Welcome!

[Moonlitwings]

Shad bustled about the park, checking the tables, checking the arena, checking the seating, checking the trees, checking the food, checking the track, checking the water, checking his attire, checking the growling dire in his face. Wait. Grimm. Did he mess something up on his clothes? He glanced over them again, though they looked fine, being the casual direriding outfit. This wasn't a ceremony, so he didn't need to look formal, and this definitely wasn't a fight, so he didn't need anything defensive. He gave a questioning look at Grimm, wondering what the grey dire was upset over, only to be returned a scornful glare.

Well, that didn't seem to make much sense to him, and the dire wasn't making any efforts to explain themselves, so he turned and whistled, checking the tables and seating, hoping there was enough. He sent out the flyers about the event to all the pack's news boards, hoping to get guests, but he didn't really think to try getting RSVPs beforehand.... he did hope plenty showed up. After all, they're celebrating victory! The war was over, and they won! Yeah, dires didn't have a thing to do with the great big battle that took town the Tainted Lord or whatever, but they held the line, and will continue to hold the line against whatever scattered enemies seek to attack them. After all, scattered dragons are what the packs are best at taking down. But this isn't about what fighting is in the future. After all, they won the war. Maybe they should have a parade. He'd be sure to bring all the confetti! Though Grimm might not like pulling the decorated wagons around.... His partner just didn't have any appreciation for a good celebration.

He grinned ear to ear as a helper confirmed that food was already being prepared, for riders, dires, and guests alike. Keep them fed until the games begin. The thought of which sent him to checking the arena, track, and obstacle courses that were set up in the park, the grassy areas of the first two, and the course for the last marked out with small flags for when the competition would begin.

He was tempted to continue checking things, but the sun was just past zenith already, and guests should start arriving soon. So he jogged his way over to the table designated for the drinks people were instructed to bring, ready to greet guests as they arrive. And maybe meet a few good-looking guys..... Or at least he hoped to.

A small ways across the park, his white-grey moonrunner relaxed under a tree, his unamused gaze watching his rider's antics. He was hosting a party, and yet he acted more like an overexcited puppy than a proper soldier. Despite his best efforts, every attempt to teach his human correct mannerisms just flies over his head like all the dragons soaring above. At least he had the presence of mind to throw in the competition into this event, giving him a chance to show them all his prowess, and earn them some dignity as a pair. That is, if Shad didn't go and make a fool out of himself. Which, he dreaded was inevitable, the emotions flowing across the faint bond showing that if the human had a tail, it'd be swinging like a puppy's at meal time.

Deciding to move out of the shade, he trotted over to a rock at the side of one of the many ponds around the park, laying himself down over the warm stone, and holding his head high, setting an example to his human about how proper dignity looked, his teal back-stripes clearly shown in the light. Only to be completely ignored as the blond-haired human watched the roads for guests. Snorting, Grimm settled himself down, figuring others will come to him if they will, but he will not be one to go to them. This is his party, after all.

[Silverfeather]

Today was the day of the party. Fliers had been posted everywhere in the Dire section and Rin wouldn't let Sebastian sleep in like he had wanted to, despite that the party wasn't in the morning, rather started more towards the afternoon. However, the dire wolf was prancing around the room and jumping on the bed, so Sebastian was forced to get up.

He found suitable, yet casual clothing, dark brown breeches with a tan shirt, for the party, and together they went for their morning hunt. After everything had been taken care of, Rin lead the way down to the park. Her tail held high, as she kept a fast pace. Whenever she thought Sebastian was moving to slow for her pace, she would stop and stare at him, with that 'are-you-coming?' look. Sebastian could only shake his head, and jog to keep up with his enthusiastic Dire. Soon they could see the designated park and all the tables set up, and Rin wuffed as she took off at an almost full tilt. Sebastian gave up in trying to keep up with the hyper-active pup.

She ran, a hyper bounce in her step. She wanted to run, she wanted a challenge. Sebastian said there might be challenges for the two. There, there was some one at the table at the entrance. She slowed her pace and came to a full stop infront of the man. Intelligent eyes stared up at Shad and she wuffed her greeting at him. So this was the host? she casually reached her nose out to him, her usual form of greeting both human and dire alike. She had noticed the other Dire setting off to the side, but she wasn't sure the other wanted to greet her or not. well, She'd greet this one first, and then go say hi.

Sebastian chuckled at the happy/hyper feeling he got from his bonded. Soon enough he caught up with her and laid a hand on her shoulders. He grinned at Shad, and held his hand out in greeting. "Well, it looks like we're one of the first arrivals. My name's Sebastian. And this is Rinalias. But I don't think she'd mind if you called her Rin."

~~**~~
Nithian had spent the morning carefully setting out his brand new clothes that he had finally managed to buy. He had gotten up extra early to bath and gather the required items that would allow him entrance, since he had not yet bonded. So, after having dressing, he picked up the small pack that had a few bottles of some of the stuff he had managed to aquire, he set out for the park.

Of course, he got lost a couple of times, ending up in other places before he finally found the place. He grinned sheepishly, and he could tell that there were already a few other people mulling about, greeting each other and just simple relaxing. He paused, and took a deep breath. He could do this. He was ready for this, and maybe he would find some friends here. He was also glad that no dragons were allowed, else he probably wouldn't have bothered appearing at all. But, he wanted to meet some Dires personally and their handlers and get more information on what exactly he was signing up for.

