A massive cavern, larger by far than anywhere save the Hatching Grounds, the weyrling barracks are still filled to near-overflowing with the forms of dragonets, many almost full grown, as well as their stone couches lined against all the walls, worn into the floors by years of dragon bodies. Cots stand next to each occupied couch for the dragonet's rider. A huge oil bin at the back of the cavern is filled to the brim and often occupied with numerous firelizards splashing, chittering, and generally making nuisances of themselves. Another bin next to it is kept full of meat chunks for the smaller dragonets, those not old enough to hunt herdbeasts or wherries themselves.
 At any time of the day or night weyrlings can be found chatting and laughing among themselves, the dragonets joining in the conversations by their riders as proxy. Tables strewn with food and hides indicate just how hard these young people work. (+views)

T'ela scrubs at her face as she strides into the barracks, having that rather rumpled 'just awake' look to her. A mildly annoyed look is directed at the nearest weyrling before she spots S'ara and directs a nod towards the other brownrider, changing direction to head over towards her.

Now then. A lull in the conversation has produced the following effect in Mei: She has gone back to what is now her officially official favorite way to pass the time, which would be - of course - staring with rapt fascination at Anhyith who is in a blissfully oblivious state of slumber. She does look away, however, as movement draws her eyes in the general direction of the Weyrlingmaster-types.

O'kano enters a few minutes after T'ela, and, spying her, promptly pulls an unhappy face. Reluctantly, he approaches the two brownriders after pausing a moment to peer around the barracks, nodding his just barely polite greeting.

Well, aren't they just the cheeriest set of weyrlingmasters with which anyone was ever gifted? Apparently, this thought takes fleeting precedent in Mei's mind, for she tips a little frown that betrays it quite plainly. But, in an effort to spread a little of the gloriously contented wealth, she says as cheerfully as she can muster, "Hi."

S'ara dips her lips into a vague smile towards T'ela, and then O'kano (although that one is tentative, and vague -- best not to appear to be overly thrilled). She belatedly eyes Mei, and, wordlessly, shakes her head, eyebrows rolling to the ceiling above.

Kilari fell asleep, see, while S'ara and Mei were chattering away. But then again, with such a sleepy-ish lifemate sharing minds with you, you can't exactly help but submit to the drowsiness sometimes. But she blinks away when the arrivals of some new peoples is noticed, and she snaps off a casual salute to O'kano, then T'ela.

O'kano is, debatably, the least cheerful person in the Weyr. So don't expect him to smile or anything. At Mei's greeting, the bronzerider peers over to award her one of his own: a short bob of his head, sans speech. Then, attention slides back to S'ara, and, noting the hesitant smile -- not that he expects any different, really, -- shows the beginnings of a mildly annoyed frown.

T'ela is certainly not cheery - her expression is set in something borderline annoyed, only exasperated by her sleepiness. "S'ara," is acknowledges as Tae studies the poor, poor weyrlings, then glances over her shoulder to jerk her chin in a rough nod at O'kano. "How are we doing?"

Mei, who will probably be the recipient of many such looks from S'ara at the rate things are going, is blithely oblivious to it presently - which is all for the better. She's in such a beatified state that it's really not fair to go and spoil it with unpleasantness. "Get a good nap, too?" she asks in Kilari's general direction, chuckling at her sleepier fellows.

"We're going--" S'ara pauses, casting a glance around, "Soppy, apparently. But well enough, considering. No major problems, thus far." She shifts her weight, leaning up against a wall.

T'ela's lips twitch at that, and she rubs at an eye tiredly. "Soppy?" is echoed with just a hint of amusement as she pivots to eye the nearest weyrling that just happens to be Mei. "Who is?"

Perceiving T'ela's question to be directed at him, true or otherwise, O'kano glances towards the brownrider; from his expression, he's less than pleased about even being in the same room as her, much less talked to. "Fine," he responds in a tone that verges on snappish. "Why wouldn't I be?" He then sniffs at S'ara. "Soppy." Bah.

S'ara just smiles: "It's not hard to figure out. I think most weyrlings are soppy, sad as it is. I'm off; time for a break, and a meal, and whatnot. Faretheewell, weyrlings." And, indeed, she's gone.

