Skirts Are Up

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 13th October 2010

Characters: Qorri
Description: Qorri dances with a candidate at the Hatching.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 27 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik, Rhosyn

"What are you going to do, Qorri, now that you've lost so many hands to
do your bidding?" the young candidate, no longer dressed in white, asked
as he leaned back against the column of stone, arms crossed over his
chest.

"Get the Weyrleader to send out the Searchdragons and get more of
course." She turned around and saw the knots on the young man. "You're
still here though."

"Only when I don't have craft duties," he reminded her. "Much as I know
you love to order me around."

"Speaking of which, how come you aren't somewhere enjoying yourself?"
She hated to see the candidates moping even though she understood how
upsetting that might be.

"Avoiding the usual consolation from the ones who walked away with their
dragonet," he shrugged. "You can only hear it for so many Turns and
really care that 'no matter what, we'll still be friends, and I just
know your chance will come, and I'll be cheering you on at the next
Hatching...' Please," he snorted. "They don't care a tunnelsnake's
turd that we didn't Impress. They're still glowing all happy from
Impression. You can only stomach so much of that. I figured here was
quieter at least."

"Well...you could dance?" That was true. It was probably hard to hear
all of that when you weren't standing around with a dragon. She had
never had that chance so it didn't bother her much.

"I could," he nodded, looking the headwoman up and down with some
appreciation in his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had noticed that
for an older woman, she hadn't lost her curves. "Are you free?"

She made a show of looking around for another partner. "I suppose so.
You trip on my feet and I'll have you exiled, hear?"

"I think the Weyrleader only let's you think you're all powerful," he
said with a chuckle as he held out his arm.

"I feed the Weyrleader. He likes to eat." She grinned and thought about
how that could be taken as she took the proffered arm and walked onto
the dance floor.

The candidate quickly caught the double meaning. "Do you feed him? I
hear he has a big appetite."

"He does I'm sure, but I like vegetables." She caught the beat and began
to move, counting her steps. It wouldn't do to be embarrassed on the
dancing square.

He wrapped a hand around the small of her back. "Now I truly hope we're
talking about food preferences here."

"You sure you want to be a candidate..you could always just help me you
know?" She would lose some to crafting in the end, but she still got her
share.

He leaned in slightly, a wicked gleam in his eye. "And now I truly hope
you're not talking about chores."

"Not just..." She smiled, allowing him to get close in the course of the
dance.

His eyebrows lifted slightly, intrigued. "What did you have in mind,
then, Qorri?"

"Doesn't matter. As long as you're standing, there's nothing I can do."
She respected the Weyr's traditions and wouldn't make such a stupid
mistake.

"Why's that?" he asked, utterly confused.

"As long as you are standing, I am responsible for you. And I do not
make time with young people I am responsible for. That would be
dereliction of duty." Not to mention just wrong, probably.

He didn't see that as much of a problem at all. "If I declared my
intention to stop standing, would that make a difference?"

"It'd put you in the running anyway." Qorri didn't make promises,
but she did have fun discreetly.

That didn't sound very promising at all. "Only in the running, eh? I
just was left Standing on the Sands. Why would I want to be left
standing at the feast afterward?"

"I'm sure there are plenty of girls around here. A lot of them with
their little hearts broken. It's easy pickings." Following the music,
she wondered what her husband would have said if he saw her.

"I'd either end up with some little pouty thing that 'just wants to be
held', or some wild child who thinks she knows what's she's doing just
because she's opened her legs for half the men in the Weyr. I've had
both types after Hatchings. I'm ready for something a bit... wise about
the ways of the world." One that was herself a bit more choosy.

"Well it's up to you, but you know what you'd have to do. Do you have
a craft to fall back on?" It was hard to keep track sometimes of which
ones that did.

He nodded towards his knots. "Technician trained. So, since you are
technically in charge of me, I must confess to you that I am getting
tired of the heartbreak of being left on the Sands, and considering I
can only stand a few more times before I am too old, I think it's time
to think of my future and focus on my craft."

"Is that official? I'll tell your craftmaster tomorrow.." One of her
eyebrows rose a small degree as she considered that. "But you'll have to
hand over your knots."

It might be nice not to be a candidate for a while. What could they
tell him that he already didn't know? No more candidate classes. Free
to go and do as he pleased. Free to _really_ get good at his craft. He
could get used to that. And if he changed his mind, well, they probably
would let him Stand again if he petitioned them. If it was truly meant
to be, he might even Impress from the stands. It sounded like he
couldn't lose.

He leaned in a little and said with a mischievous grin, "The knots come
off with the clothes, Qorri. I'll let you peel them off me later. And
then I'll peel off yours."

A small tremble went through her at that, but she didn't show it
outwardly. "After the Weyrleader retires for the night." Once N'vanik
was gone, she could make sure her drudges were cleaning up and go.

He would have liked it to be sooner, but he wasn't going to push it.
Getting the Headwoman out of her clothes was an experience worth waiting
for. He couldn't help but wonder if she was as bossy in bed as she was
out in public, or if for once he would get to tell _her_ what to do.
Either way, it was going to be one sharding interesting night! "Your
place or mine?"

"I have better quarters." And they were probably more comfortable since
she got the pick of the furnishings.

"Will you just be mingling till then? Or is there a chance I can get
you alone for a minute or two sometime before then?" A little preview
would just ramp up the tension and make the night all the more exciting.

"After this dance, I have to make sure the food and the visitors are
taken care of. The River Bluff Weyrwoman is here!" She was not going to
muck this up.

"You worry too much, Qorri. With all these people jumping at your every
command, assistants watching their every move, you're really worried if
you take your eyes off them for a moment it will all fall apart? When
everyone's dancing and having a good time, you can spare a couple
minutes. It would be healthy for you." Remind her that Hatchings were
supposed to be a celebration for _everyone_.

"I have spared a couple minutes, dancing with you. Now, don't presume
to tell me how to do my job. This is my Weyr and I'll run it how I see
fit." Her tone was such that she wasn't going to argue that point.

The candidate actually had the nerve to laugh. Like anyone could tell
Qorri _anything_. Though one of these days a man really needed to teach
her to relax and just be a woman for a change. "All right, all right,
you win." He was sure he could find one of those 'girls' she had been
talking about to steal away with for a few minutes if the Headwoman
wouldn't take the time. "As soon as that Weyrleader leaves, I'll be
right behind him."

Last updated on the October 23rd 2010

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