He got over his slight worry, and with a calm, brisk walk, found himself standing at the entrance. He felt slightly awkward and self-conscious, but he had the proper items for admittance so he shouldn't be refused. He looked around and when a chance appeared to greet the man another Dire rider was greeting, "Sebastian' he heard the name, he cleared his throat. "well, Hello to the two of you. My name's Nithian, and I might not be a Dire rider, but I am a candidate...." He began.

[Megs]

[ Dvri and Firesong, bringing candidate Ingrid, ]

Is it time yet? Is it time yet? Isittimeyetisittimeyetisittimeyet?!

This much Dvri could imagine Firesong saying as she bounced to and from any available surface that would allow her in the room. His papers, books, anything on his desk went flying as she jumped from his bed to it. The agile, brightly-colored dire didn't so much as slip in this maneuver, bouncing to and fro--it really was a wonder she did not. Dvri watched with a frown as the letter he had been writing was rumpled and torn beneath her claws, and a sudden creeak! to the desk foretold a possible collapsing. He cleared his throat, his arms crossed. Mid-spring to the bed, Firesong snapped her head to him. But she completed her landing, then slunk off the equally ruffled bed, ears lowering to the sides a bit as she oh so slooowly padded over to him, her careful movements registering a coy 'whoops, went too far this time' to Dvri's mind. Out of pup-hood, Dvri had never needed to reprimand her in any way. She was a good dire, well behaved--in most cases--with a flare of the occasional unpredictable nature. Like right now.

It was well known Firesong had an odd flair for the company of dragon kind over her own. She seemed a bit awkward around other dires at times, depending on her mood. So being as excited as she was now to be around perhaps all of them was a bit puzzling to him. They looked at each other, dire and rider, with leveled expressions and stilled bodies. Then, slowly, 'Song's tail began to swish across the floor, and Dvri broke out into a smile. It was impossible to be even marginally irritated at her for long. "Let's go."

And then Firesong became a spazz again, but didn't jump around this time, just ran rapid laps around the room until Dvri opened the door for her. And so it was with an eager pace Firesong set as they made way, only to skid to a stop just outside the Academy. She huffed, then turned back and pelted for the Academy so quickly, Dvri was looking for the fire. But then he realized it--Ingrid! Oh dear. As if the candidate had not skipped their occupied minds at all, they met her at the designated meeting spot. Graciously helping the girl up before her--and of course Firesong nuzzled her lovingly--they were off again. Dvri couldn't help but laugh at Firesong's eagerness as they were off again. It took next to no time to reach Lihn, and deciding to not arrive as if a flame had been lit under her tail, she slowed her pace to catch her breath as they neared the park.

At once, she could smell Grim and Rin. She stopped so that Dvri could slip off, then graciously help Ingrid again. He gave her a smile, hoping she wouldn't be nervous around what would be a lot of people and dires soon. "Thanks to Firesong, we seem to be among the first to arrive," he said with a chuckle. He noticed someone already talking to Shad, so he nodded toward the other instead. Firesong was already off, her tail flicking to Rin, who she saw often enough in the pack. But it was the proud Grim she approached on the sun-soaked rocks. She stopped at a respectable distance, her tail doing its usual slow swag, waiting for further invitation to come closer, or to not be.

[Chirpadee]

Arriving with Dvri and Firesong, wandering to the refreshment table (open to interaction)

Ingrid hadn't been as excited about this whole affair as many were. There would be a lot of people. While she loved seeing all the dires, and adored watching them play, she would be expected to socialize. However Dvri had impressed the importance of appearing at these events to her candidacy. Firesong had also fixed her with one of the wolfess's most pitiful looks until Ingrid had agreed to join them. Then all had been well again. So now she sat on a low wall outside the Academy, one foot dangling towards the ground as she perched, Her other knee was tucked firmly to her chest and she rested her chin upon it looking restless. Dvri and Song were running late.

Her eyes tracked the small white shape of Yehl hovering always near by. His wings tipped and he let out a sharp chaffing cry. Ingrid dropped her gaze to lock on the bright red streak as they came skidding down the road. She hopped off the wall, and greeted Song with her usual good scratching. Then they were off to the fair, in companionable silence. She, much like the rider behind her, did not take much to talking. Though unlike him her face did very little to betray her emotions.

They arrived in short order and soon enough Firesong was off to visit with the other dires. Ingrid looked to the other three who had already arrived. There were so few people here now, which was better then she expected honestly. She knew more people would appear soon. She tugged on her black leather vest, straightening it from the ride. Her leather gloves masked her tanned hands, and her white blouse clung tightly to her upper arms. Her brown hair was braided to keep it out of her face. Her gray eyes swept to the dires, wishing that she could go and wander with them. Instead she followed quietly at Dvri's heel her face coated with it's usual facade of neutrality.

She eyed the person whom Dvri nodded to before drifting off to the refreshment table. She fingered the edge of a mug of beer and then contemplated the punch. Should she really be drinking tonight? Wasn't she supposed to be on her best behavior or some such. The flier had mentioned games hadn't it? Her eyes darted skywards towards a lone white shape which drifted, ever circling, high above on a thermal. She took a deep breath, she could handle this. She picked up a glass of water, quiet and serene. Sipping it she leaned against a table, watching everyone and for now, interacting with no one.

