You see:
 Jess, standing near the door.
 T'ela, standing near the door.
 Kaelin, standing near the door.

Seated at a table with a mug of klah, Kaelin is half reading a hide, and half listening to T'ela and Jess converse.

"He nearly fell off the ledge," points out Jess, downing the last of her klah. "Yes, they sleepwalk. Or mine does. And he has nightmares. He's had them since he hatched, practically."

Kaelin glances over to T'ela, making a face in sympathy. "I was watching the clutching, and the sneezing was awful, poor things. I hope your dragon gets over his cold soon." He nods politely to O'kano as he comes in.

T'ela tilts her chair near the fire backward, setting her klah down on the nearest table. "Well... true. But he's always done that," is the dismissive agreement. "Shep's never been sick like this - and its driving us *both* crazy. Always, 'Won't you please come fix my nose?' or 'I don't want them to see me like this!'" Her voice deepens a bit, a grin brightening her features as she imitates the brown.

O'kano enters from the Bowl, clomping briskly and noisily as he moves into the caverns; almost immediately, he heads towards the hearth, curtly nodding back to Kaelin before turning his attention to what -- to his mind -- is most important: warmth, in the form of tongue-scalding klah. Another cursory glance is slanted around the caverns once his beverage is procured, and he glowers fiercely over towards T'ela and deliberately chooses a seat that's on the opposite side of the caverns from her.

"Corvaith is going to break his neck, one of these days," says Jess softly, before shaking her head. She doesn't even pay attention to O'kano; Kaelin gets little more notice than that. "Glad he hasn't gotten sick, yet. Keep imagining I'm going to see him and he'll be sniffling. We can't get grounded, not in my position."

Oh, interesting. Kaelin peers over his hide at T'ela and O'kano, gaze flicking back and forth between the two. Then his attention turns back to Jess, and he questions curiously, "What's your position?"

T'ela most definately noticed O'kano as he entered, and directs an absolutely evil smirk towards the younger bronzerider, stretching her arms back over her head cat-like before leaning forward to brood over her mug once more. "You know he won't - he hasn't yet, has he?" An errant chuckle emerges, and is quickly enough quashed, though she continues to grin. "At least Shep's got a good, long time to recover before we need to worry about the eggs, now."

O'kano's own expression isn't evil -- it's just extremely annoyed. Warily, the bronzerider keeps an eye on T'ela from where he sprawls, mug clutched possessively between his fingers.

"Wingleader." Jess moves to tap her knot, glances down, and swears under her breath. "Got up too early this morning, I think. Way too early. Must've left it up on my dresser. Shardit."

Kaelin ohs, and nods, glancing at where the knot would be, were it there. His gaze then wanders back to flick between T'ela and O'kano again, curious. Or maybe just nosy.

T'ela covers a smirk faced Jess-wards with another sip of her klah, though she reflexively reaches within her jacket to check - never can be too careful, you know. "Don't you just *hate* that?" Gaze wanders purposefull over to O'kano again, and one eyebrow arched before she winks rather obviously, her gaze promising something totally unpleasant for the bronzerider once more..

If O'kano's expression is any indication, he just hates T'ela. The wink is returned with a dark scowl, and he hastens to finish off his klah -- maybe he'll be able to escape if he drinks quick enough. Unlucky for Puo that the liquid's so hot.

"Shells, yes," says Jess, stretching back. "I was up too late, last night. Managed to leave her sleeping, of course. Guess I'll have to head back, before too long, or she'll think I've vanished, and that's /not/ the sort of reputation I'm after."

T'ela mms softly as she nods towards Jess, then rises lithely out of her chair, slipping her riding jacket off and down into the seat. "Know how that is..." The 'she' isn't questioned, nope. Nor is the reputation. Its another's reputation that interests her now as she saunters towards O'kano, grinning slyly. "Long time no see, eh bronzeling?"

"I," O'kano sharply intones, "do not want to talk to you. Ever. And my name is certainly not bronzeling." The young man begins to stand, glaring over at T'ela the whole time. "Go away. Leave me alone. Go annoy someone else and spread nasty rumors about them, not me."

Jess casts a glance over at O'kano, nose wrinkling slightly before she glances back at T'ela. She doesn't say anything. "I'd probably best get back. Anyway, might catch a few more winks before I really need to be up and around."

T'ela sighs patiently - she seems to have much more of that when she's not tipsy - and shakes her head at O'kano, standing casually by his chair with a faint smirk on her face. "I'm hurt... and I can certianly think of a few *other* names I've heard around beside that, if you'd like?" All solicitious, of course. "*I'm* not the one that spread them--" Well, not *some* of them.. "-but now that you're here.. isn't there something you want to get off your chest, bronzeling?"

Jess walks up the tunnel toward the ground weyrs.