T'ela snorts softly. "Can't say I've seen many soppy weyrlings... at least, ones that *liked* to be soppy." A nod and wave are directed after S'ara, then arms are folded across her chest as she directs over her shoulder at O'kano, "O'kano, I need to have a word with you in a moment." There's steel in her voice - none of the mocking, teasing there now." That taken care of, she ambles towards Mei, inspecting Anhyith idly. "She's looking good - how are you adapting to her?"

And Anhyith just slumbers on in her pleasant haze of sleepy oblivion. It takes a lot of effort, getting out of that shell and Impressing and all that hard stuff. "Adapting? Oh, I don't think I even have to! It's like whipped cream - all smooth and fluffy and sweet and delightful." And soppy. Can't forget soppy.

T'ela blinks at that answer, her smile quirking. Perhaps there are soppy weyrlings here after all. "Whipped cream?" Shaking her head, a predatory look graces her face. "Give it time. You haven't been together long enough to fully realize the... downfalls to your bond."

O'kano was never soppy, and he says so quite proudly: "/I/ wasn't ever like that." No, he just plotted how he and Jharzeth were going to escape back to Boll once weyrlinghood was over. T'ela is eyed suspiciously, and he grudgingly obliges, "Eh. I guess."

Shaking her head in vehement denial, Mei replies stoutly, "There can't be downfalls. I mean, just *look* at her." She gives a nod to the sleeping dragonet as if that alone should make it *all* clear. Glancing back over at the bronzeriding weyrlingmaster, she creases up her nose a little to say, "How could you not be? I think it's just delightful. But, then, you're the one that complains a lot, aren't you?" Innocent question, just poorly phrased.

T'ela smirks knowingly, though her jaw is set against something or other. "Give it time," is repeated. "Wait to get to know her a little better.. and wait until you have to oil down more hide than you can imagine in the dead of winter." Eyebrows twitch together at Mei's last remark, her face becoming stern once more, and she snaps, "You're going to show some respect to your weyrlingmaster, weyrling, no matter if he complains a lot or what have you. Understood?" Turning slightly, O'kano is eyed a tad haughtily. "No, you were most definately *never* whipped cream."

"There are too downfalls," O'kano voices, almost maliciously. "They stink and poop and whine and itch and argue. Lots. And they're always there, so they always have to give their opinion and gossip and tell people things they shouldn't." He rolls his eyes, then, at Mei's question. "Because I didn't want to be a rider...and I do /not/ complain a lot." The faintly grateful look that Puo gives T'ela upon hearing her order swiftly fades as he replies with annoyance, "No one who's got any sense would be."

Frowning at the snap, Mei looks back at T'ela to explain, "I didn't mean to sound rude. It was just a question. I heard he complains and wanted to make sure I had the story straight. But I'm sorry if I sounded impertinent." The last goes to O'kano, genuine though a bit irked at having to apologize at all. (This should be so fun for her...) "She does not stink! She's beautiful and lovely!" Instinctively, she cuddles up to the dozing dragonet.

T'ela turns fully away from Mei to frown sharply at O'kano, steel entering her voice again as she gestures towards a side of the barracks. "O'kano. Right now." Turning, she summons a smile up for the new weyrling once more, though there's hardness in it. "You're right for believing there's a lot of good in your bond. She's just not *all*... whipped cream, did you call it?"

"Yet," O'kano corrects oh-so-sweetly. "She doesn't stink yet. But she will -- just wait." Irritation enters his tone, then, as he glances back towards the brownrider. "/What?/" he asks, exasperated. He does move in the indicated direction after a brief scowl, but does so reluctantly. "Can it wait? I've got things to do." It's dangerous to be near T'ela when there's no witnesses in earshot. Or close enough to prevent punches in the stomach.

T'ela does indeed look angry enough to punch the bronzerider - except there are weyrlings watching. Following after him, she hisses angrily, "Just what do you think your doing?" Scowl is matched by one of Tae's angriest as she demands something in a voice too low to fully hear.

Scowling at O'kano - in rare form given her general state of absolute delight this evening - Mei remarks, "She's not going to stink. Leave her alone!" Or she'll do something scary. Anhyith *finally* wakes up just long enough to peer at her lifemate with an inquisitive sniff for her agitated state, an attitude she has yet not met from the girl.

T'ela whispers "Your job is to train these weyrlings, not to grind them down into the ground." At least, not yet... "So what do you think you're doing?""
Not that that's much of safety guarantee for Puo; she was angry enough to punch him in front of candidates, after all. O'kano meets her scowl with a dark glower of his own as he props hands on hips and snaps back in an equally low tone, "I don't know what you're talking about -- I didn't do anything."