[Hooxeii]

Saebbi & Gjalp arriving, Saebbi heading for the booze immediately and Gjalp sniffing at Firesong;


Life, Saebbi thought bitterly, had been just a tad boring since the war ended. As happy as he was that the whole of Sekkai no longer had the tainted legion breathing down its neck at all hours, he missed the thrill of battle. It wasn't healthy, really, this lingering bloodlust of his. He hated feeling the way he did about the whole war affair, but war had been his life for so long now that living any other way seemed nauseatingly dull by comparison. Gjalp had been no help, of course. If Saebbi missed the war, Gjalp pined for it. Fighting was what she was born for, and apart from mothering cubs, was all she was good at. Like a herding dog with no flock to chase she'd been restless, her existence devoid of purpose. She'd even gone so far as to gnaw on Saebbi's favorite tankard, which, while still marginally useful, had aquired several new holes. There was always guard work, which Saebbi enjoyed well enough, though it was generally frowned upon for a guard to let his gargantuan wolf chomp on dragon candidates found wandering out of the barracks at night. In Gjalp's defense, the girl was out far past curfew and had only suffered minor psychological trauma, but still.

This was why Saebbi made plans to attend the party he'd seen advertised the moment he'd had some poor soul read him a flyer. It would give the both of them a chance to socialize--and drink, Saebbi thought merrily--with their peers. It had been far too long since Saebbi'd been roaring drunk. He didn't know which dire-riders and wolves would be attending, but he was certain all of them would enjoy hearing one of his clan's traditional drinking songs. He was a decent bard if he thought so himself... though only while heavily intoxicated. While sober his singing was sub-par at best.

Gjalp lumbered behind him as he made his way to the location the flyer had advertised. The feeling Saebbi got from her was a distinct, grumpy variation of why mixed in with a subtle hint of eagerness. He knew his dire would much rather be charging full-speed into a line of tainted soldiers, but since that wasn't really an option anymore, he figured attending a party would suffice. As long as he could keep her from biting anyone's head off (literally), they might actually enjoy themselves. Unlike Saebbi, though, Gjalp wouldn't have the luxury of imbibing impressive quantities of alchohol. She'd probably lap up a tankard full (Saebbi had brought along his second-favorite one), but that'd be it. He supposed it was for the best; he could well imagine the havoc a drunk Gjalp could wreak. Especially if she was an angry drunk.

When they arrived, he did a quick assessment of who was in attendance thus far. Shad and Grimm were there, as well as Dvri and his Firesong, and a couple of people he recognized as candidates. He knew none of these people on a close, personal level, but after tonight he felt like he would know them all as well as he did his own brother. After all, clan tradition dictated that you didn't truly understand a man until you'd either fought alongside him or gotten absolutely smashed with him... or both, if applicable.

Single-minded, Saebbi made a beeline towards his goal: the drinks. He slammed his tankard down and shouted "ale, please!"

Gjalp, who was far less interested in ale, also scanned the small crowd for someone she knew. None of these wolves were in her pack, and instinct bade her to ignore them. However, she could feel her rider's happiness in the back of her consciousness and observed him heading straight for the drinks. She'd be here a good long while whether she liked it or not, so she might as well find out what these wolves were all about. Pack or not, they were better company than Saebbi's drunken singing.

The huge Sundasher padded over to the relatively tiny Firesong and gave the wolf a quick whuff of greeting. As Gjalp saw it, there was no need to push rank here. Firesong was small and skinny and if she became a problem could be easily persuaded to act otherwise. She gave the moonrunner's rear end a quick sniff and plopped herself down beside her.

[Weaver]

Oliss finds the party and stands around looking lost

Oliss wasn't entirely certain why he was at this "party". Well, all right, he knew. Dvri had asked him to come and it had felt a little like a challenge. Oliss wasn't entirely versed in how these social situations were supposed to work, but he was fairly certain that if he appeared afraid or weak, someone was going to take advantage of him. And to be honest, he didn't dislike the company of the man's dire wolf, Firesong. She was...well...interesting, at the least. Something about her intrigued him, though he had quickly discovered that putting that feeling into words was pretty much utterly impossible for him. That part was just frustrating. It made him want to spend more time around the pair just to try to puzzle it all out.

And really, he didn't like dragons, but dires...well, they didn't seem horrible at all. And with a giant wolf at his back, it was going to be very, very difficult to look weak ever again. What kind of idiot would refuse such an offer? Well, someone who already had a dragon, obviously, but who else? No one, that was who. And Oliss was many things, but an idiot wasn't one of them.

Still, that didn't make this whole "party" idea any less uncomfortable for him. What did one do at a party when one wasn't a slave? Theoretically, Oliss knew from watching his masters' guests, of course. But as he'd always seen everything from the eyes of the entertainment or the help, he couldn't exactly say he felt like he belonged there. But again, he wasn't going to let himself seem weak by declining. And it was probably a good idea to get to know these other people. After all, he was going to be one of them. At least, theoretically. Did dires turn people down like dragons did? Oliss hadn't the slightest idea.

So that was how he found himself at the edge of the park, frozen in place by indecision. Sharp blue eyes had no trouble picking Dvri out from the lot, but he hesitated to go over to the man. He didn't want to seem too eager or too close to Dvri, for one thing. He wasn't a slave and he didn't want anyone thinking he'd attached himself to the man for any reason. But...well, Oliss didn't know anyone else. He'd moved himself into the candidate part of the dire wings as quietly as possible and chosen an empty room. As a result, he was sorely lacking in knowledge of any other attendees to the party.

Well, that was fine. He could stand and watch. Maybe he would start to figure out how this was all supposed to work if he took it in for long enough.

----------

Ethi and Lameus arrive in Lihn and are directed to the party!

