Eastern Weyr - Garden Terrace
Neat, even planks form a boardwalk set approximately two feet above the ground. Unfolding to either side of the walk-way flourish the lush tropical gardens of Eastern, either brilliant colors and green well kept with Eastern's near eternal spring. Rare trees mingle amongst interestingly formed as well as common yet attractiver trees dot the terraced landscape. Brightly blooming flowers are abundant, their colors ranging from lavender to blue to white and even startingly shades of pink. The large tropical flowers cast their sweet smell over the little alcoves scattered about the garden and heavenly cloying scents waft about. Towards the center of the gardens is a large terrace enclosed with lattice fences, over which blooming vines have been draped. A large dance square and a quiet bar, with a few high tables, have been set up in the gardens as an escape from the hectic rush of the main cavern.
Rukbat is setting in the west, which the terrace gives a wonderful view of, which is likely the reason Fi is up here at all. One hand idly strokes Odin's lustrous hide as she leans against the bannister, just taking in the sights. She is truly relaxed, a rare thing in and of itself.
Ur'con saunters up, with all the grace and dignity his position as a manly bronzerider can give him…which is to say, he's loafing up, to have a peek at the sunset an…oh. His heavy footsteps draw quiet, as he remains back a bit, observing Fiona before he does anything else. And then seems to forget to watch the sunset at all in favor of continuing to contemplate the techcrafter. Who knows what's going on in his head…
Fiona shifts her weight slightly, pausing her stroking just to lean on her other arm before taking it up again until Odin croons gently in delight. After that, she seems almost motionless, not moving for nearly a minute before she murmurs, "I think I'm starting to like it here, Odin. I really do."
Ur'con grins a bit to himself; it'd be silent, but Pot and Kettle can't be quiet ENOUGH, and Odin's happy sound sets Pot off to croon back, which makes Kettle complain at him to shut up, which sends the bronzerider to flapping his arms. Augh! Go, both of you pests! It's a wordless conversation that quickly escalates to comedy as the lizards wordlessly declare they have NO desire to be thwarted, and continue to try and perch on Ur'con as he tries to get them to go bother someone else…or play in a furnace or something…
The firelizard noises cause Fiona to turn suddenly, surprise and shock warring for control before she processes the scene and starts to giggle. Odin's stern, one-eyed visage is just glowering at the other lizards before he gives a harsh bugle. They're upsetting his person! He's still not used to Fi actually being happy.
Somewhere, down further in the Weyr, there's a commanding bellow. Pot and Kettle both clamp their jaws shut, and vamoose *between*, leaving Ur'con briefly harried before he regains himself…and grins. "Ahem. I was going to say…I'm glad…I think Eastern's starting to enjoy having you here."
Fiona leans back against the railing now, one hand moving to sooth the upset Odin until he calms again. A soft smirk plays across her face, "Eastern… or you, my dear Wingleader?"
Ur'con chuckles a little, "Well, I'm certainly glad to call you friend, Fiona. But I'm glad to see a friend starting to get comfortable in her own Weyr…if not her own skin yet."
Fiona's smile falls just a little and she shrugs, "I'm trying. I thought I did okay with the Weyrwomen the other day, didn't I?"
Ur'con nods, "I think so…" He grins a bit, and comes to the rail, leaning on it himself, and crossing his ankles over one another as he leans forward. "I think you did really well. Talking to two Seniors at once about something as touchy as Hatching Sands can be scary. And now we need to get ahold of Xanadu's smiths…to see what can be done."
The smile returns slowly and she nods again, "I've been talking to my people," She is, after all, the head of /maintenance/ not development, "And one of the senior apprentices had an idea for piping in boiling water and running it beneath the sands. Another suggested hot air. I wish we had the natural heat of the volcanic Weyrs, but we don't."
Ur'con nods a little, "That's what I was thinking. We could use more than one method too…I mean…it might be sort of…what's the word. Not repetitive. Uh. Duplication of effort." That's not quite it either, but it works for him. "Redundant!" THERE. That's the word. "Kilns put off a LOT of waste heat…but it's one reason they're popular at the northern Weyrs and holds. Waste heat's used to warm things. Instant hot air, maybe under the sands. I just worry about how we keep a queen from digging down too deep and hitting boiling water or steam."
Fiona chuckles softly, "You build a metal floor, silly. Metal conducts heat well, but will keep all but the most determined queen from over-digging. Plus, eat rises, so the sands can be reasonably thick. I was talking with one of the other Journeymen about redundancy. I don't think we'll be able to make any changes in time before Arolaeth clutches this time, but we can plan for the next, right?"