Leah pitter-patters into the 'caverns, reading a hide that she has right up in front of her face. The walking disaster is here, and ready to ruin everyone's peace. Nearly tripping over one of the stray chairs, she desides to park herself at one of the empty tables, and she finally sets the hide down, looking around at the other people milling around the Living Caverns. She blinks. A short "Hullo." is offered to those surrounding her.

"You've been hearing things again," the bronzerider haughtily informs T'ela as he reluctantly sits back down in his chair, escape route blocked. Puo determinedly sips from what little remains of his klah and rolls his eyes. "Why would I ever want to share anything with /you/? I've nothing to say to you -- so go away." The entrance of others goes mostly unnoticed or, at least, ungreeted.

Caraline comes walking in carrying a string of frozen fish, a faint grin on her flushed cheeks, "Heyla, how is everyone today?"

T'ela turns her attention from her tormentee to flash a smile at Leah as she settles rather close by, then turns back to O'kano, leaning down to press her palms against the table. "Of course I have. Its a small Weyr." Snickering softly, she reaches out to ruffle his hair, then must think better of it for she retracts her hand to place it back on the table. "Because, isn't it just horrible to walk around with such a big secret like that all bundled up?" Smirk twitches a bit towards the negative, something essential slowly draining out of it like a slow leak.

Again, O'kano rolls his eyes and pronounces patronizingly, "You know that's not what I mean." Caraline is awarded a small glare, and the always irritable bronzerider snaps, "What do you think?" Attention then slides back to T'ela, and he leans back in an attempt at nonchalance while replying, "I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about. I don't have any big secrets."

Leah swivels around to catch T'ela's smile before she stares blankly at her hide, which looks rather messy. "Uhm." is mumbled idly to herself as she nudges the hide with a finger, as if it's soemthing dead. Mumbling something to herself, she slips the hide under her chair and turns her attention towards the nice conversation that the two 'riders seem to be havings. A slight grin dances across her face before fading into her blank expression. Now, what will happen next?

Caraline shrugs a bit at O'kano, "Seems like everything is fine, as you seem to be at as even a keel as ever." she says with a slight smile, nodding to the others as she ignores the snappy waspishness of the bronzerider and heads over to get herself something to eat and drink after handing the string of fish over to one of the drudges.

Riko has arrived.

T'ela widens her smile this time to show her teeth, a little bit of the teasing cover rubbing off to reveal steel beneath. "Which would be...?" Leaning down towards him a bit, she retorts admonishingly "O'kano, O'kano, O'kano... you don't learn, do you. I know *everything* around here. What people are doing, what they aren't... especially little bronzeriders."

"You do not," O'kano replies shortly, although a vague look of unease crosses his expression before being replaced by a more common one: supreme superiority. "You know nothing about me. Maybe you know things about the bronzeriders you've got at your beck and call, but I am /not/ one of those." Caraline, meanwhile, is shot another nettled look as he questions coldly, "You didn't get kicked by a herdbeast when you were a child, did you? Because you dumb enough to've had that happen."

Riko meanders up from the lower caverns, pausing a moment to converse with a friend as he departs towards his nice, warm bed. The exchange is brief, and Riko proceeds onward into the caverns at a slow pace.

T'ela clenches a fist reflexively, then forces herself to relax, shining that steel-and-silk smile at O'kano again. "Think that if you'd like... though do I really have to start giving up those secrets of yours to prove a point?" The bronzerider comment definately strikes a nerve - face pales, then flushes with anger before the smirk is laborously pulled back up. "I *don't* need bronzeriders! Useless wastes of dragons!" A flick of a glance is directed at Caraline, then back at O'kano as one hand rises slowly off the table, her voice soft now. "I'm all for terrorizing residents, but only when there's a reason. Watch it."

Caraline chukles, "Really? You must have had it happen, as you are an expert at knowing if one is dumb or not." she says in a sweet, friendly tone. "You really must work on your people skills, after all, no one will ever believe you aren't bothered by something, with as defensive as you always get. They know they're getting to you, since your number of attemts to insult get worse, the more uncomfortable you feel." she says, that same, sweet, friendly tone kept in her voice as she settles down with her meal and drink at a table that is in the middle of the cavern.

Leah is still watching with much satisfaction at the atics that the riders are going through, grinning at the uneasiness that O'kano shows very breifly, but he does show it. She grins, never really have been fond of the bronzerider in the first place, and she starts idly tapping her foot on the stone floor. As she swivels her gaze to focus on Caraline, and a slight grin tugs at the corner of her mouth. Now, ther's someone who knows what they're talking about...

