A Welcome and an Intrusion

[Akki]

A hunt.

That’s what the bluerider was doing right now. She was hunting. Not animals of course or anything like that. She was hunting down a person – a new brownrider that she hadn’t met yet and wanted too. The poor man had no idea what he was getting into when he came to Dark Moon.

Akki was lurking around the corridors that lead to all of the riders weyrs. Truthfully she wasn’t even sure if he would be there but it seemed like the best place to start. If he wasn’t there, then she would try the kitchens. She definitely had it all planned out which made her seem like the biggest creep possible. Akki would take that as a compliment though. She was silently naming the weyrs as she walked by them. The one on right right belonged to Rhia and the one up there on the left was a greenriders.

It went on that way for a while until she finally stumbled across a weyr that had been previously empty. If there was a new transfer then he’d probably be put in this one. She leaned towards the door slightly, cupping her hands around her mouth.

“Knock knock!”

[Xennai]

R'fael was startled when he heard an unfamiliar voice echoing through his weyr. He frowned, glancing up from a hide he'd been reading. He was very much the handsome bronw rider, his face striking. At the moment, dark eyes were slightly perplexed.

He stood, rising up to his impressive height. He walked toward the door, pushing it aside. He was startled to see a woman. And not just any woman. She was rather attractive, with very unique blonde hair. R'fael frowned, one hand on the wall. "Can I help you?" His head tilted with curiosity.

[Akki]

Tall, golden colored skin with large, brown eyes.

Well helloooo there sir

Akki blinked for a moment before deciding she should probably form some words so she wouldn’t just be awkwardly staring at him. And she better do it quick! She shot out her hand, a crooked smile on her face, “Akki of Blue Ebbeth.” She introduced before adding, “You can call me the welcome wagon. Or the snoop. Both fit to be honest.” Snoop probably fit better since that’s exactly what she was doing right now.

“I heard there was a new brownrider around. So, color me curious, I figured I’d waltz around to introduce myself.” She laughed with a smile before waving her hand in the air, "Plus the drudges wanted to know if you were a looker or not. I promised them I would find out." She was in cahoots with the drudges, a bonus in her opinion. It meant she was often among the first people to hear a rumor.

[Xennai]

R'fael smiled uncertainly as he was stared at. The woman seemed to come to herself and then she had a name. "Hello, Akki of blue Ebbeth." Voice was deep but soft. He was a man's man; large and strong and sure of himself, but he also had another side to him, a softness most werent't accustomed to. His hand certainly wasn't soft when he accepted the blue rider's. "R'fael of brown Keirath."

Head dipped in greeting. His smile was light and quick. "Well, now you've seen me, I guess you can tell them straight." A chuckle rippled from him. "However, doesn't personality count? Hmm? I suggest you come on in and eat with me so you can tell those drudges straight." He stepped aside, inviting her in.

[Akki]

“R’fael of brown Keirath?” She repeated before nodding her head slightly, “Right. I’ll remember that then.” She had a tendency to have to repeat names to herself so she wouldn’t forget them. Her memory? Yeah, wasn’t so good. She was slightly thrown off by him though. She figured that if he had such good looks that he would be that typical cocky type.

And yet, it didn’t seem like he was. There were no arrogant ‘You liking my looks?’ comment or anything like that. How odd! This man was a mystery. “Whoops. Guess we forgot about personality.” She admitted before laughing. And did she just receive an invitation to dine? “You sure know how to charm a girl R’fael. I’ll accept your invite.” She said with a grin and a snap of her fingers. She walked into the weyr when he stepped aside and groaned slightly.

“Your place is loads neater than mine. I’m such a messy person.” She said with a slight sniff. Guys were supposed to be the messy ones! That was so unfair.

[Xennai]

R'fael chuckled, the amusement lighting at dark chocolate eyes. His lips curled and he nodded. "Uh-huh. Because personality doesn't matter, hmm?" Head shook and he tsked lightly. "You women. All you want is a good-looking body and a man who can crack a few jokes and just forget all the rest."

