Eastern Weyr - Commons Cavern
A grand stairway leads downward into the cool rock of the commons cavern, a place for socializing and relaxing, as well as an area that provides solid shelter from the seasonal storms of this area. One of the few caverns at Eastern Weyr, the rock here has been worn away by centuries worth of water movement, leaving a nearly glass smooth polish over much of the room. Rocky shelves line the walls on which electric lights covered with paper lanterns rest, providing adequate illumination for the area. High above are further light fixtures, enabling a wide range of lighting options here. A natural pool occupies half of the far end of the cavern and is supplied with heated water piped in by an ingenious techcrafter. All about the room are balconies of rock with stairs leading to them and small dumbwaiters for the purpose of delivering food and drink to their heights.
Well, the big skybroom tree might have fallen in the storm more than a day ago, but Eastern's been busy since. Mostly, cleaning up the massive tree's remains out of the main clearing. It was a miracle of sorts that no one got hurt, but it's been a bigger miracle that so many have pitched in and helped chop the tree into more managable chunks. Now, in the place the mighty and proud sentinel once stood, there's a growing pyramid of firewood, and a slowly dwindling supply of thick twine, used to tie the bundles together. There's been some debate opened up to the Leadership counsel (by Ur'con, no less), that instead of just burning it for the Weyr, perhaps it could be sold to the northern holds for firewood. Bring in some Marks…get rid of it faster. That's been opened to discussion, along with I'dia's suggestion that the Weyrling Wing, Chaos, get a new uniform. Namely, out of the lingering bolts of bright purple fabric. A brilliant, unmistakable uniform for the youngest riders and dragons of Eastern, to be sure. It was a better idea (according to some) than having to have more than one shirt out of the stuff for every man, woman, and child at the Weyr. It's into this little busy stew of Eastern life that another morning has dawned; the caverns are starting to get busy with those seeking breakfast, or klah, or a snack before they head to bed at last.
It's into this early morning shuffle that Ur'con appears, dressed (but not in a purple shirt, thank you very much), scratching the back of his head and yawning still, muttering and mubling to a couple of his wingriders as they make their way towards the serving tables. At least the weather's finally broken: the dawn's bright and clear with just a few lingering clouds. No more stormy weather!
Fiona is covered head-to-toe in soot and grime when she finally enters the caverns. She doesn't even see the councils or discussions, she just shambles towards the nearest klah pot and lifts the whole thing to her mouth to drink deeply.
S'dan comes in…dry! No dripping jacket, no dripping helmet or soggy hair. His boots are dry, his boots aren't even dirty. He is followed by a few of his Wingmen who all quickly disburse to find food. He stands and yawns for a moment bafore heading for his WIng's table out of force of habit. "Wait," he says softly to himself and stands there for a moment. Then he changes direction and heads for the nearest klah pot where he almost runs into Fiona. His eye go wide. "What happened to you?" he asks her, shocked.
Not all of the residents seem to abhore the purple. In fact one particular blue rider has gone purple From the billowing shirt with it's square cut color and v slit to the billowing purple trousers with legs about twice as wide as they need to be. Dark blue ribbon with gold embrodiery on it line the cuffs, collar, bottom of the short and the bottom of each leg. In a matching get-up is Kiera with her bright purple nappy and matching blanket. Though clean and refreshed looking, her eyes tell a whole other story. The dark circles and haunted look, however, seem to pale in comparison to all the purple that she is wearing. Kiera is currently sleeping and is in a wrap around sling type purple cloth that holds the baby close to the rider, while leaving her hands free, which said bluerider fills with a heaping plate of food and large mug of klah.
Ur'con is distracted from food for a few moments. First, by the blazing purple spectacle that's K'nan…and it's rare that Phaili's rider actually draws a doubletake from him! He gapes openly for a split second, then schools his expression. Not that it lasts long; S'dan's yelp draws his attention towards the sooty figure molesting the klahpot…and then he gapes again, "Sharding shells, girl, I didn't recognize you!" What S'dan said…what on Pern's happened!
