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Rulyn escapes back into the barracks, and a generous smear of ash gives evidence of where he's been already. A weary look in his eyes might explain why.

Teria is already there, rubbing at her arms with a grimace. She glances up and smiles tiredly. "Clean fireplaces?"

Rulyn returns with a tired smile of his own. "Ayup," he agrees, flopping down to sit on his cot. Though tired, he still notices the arm-rubbing, and asks, "You okay?"

Teria explains, "Firestone sacking. After the party last night, it was doubly hard. You okay though?"

Rulyn admits bashfully, "I'm whupped. Didn't sleep too well last night. And..." there's that shy grin, "My arms are a bit sore. Guess I'm gonna hafta carry you round, more, build up those Teria-carrying muscles."

Teria leans her chin on one hand and looks across at him. "Just as practice for hefting firestone, is it? I weigh less though!"

Rulyn looks back. "T'would help with carrying firestone, too," he agrees nonchalantly.

Teria chuckles. "Well - I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to build up those muscles. I think it can be arranged..." She draws the last out, teasing. Or is she?

Since Rulyn doesn't really know if she's teasing or not, he just grins, "Good." Then he inclines his head, "If offer to rub your arms, is that breaking the rules?"

Teria gets up and crosses over to the cot next to yours, sitting on it. "Probably, but there's not anyone watching to enforce them. And I doubt I'd get pregnant from it."

Rulyn sits facing you, and reaches out to take your arm. "I'll do my best not to get you pregnant," he promises, a tired grin flashing across his face.

Teria leans her head back against the wall, curling her legs up under her. "I'll hold you to that." She grins back, extending her arm. "Are Tegar peopel good at arm rubs?"

Rulyn's fingers clasp about your arm, by your elbow, and start squeezing, softly at first, and then firmer, seeking those muscles that want massaging. His hands are strong, also toned by his tannery work, the scraping of hides, and the precision work of cutting and sewing. "I wouldn't know about any other Telgari," he admits. "And you'll have to decide if I'm any good."

Teria mmms appreciatively. "I won't know about any other Telgari either, but this one seems quite good. That feels better." Her smile for once is just a smile, no mischief or teasing in it. "Much better."

Rulyn's fingers wrap around your bicep, seeking sore spots to rub and work out some of the lingering stiffness. He's openly pleased. "Well, good," he says. "See?" he adds, from a smile to a grin, "I'm weyrbred. I know about sore muscles."

Natasya strides in from the hallway.
Natasya has arrived.

Teria chuckles. "Most of my knowledge of them starts and stops with me." She glances up, startled as the door opens. "Morning, Tasya!" She's seated on the next cot over from Rulyn's, getting an arm massage.

Rulyn is sitting on his cot, across from Teria, who's curled her legs under her on the cot opposite his, and he's rubbing her arm, up below her shoulder, where the muscles get sore. "Hi, Tasya," he echoes.

Natasya walks in, covered in firestone dust and fingercombing a few chunks out of her hair. "Ugh, must be nice, Teria. And you've got restday, too!" She's smiling through her enviousness, though. "Hey, D.R., wanna work on my arms next?" she grins.

Teria laughs, leaning her head back. "Oh, no, he's all mine! Though maybe if you ask really nicely..." She winks at Tasya. "I could sit here for hours."

Rulyn is about to respond, but Teria answers first. "Oh," he says, pleased. "Guess I'm all hers. If she asks really nicely, is she asking you, then?" that question directed towards Teria. His hand works a little bit upwards, again, seeking more muscles.

Natasya harumphs. "Well, I've got to wash this dust off first, anyway. Don't go anywhere, D.R., I'll be right back!" With that, she heads straight for the bathing room.

Teria asks Rulyn, puzzled. "D. R.? Why does she call you that?"

Natasya pops her head back out from the bathing room, long enough to answer Teria. "Because he's Dragon-Rulyn, of course!" And then she's gone again.

Rulyn responds. "Dragon-Rulyn." His hands now reach the shoulder, fingers digging into the muscles there. He explains, "She started calling me that... Hrm. When she was pinning my candidate's robe."

Teria stretches her shoulders, then catches her breath as the reply sinks in. "AH. Hm. WHat did she see when she was pinning your robe that - oh, never mind." She blinks a few more times though. My arms are going all limp now."

Rulyn laughs. "She didn't /see/ anything," he answers, despite the never-mind. "I waved my arms and made my robe flap around. What did you think she saw?" he asks, curious, reaching for the other arm.

Teria lets the first arm drop to her side, looking sheepish. "Ah... never mind. It was nothing. Really."

Rulyn blushes now. "Huh," he says, holding Teria's hand in his, the other hand working up the arm, seeking out the sore places. "Maybe I should just have not said anything," he grins.

Teria's fingers tighten a bit around Rulyn's. "I guess I just jumped to conclusions. I'm not as good as you are, but I can try to do your arms, after?"

Rulyn counters, "I'll decide how good you are." He rubs the place his fingers are working on, "Right there is where I hurt."

Teria chuckles. "Too much Teria tossing? Or carrying."

Rulyn's thumb works into the muscle. "Like I said," he drawls. "I need more practice."

Teria laughs. "And like I said... you'll get it." She tilts her head back, closing her eyes. "Silly rules."

Natasya re-emerges from the bathing rooms, drying her hair off with a towel. She stops and awws at her friends for a moment in perfect imitation of a dear old Auntie. "Isn't that so sweet? They're having trouble with the Rules..." She winks at the two of them with a grin. Of course, its not like /she's/ been having any difficulty there, oh no.

Teria sticks her tongue out childishly at Tasya. "Sweet? Hmph."

