Monaco Bay Weyr - Meeting Chamber
Though fairly small this room is still sufficient enough to hold a round table with twelve chairs about it, and there is electric lighting in the room to provide plenty of illumination for the meetings held within. The table is a rich deep mahogany, looking of an age to almost be an original furniture piece of this weyr. The chairs are newer but done still made in a way to match the style of the table. Cushions with the device of the weyr upon it, three silver roundels on a midnight blue field, are set upon each chair for comfort.
It's an early morning in Monaco when sounds of yelling and high-pitched shrieking fills the corridors of the weyr. Although the passerby might stop to stare, none question the greenrider Quinn as she makes her way towards the meeting room with a bundle of rags wrapped up in her arms and an irritable bronze firelizard tugging at her hair and riding uniform. A scratch or two on the woman's cheeks indicate she's had a bit of a rough time getting here, but there's no stopping the woman as she forces her way into the gathering area, having to practically kick the door open whilst her arms are occupied with defending herself and the parcel she's carrying. "Where is the Senior Weyrwoman!?" Quinn asks loudly, wincing as she tries to look for another rider or resident to help get the angry bronze flit out of her hair.
And lo the Weyrwoman was found, and sitting right there at the meeting table in a stroke of pure luck (or possibly because someone vaguely pointed there when Quinn shouted so it was rather inevitable). "She quit." comes the rather sarcastic, but not at all angry reply. "Left in a proper huff 'bout an hour ago. If y'rush y'might catch her." Her head doesn't even lift from the stack of paperwork she's been working on, her pen making a scratch of some sort on another piece of something probably official before that piece is shuffled off into yet another stack
Chaos! Panic! Squalling in the streets! Or at least the corridors. It's the sounds of crisis, which send some scurrying away and others drawing near. Like D'lei, because he definitely has those sorts of terrible instincts that have him heading curiously toward danger and helped make him a good choice for leading Deluge! But right now, they bring him around the corner to… oh, look. it's an angry firelizard going after Quinn. Or, well, Quinn and her firelizard, or… uh… however this works. And here someone with more sense would turn and leave before he's spotted by more than just a flit, but… nope! D'lei steps closer, with a wiggle of his fingers toward Quinn's bronze assailant in an attempt to look like a distraction. Aka a target. Sense? What's that? If he had any of that, he'd make like that Senior Weyrwoman and leave. An hour ago! Preferably more, but hey. An hour's enough time to get to a tropical island and go incognito, right
Quinn is hardly calm right about now. She has an angry bronze firelizard tangled up in her hair, squeaking and screeching at a pitch which is more than just annoying. It's actually quite ear-piercing, but thankfully not loud enough to cover the woman's voice. "Ma'am. I hate to-.. ow! Interrupt.." Hurrying forwards with Oil still latched onto her, the bag is laid down on the desk but clear of the paperwork to avoid any unwanted accidents. ".. Your firelizard seems to have-.. left these in my Weyr.." With her hands free, Quinn tries to pull her bronze off, but the firelizard is already distracted by D'lei's sudden appearance. With flashing yellow eyes the squeaking little lizard nips at the man's fingers and flares his wings threateningly.
It's more grunt than sigh that Aliona makes as she finally lays down her pen, with a little more force than was possibly necessary under the circumstances. "Left what? I'm up t'my ti… neck in pi… grumpy holders the now and I ain't got time for… would you PLEASE shut that creature up!" She may be frustrated, but at least she has the decency to not swear - not that she does too good a job of covering it up either. "Deep breath. Deep breath." it's muttered, likely not meant to be heard by anyone, and the smile that she bestows on Quinn and D'lei when she finally looks up is nothing other than fake. "WHO left WHAT… WHERE?" Poor D'lei is fixed with a momentary glare - the assumption clearly that his bronze assailant is actually His
D'lei grins as Oil snaps at him. "Tasty, right?" he says in an undertone to the bronze, and never mind that fact that they're his fingers and he has other uses for them besides firelizard chow. Okay, so he does at least move them out of the way - or tries to, he dodges the first bite but then gets himself nipped on a subsequent one… which is wince-worthy, but he at least does not add to the shrieks. Just a grimace, followed by a glance past to, "Alion-ahhh!" Sorry, Weyrwoman. D'lei's apologetic look will mostly be delivered to Oil, because biting firelizards are slightly more pressing an issue than proper greetings, because while D'lei may be able to stand a few nips, he would like to walk out of this room with roughly the same number of fingers as he walked into it.