Fiona eyes S'dan for a moment, "What? D'you think the power's up because Faranth farted on a rest day?" She snorts, then lifts the klah pot again, over twenty-four awake'll do that, and drains it now, "Generators don't like wet, but I've got 'em running. I'll have to take one down tomorrow to clean it out, then do the other the next day." She looks up and over at Ur'con and cracks the black coating with a long, tired smile, "Hey, you." K'nan isn't even noticed, sadly.
S'dan backs up, a bit quicklym too. "All right! All right!" he says, both hands up as if fending her off…no, as if fending off the dirt. "Whatever they're paing you it's not enough. Think maybe we'd better put those generators someplace where they won't et wet? Like, in a place that water can't drain into it or something?" He wants some klah. He geets a mug and moves around the table to get another pot.
K'nan hmms a little as she brings her klah over and then hmms again as she looks back and forth between Ur'con and then Fiona. She purses her lips a moment and then murmurs, seemingly to Kiera. "You know. I don't think it bodes well iffen he can't even recognize her." A glance again at Fi. "Well, she does look like a filthy bilge rat, but that really isn't any excuse. Right? Well at least it shouldn't be." She hmms a little and then looks over to Ur'con. "Or maybe she just didn't make a good enough impression. That could be it. I mean, he is a bronzer and well you know bronzers. Well, no. You don't. But I'll tell you all about them." Which K'nan does. A quite inciteful and biased and very not PG or PC version of K'nan's take on that particular breed of rider. Then she looks over towards said Bronzer. "Oh, Ur'con, I really wouldn't have your mouth open like that. It makes you look like a fish, and no one wants a cold fish in bed." A glance at Fiona "Do they Fiona?" A hmm. "Though I don't mind. I can tend to warm most up, would you like me to warm him up for you dear?" She frowns a moment "You mean the generators aren't up on a platform under some kind of shelter? Really. Why not stick them in the lower caverns and just run the wiring out? Perhaps in one of the old hearths and such so that the draw takes up the fumes?"
Ur'con nods in agreement with S'dan…yeah, that sounds sensible! He grabs for some food and klah from a pot that's not befouled with soot…and heads for a table. Coincidentally near to the brownrider. "Oh shards, K'nan…you know, I'm right here. I can HEAR you…as can half the Caverns." He rubs his face a bit, and then plops down heavily, "So…S'dan…how's the chopping going out there?" Not that he didn't see the massive piles of cordwood…but you know.
Fiona snorts again, thumping the empty klah pot down on the table, "Winds like those blow the water up 'n' in. 'N then that sharded tree went down and cracked the roof. We can't move 'em, though. I'll be putting in a request to Flame for repairs once I've slept and assessed the da-" Her eyes widen on K'nan, her usual scowl darkened by her current accoutrements. She considers her options for a moment, then makes a simple move to just sit on Ur'con's lap if he doesn't push her off and give K'nan a look.
S'dan takes a few steps away from the women and turns more to face the Bronzer. "I'm not mixing!" he insists. "It is going fine. Most of it is done. We may need some more cording and definitely some more heat balm for sore muscles…." Then Fiona slips onto Ur'con's lap. He walks away with his mug in his hand hand. "I swear, I'm not mixing in on this one!"
K'nan blinks a moment at Ur'con as if she doesn't quite fathom what the problem is with everyone hearing what she's saying "And?" she hms a bit. "Silly man, and then Fiona's in Ur'con's lap. "Oh very nicely done. Tis a shame ya can't move them. But tree are very bad with the breaking and the tearing things up. Very dangerous things they are. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just have them all removed."