It had been something of a surprise when Ethi presented himself at the Academy that morning to join the dires based out of Lihn and had been told that all of the dires and their riders were out in the city, apparently for some kind of party. After thinking about it for a while, he realized that it really wasn't that strange. After all, the war was over. Everyone had something to celebrate. So why not have a party? Especially when that party might bring everyone closer together; make the packs more close-knit? On closer inspection, it was a very good idea.

All, well, if Ethi and Lameus wanted to join a pack, what better way to meet some of the people in them than in a laid-back social environment? Obviously their fighting skills would be important too, but Ethi figured that any direriders at the Academy would know their way around battle or they'd be dead. What mattered most was whether or not he and Lammy could get along with the other members of a prospective pack...not that either of them was ever purposely difficult, but you never did know.

The big grey sundasher approached the park from the south side, pausing on the edge of the grassy area, scoop-like ears swiveled all the way forward as he surveyed the scene. There weren't many dires there yet. Apparently Ethi and Lameus had arrived early, after all. For his part, the dire wolf all but radiated curiosity, though his two tails swayed in the barest of wags. The sundasher was a serious type by nature, but Ethi could tell that he was honestly excited by the prospect of meeting others of his kind. The Freelancers had broken apart months before, and since then they'd had only the barest of contact with other direriders on their way to Lihn. Lameus would never have admitted it, but his rider could tell he'd been lonely. A dire without a pack was a sad creature, less than half of what he was meant to be.

The big grey dire let out a soft, questioning whine. Ethi, perched as he was on the sundasher's back, leaned forward until he was resting against the big furry neck before him, then reached out to dig his fingers into thick fur and scratch directly at the base of Lameus's skull. The whine turned into a happy rumble of pleasure and Ethi chuckled. "Hey Lammy, you wanna go meet those other dires?" the rider asked playfully, using the nickname that Lameus allowed only him to voice. "You're not shy, are ya?"

Lameus grunted loudly and sent back the mental equivalent of a human sticking his tongue out. Ethi snorted in response and slid off of his dire's back. "C'mon. I'll hold your hand," he teased. Lameus merely grunted and refused to reply in any other way. His rider was nervous and he could tell. Jokes were Ethi's way of covering up that discomfort. Together, the pair of them padded forward, waiting to be noticed.

[Hooxeii]

Saebbi, seeing Oliss standing around and deciding to give him a proper welcome;

It hadn't taken long for Saebbi's loud request for alchohol to be answered. Within seconds of his slamming his tankard down on the table, the large wooden mug was filled to the brim with ale. Never one to waste time, Saebbi hoisted the tankard to his lips and gulped down several messy mouthfuls of the delightful, bitter brew. He could've drank the entire tankard in one attempt had he not noticed, out of the corner of his eye, an unfamiliar face. Wiping foam from his beard, he turned to face a young fellow who was standing there as if he had no idea what to do. Other men might've stopped to consider the possibility that this young man hadn't intended to end up at a gathering of giant wolves and their men, but not Saebbi. As far as he was concerned, anyone who showed up deserved to enjoy themselves. Besides, if the lad was lost, he'd shown real bravery by not fleeing at the sight of several large and definitely dangerous animals in the vicinity. That deserved a drink.

With a few long strides, Saebbi placed himself directly in front of the newcomer. "Well, who's this then? Know where you are, boy? You look like you could use some encouragement, if you get my meaning."

He gestured to the area where the drinks were being served. "Ale's good tonight! It'll put hair on your chest and fire in your belly. Just the stuff for getting to know a man better!"

Not bothering to ask for permission, he wrapped an arm around the newcomer's shoulders. "Name's Saebbi, lad. Come to join the party, eh?"

[Megs]

[Dvri, feeling a bit sorry for Oliss, hails Saebbi ]

Dvri smiled as Ingrid, as quiet as could be, wandered over to the refreshments since Firesong was already dashing away to her fellow dires. He was pleased as he spotted Oliss wander in, though of course, he did not dive into socializing. He was about to move over to greet him and welcome him, but Saebbi took the initiative. He couldn't quite hear what he was saying, but Dvri winced a little as the man slung his arm around Oliss. It was a harmless gesture, of course, but Dvri didn't think Oliss would take kind to a drinking man doing so. The only being Dvri had ever seen the boy touch or let be touched by was Firesong.

"Saebbi, starting so early?" Dvri jested as he came nearer, having not wanted to raise his rather soft voice to be heard. "Good to see you here." Of course, being at the Academy so long, there was no way he didn't know the name of the majority of direriders, even if they were from a different pack. "Oliss, welcome." he smiled at the boy, hoping he would not react too badly to Saebbi's innocent action. Or perhaps he would do just fine. But as it was, he was there just in case to be that calm pillar of patience he was known well for. He glanced at the ale, but did not have interest. A party though it was, he wanted his wits about him.


[Firesong, greeting Gjalp and inviting Lameus over]

It didn't take long for another dire to enter her attention. Gjalp loomed quite easily over her, but seemed friendly in greeting and sniffing. Firesong whuffed back, her tail giving a sway as she did her own sniffing of this dire. So big! It made her feel like a mouse in comparison. How did it feel to be that big, anyway? It wasn't like she could ask, so she sat on her haunches by her. She looked up and about eagerly, watching as new and familiar faces entered the park. Oh, there was her other human pup! She would have charged over to him, but Dvri and another seemed to have him occupied. Her ears swiveled forward as she caught scent and sight of a dire she had never seen around the Academy before. Another big one! She glanced to Gjalp, a promise of 'I'll be right back', and padded gracefully over to the new pair.