Rulyn has to stop biting his lip to flash a wry grin at Natasya. "You haven't seen trouble, yet," he comments mildly.

Natasya smirks, heading for her press to get some clean clothes on. "Are you offering?" she asks jokingly.

Teria's eyes dance with mischief. "Are you asking him or me?"

Natasya guffaws, falling over onto her cot while she tries to laugh and pull on her trous at the same time. "You sound just like Sarai, Teria..." she finally chokes out.

Rulyn looks at both of them, and then sighs. "I think I'll have to save trouble for another day. If I don't get back, soon, I'll be in the other trouble." He finishes his massage with a last few squeezes, and then, in something that takes more daring than either might realize, he tugs Teria's hand to pull her closer, plants a kiss on her forehead, and then squeeze both her shoulders. "I'll take you up on your offer, later," he reminds, and then has to hurry off.

Natasya blinks after Rulyn as he hurries away. "Wow!" is all she can say. Her friend, however can surely say much more, so she heads for Teria's bunk and flops across it. "Spill it, Ter. What's going on here?"

~Logged by Natasya~

Teria glances over at Natasya, face totally - well, not totally, there's a bit of stunned smugness in there - but almost totally innocent. "He went to do chores?"

Natasya leans closer, not giving up so easily. "Try again?"

Teria just grins happily. "Nothing - we're still Candidates, you know, we follow the Rules."

Natasya leans back, smirking. This is still very interesting. "Oh? So you /are/ having trouble with the Rules..." A knowing and impish grin steals across her face as she watches her friend.

Teria flushes a bit. "Aren't we all? I can't wait until they are lifted - you know, the worst thing will be if he Impresses and I do not."

Natasya sighs, letting go of teasing her friend for a minute as she sympathises. She nods, adding confidently, "But that won't happen. I'll bet the first little hatchling makes a Vtol line for you, m'dear."

Teria chuckles. "Tasya, if you ask very nicely, he'll give you a massage, you know." She stretches - that smugness is back. "He gives /very/ good massages."

Chayil comes back from drying her hair. "Wouldn't it be worse if you impress, too? Then you'll have to live by the rules for another two turns.

Natasya grins. "Oh, that's ok. You can keep D.R. for yourself. Besides, Ryklin gives great massages, too." She groans in Chayil's direction. "You know, Chai... if /you/ Impress, you'll get to experience some of that frustration before two Turns is up."

Teria suddenly chokes, overcome by a horrible fit of giggles. "D. R. Only you, Tasy!"

Natasya chuckles. "I couldn't help it! The name just /fit/... and then it stuck. But 'D.R.' keeps it just between us, you know?"

Teria chuckles, nodding. "It's his own fault, after all."

Natasya beams, glad that they understand each other. "Naturally. He brought it all on himself. So," she continues, getting back to the other subject, "When did the Rules start getting difficult? I mean, what did you first notice?"

Teria says "Well, not exactly difficult. Just annoying. But - well, I don't know!"

Natasya rolls her eyes. "You don't know?" she mimics. "C'mon, Ter. You have to have /some/ idea. I need details, woman!"

Teria pauses a moment, then says thoughtfully, "Last night?"

Natasya nods, accepting that a little. "When he was throwing you around in the lake, eh?"

Teria says "Carrying me around, actually. In the lake."

Chayil's head tips to one side, and as she dresses, she keeps one ear out for the older candidates' conversation. D.R. -- unusual. Carrying around in the lake..."Rulyn?" she wonders. "He's really nice."

Teria nods. "Uh-huh. He is." She's not near as talkative about this one as Tasya's used to, apparently.

Natasya grins. "Saving the tossing part for later, too, eh?" She nods at Chayil. "Yes, he's very nice. Teria thinks he's very /very/ nice..."

"Well, we all do, don't we?" Chayil wonders. "Some more than others, but he's a very nice boy. Of course, we don't all want to break the rules over him, but he's still quite nice. I hear his parents are nice, too."

Teria groans good-naturedly. "Tasya. Tasya, Tasya." Head shaking. "It's not gotten to that stage yet."

Natasya grins. This is fun, after all, and their friendship and teasing goes /way/ back. "Of course. /Yet/. There /are/ the Rules, and all."

Chayil seems to find it amusing, in her more discreet way, that this is so hard for the older candidates. Finally, something she's got that they don't have -- a long time to wait before it'll matter to /her/. "It's too bad you decided to like him, huh? I mean, now instead of later."

Teria mutters, "It's not like I woke up this morning and decided to 'like' him. And it's - you're all making too much of it." She points at Tasya. "You!"

Natasya smirks. "I'm not the one getting all agitated." Resignation and supreme tolerance cross her features. "But we can let it go, Teria."

Chayil stands before the mirror, evaluating her appearance. She's such a neatnik. Shined shoes, pressed shirt and trousers, little round calot, knot. All good. "See you later on," she says with a cheery smile and wave. "I'm going to help out the harper with the kids this afternoon."

Chayil has disconnected.

Teria nods. "Better that way, you'll give the younger candidates Ideas."

Natasya chuckles, nodding after Chayil as she leaves. "Y'mean, I might give Chai ideas?"

Teria laughs. "Something like that. He is really cute, you know."

Natasya nods agreement. "Its a good thing I found this out, y'know. Otherwise I might have tried for 'im later. You've gotta keep me informed, Ter!" Tasya is overly dramatic as she emphasizes this concept.

Teria picks up a pillow, tossing it playfully at you. "You'd've found out. Just like you did. You always find out!"

Natasya beams. "Yeah, I do. But if I /hadn't/..." she tosses the pillow back at you, leaving the 'horrible' implication hanging.

Teria catches the pillow, laughing. "Well - oh well?"