Ur'con blinks at Fiona with an expression that would leave a crawlie chuckling in amusement. He looks at S'dan helplessly as the brownrider abandons him…and then back at K'nan. This, bluerider, is all YOUR fault! But he keeps his good humor, all the same, "Mind the uniform, wingsecond…" Yeah, you're getting it all sooty. Not that he seems to mind so much…because he opens up one arm to give her a bit of a squeeze. More of a friendly one than anything, but hey. Who'd object to a hug, really? The other hand is busy scooping up a meatroll from his plate, so he can take a big, satisfying bite. His expression flips again, just as fast…and for a moment, his eyes are as red as a pissed off queen's. He looks like he can't decide if he wants to spit it out…or swallow and the scream.
and then scream
Oh, yes, Fi will accept that hug. She won't even make anything of it. She glances at S'dan, "Mixing? Mixing what? I didn't think you could mix trees…" Her eyes flutter a little, so tired. K'nan's words barely process and instead she murmurs, "Why? Mine's already coated, anyway?" Her gaze flicks to K'nan, "I like shade on my quarters, personally."
S'dan just slumps into his chair, leans on his elbows and sips his klah. Soon the mug is set down on the table. His head falls to the table too.
K'nan smiles brightly at Ur'con. You're welcome. After all, a lap is always better with a pretty girl in it. Or a pretty boy. She hrms a little "Shade is nice, but you can make shade from the mud and earth and all, but I do like living in a tree. The floods don't take it out, but the rains certainly did make a mess. Hard to breath with all the wet wool smell." she notes and then she's growning and she heads over to S'dan "Hey danny? You okay?" She leans down to whisper in his ear. "Are you alive? YOu didn't die, did you?"
Ur'con rubs his face a little, but the sweat is POURING down his face as he's managed to choke down his bite of meatroll…but he puts the remains of it down like it was a snake that'd just bit him. "Shards." His voice is hoarse, strained… "Didn't look." Oh. He got a spicy one again. Which is funny…they're not THAT hot!
S'dan raises his head at K'nan's voice. He looks her up and down. "Awfully purple today, aren't we?" He smiles. "Looks good on you. You do the color justice. Naw, I'm just tired." He props his head up on his hand. "Very…very tired."
Fiona eyes narrow a little as Ur'con gets more and more agitated. It takes her a minute to process then there's practically the little ding of a lightbulb and she pops up to retrieve a water skin, thursting it at the bronzerider.
K'nan sits down next to S'dan "Then what are you doing up dear? You should be in bed asleep. You wear yourself out you're not gonna be able to take care of that care boy of yours." she wonders and reaches out stroke his hair, being all motherly. Course if he lets her. "Ur'con, what did you eat? You shouldn't take the spicy ones iffen you can't handle them. Goodness."
Ur'con objects, a little, between sips of water that don't seem to be helping any, "Not my fault they don't label them or something! Trust me, if I'd known I'd've had flatbread!"
Fiona just looks more and more worried, at least as much as anyone can tell, as the water doesn't seem to help. The usually stable, effective wingsecond is looking very much lost, so thankfully (or maybe not) a busty serving girl comes up with a glass of something that /will/ actually help with the problem and purrs a soft, "I'll tell the cooks to label them in the future, sir…" at the bronzerider
S'dan explains to K'nan as he leans forward on the table, "Well, the Wing has all been working hard to sweep all the roads and fortunately everything held up amazingly well. So I can report back to the MinerCraft Hall on that. They'll be glad to hear that. Then we have our regular sweeps so I combined everything that I could. But with all the chopping that we've been doing…my back is killing me," he admits. "I need a good soak in the tub."
K'nan Snorts at Ur'con "Than have some now. It'll help. Or some other bread, get some soured cream too." she shifts the baby a little who's start to gurgle softly but seems content to be bound closely to K'nan's body. "Well, a soak is good, and always a good back massage could even be helpful…" she offeres suggestively.
Ur'con gulps at the milk like it was some sort of salvation in a glass…but he barely gets it down before one of his own wingriders teases, "Next time, get some sour cream to go with and it won't be so hot!" But his reactions to getting hot food are starting to become legendary. Infamous. Something like that! He takes a few breaths, then coughs to clear his throat, "Thanks…lass." That's probably directed at Fiona, but who knows. "And uh…I'll keep the sour cream in mind." He pauses a moment longer, then sounds a bit more himself, "And S'dan…that's why you have wingseconds. You won't do yourself any good wearing yourself out. Set people to do the chopping and have a bit of a break, man, before you break yourself!"