Firesong stopped before them, her tail swaying in friendliness. Her paws patted the ground, and she made a slight jerking motion with her head to Gjarp. Come join us? Reaching up her nose cautiously to Lameus's, then to graze her nose to the rider's shoulder in further welcome, she turned and went to sit beside Gjarp once more, turned toward Lameus. There was plenty for a rider to do here, but she did hope Lameus would join them!

[Weaver]

Oliss, to Saebbi and Dvri

Oliss had killed for this kind of thing before. He was not at all the type of person who enjoyed casual touches, because in his experience, touching was never casual. Seemingly casual touches always became something very different, when you were a slave. Either beatings, or worse. Oliss was no stranger to drunken, groping embraces. The difference was, now he had a dagger hidden on his person. Now he could do something about it.

But...but this man was a dire rider (that is, the candidate assumed so). And if Oliss stabbed him, odds were he'd get kicked out of the Academy, at the least. At the worst, the man's dire would come charging over and most likely take Oliss's head off with a single bite. Neither of those were ideal endings, to Oliss's mind. So he was going to have to find something other than stabbing to do to remove the unwelcome arm from around his shoulders. Trouble was, Oliss didn't really know what that thing was. So he went very, very still, blue eyes wide, but hard. His shoulders and neck felt stiff, as if they'd been carved of wood, and Oliss seriously considered punching the man in the kidney as an alternative to stabbing, then running like hell to a more defensible position from angry dire wolves.

So it was probably a good thing that Dvri showed up then and drew the man's attention away. A sense of relief washed over the young man. Dvri was confusing, because he didn't act like Oliss expecting people in positions of power over him to act. But Oliss was slowly coming to recognize signs of how the man might react to things. And the dire candidate was fairly certain that if this ale-smelling newcomer tried to accost him, Dvri would try to stop it. Why, Oliss had no idea, but he was fairly confident in his analysis of the moonrunner's rider.

"I'm here because I was invited," Oliss replied to Saebbi, then flicked his gaze to Dvri before, quick as a snake, he made a bid to duck out from under Saebbi's arm, muscles tense, ready to fight back if the dire rider tried to grab for him.

----------

Ethi and Lameus to Firesong

Neither Ethi nor Lameus had ever seen a dire wolf colored quite as brightly as Firesong was, and they both stared a bit as she approached. Lameus had been born in a pack of dires that all had fairly plain, muted colors and had spent his entire life surrounded by such. For his part, Ethi just hadn't really paid attention to the dires when he'd actually lived at the Academy. After all, his father had wanted him to become a dragonrider. Why would he have paid attention to the dires? Edun probably would have been disappointed in his son if Ethi had even glanced at them.

Color aside, though, Firesong seemed like a very friendly creature. Ethi grinned at the nudge to his shoulder and reached out to pat her nose. "Hey there, pretty girl," he said, chuckling, then backed away from the dires. "All right, Lammy. You go have fun now. Don't do anything I wouldn't."

The big grey-colored sundasher snorted loudly, and the response he mentally sent to Ethi could only be translated as "what wouldn't you do?".

"Exactly," Ethi told him. Then, feeling might brighter in the face of having to meet new people, Ethi headed off to where refreshments were set up, a hungry look in his eyes.

Lameus let out a hefty sigh, then slowly, shyly wagged his two tails, ears perked up straight and at attention on his head. There was Firesong, and she was trying to get the attention of another female, a sundasher like himself! Lameus hadn't realized there would be so many females here. His old pack had been predominantly male, for some reason. Possibly because most of the riders had been male and they'd tended to choose dires that fit their own gender. The leftovers they'd given away to towns that needed fresh blood in their dire packs, if they had dire packs.

[Kaiser]

Gar joining the party, feeling rather lost, moving to get a drink of water at the refreshments table, and gawping at Firesong, Gjalp, and Lameus from a distance

"Hoo boy, if I'd've known I'd be back in Lihn so soon I'd not have left," Des grinned as he and Gar entered the park inside the enormous city's main section.

"Uh huh," the soldier replied absently, letting slip the fact that if Des hadn't arrived at the Academy when he did, Gar probably would not have become a dire candidate at all. The two young men paused, taking in the festival air of the place. The grass was bright, springy, and green, the trees scattered around pools of water equally so. The air wasn't nearly as stifling as it tended to be and the sun was shimmering amid thick, cottony clouds. It was a good day for this, Gar thought, allowing himself a miniscule smile.

A deep, exaggerated intake of breath drew the soldier's eyes to Des, who was leaning back, arms held out at his sides in a dramatic stretch. "What a lovely day! I'm going to hit the drink and food," he announced before trotting off.

Gar paused, his gold-flecked brown eyes taking in the population of the party. Only five dires so far? Huh, was he that early? He pursed his lips a bit and made his own way toward the refreshments, intent on something cold and wet, though preferably not alcoholic. He quickly found what he was looking for and moved off to stand in the shade of a tree. A few paces away he could see a few groups of people sharing what sounded like introductions while a collection of three dires loitered a little ways off.

As he sipped the mug of water in his hand, Gar found that he couldn't take his eyes off of the wolves. Three of them, one with a more natural grayish black pelt, a white and blue dire, and one that was... well it was quite a vibrant individual. Having heard that some direriders use dyes and paints on the fur of their mounts, he found himself curious if that particular combination of red and gold was natural or not. He stared at them, trying to pick his brains of the small amount of dire lore he had retained in his life. Obviously, the two huge wolves with horns and twin tails were sundashers. The big ones. The red one was smaller and more slender, with a long, whip-like tail. A... moonrunner? Gar considered the two breeds for a moment; the two extremes, huge and powerful and quick and slender. He couldn't help but wonder what type of pup he would get. Or pick. Be given? Now that he thought about it, how did one get a dire pup? He'd find out eventually....