You whisper "I was just stating facts! Not grinding them into the ground. Better she find out that it's not all...whipped cream now than later." to T'ela.

T'ela folds her arms across her chest, though her hands clench around her arms dangerously as brown eyes narrow and her voice raises. "Yes, you are! Who's been doing this longer, you or me? Who *trained* you, for that matter?" Taking a breath, she forcibly lowers her voice again.

T'ela whispers "They just impressed, for Faranth's sake! Telling her there's more than sweetness is one thing, but ranting about how much her lifemate will smell is another! I won't have you go damaging *my* weyrlings before they're even a sevenday impressed!"

Muttering darkly, Mei takes a moment or two before coming to the realization that she ought to *do* something about her dragonet's distressed state. "Oh, no, dearling. It's not as bad as all that!" she rushes to console, busily scratching and carressing and all that silly stuff. "A *dreadful* male, indeed." Hmph.

O'kano glares right back, tone raising in time to T'ela's as he suggests, "Maybe you're not as good of a weyrlingmaster-person as you think you are." Mei is ignored, although Puo mutters something about 'stupid whipped cream' before resuming his hushed conversation. He cross his arms resolutely -- protection against fists, maybe.

You whisper "/I/ was just backing you up. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" It's just like Puo to try to put a spin on his actions and lay the blame on someone else. "So don't you go telling me that I'm damaging weyrlings. And I was /not/ ranting." to T'ela.

T'ela winces a bit at the comment, obviously stung, before she retorts darkly, "Maybe I'm not, if I turned out *you*." A glance over her shoulder at Mei, and then she turns back to O'kano, gaze accusing. "But *you* were the one who caused that."

T'ela whispers "That wasn't backing me up! That was undermining what I was trying to do completely!" Dark eyes have a hint of sadness as she murmurs softly, aggression dropping almost instantly, "If you think its that horrible, why are you here? Helping to train more of us 'horrible people'? Throwing them off balance is *not* going to help them. ""

A decisive snort finds its way in O'kano's general direction as Anhyith lifts her little head and peers in his general direction with eyes betraying a subtle agitation. But Mei is dutifully fussing over the dragonet and succeeds, with a minimum of effort, in convincing her lifemate to go merrily back to dozing.

"How was I supposed to know that she's overly sensitive?" O'kano wants to know, expression darkening at the first comment and adding a brisque clip to his words. "I would've wanted to hear it when I was a weyrling." He conveniently forgets that he was nearly as enamored -- with the dragon, at least, if it wasn't with the whole riding business.

You whisper "I was not! I wouldn't do that! I was just stating what I had to find out by myself." He sniffs. "I don't think it's horrible. I think that most of who's here, at this Weyr, is horrible -- something must have gone wrong with the weyrlingmasters back then. /I/ want to make sure they don't end up horrible." to T'ela.

T'ela closes her eyes for a second, exhaling slowly. "She's not overly sensitive - that's how they are at that age. And they'll be that way for a good month or more." Surprisingly gently, for Tae, she offers, "At least let them find out the bad points for themselves - you had to when you were a weyrling. You wouldn't have believed it from any of us." She doesn't look entirely satisfied with O'kano, but then, she doesn't look liable to hit him any time soon.

Mei would probably hit him some time very soon! Except that she'd get in trouble. So she'll settle for sitting near her dragon and scowling at O'kano every now and again between bouts of adoring Anhyith with that rapt expression.

T'ela whispers "Try, at least, to a bit less direct about it." A rueful, dark chuckle later, and she adds on, "I might be a pathetic, sadistic, lazy drunk most of the time, but this is one thing I do know how to do. So take me at my word?"

O'kano doesn't exactly trust T'ela and her expressions -- she's unpredictable -- so arms stay crossed. "Fine. Since you're such the authority on this whole thing, I'll just not...not do anything. Will that make you happy?" Her quieter words go mostly unanswered, save for a faintly condescending, half-amused smile that flickers across his expression; it doesn't stay though, as Puo schools his features into what's more normal for him: a displeased, distant frown.