He stepped back, shutting his door, watching him with the same amount of humor as before. "Well, well. I do like the compliments. Keep 'em coming." R'fael idled for a moment, watching this new, charming blue rider. The woman looked just as good from the back as the front. He shook himself, trotting a little to catch up with her. "I think not having too many things has a lot to do with it."

[Akki]

“And all guys want is a curvaceous lady who will hang by their every word.” Akki retorted quickly, her infamous crooked grin playing on her lips. “Put them together and hey, you’re set for life.” She said, snapping her fingers together once again. She clearly had some warped vision of what a couple should be. “Call me shallow, you don’t have to stare at a personality every day.” She laughed. She wasn’t shallow though, personality meant a lot for her but oh well.

She turned to face him and gave him a wink, “Handing out compliments is what I do best.” Hmm, his lack of possessions made more sense. She felt slightly better about it – she had lots of stuff, it just happened to be all over the floor. “Go on a shopping spree?” She suggested with a shrug. The suggestion of shopping made her toes curl – she would never be able to enjoy browsing for hours.

“So tell me about yourself R’fael. If I’m reporting back to the drudges, I got to bring something juicy back.”

[Xennai]

R'fael shrugged, hands spreading in a gesture that clearly meant "what can I say?" He was smiling still, finding Akki enchantingly charming. He wasn't used to a woman being so...refreshing. And shards, but she was!

This he was going to enjoy.

"Hey, it sounds good to me." He shrugged, grinning. "You want someone good-looking and funny, I want someone curvy and attentive. Sounds to me like we both fit the bill." R'fael sidled close, his eyes seeming to melt. He watched her for a few moments and then turned. He opened the vent to the kitchens and shouted down an order and then shrugged, turning back to the female blue rider. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, one foot crossed over the other.

"Shopping? I don't think so." He shook his head. "I am a man in that respect, at least. I'd rather live spartan than stuffed into my weyr with some overpriced whimsy." He considered her for a moment, a smile tilting at his full lips and then he shrugged. "I'm R'fael. My dragon is a brown named Keirath. He's seven Turns, I'm twenty four." His face screwed up in thought and he tapped his chin. "I'm not the kind of man to wear a lot of decoration, but I like some of it. Simple things." He shot her a look, head tilting to the side. "As for yourself, my lady blue? Am I allowed to know information on my snoop?"

[Akki]

The female bluerider pumped her fist into the air in celebration. “We are good to go then.” She let her hands fall down to the side before making them outline an hourglass figure, “But you can’t get rid of me for an even curvier woman.” There were quite a few curvy gals at Dark Moon that Akki didn’t stand a chance against. Then again, Akki really didn’t have that many curves – at least, she didn’t think so.

As he leaned against the wall, she slid onto the ground and sat there. “See, if this was my weyr I’d be sitting on who knows what right now.” She laughed. Maybe she should clean out her weyr a bit, most of the stuff was broken or junk anyways.

I like the idea of it being cleaned out. Her blue rumbled for a moment before returning back to his sleep.

“I just like you more and more R’fael. Shopping scares me.” She grinned. She raised her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she listened to the brownrider talk. “Come on R’fael, that’s easy stuff. Give me something to work with. Any secret lovers within the Weyr yet? A dangerous past, filled with knife fights perhaps?” She said, trying to coax information from him. She chewed on her lip for a moment, thinking.

“I suppose you can snoop on me. I’m twenty two while Ebbeth is five turns old. My brother just transferred to Dark Moon also. Don’t listen to what people say about me because it won’t be flattering.”

[Xennai]

R'fael shook his head, smirk on his handsome face. "Oh, I can't, can I? Good for me I guess that I prefer my women with curves but not curves." There was obviously a difference in that. Apparently, the brown rider didn't like his woman too curvaceous. Hmm hmm. That could be very good for Akki.

He watched as she slid down to sit on his spotless floor and mentioned what she could be sitting on. R'fael looked around his weyr, mouth twisted to one side of his face. Perhaps his quarters were a bit too puritanical...He glanced back at the blue rider, finding her extremely intriguing. "Mmm. Akki, who is twenty two Turns and has her blue Ebbeth who is five." R'fael nodded, remembering the information. "Knife fights and secret lovers? Well, there were no knife fights." But there was a secret lover, a certain redhaired brown weyrling that he refused to think of.