Gar's eyes shifted to his surroundings again, finding the two other dires that weren't in the trio near him. Another moonrunner and a... duskstrider? The soldier looked back to the group of three dires. Two sundashers and two moonrunners and only one dustrider. Curious.

[Hooxeii]

Saebbi noticing he's upset Oliss and trying to make amends, then socializing with Dvri and beckoning Gar over;

He felt the smaller man tense up under the weight of his arms. The look in the young fellow's eyes was one of apprehension, but not fear; it reminded Saebbi of the way Gjalp eyed any stranger foolish enough to reach out to pet her without her permission. Here was a man who'd been very ready to snap the moment Saebbi's arm had touched him. Saebbi took no offense to this. He didn't know the lad and had no notion of what he'd been through prior to coming to this party. Something--or perhaps someone--had conditioned him to react poorly to being grabbed at, that much was certain, and Saebbi made a mental note to avoid reaching for this fellow in the future. He'd been about to apologize when a familiar voice tore his attention away.

"Ah, Dvri!" He called warmly. "Never to early to drink with comerades. It is grand to see you as well."

He and Dvri were in different packs, but Saebbi knew enough about the man to understand that he liked him. They'd not interacted much, but each of their meetings had been pleasant, even during the darkest parts of the war. Dvri was a good, trustworthy man who cared for his dire well. That, and the fact that he was of the Academy, made him family in Saebbi's eyes. He might not be a brother, no, but he was a brother in arms. Also, he appeared to have met the nervous lad before.

"Oliss, hmm?" Saebbi mused aloud. "Peace Oliss, I meant no disrespect. You are welcome here."

The large man opened his palms towards Oliss in an appeasing gesture. "As Dvri could tell you, I am sometimes too, ah, friendly. You are quick. That is good. No need to worry, I will not touch you again."

Saebbi turned to face Dvri once more and chuckled. "Firesong looks well. I would like to hear about what you've been up to over a drink or two, and perhaps Oliss here would enjoy that as well. Though as we've seen I may not be the best judge."

Before Saebbi could head back towards the drinks, he caught sight of another newcomer whose face he didn't recognize. This young fellow made for the refreshments and then for the shade of a nearby tree. It wasn't hard to miss the interested glances he was throwing the wolves, and while his first encounter with Oliss hadn't gone to plan, Saebbi wondered if this particular young man would want to join them. All were welcome, after all.

"You there, under the tree," he shouted, "come and say hello if you like. No need to hide in the shadows. We are all friends here!"


Gjalp, noticing Lameus' arrival and doing her best to look friendly;

The gentle murmur of the party was oddly soothing, and Gjalp had been about to nod off when Firesong had got up and darted off towards something. With a large, toothy yawn, Gjalp stretched and turned her head to see what had interested the smaller female so. She caught the scent almost immediately... a stranger. A male of her own breed, and one carrying an assortment of scents that were new to her. Now that was interesting. There were plenty of good, strong males at the Academy, but new blood was always beneficial to a pack, and in Gjalp's mind the dires of the Academy formed a large, loose-knit pack with many smaller divisions. Had the new arrival been a female sundasher, she might've felt the need to raise her hackles and demonstrate that she was the resident heavyweight, but as far as she was concerned there was no need to threaten this male even if he was big.

Firesong was calling him over enthusiastically; Gjalp could well imagine that any stranger would be put off by a large, threatening female and decided to make herself look as welcoming as possible. If she did not, the male might choose to avoid them and cause Firesong to follow. Which, in turn, would mean Gjalp would have to find someone else to sit with at this gathering.

She wagged her tails happily and lay her head on her paws. He could come and meet them if he wished to.

[Chirpadee]

Ingrid and Yehl (Her falcon) joining the group at the refreshment table, but keeping quiet

Ingrid hovered near the far side of the refreshment table watching the growing group interact. She was quiet, as was her common practice, keeping to herself and sipping quietly at her water. It wasn't that she didn't like alcohol, but with all these people there was too much risk in drinking. Sure they were dire riders, but that spoke of their metal and skill, not of their personalities and whiles. So she hovered.

Yehl, the bright white falcon that soared overhead seemed to notice her trepidation, and despite the increase in dires, he dipped low, tipping his wings. He fluttered his wings, and alighted on Ingrid's shoulder causing the girl to jump. She had been watching people, and not him, making the moody falcon puff up in displeasure. His scared face gave his large white form a rather dangerous look. However when compared to the scarred and immense wolves off to her right, he looked like a sparrow hawk.

Ingrid settled quickly and her hand instinctively rose to twine into the belly feathers of her companion. The downy feathers brought comfort, even if she could not feel them well through the leather gloves that protected her hands from the very birds talons. It was not a bad thing at all in her mind, she still took comfort from his presence and he from her safety.

She slipped closer to the group. Cocking her head Ingrid dropped herself into an opening in the circle of growing dire riders, near to Dvri but as he was currently at the center of a lot of attention she let him have a bit of distance. Her drink was sipped again and her stormy gray blue eyes flashed from one face to another. She was quickly realizing she should probably learn more names. Her fingers continued to trace patterns in her scared friends belly, letting the feel of feathers over her leather clad digits keep her feeling calm even in the group. Again she wished she could just socialize with the dires.