T'ela puts a hand up to her forehead for a moment and just sighs, looking down and away from the bronzerider. Shaking her head, she flings her hand out suddenly to the side, looking back up at O'kano sharply. "Fine! I don't *care* what you do anymore, as long as it doesn't interfere with their training? You're *impossible*, did you know that?" There must be a something she finds amusing, for a hint of hilarity creeps into her voice. "You don't understand anything."

Mei is still showing signs of being irritated with O'kano, but she's also showing signs of getting sleepy - note the droopy eyelids and stuff. Among all of this, she's also looking between T'ela and O'kano ever now and again with something of wonderment: *These* are the people who will train her? Advise and help her? This should be fun...

S'ara has connected.

T'ela is all but chewing out O'kano - or attempting to, at any rate - back in a corner of the cavern, hands on her hips as she stares up at the much larger rider.

And Xiamei is all but falling asleep between gawking at the weyrlingmasters and glowering at O'kano.

"Fine!" O'kano snaps as a response. "It's not like you ever cared in the first place -- so there's really no difference. And I am not -- was not -- interfering with their training." Mei is indicated with a small wave as he looses one hand long enough to gesture in her direction. "She's fine. No broken bones. No..." he cuts off that train off thought to address the next. "I am not impossible. And I do too understand things. And who are you to tell me what I am and what I'm not? You hardly even know /me/." He emphasizes the last word, meaning not just the grumpy, reclusive Pouk that everyone knows and hates, but the part he's managed to keep hidden so well.

For all that she may be interested in what's going on over there in the corner, Mei just hasn't got the stamina for a day like today. Add to that the vibes from one *heavily* sleeping lifemate and it's no wonder she winds up snoring after a few more minutes. (At least keep it down, okay?)

Mei settles comfortably on her cot.
Anhyith settles down around Anhyith's couch.

T'ela knows all about being hated, and being reclusive, for while she might be nasty, and cruel, and depressive, and erratic now, she was far worse before impression. "I *do* care! Or I did! Or I wanted to-- or *something*!" The hand is flung backwards at the dozing Mei. "She might be fine this time, but what about when she doesn't want to acknowledge that her lifemate ate too much, just to prove you wrong?" A second's silence as she stares at the bronzerider, which is broken by a low snort of laughter. "I know you better than you think I do."

"What?" Puo demands. "You wanted to what? Hit me some more? Thanks, but I've had enough of that. I'll pass." His attention is diverted long enough to slant a glance towards Mei, and he shakes his head once. "She wouldn't do that. I think you're overreacting." His gaze eventually returns to T'ela, and the young man rolls his eyes in response as he drawls out sarcastically, "Oh, really. Of course you're right -- how could I /ever/ think otherwise?"

"Maybe Mei wouldn't, but I know some others who might. Its happened." T'ela reaches out to grab O'kano's arm, her voice dropping once more towards an angrier pitch. "If I wanted to hit you, I'd have done it. I'm tempted to right now. You're right -- you do understand. You just pretend you don't." At the eye-rolling, a slow smirk spreads across her face. "We're more alike than you think we are; you're getting predictable."

"Obviously. And I'd rather not have it happen again." He always ends up with bleeding noses or big, fat bruises, and it's not something O'kano relishes much. T'ela moves too fast for him to prevent arm-grabbing or otherwise; the bronzerider's vexed expression only deepens further at T'ela's words, and he informs her with a mixture of haughtiness and defensiveness, "You aren't making any sense."

T'ela chuckles softly, keeping her grip on O'kano's arm loose but firm - he could pull away if he wanted to, but she's not letting go easily, either. "Its up to you if it does." She only abuses when provoked, you see... or asked to. "Yes I am. Or maybe I'm not. Or maybe you just don't want to hear it." The smirk takes on a twist of triumph. "Let me put it to you in very simple terms for you, lordling. You think you have problems? I have them too. We could be the same."

O'kano, already tense from T'ela's grasp on his arm, stiffens further; he doesn't attempt to break away yet from the brownrider's clutches, but neither does he give in. "You're not making sense," he repeats stubbornly. Most likely, it's a mixture of all three. Puo dismisses her clarification with a snort, then, pulling back. "I do not have problems. And even if I did, they wouldn't be anything like yours. You are a totally, totally different person from me -- no way could our problems /ever/ be similar." Inadvertantly, he admits to problems with the wording of his last sentence, but doesn't seem to realize it, for his dark expression stays the same and he doesn't attempt to modify the phrasing.

