wait until the last possible clutch she could stand for for Hers if that's how long it took and, should there be no dragon in her future, she'd surely find another way to help at the Weyr. She'd be a bit sad about not being able to join her mother and brother in the skies to defend Pern but perhaps her calling was elsewhere.

Etansi's explanation as to what Impressing was like had Surel grinning again, hiding her giggle behind her hands. While Etansi wasn't one for many words she had a certain way of expressing what she wanted to get across that was very effective, even if Quin found it embarrassing.

"Oh, no, I understand. As much as I can without Impressing, of course. I think that's honestly the best way to describe it," she said, laughter still clear in her voice. It wasn't mocking but delighted and she gave her friend another wide smile in return.

"I know you haven't been in your new lessons very long, but how is it? A lot more hands on I assume?" she asked, curious to know how weyrling lessons differed from Candidate classes.