"I don't have secrets," Puo forcefully tells T'ela. "You're just trying to make me look bad -- admit it! You've got nothing to say, so you're just trying to cover it up!" The bronzerider forces himself to relax in his chair, languidly stretching out feet and propping them up on a nearby chair. "Yes, yes," he agrees. "Waste of dragons. Most riders would be better off actually making a living for themselves instead of living off the hard-working Holds. No, not only a waste of dragons -- dragons are a waste." He sniffs. "I'd be back in Boll with Jharzeth if that were ever allowed. And we'd actually be productive and be useful." He deigns to shoot another look towards Caraline, simply commanding, "Shut up."

Riko takes another pause, hearing the raised tones of O'kana and T'ela, and even another person piping into the conversation. He waits there, unshure of what would happen should T'ela notice him, best to take a more decrete route to avoid being drawn in. Along the back wall, he moves through the caverns trying to not be seen.

T'ela arches an eyebrow at that, forcing her lips up to match O'kano superiority complex for superiority complex. "Really? That isn't what I heard... no don't tell me I have to go and tell everyone here about your little greenriding friend, do I?" Patronizing patience floods Tae's voice as she shakes her head, clucking softly. "You never did pay attention in class, did you. Too busy eyeing the other bronzelings, I suppose. You wouldn't have said that ten turns ago, now would you? And what did I tell you about manners? Do we have to take this outside before your head swells so big it explodes?"

Traithe walks up from the lower caverns.

Caraline chuckles, "See what I mean, you're so miserable, that you want to make everyone else miserable with you, If you feel you're wasting your life in a Wetyr, at least have the guts to go between, rather than letting everyone else around you suffer. If you haven't got the guts to do that, then quit your bellyaching, it makes you sound like a little who's been denied thier favorite treat." Again her tone is friendly and sweet, and her expression bland, "You have the means to end the existance of one, so called useless dragon and rider, so why are you still here?"

Traithe wanders in quietly, returning his ashwood walking staff to the harness strapped across his back. He proceeds to the nearest pitcher of klah, pouring himself a mug and moving inobtrusively to an empty corner of the room.
Leah blinks, and shifts uncomfortably. Gaze peeks around the rest of the living caverns, and she feels around under her chair and takes the hide back up into her grasp. now concentrating back on this. Not that the conversation is suddenly turning boring, but she has to get this thing studies and returned before t'morrow.

Chin raised to an imperious angle, O'kano affects a condescending sigh and queries, "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't have any little greenriding friends, and I have /never/ eyed other boys. Only weyrbred children stoop to that level." He dismisses the mention of the end of the Interval with a airy wave, informing, "It'll never come back. I'm certainly not worried about it." A pretentious glance is slanted towards Caraline. "I am perfectly happy with my life." There's a blatant lie. "I have no intention of going between, nor would Jharzeth let me -- not that you'd know anything about that. And if you don't like it, you can remove yourself."

Riko creeps along, maybe he's not so bad at stealth after all, or not. While he turned his head to peer at T'ela again, he neglected to notice an empty chair in his way and goes crashing into it. At a slow speed yes, but enough to trip him up and send the chair clattering to the ground. As the peel of the chair hitting the floor the only thing that is visiable to it's cause is a glimpse of someone faceplanting on the ground.

One elegant silver brow arches mildly as Traithe silently takes in the various conversations happening about the room, leaning back in his chair and sipping idly at his mug of klah. He glances around, taking a moment to study each of the room's inhabitants.

Caraline laughs softly, "Amazing, so bronzeriders can lie with a straight face. Or is it that you think if you say that often enough, it'll be true? Oh well, not worth my time to talk to someone that can't even tell the truth top himself, let alone others around him." she says in that sweet, undaunted tone before begining to eat her meal.

Leah slowly drags her finger across the hide, marking her place as she reads along, slowly but surely. every once in a while she looks up to spot a new person, or two, entering the 'caverns. After those peeks, she always goes back to reading her seemingly very difficult hide. After she finishes it, she just starts reading it over again. "Mufphs." is mumbled idly to herself, and eyes dart quickly from hide to pair of 'riders. Okay, so Lee is listening. Who wouldn't?

Traithe notices Leah seated alone, studying one of her hides. With a wry chuckle, he rises quietly, doing his best to circumnavigate the irritable tempers in the area as he moves over to her table. "Evening." A small grin touches his lips as he nods to a vacant chair at her table. "Mind if I join you?"

T'ela has disconnected.

Leah blinks, peeking out from behind her hide, to grin, slightly, at traithe. "Go ahead." is offered, before she goes back to her hide, which is now getting rather boring. She puts it face down on the table, and sighs. What a boring thing to be doing...

Traithe slides the proffered chair from the table, seating himself with a brief glance over his shoulder at the sudden silence. He lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug, a wry smile quirking his lips as he returns his attention to Leah. "Still studying, eh?" Shimmering golden eyes narrow briefly in a sympathetic wince as he sips at his klah.