T'ela's expression only gets more self-satisfied as he continues on. The smirk is forcibly suppressed as she modifies her voice, taking on a deeper tone more like that of O'kano's. "I hate it here. Nobody likes me. Nobody understands me." The smirk broadens as she tags on in the same tone, "I hate this person so I'm going to be as nasty as I possibly can." Loosing her grip just a little, she raises her chin a bit, posture relaxes. "Sound familiar, does it?"

"Th--that..." O'kano sputters some, unable to articulate his shocked outrage. Eventually, he spits out, "That's not true! And that's /not/ what I'm like. I do not hate everything and everyone here, and everyone here does not hate me, either." It's just the vast majority; technically, Puo's right, but in the big scope of things, T'ela's dead-on. But don't expect this proud lordling to admit it. Especially not to T'ela. "You're wrong."

T'ela releases O'kano's arm then, taking half a step backwards as she delights in her masterwork - flustering Puo. "Of course its not," she soothes with a hint of humor in her voice, "But I can be. Not especially fun? Maybe for you, it is..." Arms are folded smugly across her chest once more as she studies Puo's face... perhaps she should just kiss him again. But no, there could be weyrlings watching, so she settles for smirking up at him for the time being. "And... I never said we were talking about you. I knew a bronzerider once--" Her face hardens unexpectedly, tone tensing. "Never mind. Just... forget about it."

O'kano, likewise, scoots back a step, widening the gap by a little more. Not much, really, but every inch counts. Or something like that. "What's not especially fun is that you're making up these things about me. I most certainly don't appreciate it. Because it's not true." His denials only prove his guilt, though, and Puo realizes that too late, cutting off his contradictions and disclaimers belatedly. "Just forget about it?" he repeats in a questioning tone. "Just forget about it, just like I'm supposed to forget that you spread rumors about me all over the Weyr?"

T'ela doesn't smirk anymore; the remnants of a smile remain, but her expression is quickly enough becoming lost. "Rumors...? What do you-- oh. Like that greenrider." The faintest hint of amusement resurfaces. "I thought that was just between you and me. If you went and made that *true*... that's not my fault." Smile fades away though towards something more... tired. Like a sleeper waking up after only a few hours, or perhaps someone descending back into a nightmare. "If you truly, really don't understand... forget everything I said. I was wrong."

"It was mean," O'kano declares with aggravation, "and not true. And I don't even know what greenrider you're talking about. And I /don't/ like any greenriders. And I certainly don't go around visiting their weyrs. But because of you, half of Starmount thinks that there's something happening between me and...whoever it is." Puo isn't known for dropping his grudges very easily. Especially when they cause undue embarrassment. "No, I understand enough. I understand more than I want to."

"And why would you care what they think, if they're just stupid riders?" T'ela chides softly, head tilting a bit as her expression flickers between a smile and something... else, though the battle is helped towards the smile's side by the ray of hope offered in the admission of understanding. "What half of Starmount thinks doesn't matter. You know that. Or you should." Arms wind tighter together across her chest as she admits tacitly, "It... it can be hard... if you don't learn to ignore them."

"Because...because..." Puo doesn't have an answer -- an answer that he's willing to share, anyways -- for that, and eventually falls silent as he tries to think up a good reason. Failing, he glowers darkly at the space above T'ela's head, avoiding eye-contact as he finally states, "I don't know." His reply is noncommittal, so O'kano's not forced to give away any of those deep, dark secrets that anyone who's astute can probably surmise correctly.

T'ela isn't astute - she's just a little bit messed up in the head; whoever said that riders have to be completely sane must have never run across Tae when she's got her twisted little mind latched on something. "You know that I would never believe that... right?" Its offered quietly, with a hint of warmth. Of course she'd never believe it, considering that half of the rumours would probably have a source with her. "You do know, I think." Expression falters a bit, the smile starts to loose the war against the nothingness that would take it over. "You just don't want to tell me."
 
O'kano is too narcissistic and proud to confess to any insecurity, if that's what T'ela's expecting; it's only half-realized, anyhow, and Puo can't name it for the brownrider before he names it for himself. But that's not the reason the bronzerider was thinking of, even though it might be connected, and he reluctantly states, "Because I don't want--" Here, he bites off whatever he was about to say and makes a quick substitution. "--people to think I'm...running around with some greenrider." It's true, but not the whole truth.