Again, Quinn tries to put a stop to her firelizard's crazy antics as the bronze chomps on D'lei's fingers. "Oil! Stop it!" She scholds the little creature, finally able to pluck him off her form and pry him away from D'lei with a short "Sorry." before he draws blood a second time. Although the creature wriggles and hisses, Quinn is able to carry the angry bronze towards the still-open door and toss him into the corridor before slamming the door shut. Hopefully noone was about to walk in! ".. He'll probably find another way back in here." The woman sighs, quickly turning her back on the door and the shrieking noise coming from the other side. Brushing her hair back into place and straightening her uniform again, Quinn brushes past D'lei with a glance over the bronzerider to make sure he's all intact, before coming to stop before Aliona again. "My apologies, ma'am. Your firelizard, she-.. left this in my weyr." And thus, the bag is slowly unwrapped, revealing a clutch of five small eggs
Aliona recoils as D'lei's bitten, expression caught somewhere between denial that it's her fault and confusion as to exactly what is going on. But then Quinn is explaining and it takes a moment to set in before she simply exclaims, "Shells." Which is both observationally correct and as strong a swear word as she allows herself in public these days. "In the wardrobe? She has a thing f'r shoes. I assume you're the father?" Physically impossible or not D'lei is the one getting the blame here.
"S'ok," is D'lei's shrugged reply to Quinn, because after all, he's the one who stuck his fingers into the bronze's reach. And while there is some blood, he seems fine enough to that glance, just putting some pressure on with his other hand so's he doesn't make a mess everywhere while explanations are made. There's a trace of amusement at what Quinn reveals, and then… a blink as he focuses up on Aliona from those eggs. "Me?" he says, as he steps closer to the table. Because he's never really thought about firelizards that way, not even in the throes of a flight, and anyhow the point is… "Hers, I think." He tilts his hands, bleeder and pressure-maker, to indicate Quinn with a point of a thumb. More anatomical impossibilities! "Her firelizard's, anyhow." And the possible is found! "At least, I assume that's why he was so upset with them being disturbed…" D'lei looks to Quinn, seeing if she'll confirm this course of events.
"I found them tucked among my boots, aye." Quinn sighs, still doing her best to straighten out the mop of hair that's been made into a mess during her assault by firelizard. "And unless Oil stole them, I'd wager he's the father.." Because honestly, who would want to date a gold firelizard unless they were just as demanding for attention? ".. But either way, I can't keep them with me. Maybe one or two, but the rest will need to go elsewhere. I was hoping you had an idea of who-.." There's a pause, and an enlightened expression upon Quinn's face as she wheels round to face D'lei. ".. You can have one. As an apology for my drunken behaviour the other day." That reduces the number!
Aliona blinks, then blinks again, "But I don' want 'em. You found 'em so… technic'ly they're yours. I've got too much… everythin' goin' on jus' now, I can't jus'… yes!" Yes? "Have a couple if you're that way inclined." This last is directed at D'lei, his sudden egg acquisition being increased by the second. "All sorted? Good. Now I got t'get this reply done b'fore there's all out screamin' at the Hold." Dismissed? Oh sure. Doesn't mean anyone needs to leave though.
"Is this like…. one egg in the top of each boot…?" D'lei muses. It's not very loud, more just his own attempt to work out the mental picture than any serious request for information. Inquiring minds want to know! Or at least, his does. But then Quinn has an idea of her own, and D'lei blinks. "Oh. Uh…" He looks to the pile of eggs, known to come from a finger-biter and a wardrobe-lover. Such glorious parentage, imagine if they inherit the best (or worst?) of both! "…sure," D'lei says, because what is good sense and running away screaming even for. "I can take… uh." A glance to Aliona. "…one." He has limits! At least… he's going to pretend, for now… though that doesn't mean he can't still be helpful. "And I can ask my wing if anyone's been wanting one?"
Finders keepers? That's not guard policy. Then again, Quinn isn't a guard anymore, so maybe she'll have to let this one slide. There's another long sigh (of frustration) as the woman looks back at the clutch of eggs. All that trouble to bring them here only to.. Take them back home again. What joy! At least D'lei is taking one. That's some consolation at least. "Alright.." She beckons the Deluge rider over to the bundle. "If you could ask, that'd be great. Although.. I might have another person in mind who'd like one." A thoughtful expression is given, before Quinn steps aside and allows D'lei the leisure to pick whichever egg he'd like to take.
Aliona looks up from her paperwork, almost surprised to see that they're both still there. There's even some blinking going on, confusion. She did tell them to leave, right? Even so there's a little bit of her can't help but peek at the eggs to see which one D'lei's about to pick - perhaps even a little bit of temptation to take one for herself? "Be careful with 'em, they don' look like they're too ready t'hatch jus' yet. Need t'keep them somewhere warm, an' boots ain't the best at that. Least y'found 'em b'fore y'tried t'put your feet in them, that'd be awkward."
"I'll ask, yeah." D'lei says with a nod to Quinn. "I mean, they're useful for messages and all once they're trained." Is that a well-timed extra-loud squawk from the hallway? Maybe, but D'lei is ignoring it. Maybe Aliona's chair is just squeaky. Anyhow, D'lei is busy figuring out just which egg it is he's going to inflict on himself. Bloodstained fingers shift over the set of them, not that firelizards have enough brains that he can really get a sense of the touch, then settle on the spiral-touched darkness of the most shadowy of the eggs. Because hey, if you're going to go for doom, why not go all-in? DARKNESS. DESPAIR. DREAD. TERRIBLE LIFE CHOICES. D'lei looks up to Aliona, and nods. "I figure… I can get a little box of sand, set it near the hot water tank." A crooked grin, as he carefully lifts that chosen egg. "Kinda-sorta like a beach, that way."