Fiona swoops back to the lap as soon as the lust-bunny has vacated and he seems to be calming. "Maybe you should just avoid the meatrolls, Ur." She smiles gently, then yawns a bit, starting to lean against him now.
S'dan raises an arm then says, "Creeeeek!" in a high, funny voice as he lets his forearm drp down…like it is broken. "Oh no! Too late!" he sais in a high voice. He laughs. "Be careful, dear, or I will take you up on that. I'll make you rub some clove liniment all over my back." He reaches out to stroke the baby's hair and cheek. "Hey there, little one. How you doing?"
K'nan smiles "And would that be such a bad thing?" she asks and then smiles even more, her features softening a bit as she watches S'dan with the baby." Then she's back to her old self "Urcy dear, put it in your mouth, not your mind. There's other things to use if you want to use things on your body. Really." she then grins at Fiona. You go girl.
S'dan looks at K'nan, then over to Ur'con and Fiona, and back to K'nan. "You know, I didn't follow that at all."
Ur'con snorts a bit at both Fiona and K'nan…apparently back to his good humor despite the slight sheen of sweat. But it won't last, "Wingsecond, I order you to go get a bath and some sleep. You're off duty for the day unless there's a dire emergency, until you get at least some sleep. Me, I've got sweeps and then over to Xanadu, to see if I can reach the smiths Thea was talking about."
Fiona leans against him a bit more, "Mmm comfy, though." She yawns again before looking at K'nan almost pointedly. She has no clue what the bluerider is saying, but she's got some ideas it might not be tame and she's not walkin' off with that in the air.
K'nan just smiles "It's okay S'dan, you're tired dear. You really should get some sleep and all. Maybe if you're lucky. I'll show you sometime, but alas I need be up on the Deluge by midday and I had no time with Kiera last night." She smiles softly as she looks at the little one. "You know, you should stop lookin, they ain't gettin her back."
Ur'con agrees quietly, and then snugs Fiona again…a little, anyway, "You too, Fiona. You need some sleep, and I have got to get off on sweeps…" And change my uniform FIRST…no going to Xanadu all besmudged! "Off to bed, wingsecond…and I'll sick Pot and Kettle on you if you don't…they fly faster than Odin with his one eye anyway."
Fiona mmmphs softly against him, "'M tired" She looks up at the others again and makes no sign of moving. After a moment she settles back against him and lets out a soft snore. Her eyes are closed, her breathing even. Apparently the gallon of klah woke her up enough to fall asleep.
S'dan drinks the rest of the klah. "That does it. I'm off to get some sleep. You folks take care of yourselves. K'nan, you take care o' that young 'un there. She's a pretty one. Ur'con, make sure your Second gets to bed safely. Don't trip over anything." He forces himself up. "I'ff be all right by the afternoon, I'm sure."
Ur'con snorts a bit, and then just rises up on his feet, proving that turns of being a bronzerider are good for something, "I'm going to go put her in her bed…maybe that'll teach her to fall asleep without the bath first…dirty linens. Not THAT kind of dirty linens, K'nan…."
K'nan chuckles softly "Make sure she doesn't get cold. Keep her warm." she notes with a twinkle in her eye. She hmms a little as she eyes Fiona. "I think she's finally startin' to settle in." she notes thoughtfully and then watches as S'dan heads off. "I think he's gonna need a little R & R soon. Might just have to take care of that for him." She says thoughtfully. "Come on Kiera, lets go see what kind of trouble Phaili's done to that beach."
Fiona stirs just slightly as Ur'con stands, one arm shifting to half-wrap around his neck, but she doesn't waken. Hopefully Loki isn't guarding her hut.
Ur'con snorts, "R&R, or a whole fardling lot more to drink now and again…see you 'round, K'nan…take care of yourself and that little. I'll likely see you round dinnertime, or a bit later."
K'nan head shakes "Nope, my night to be stayin on Deluge. I'll be back again in the mornin sometime." she notes as she watches them head off. "Well, I'm sure I can provide something a little but more than some drink." she smirks a little and heads out herself.