"Hmm. Interesting things..." He thought of trivial things, things that didn't really matter. The inconsequential. "I like my klah kind of cold?" His noise wrinkled and he laughed, head cocking. "Why would they not say flattering things? Are you a bit of a rogue?"

[Akki]

She brushed the back of her hand across her forehead, pretending to be relieved. “I’m glad because I’m more of a…” She paused so she could make another figurine with her hands but this one not so much an hourglass as it was almost straight down. “Shape like that.” She finished with a nod just to confirm it. “If you ever want a reeeeally curvy gal though, I could hook you up.” She grinned.

To be honest, Akki wanted to simply roll across the floor. It was so clean! So nice! Oh how she was jealous. But she fought the urge to roll, this man was new. She could roll about in here in a sevenday when he was less new. “No knife fights? I’m vaguely disappointed.” She sighed. She wanted to meet someone who got into a knife fight, winning just as things were looking bad for them. She’d have to continue her search it seemed. She silently took a note about his lack of an answer about a secret lover but said nothing about it. For now, at least.

She crinkled her nose at his klah admission. “Come on R’fael, everyone knows klah is better warm. That’s just weird.” She said with a sad shake of her head as if R’fael was now some strange man. She grimaced slightly at his last question. “Uh. Sure. Bit of a rogue.” She grinned. That sounded much nicer than being called a floozy. She knew that the drudges thought of her as one; her hooking up with a younger man and then being half naked in a bronzeriders bed. Those were just the latest things too. How scandalous.

[Xennai]

His laughter was rich and deep as she made another movement with her hands, describing herself. He rose, his movements fluid, and made his way toward her, dark eyes thoughtful. He took her hand, watching her from high above, those eyes tracking over her frame. Dark. Intimate. "Mmmm. You're like a rose," he murmured. "Slim, elegant bu curves? They are there. Just not as obvious."

He stepped back again, giving her space. A hand scooped up a chair and he turned it, straddling the seat, his tan arms folded over the back. He watched her, wondering how in all of Pern he could of met such a woman. "I'm sorry about not having any knife fights. Now I know that my dream woman wishes me to get into one, I suppose I'll have to in order to win her, eh?"

Eyes were thoughtful on her again once she'd answered his question. She couldn't be telling the truth, not when she sounded less than certain. He smiled. "Ah, well, that just can't be it." He leaned in closer, his voice soft and secret. "They say such things because you killed a man, isn't it!" A wink and then he smiled. He knew that wasn't true--but he wasn't very sure.

[Akki]

She watched him as his eyes gazed over her body and then tried to hold back a snicker. Her? A rose? Hardly. Roses were soft and delicate, one wrong move and the petals would fall off. She was more like a tree trunk. “I’m more of the thorns on a rose.” She replied, a crooked grin playing on her lips. Rub her the wrong way and you’d find yourself bleeding. However she took note of his compliment – brownie points for him, she approves.

A crooked eyebrow followed her lopsided grin. Was she just called a dream woman? Poor, poor R’fael! Akki wasn’t a dream woman – everyone in the Weyr knew her as some sort of tease. A fact that she was either to lazy to correct or a fact she just simply didn’t mind. He’d learn about this soon enough though, “Flattery will get you everywhere.” She’d never met a man like R’fael before, someone who flirts loudly and obviously. Sure G’han did that, but his was always in a more joking manner. “As much as I’d love to see a knife fight go down, I’d rather not see you get all scarred up.” She admitted with a crinkle of her nose.

She let her hands cover her mouth, her eyes wide. “How’d you figure it out so soon!” She gasped. She let her hands fall down to her lap and whispered back, “It was a knife fight that got out of control.” She scrunched up her face and surveyed R’fael for a minute or two, “Now that you know my secret I either have to kill you off also or we can just make this our little secret.”

Hopefully it could just be their little secret. She’d rather not have to hurt him.

[Xennai]

A brow arched and the brown rider grinned. "Thorns, hmm? Well, who wants someone who's all bark and no bite? That's nothing fun." He shrugged, laughing quietly. He liked Akki; he liked her quite a bit. She was refreshing, funny and didn't take things too seriously. Yes, he liked her.