Ur'con nods a little, and then offers his own concerns there, "Not to deny Fenrith's potenency…he's got several clutches under his belt…but I'm concerned about how many she might possibly have. Normally I'd hate to see four or five eggs in a clutch…but frankly, I'd be thrilled to see two at her age and condition. Let's hope luck's with us. We don't have a lot of options if we don't get a queen out of her. It'd be a shame to lose the native line of Eastern."
Fiona nods slightly, "Especially with her not eating enough. I've heard she only laid one or two her last clutch, too. Has P'ush or P'ushme checked her over? They're our top dragonhealers right now…"
Ur'con shrugs, "If they have they haven't shared…but they both specialize in skin disorders…not sure they'd be useful to diagnose fertility issues. I think most of the best specialists are down at Xanadu."
Fiona nods slightly, "Or Ierne. Faranth, Ur, she was so thin. And didn't Syra say she hadn't been eating?"
Ur'con snorts, "Was? Still is. Though I'm sure Syra'll coax her to eat. Just from some of the things that J'em's said. Eastern's got a legacy of difficult queens."
Fiona nods slightly, "I did a little reading and noticed that, yeah. She's laid quite a few, as have her daughters. Hopefully she can give Eastern a couple more or we'll be stuck with Azura again."
Ur'con sighs a bit, "Or if we get lucky, at least, Svetlanath'll pop us a gold…is she pure Eastern? She certainly doesn't act it." He chuckles, "I blame too much Benden early in the history."
Fiona shrugs and shakes her head slightly, "I'm not good with lineages, Ur. But I think so? Her sire at least was Weyrleader here for a while. Still around, even, flying in S'dan's wing. But no, she doesn't have Arolaeth's fire."
Ur'con rubs is face a bit, and then chuckles, "Well…here we're worrying about golds before they lay. Since you were out here enjoying the sunset…" Which is rapidly setting, "… I assume you've already had dinner?"
Fiona sighs gently, "I did, yeah. The stew was a little warm for the weather in my opinion, but maybe there was extra stock?"
Ur'con chuckles a bit, "Well…we can find out. As long as they didn't let Kayla help in the spicing, it should be fine." He gestures, "Next time…holler. We can make a run elseWeyr…or even just down to the tavern. Actually…something fried sounds good. Want to accompany me down that way? My treat."
Fiona smirks, "They've learned not to let my darling sister touch too many things in the kitchen after that one incident." She looks up at him a moment, then nods, "Sure, the tavern sounds like a nice change of pace right now."
Ur'con nods a bit, and chuckles, then gestures. C'mon. He'll 'escort' his wingsecond down. Lest some rider try and take advantage of her or something.
Eastern Weyr - The Lunar Shoal Pier
The Lunar Shoal Pier is built on exactly that, a long, heavily-shored pier built out into the ocean. The structure is long and narrow, with two stories - the bottom a bar in the far back and a social center towards the front, where the people of the Weyr can come and relax in comfort. The walls are all a richly dark redwood, from ceiling to floor, with multi-colored paper and silk lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Low-slung couches are set up around communal tables, and several gaming tables are surrounded only by cushions of rich, plush design. A closed off staircase leads to the upper floor, which is designed strictly for an adult audiences. Upstairs is another bar with particularly strong, homebrewed beverages, as well as a dance stage with various props and poles with which to dance upon. Sturdy furniture is set here, many carved drunkenly with folks names, and others yet slightly rude imagry. On the wall behind the bar, a pair of beat up old goggles sit, painted in awful, garish colors and decorated with all sorts of baubles. A bit of driftwood hangs above them, with the words 'Proddy Goggles' scratched with a bit of black charcoal.
Ur'con laughs a bit, as it's decidedly more crowded than it was out on that terrace! Lively, but not raucous. Several folks call Ur'con's name happily…but almost as many sort of end their cheer on a strange note. Uh. Ur'con. And Fiona. Oh look…the party's over! Ur'con doesn't pay them the slightest bit of attention as he makes his way over to the bar in the back. No use going up to the rowdy upper level right now! "Evening, Glennys." The older woman, with her hair piled up in a great blue-grey tumble atop her head in a vain attempt to hide her fading beauty, grins back, "Evening, Ur'con…who's this?" Ur'con chuckles, "Don't be coy, woman. That's the head of maintenence and you know it." But he doesn't supply any names! "Ale for me…whatever the lady'll have, and one of those baskets of fried whatevers."