It seemed there was one man boisterous enough to bring the whole group into revelry, if the group would acquiesce. At this point it seemed everyone was willing to go about their own duties. Something else peeked her interest. It seemed she was the only woman here. There were plenty of female dires, to be sure, however she seemed to be the only human female who deigned to make an appearance. Hopefully that was due to the moonrunner's speed and not to the fact she would be the only female rider in the ranks. Come to think of it she had never met a female dire rider. Did those horrible acid spitting reptiles draw all the female candidates? That seemed, well odd in her opinion.

[Weaver]

Oliss, to Saebbi, Dvri, and Gar if he comes over

All right, that was...strange. Oliss certainly wasn't used to people apologizing to him for anything at all. He was expecting to shut his mouth and deal with whatever other people did. People with power--in this case, the direriders--could do what they wanted and the candidates would have to do what they said...right? But apparently Saebbi wasn't about to tell him to do anything. In fact, he seemed far more interested in talking with Dvri, and Oliss was just fine with that. No one one was touching him now, and the focus was away from him.

But he knew that he was supposed to say something in response. He didn't know exactly what that something was, but he probasbly wasn't supposed to just stare at the man like he'd grown a second head. He'd once been told that was rude, then smacked around for a few minutes. Regardless of the fact that Saebbi didn't seemed about to strike him, Oliss knew better than to assume he would let any kind of possible offense go.

Clearing his throat quietly, Oliss replied, "No harm on your part, rider." He didn't have time to say anything else, though, because Saebbi's attention had been caught by another young man and he was calling that other over. Well, that was fine by Oliss! The drinking rider could sling his arm over the shoulders of some other, better-looking candidate. Oliss certainly wouldn't mind.

----------

Ethi, trying to be charming at Ingrid

Ethi had a small pie halfway into his mouth when he noticed the rather pretty girl standing nearby. Only the sudden realization that his mouth was full of hot pie filling saved him from the potentially disgusting act of grinning right at her. Still, he wasn't going to let her wander off before he got a chance to talk to her! Ethi swallowed in a hard gulp, feeling his tongue and throat protest the scalding heat of cooked food eaten too soon. Running his tongue quickly over his teeth to try to remove the worst of the remains of his mouthful, Ethi finally shot the girl a beaming smile.

"Hey," he began, taking a step closer to Ingrid. "My name's Ethi Nedack, Lameus's rider. And you are?"

He took quick note of the bird of prey sitting on her shoulder and decided that he wasn't going to position himself on that side of the girl unless he had to. He'd not had much contact with birds of prey before, but he had seen enough to know he didn't want those talons or that beak anywhere near his precious, handsome facial features. He needed those.

"I'm new to Lihn, to be honest. We just got here this morning and heard about the party. Are you a rider?" he asked. Then, for good measure, he added, "Beautiful bird you have there, by the way."

----------

Lameus, to the lay-days!

Padding up to the female sundasher, Lameus whined a soft, questioning kind of welcome, ears still standing tall on his head as his twin tails twitched in odd little almost-wags, as if he was nervous and shy. Well, that would actually have been a pretty good assessment of his mental state at the moment, to be honest. It had been quite some time since the big grey sundasher had had the opportunity to spend time with other dires in a social setting, instead of just fighting side-by-side with them.

Not to mention, these weren't just any two other dires. They were both very attractive females. In fact, in seemed that most of the dires who'd shown up thus far were female. Ethi would have called that "good odds". Lameus couldn't help but be amused by all the posturing his rider did around females of his own species. And yet he never seemed very interested in following through and claiming one as a mate, despite having been very happy for Lameus when the wolf had done so, back with the Freelancers.

But Lameus wasn't going to dwell on that. That was a sad memory, and one that didn't have a place at this happy gathering.

[Chirpadee]

Ingrid to Ethi

Ingrid had been perfectly content to just listen to the conversations. She had to be a part somehow, or Dvri like as not would come over later to bother her about anti-social tendencies. Perhaps she wasn't the only one though. There were quite a few folks who seemed less then content to start babbling about nonsense. However her quite it did not last. A tall man came sauntering over with a confident smile. She would have rolled her eyes, but it would have been rude. Instead she did what she always did. She let her face remain a mask of neutrality and fixed him with gray eyed intensity.

Yehl clutched her shoulder harder. His talons digging into the leather hard enough Ingrid lifted a hand and loosened them to relieve the pressure. His liquid black eyes latched to the man as he walked to the opposite side of Ingrid. The falcon shifted and flared his wings, leaning forward so he could continue to glower at Ethi under her chin. His scared face gave him an even more dangerous air. His feathers rose slowly, and Ingrid smoothed them back down, showing there was nothing for him to worry about.

Still she couldn't exactly remain silent when he started shooting off questions so she answered in quick concise statements. “I am Ingrid and this” She waved a hand to her avian companion, “Is Yehl.” Her eyes darted to the dire's wondering which one was Lameus, however it soon became apparent. She recognized all of the dires except his one. She had seen the others arrive. A massive Sundasher by the looks of it with fine natural coloring. She found herself wanting to run her fingers through that curly mane, but quickly quelled the want. Touching a dire you didn't know was asking for trouble.

Ethi spoke again and her attention was drawn back over to the rider, the same neutral mask greeting him. No change, except perhaps a slight quirked brow, “No I do not ride. I am a candidate for the next litter. I came with Firesong” She waved a hand at the red moonrunner. She supposed that wasn't enough and continued, “Welcome to Lihn though.” She had only once been to the city before, when she had left her mother and remaining brother here. It had been a sorrowful parting, but they had nowhere else to go. She couldn't abide all the cold stone walls and claustrophobic streets teeming with people like insects swarming. So she had returned to the Academy with Dvri.