Not Every Gift Is A Blessing Egg
Black, black, black. There is no secret that this small egg gives away about itself. Perfectly rounded, its smooth surface is almost like a void, with no light able to penetrate nor escape its surface. The only defining features of this egg are the bright flashes of gold which form a trailing spiral motion from its centre to its top, offering some disparity from the bleak shadow of a figure sitting within the core of the circular pattern.
Quinn is patient enough to wait for D'lei to pick out his chosen egg of doom before she hurries forwards to collect the rest again. She'll have to keep them warm in her own weyr for the time being, but she makes a mental note of one particular egg she herself has taken an interest in. "Well then. Hopefully we can get the rest of these a home shortly. Oil will be happy to have them back in the wardrobe but I can't go without boots for too long." With a sharp tsk, the eggs are carefully collected and hoisted back up into the woman's arms. "Thankyou." She adds to D'lei, offering a smile of gratitude.
"I ain't sayin' it's a good idea, but, y'could always leave 'em in the caverns an' folk'd prob'ly take 'em." Aliona offers quietly, head once again dipped down over her paperwork but attention clearly not on the actual important things. "See them occassionally tucked up in pots b'side the fire. S'long's y'leave a note sayin' help yourself then folks might take 'em off your hands. Just a thought." And possibly something she's done before rather than just 'seen'
"Maybe you can sneak him some rocks as replacements, try to convince him they're close enough to count," D'lei suggests to Quinn with a grin. "Still not something you want in your boots, but less of a mess than egg-bits." For now, he tucks his chosen egg into a riding glove, the soft material at least enough to shelter the orb until he gets a proper container of sand. He nods to Aliona's suggestion, then looks back to Quinn with a slightly crooked smile. "Hopefully I should be thanking you, come hatching time… but, if not, you're welcome."
Quinn does seem to indulge Aliona's suggestion with a thoughtful look of consideration. -Abandoning- the eggs? Well, that's a good idea too! "Maybe as a last resort. I feel some responsibility for these eggs, I suppose. I'll see if I can't find them a home first and then maybe leave the rest to fate." In the common caverns, of course. Not out in the middle of the sea or anything. As the eggs are cradled once more, Quinn prepares to leave, although pauses on an afterthought. "Oh." She looks back at the pair, addressing both with the same question. "Might I see you both at the upcoming ball on the Yokohama? I'll be providing transport if either of you should need it."
Aliona nods. "Worst that'll happen is some go wild." Far from the worst, but perhaps the worst Aliona's willing to entertain. At least now she can get back to… ball? "Oh… I don't know yet. I need to'get the stuff fixed with the Hold b'fore I can think 'bout goin' anywhere, but prob'ly. I hope. Maybe." Smile! The notification about the ball is likely in that pile of paperwork somewhere.
"Maybe one of those holders will want one," D'lei suggests to Aliona with a crooked grin. "Oops, sorry your reply took so long, have a firelizard to pester me faster next time… hmm." Okay, so maybe it's not his best idea. They can't all be winners! He looks back to Quinn, and gives a one-shoulder shrug to her question. "Probably!" is his answer. "Long as we've got the shifts to handle things here, at least. Which we should, but…" It's his job to make sure of that!
Quinn nods. Nothing more to say here, then. Nearly. "Well I hope to see you both there. Miss Reya has offered to uh.. co-ordinate my attire for the evening. And instruct me on.. dancing." That'll certainly be worth going for! Right? Maybe, if you enjoy a good laugh. Nodding with the utmost serious expression, Quinn manages an awkward single-handed salute and then resumes cradling the bundle of eggs as she turns and heads for the door. Before she even has chance to open it, the sharp shriek of an angry firelizard is hear from the other side. Wincing, and sighing, Quinn braces herself, tugging open the door and practically bolting out into the corridor before she's assaulted again.
Aliona's confused look is back, but this time it's tinged with a little amusement. "Reya? Offered?" Is that fear in her voice. "I… s'pose I really should try t'come, I mean it's only right I guess." And if there's hilarity to be found, well… she's in. "Good day to you Quinn." is offered quickly, before the door shuts. "Wingleader." Dismissed again. So Sad!
"…huh," D'lei says to the delivery of particular nugget of knowledge. "I mean… Reya does like dancing… and… interesting clothing." Interesting, yes. That's the word he'll go with for Reya's choices in attire! "Well. I'm definitely hoping to be there." He grins. "Maybe you'll even step on my toes." And/or dance with him without doing that, but hey. That's up to her! And then Quinn is out to the shrieking world, and D'lei is… pausing just a moment to let her get clear. Even if he is dismissed. Double-dismissed! "Weyrwoman," is his answer, with a trace of amusement to it, and then… he waits! But, y'know, silently and looking toward the door to not interfere until…. okay! Sounds like the coast is clear, time to make his escape. Which he does, with a careful nudge of the door to open and shut it again with less haste but more stealth than Quinn.