Fiona notices the behavior and she really can't blame them, but today she really is just here to relax. She eyes the menu for a moment, then frowns, "Something fruity, preferably," She doesn't specify alcohol or no, "And some of those fried wherry wings you're so known for." Her smile is more embarrassed than introductory, but she's not being a wet wherry, see?
Ur'con grins a bit, and nods, "What she said…" Then he heads for a table…and oddly enough, they make room for him. Huh. Looks like it's HIS table. But he settles down, and reaches up to the wall, "You play draughts?" He gestures to the ancient, battered, and venerable old pub game.
Fiona makes a point to sit with Ur'con, then shrugs, "Not yet?"
He chuckles at that, and drags down the old boardgame and its pieces, carefully sliding the red and black disks off their tattered string. "Here. You want red or black?" He lays the board out…two ancient strips of wood with a leather hide painted with a checked red and black design. "I swear this thing must've come with the Colonists."
Fiona shrugs, "How would I know, Ur? Why don't you try telling me the rules first so I can figure out how to beat you?" She's teasing! She must be in a really good mood, "Plenty of things came with the colonists. Maybe they dug it up in those caves by landing?"
Ur'con laughs a bit, but it's a rolling, happy sort of sound. "Here. It's easy. I can't believe you didn't learn this one. Anyway…you line the pieces up like this." Two rows, across each end of the board. "And then you can move them this way. Always on a diagonal." He plays both sides for a moment, until he gets to a point where one red and one black are kittycorner from each other. "Then, you can jump your opponent's pieces…like this." One, two, three, four…showoff. "So you want to be able to move so you jump your opponent, but they can't jump you. It's a little like go, actually…"
Fiona smirks slightly, "That's nothing like go, but sure. I'll be red." She motions for him to set the board back up again, "Because I'm the pretty one." Okay, there's probably alcohol in her drink with that statement.
Ur'con laughs again, "I can't disagree. You and your sister are both pretty…very pretty. Just differently." He turns the board, resetting the pieces…and gestures, "Ladies first." The serving girl appears….wait, is that the girl that was serving the other night, for J'em? Does she STALK bronzeriders? She drops off the wings and the 'basket of fried stuff', which seems to be exactly that. All manner of vegetables and meat, deep fried in golden batter, with a side of sauce to dip it in. Heart attack in a basket.
Fiona blushes just a little, then focuses on the game to make her first move. The serving girl just gets a little /look/ before a friend slice of tuber is taken up and nibbled. Tasty.
Ur'con is a gentleman, and thanks her…grabbing a fried spear of some sort of root vegetable and dipping it into the accompanying sauce. "Anyway….ladies first." He grins again… "Your move, Fi." Yeah, just Fi.
Ur'con does a doubletake. Oh, she did move! But he grins and echoes it. Yeah. First few moves are always dull.
Fiona smirks and makes her next move, just sliding out another piece a little before taking a wherry wing to nibble on, "This is a little.. dull, isn't it?" Fi's calling something dull? wow.
Ur'con grins a bit, "Yeah, well. Gives you something to do while you're eating…or thinking. If you're bored, you COULD get up and dance."
Fiona glances at the dance floor, then back at the board, suddenly finding it incredibly interesting, "No… no, that's okay…"
Ur'con grins, despite himself. He thought so. "So…other than talking to the rest…how was your day?" Let's try smalltalk. That's hard enough to master, eh?
Hardly. Small talk's the worst thing of all, "Same old same old, putting avian repellant all over the generators again so they don't try to make any more winter nests in them. You?"
Ur'con cocks his head, "What on Pern is 'avian repellant' anyway?" Okay…now it's work talk for small talk! At least he's interested?
Fiona chuckles ever so darkly, "Dried dragon dung ground to a powder and combined with some naturally acrid plant pollens."
Ur'con wrinkles his nose and notes, "Sorry I asked. Wouldn't some sort of physical deterant work better? I mean…like…spikes or…something." Something not so nasty.
Fiona quirks a brow at him, "You want me to put spikes no the generators so they can nest between them?"
Ur'con considers this, "I mean…no. I was just thinking something less…unsanitary. I mean. That can't be good for the generators, either. Can it? I was thinking if you made it spiky or something, they wouldn't want to roost there. Or maybe put flits on guard there." Or something.
