Welcome to Gaia! ::

Amna & C’ryn - Ah. A slower pace... hmm. Those were always a bit trickier to find a partner for, but Amna wasn't to be deterred. She'd had some water and it had brought her right back up to top form, ready to dance on for a few more songs at least. She spent a song or two passing from group to group, always smiling, happy to see everyone, but no one quite caught her eye enough to offer to dance. Maybe she'd sit this one out? She loved this song though... Determined, she doubled back towards where she'd seen a group of riders from High Reaches hanging about. She didn't recognize any—she'd left that Weyr behind nearly a decade ago now, of course, but might as well take a chance. That one fellow she'd dances with, T'laq, hadn't been bad at all. Too tall, really, to fit with her, but that was what she got for following her preferences.

Another taller sort caught her eye in this crowd (though really they were all tall in her opinion)... a bit young, but then, his knots said rider, and he was comely enough to appeal to her. With a gentle clearing of her throat, she glanced about, making sure no one else was angling for him, and then gave a smile and a half-shrug. "Alone for a dance too? It's a shame to waste a pretty song like this. Would you want to...?" It was always a bit awkward asking to dance for these slower ones. So intimate and personal... but even more a shame to miss them. She offered a hand—at least the slower ones she was far better at dancing than the fast ones.






D'mar & Vosin - Ahhh, there was someone he'd meant to talk to all night. The shift in tone from fast to slow on behalf of the harpers afforded D'mar an opportunity to make good on his plans, and the young man crossed towards Vosin with an elegant bow. "A fine clutch from your Killakeeth, my lady Vosin. You must be very proud." Her dragon had caught his attention moreover upon learning she'd shelled two golds... highly unusual, and he meant to keep a close eye there going forward. "Would you care to dance? I'm certain you must have many offering today but...I would be remiss not to offer my hand as well to you." He gave a respectful smile, well-cultivated for this sort of moment where the chance to interact with important folks came up.

Leading her onto the floor, she swept her into a graceful dance, with nothing but well-worded, well-timed compliments to murmur into her ear. Strigonth had found all her children just delightful. Her gold had looked so lovely. The Weyr would surely be talking about her for months, turns to come, and how honored he was to have been here to pay her a bit of the honor she was due. He paid her every courtesy as they spun, for a moment at least bothering to give her his actual full attention.






G'ar & K’tos - G'ar had lingered at the edge of the crowd, at the edge of K'tos' peripheral for the whole of the feast so far. He was not wingleader, not even a wingsecond any more... and K'tos was terribly important. In demand by so very many people, and G'ar was far too polite to intrude upon those demands. Still, he was there. He was with him. It almost felt like enough... at least, until the harpers tuned their songs to a slower beat, and he felt a tug at his heartstrings in time with the plucking of harps and the bowing of fiddles. He wanted... and unlike in the turn before, now he was confident enough, comfortable enough to take.

Or ask, at least.

Waiting patiently for whomever had K'tos' attention to finish, he forced his hands to stop their wringing, and then gently touched the other man's shoulder to catch his attention. "K'tos... darling?" He took a breath, smothered the faint worry that K'tos would say no (he trusted K'tos, he told himself again, he knew he trusted him!) and then nodded slightly towards the dance floor. "Would you...?"

Later, as he swayed in the Weyrsecond's arms to the harpers' piping, G'ar would think he must be the luckiest man in the world.






Ilauria & Dsharmira - Ilauria was fully in the swing of the dances now. She hadn't stopped for a bit now, just letting herself drift from partner to partner, being swung from arm to arm as song shifted to song. Now, as she finished her curtsy to her previous partner, and the song slowed down to a gentler piping tune, she once more turned, skirt held up from her feet with one hand, to offer the other hand to the nearest partner-less person. New rider knots on this one, or rather, weyrling ones, and she was very pretty alongside her green. Ilauria gave a happy smile along with her little dipping bow to both of them as she offered. "Indulge me? If you don't mind, I mean." She knew some ladies liked men, and some liked ladies, and some liked both, and some like neither. She had never had any preference—happy to be making anyone's day a bit better, so hopefully this wasn't the wrong move.

"Isn't it a lovely morning? I imagine everyone will be worn out after this... but can't complain. The hatchlings were all gorgeous. Your little green included! A thousand congratulations." She spared a moment to look the pretty thing over, admiring her, though probably not nearly so well as her rider would admire her. "Welcome to the ranks of riderhood. If you need anything, feel free to have her reach out to Ovshth—my brown. We're always happy to give advice." Plus the brown was still grounded, and it would do him good to be helping in one way or other.