T'ela looks like she might be starting to understand at that, and to judge from the slow progression the remnants of the smile makes towards an empty expression, its not something she ever wanted to understand. "I see... I didn't want to-- I don't want to. But I see." And suddenly, there's no fight left in her. Body sags in on itself just a bit, and the defiant gaze lowers. "That's how it is, isn't it. With her."

"What?" Startled now, O'kano knits together eyebrows, suspicion and reluctance replaced by an uneasy surprise. "What -- what are you talking about?" He knows well enough, but isn't quite ready to accept it. The bottom lip is bitten unconciously as he hears T'ela's final words, and Puo shifts from one foot to another. "I...I don't know how it is with..." His own admission catches the bronzerider by surprise, who colors the slightest bit and mutters after an awkward delay, "Nevermind. I don't even know why I'm telling you."

"No.." T'ela swivels partially away, a flash of pain, a flash of fear sparking across her face before the mask descends - that ever familiar mask so much like O'kano's own yet different. The mask of the older, more familiar Tae that everyone knows and not a few dislike... and fear. Spine stiffens as she stares expressionlessly off at some point over bronzerider's shoulder, her voice as hard as her expression has become. "Don't. Don't tell me. I don't want to hear it." An angry, deep rumble echoes in the cavern from without as T'ela turns her back completely, muttering angrily under her breath, "I need a drink."

"But..." At a loss, Puo hesitates, starting and then stopping; once he's let his own fall, even partially, it's harder than he would have expected to see another's go up. For once, Puo's on the other side of the wall, and he's not sure how to respond. "T'ela -- I didn't mean to.../please/ don't be mad at me." Half-desperate and nearly pleading, if O'kano stopped to think he'd probably be shocked to find himself entreating someone he was carefully avoiding not so long ago. "I'm sorry that I'm...I'm not who you want me to be."

T'ela smirks mirthlessly, glancing over her shoulder at the poor bronzerider. "I'm not angry at you. At the moment, of course." Snorting softly, she shakes her head. "I'm angry at myself for being stupid. Bronzeriders are all the same. *I* of all people should know that by now." Coldness and steel infuse her voice - and not the kind that gives strength. "I should've known better. You're a lot like him, you know." Apparently, she delights in torturing herself with rememberances of the one who helped her build the mask in the first place. "Except for the whole lordling bit." A sniff, then, "He was never that bad."

"I am not all the same!" Nevermind Puo's poor grammer -- it still gets the idea across. Although he attempts to steady and desensitize his tone, a note of hurt leaks through as he adds, "I figured. Figured that was why you..." The bronzerider changes tack, dropping what's too hard for him to finish. "I don't want...you to be upset." Or to revert to punching and hostility. "I never..." He pauses, searching for the right words and not finding them. "...talk." And that's what he's figured out that he needs to do, much as he may not like to.

Pure suspicion and disgust peers out of klah-brown eyes at O'kano, followed after by a slight turn of the body towards him as her voice raises. "Go on. Finish it. Figured that was why I turned into a moronic, headless wherry. Isn't that what you'd like to say to me?" The admission brings gritted teeth - she doesn't *want* to let go of that mask. Its safe and... easy. Nevertheless, a crack appears, revealing a shadow of sadness. "Talk..." is echoed softly in a ghost of a breath. "Talk?"

"No," Puo denies. "That wasn't what I was going to say. Or what I'd like to say." Here, he quirks a faintly impish grin, remarking, "But I would've told you that a couple days ago if you'd asked." He shifts and shuffles again, betraying his not-so-hidden nervousness and anxiety. "Yeah. Talk. I just...don't, usually." Puo's become an expert at hiding everything. "And I wanted -- want -- to, because...well, you're probably the only other person who cares at all."

T'ela hehs softly at that, allowing the faintest smile to appear. "And then I would've hit you. Again." Gaze drops, then flits up to Puo, then drops again. "I... don't... either." There-- the crack spreads a bit more, letting out a low sigh this time. "Yes, there is. You know it." Its like prodding at a sore tooth - she just can't help herself. "But I would----"! Eyes dialate wide, the masking dropping away completely to reveal surprise and fear spreading across. "Shepoth! Oh no, I didn't mean it, I swear!" Not another glance is given the bronzerider for today as Tae all but sprints out to the one who's so adept at tearing down her defenses, nevermind what the weyrlings must be thinking by now.