Fiona chuckles, "Shards, Ur. Of course the lizards help, but if they even start building a nest it's a problem
Ur'con ohs a bit, and chuckles, "Shows how useless I am with technology. Still. You'd think there'd be some way to discourage them permanently."
Fiona chuckles, "Nothing short of a guard dragon'd do that. But the dried dung helps discourage them. It's not like we coat the machines, just sprinkle it around the things and on the flat tops."
Ur'con chuckles a little, and notes, "Well…we're going to have Weyrlings soon. Guard duty for ya." He grins. See? There must be a non technical and non-doo related way to solve the problem!
Fiona smirks, "Yeah, guard duty… until the riders fall asleep and curious baby dragons try to eat my machines."
Ur'con chuckles, "You don't put them there when they're still infants. But by the time a dragon's old enough to fly solo, they're mature enough to do guard duty. You do it in shifts anyway."
Fiona snorts and makes her next move, "Shards, Ur, that's a turn away."
Ur'con chuckles a bit, "See, your problem is that EVERYTHING's a negative. I'm thinking, it'd be only a turn away…you're all 'I'd rather use dragon dung'! Gotta be something else. Or some other way. What about grating…what if we made a big grated ROOM around the generators, so air got in, but avians and other pests stayed out? I can't imagine they'd want to nest there with all the noise and motion. Stupid things are stupid."
Fiona shrugs and points at the board, "Or maybe I'm just trying to frustrate you to damage your play?"
Ur'con snorts a bit, and makes another move, and notes, "You know…I don't really play to win…the game's no fun for me if all I do is concentrate on the competition." He grins, "But if it makes you better to win, I don't mind." He grabs another fried bit of vegetable, and munches on it cheerfully.
Fiona smirks, "What can I say, I'm competitive." She jumps three pieces and grins a bit more, "Besides, maybe I'll give you as surprise if I win."
Ur'con grins a bit, "You'll spend a whole day smiling?"
Fiona blushes a tidge at that, "Wasn't quite what I was thinking, but if that's what you want."
Ur'con laughs, "It'd certainly make people wonder what we've been up to." Yeah. His response to someone calling him out about potentially sleeping with his wingsecond was enough to stop clocks in the first place…something about the day the Weyr stops selecting its leaders by who catches a flying tart and her rider…though maybe not quite so delicately stated. Yeah.
Fiona just blushes more now, she's had those questions levered at her as well, "I… ah… I didn't mean to cause trouble for you or anything. But I was going to offer a kiss…"
Ur'con reaches up, softly…and lays his hand lightly on one of her hands…not quite stopping her next move. "Fiona…I want to learn to be your friend first…because I know it means much to you. I'd rather be cautious…than see you break your heart like a ship against a reef. I don't need kisses to make me like you any more."
Fiona's eyes catch on the hand on hers, hiding her blush in her downward look before she nods a couple of times, "It's… I understand." Her teeth catch at the soft flesh on the inside of her lip, "It's okay."
Ur'con sighs a bit, "Fiona…I know. But despite all the Harper tales of these things, whirlwind romances in Weyrs are just bad ideas…I haven't even been here a full Turn, and frankly, I don't know you as well as I'd like, before I even /thought/ about a serious relationship. Besides…" He patpats that hand, and then takes his away, to takes a good drink of his ale first. "… The first time I met you I was pretty sure you wanted to gut Darlth and use his hide for a tool bag…it's been hard to shake the impression you hated my guts."
Fiona nods a few more times, "Yeah… I understand. I'm not looking for some whirlwind romance. I'm not /capable/ of such a thing. I just… don't worry about it. Another time." She smirks just a tiny bit, "Naw, I don't blame the dragons, just the riders. You've taught me a lot in the last few months, Ur'con."
Ur'con laughs a bit, "Now now. Sometimes…it's TOTALLY the dragon's fault. Look at K'nan's blue." He's teasing though, as he puts away the last of his fried bits. "I'll tell you what. Once a sevenday. We'll have an evening. Here, or…well. Where ever." He chuckles a bit, "I'm not blind or stupid…well. Not blind anyway. You could use a few more friends."
Fiona looks up at him, then nods, "Yeah… that sounds nice. And I'm friends with S'dan." Oooo, two friends, allow the world to bow before you.
Ur'con laughs a bit, "You're in excellent company then! We can even ask him to join us, now and again." Friends do that, you know.
Fiona nods gently, "THat'd be nice."
Ur'con grins, and settles back to actually look at the game again. Ack. He's losing. A lot. He should do something about that.