L'an & Helane - Song faded into song as the morning wore on, and L'an paid little mind to whom he ended up turning about with. These hands, those hands, yet more hands in his... This time when the song changed and he looked up, it was to another face he didn't know, a young candidate who'd been left standing. Well, no reason to leave her standing on the dance floor as well, hmm? He gave a courteous bob, then lifted their joined hands where the last song's end had sent them together. "If you want. Might prefer someone more your own... well." He supposed it'd be rather like dancing with a daughter, if he had any.

Still, he didn't direct her to the floor, or do anything but offer. He was already there, so it made sense, but he imagined she'd fancy a twirl with someone more her own age. It was a slower song, the right set up for that sort of thing, not that he'd ever been of a mind for it, but still the offer stood. If she said no, well. There was a nice bench and a cup of wine waiting for him, and that was just fine too.






Raen & Velara - Ah... a slow song. Raen hesitated a bit longer over deciding to join in on this one—she'd always been the sort to become a bit... romantic, after all, and with a bit more ease than some folks found comfortable. The morning was going very well, and she... didn't want to step on any toes, physically or emotionally. Still, the dreamy music tugged at her, and made her yearn to spin... and there was an option.

She crossed the floor to where Velara was, the younger healer woman known to her, but only loosely. After her tiny Hold, it was still shocking to realize how large the Weyr was... "Healer Velara, would you care to dance? It's a lovely song... and a shame to waste it." Her smile was as soft as the hand she extended to lead the other woman, were she willing, to the dance floor. It was a song for slow twirls and gentle dips, and the two of them could trade turns at leading, Raen never once saying a word about their difference in height, and doing her best to shift to accommodate it enough to make the dancing easy for Velara.






Wione & Delris - Oh... oh no. As the harpers' song swooped low and tender, Wione's bubbly smile turned to a deep frown. This song was one of her favorites, it was perfect and... and it just wasn't fair. She very much wanted to be angry with a certain someone for not being there, but frustratingly she found she couldn't even summon the fire to be angry at all. Instead, she was just... melancholy. Lonely. Wistful and alone between the notes of the gentle song.

A beat later and she couldn't take it, stomping one delicately sandaled foot and turning in a froth of seafoam skirts to find the nearest fellow (boyish, a bit lanky, not the right man at all, some part of her sighed) to bat her eyes at. "Won't you dance with me? Just for this song, maybe? Or the next one too?" Maybe someone here would make her not feel like she was completely missing out, missing something or someone. Please? Oh, she did not like being in love at all if it meant feeling alone in a crowd, just because one person wasn't there!

Bukichi

Wine was always a good way to bury emotions. Bukichi had indulged just enough to take the edge off of his uglier feelings, the shame of which still stung deeply. But he refused to regret how he'd felt--the important thing going forward was to acknowledge it and do better. This was a time to celebrate the new lives and bonds discovered this day, and he refused to let himself wallow. He dressed finely for the occasion, still loose enough that he could move with ease.

He turned when he heard his name shouted, and there Aryale was, pushing her way through the crowd of people. His eyes dropped at once to take in the vibrantly spotted green who was at her side. "Aryale, Yaguareth," He greeted both, but he hadn't forgotten the way those multifaceted eyes had regarded him.... judging him.

The man seemed to contemplate the offer, looking as though seriously contemplating whether or not he had time to spare. "I'll tell you what," He finally said, holding out a hand for her even as his face broke into a grin."I'm free for the next two, if you'd like." He was happy for Aryale, truly. His awkwardness with her bonded... well, he didn't know her yet. But she was Aryale's dragon, her other half. Even with his awkwardness around dragons, he looked forward to getting to know her.

Bukichi

Yaguareth was an impressive specimen, to be fair.... though Bukichi had little experience with dragon physiology and the like. Her patterns were striking, and he had to admire the way she steadily met his gaze. He gave her a small nod, respectful, before turning his attention back to Aryale. Something had changed in her--maybe it was the rush of Impression and finding her place in the world, but there was a confidence to her now that had been missing before.

He laughed, squeezing her hand back before he swept her into the music. The song was slower, but still spirited enough to let him spin her about. He certainly knew nothing of formal dancing, but this sort of style was easy. One didn't have to think, just move, and as broad as Bukichi was, moving was as natural as breathing.