Yehl seemed to realize he was being talked about and he ruffled his wings and nipped softly at Ingrid's hair, losing interest in watching Ethi. The man had taste, he was a beautiful bird. Ingrid rolled her eyes at Yehl, such a prideful beast he loved attention and complements. “He is a Gyrfalcon. He was injured as a chick and deemed unsellable. So I kept him.” She puffed a bit of air into Yehl's face which caused him to drop the piece of hair he had been nibbling at and ruffle his feathers indignantly.

“He is moody, but a fine companion.” It was funny. She said more about the bird then she did herself, but that was just her way. People were not her strong suit.

[Incognito]

[Nealious arriving with Fenrir and catching a would-be runaway gryphon, meeting with Ethi and Ingrid]

Nealious swayed in the saddle in time with the pondorous strides of his Sundasher as they approched the party grounds, signing deeply to himself while his bi-colored eyes drifted anxiously from one person to the other, including the dires, seeming to share a likeness to a deer caught in the stare of a predator, which was humorous when compared to his dire. He had had his doubts about attending, and still did, but it had been a while since he....well did something for himself and what better way to relax then go to a party? Where you knew no one? Again Nealious sighed, silently this time. That was the reason he tried despertaly to belive - to relax, have fun like a normal person- but the only thing he could convince himself of was that his presence here denoted the start of madness. The true reasoning for his coming was a different matter entirly and had nothing to do with want or fun. If there was anything he wanted it would be not to attend. Parties were not his forte, as would befit a nervous and shy persona , and to be frank others considerd him....boring. Never in his life had he been the life of the party and that was a trend unlikely to change.

Quickly Nealious scanned the small crowd again as he asked Fenrir to stop, grimincing slightly at the jingle of the saddle before catching the distint smell of ale and turned aside briefly as his stomach twisted on reflex. Nealious had learned the hard way of his inabilty to withstand alcohol and since had grown very weary of the substance. Only once in his life had the man been sick and that was more then enough for poor dire handler. Why just the barest of sips could – and would – compeltly overwhelm him in a matter of moments and make him as drunk as the worst of them and then in turn make him gravely ill thereafter, keeping him bedbound for at least a few days.

Thankfully it wasn’t hard to resist the want to drink. Sometimes the smell was all that was needed to make him wretch, hence his distress at this very moment but it passed as soon as it came. Thank the First, he thought as he leaned over to unlatch the knotted rope ladder from the saddles side so that he may dismount. So far as Neal knew he was the only one who preferred to use a saddle on their dire, but then not many dires were Sundashers and the other riders didn’t seem to mind that their mounts stood a near eight foot above the ground. Well, Nealious did.

With practice Nealious made quick work of the saddle and placed it on one of the fences nearby. He wasn’t worried about anyone messing with it or stealing it, not with so many dires around. Fenrir, free of his burden, quickly trotted off toward the other dires leaving Nealious alone. Well, not compleltely. Beside him on the ground was Blueluck and she gazed excitedly about with her deep blue eyes bright and her wings testing the air with a flap. There were so many new things to explore and dires to meet! Her head didn’t stop swivilling about until she caught sight of another avian perched upon a girls shoulder at the bar. Like a child pulling the puppy eyes for permission Blueluck gazed up at Nealious, waiting for some word but her owner wouldn’t return the gesture and didn’t look like he was going to move anytime soon. Well, she could fix that….

In an instant the blue gryphon leapt into the air but her flight was to be short-lived. No sooner had the gryph gone airborn then Nealious made a shout and hastyly grabbed for her in mid-air, effecticly catching the would-be runaway and stumbling a few steps forward….right next Ethi and Ingrid. Cupped between her owners arms like a stuffed animal Blueluck brimmed with misgeuvous accomplishment and chimed a greeting to both the man and girl, waving a talon idly at them to say hello. She wished to be closer to the gyrfalcon too but she was locked in tight in Neal’s arms. Perhaps later.

Fighting the embressment as best he could Nealious tried to recompose himself enough to look casual and was mildly successful. “ Sorry,” was the first word he managed after a moment “ She gets excited about meeting new people…and birds. Very hard to manage sometimes but she means well.”

---------
Fenrir saying hello, then finding a sunning rock. What a boring chap.

Fenrir walked over to where the rest of the dires had gathered, shaking himself to rid the ache of the saddle of his shoulders but his bright gold eyes never left the other wolves. None of the dires were familier to the storm-colored Sundasher by sight though he had crossed some of their scents often enough in the stables to be comfortable with, such as the ones that belonged to the red and grey Moonrunners and the white Sundasher. But the other male, riddled with greys as Fenrir was, he was a stranger but Fenrir had little worry. Even at a distance it was plain to see how large the dark Sundasher was, framed with thick grizzly muscle and wiry hair. He easily matched the other male pound for pound if not a little more. But no matter, he wasn’t for qurrels today….yet.

The storm-hued wolf chuffed his greeting to the other dires, a deep throaty sound, followed by a vauge wave of his twin tails before lumbering off to claim a sunning rock for his own, his respects done. Fenrir not never been the most sociable of dires and at best he was brief, though somehow he found himself curious of the other two Sundashers. Just a little bit, most of all the white female.

Finding a sutible rock the dark Sundasher layid himself down with an audible thud, resting his head between his paws and gazed out over the rest of the party. Fenrir did not intend to interact much with the group unless things went otherwise.