"Really?" He leaned forward, brows high, his face serious. It was true that Ez, now Ez'ki of brown Garisath, had opened up a whole new chapter in the older rider's life. Before, joking about with Akki would have been out of the question. He definitely would not have made interest obvious. Apparently, a good night and a good partner made a very big difference in the man. Food for thought for some. "I think flattery is the best tool in a man's arsenal. The right compliment, the right kind of words and you can get anything." He winked. "Look at you. You call me good-looking and I invite you in and get you food."

Just then, there was a rumble and rattle. The shaft down which he had shouted seemed to be issuing the noise. R'fael rose and strode over, returning a few moments with a tray piled with food and drink: klah and wine, rolls, wherry meat, tubers, fruit, cheese and even a little cake. He set the tray on the table, one hand pressed to the wooden surface as he turned, looking at the woman on his floor.

"Would you like to stay there or sit at the table with me?" His head tilted to one side, a small smile pulling at one side of his mouth. He turned his own chair around and sat at the table, reclining back casually, his hands behind his head. "Oh, don't kill me, dear lady." His eyes went wide and serious, his face pleading. "Let me live," he whispered. "I can repay you. Food, conversation, flattery. You can even have access to this." His hands fell and spread in front of him, obviously indicating his toned, golden body. "You did say I am good-looking." He still looked pleading, though the humor was there in his eyes, hiding just beneath the rich chocolate color.

[Akki]

“Soon enough you’ll realize that I’m all bite.” She replied, clacking her jaws together so her teeth would meet with a metallic sound. It was almost a shame, really. R’fael probably thought she was simply joking around with him – soon he would learn, however, that she was not. He’d realize that she really was covered in thorns.

If Akki had known about what went down between R’fael and Ez, would she still be joking around with him and such like she was? Probably. She never cared much for the details. She’d probably just grin and comment about how Ez clearly has good taste. She shrugged and put on an innocent look, “I’m a master of using flattery to get what I want.” R’fael was right about flattery though. The right words really could get you anything – while people tried to deny it, secretly they were all a shallow race that were just waiting for a few charming words. “Plus I’m always on the hunt for a meal with some good company.”

She answered him by placing her hands on the ground beside her and pushing herself into a standing position. “You may want to wait a bit, that klah is looking a little too warm.” She snickered as she took a chair and sat down in it, facing the brownrider. She blinked for a few moments before snorting loudly, which was actually slightly embarrassing. She couldn’t help it though, R’fael’s words had entertained her a bit too much. “Well now you’re definitely spared. I can’t say no to an offer like that one.”

Who could?

[Xennai]

R'fael shuddered in mock fear, keeping a goofy grin from his face simply by pure will alone. He had the feeling that what the blue rider was saying was true. He was under the impression that the joking and the natural womanly sort of tenderness he was getting from her was a facade. The thorns, the bite? Might not be as big a joke as he thought. He didn't mind either way though...Rose or canine, he didn't mind.

A wise nod of his dark head marked R'fael's reply to her own about flattery. "Ah, well, a master I'm up against." He tsked softly. "That does make things a bit difficult. How do I know when you're flattering me or telling the truth? How do I know that you calling me good-looking isn't just flattery?" He shook his head. "Maybe you're not going to be getting any food after all."

A sunny smile warmed his golden face as she sat across the table from him. His nose wrinkled at her comment and he shook his head, reaching for the wine and pouring two glasses. "I knew I shouldn't have told you that...Now all I'm going to get is mocking, mocking, mocking." He handed her her glass and smiled, raising his own in an informal toast. "So what will it be, hmm? Food, conversation, flattery or me?" He snickered, taking a sip of his drink.

[Akki]

“Can’t flattery also be the truth?” She asked with a slight frown before sniffling slightly, “And come on. You can’t eat all that food alone!” She was pretty sure R’fael already knew that he was a good looking guy. And if he didn’t then hellooo, were you blind? How could you not notice such a thing?

This man probably had women throwing themselves at him all the time. His charming ways would no doubt captivate a naïve woman. And even a not so naïve woman. He was an interesting bloke, he had definitely caught Akki’s attention. “Besides m’dear R’fael. The drudges all have the knickers in a twist down in the kitchens, dying to find out some information about you. Not everyone gets that treatment, surely you should be flattered by that.” The drudges were only interested in some people after all.

She grinned as she accepted the glass from him, “That’s what you get for telling a stranger your dark and dirty secrets R’fael.” She lifted her glass along with his before also taking a small sip. Mmmm Benden White. “Can I choose all three? It’s boring to have to limit yourself.”

[Xennai]

R'fael shook his head, slight disapproval on his face. All a show. Really, he was enjoying what conversation there was that was flowing between them. "Flattery might be a slight exaggeration of the truth, but I don't think any of us mind." He took a sip of his wine again.

"Really now?" He chuckled, picking up a piece of fruit and taking a hefty bite of it. "Well, I'm honored then if the drudges aren't always interested in everyone. I'm very honored." He took another big bite of the fruit and looked at her. She was interesting. And she seemed to have found something curious within him to have stuck around. Or she was a sucker for a meal. It was hard to tell. He wasn't sure what was joke and what wasn't at this point. That in itself was interesting too.

"All three? All right." He nodded, cutting off a slab of cheese. He quickly broke open a roll, placing cheese and meat in it. He handed it to her. "First, food." He took another bite of the fruit he was eating. "And I like your eyes, now I'm close enough to see them. They're unique, just like you." Another bite of fruit and then a sip of wine. His favorite. "There's the second down." He leaned across the table, setting down glass and fruit. He held her chin with a thumb and his index finger. Gently, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a brief, sultry kiss. It lasted but a few moments before he pulled back, picking up his wine as if nothing had happened. Another sip and he grinned. "And there's the last: me. There's more to come, if you like, darling." He winked and finished the piece of fruit, reaching for the knife to the cheese.

[Akki]

“Whatever makes us feel better.” She replied with a soft laugh and a grin. Flattery did wonders on your esteem, who would protest such a thing?

“You should be honored. I’m using all my snooping skills on you.” She said with a nod as she popped a berry into her mouth and chewed. Normally she’d just find out their name, a bit about them and then wander off for another adventure. Perhaps grab a snack in the kitchens with them. A full blown meal though? Never. It was definitely something new but she was curious about this brownriding bloke. Why had he come to Dark Moon first of all – flirted with too many women at the last place? She could see that actually, all the women in a Weyr dying for his attention, ticking off the other male riders. She hid a grin at the image in her mind.

She took the roll from him, nibbling at it for a minute before placing it down on her plate. The compliment was an interesting one in her opinion. She never really liked her eyes – they were weird, blotchy and overall just unattractive. She always thought that people saw them the same way she did, but this apparently proved otherwise. Then a few seconds later, fingers were gently cradling her face and pulled her in. Lips met each other, an invisible grin on Akki’s. Oh yes, she was definitely intrigued by R’fael. Few guys could be this smooth and get away with it.

When they pulled apart, she laughed before taking another sip from her wine. “I was saving the best for last after all.” She replied, her infamous crooked grin playing on her features.

More to come? She would, in fact, like.

[Xennai]

"Mmm. That can be said about a lot of things. Alcohol, dancing, sex. But what does it matter? It does make you feel better." A light laugh left him as he selected something new to eat. He cut off a skab of cheese and then chose a roll, stuffing it with the dairy and some meat as he had done for her. He ate it at it, watching her.

And then he smiled, chuckling, humor evident in the roll of laughter he exuded. "You're sharding right it's the best of all!" He winked, taking a big bite from his mini-sandwich. "Just lemme know if you want more of any. We can come up with signals." He leaned in closer, letting her in on the secret. "You can wink your left eye twice when you want food. You can nod three times if you want flattery. And if you want me...well, I'm sure you know how to ask for that."

He pulled back, finishing his sandwich and taking a sip of wine to wash it all down. He reclined back, a foot resting over his other knee. A hand scooped through his hair as he tried to figure out what he wanted now. He didn't think it was just food anymore either. That was the problem.