|
|
|
|
|
|
|
legendary jesse james Captain
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:29 pm
[ V'ris & Reyth ]
late night, two days after the gather, the underground bar (restricted to candidates and weyrlings)
Freezing. It was freezing. Rock walls did little to keep the heat in and the cold out, something that V’ris grudgingly noticed every day since his arrival at Telgar. Down in the bowels of the Weyr, where the walls were damp, algae grew on the stone, and the caverns smelled of mildew, it was miserable. He had to wear two layers of thermals underneath a heavy jacket and his woolen cap pulled over his ears. It was like that with everyone in the bar; customary attire included everyone’s best outer wear. But did it stop anyone from going to the shady establishment? No, and it certainly didn’t staunch the jovial moods of the bartenders as they clinked together glasses, poured fresh ale, and laughed at the bawdy jokes being bandied about.
V’ris sat at a table, alone, with a hefty mug of ale at his disposal, of which half was gone. He had been in the bar for going on an hour, musing as he stared at the dirty planks of the circular table he occupied. There was plenty to ruminate about – hadn’t someone come down with that strange Southern illness at the gather? Hadn’t the Weyrleaders done everything to cover it up and not succeeded? Hadn’t the Weyrleaders from all over Pern just met earlier that night? It was a heaping load of warm manure on an already dirty plate. Thread, hatching, and disease. As they said, when it rained, it poured.
Noticeably, the crowd in the bar was far from the usual, though they were properly scowling in corners at the newcomers who had usurped their customary roles. Drinks were free flowing, and with the latest, bad news, there was plenty of cause to indulge in it. Not that the bronzerider’s appearance in the bar was anything but normal. He reached a hand to rub his shoulder, kneading out an ache that throbbed beneath the surface.
Stop worryin’. I ain’t gonna be able to pick up the pieces later when you’re too piss-drunk to make it back up here.
Lovely to know you care enough.
I care too shardin’ much, an ya know it. Wouldn’t be havin’ this discussion now, boy, if it weren’t affection.
Rey..
Alright, alright, I’ve got ya. I ain’t botherin’ ya no more.
And with that, the bronze disappeared from his rider’s mind like a cloud of smoke blown away by the wind, leaving behind only an impression of his spice and soot. V’ris sighed into his mug, allowing the foam to graze his top lip as he took a lengthy chug – maybe he could get himself so blissfully sloshed that he wouldn’t remember a damn thing. That sounded like the kind of plan he needed to be indulging in, not quarantine schedules and tolerating annoying candidates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:01 am
 Two days had passed since the Gather. To Hana, it felt like so much longer. Not only did she have to keep up with lessons for the current weyrlings and prepare for her added responsibilities after the upcoming hatching, after the... incident at the gather two days ago, she had also had to reassure the weyrlings that nothing was wrong--even though she herself doubted that was the case. Rumors had been flying around from the very moment people had returned to the weyr. And it certainly didn't help that a meeting had been called for all the Weyrleaders--undoubtedly related to whatever had happened at the father. It was times like these that Hana was glad she wasn't--and would probably never be--a Weyrleader.
Even so, the stress was getting to her. The healers would have blamed it on her injuries; they still didn't consider her fully healed. She knew Larth did; he agreed with the healers. Hana, on the other hand, was certain she just wasn't cut out for... any of this. If she and Larth were well enough to fly against Thread, she doubted she'd be Weyrling master right now; moreover, didn't that injury prove she was barely suitable to be a dragonrider?
Hana was glad that Larth was napping; he hated when she doubted her self so much. It offended him that--by extension--she doubted the choice he made on the hatching sands so many years ago. His nap had also given her the chance to slip down to bar. A chance to relax--away from the weyrlings, away from the tension and worry in the weyr--was more than welcome. Not to mention, she had never actually found that drink she was looking for at the gather.
If she had only been judging by the rowdy crowd in the bar, Hana would have never guessed that anything could be causing worry in the higher levels of the weyr. Hana couldn't have been more pleased; this was just what she needed. After fetching an ale from the bar and tucking her cane under her arm--she didn't need it yet, but she figured she might if she had a few too many--she looked around for a familiar face. She enjoyed her ale as much as the next person, but she always found it kind of pathetic to end up drinking alone. Happily, Hana quickly found a face she recognized.
"V'ris," she greeted the bronzerider. She smiled as she took a seat across from him, not really waiting for an invitation. "Hiding from the candidates again...? Mind if I join you?"
~ Hana ~~ Larth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:04 pm
Kazra and Kirath
Kazra was getting herself a fresh mug of ale when she spotted V'ris and another rider at a nearby table. She spun herself around to face the other direction too quickly to be subtle. Her eyes darted left and right, looking for a crowd big enough to disappear into. She had pointedly been avoiding the bronzerider since her drunken scene at the Gather.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:08 pm
Night. Glorious night. It had seemed like ages since he had arrived to the Weyr, when in truth it had only been a short week. Karansk had grown more plump, and spent most of her time sleeping. Though, lately, she had begun to root around in the back of their weyr, scratching at the walls before losing interest. He'd hoped that there would be enough candidates for her clutch--that is, if Karansk would let any of them near. Karane wasn't looking forward to carting wild wher children from the Weyr. But tonight, Karansk had all the inhibition to sleep throughout the night, giving her handler a moment to slink off to be alone. So it was now that the wher master had found himself curled up at his own table, nursing his second glass of ale. Normally, he was a wine sort of guy--but tonight, he needed something stronger then his usual preference. He glanced over the other occupants in the room through the mess of dark hair that hung in his eyes, finding little interest in any of them to go talk to. Then again, he found little in common with dragonriders..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:22 pm
Two days since the Gather that she hadn't gone to, two days since she had watched everyone return in a rush, and two days since she had slumped into a bitter mood. Hannele was angry that Delina was ill, was angry that she hadn't gotten to dance, was angry that Elenneth had been adamant in her remaining at the Weyr lest she should let her unpleasant mood fall on unsuspecting victims. The dragon had refused to speak to her until she'd calmed down, and the pair had sat and mused for much of the day.
Nonetheless, as night fell, Hannele began to add a second layer as well as a heavy coat, her normally bright colors stifled by the dark fabric. HannMine, Elenneth rumbled from her weyrledge as the woman prepared to head out, please don't get mad at the others tonight.
I'll try, and so she had almost bounced down to the club, smiling at those who ensured that weyrlings and candidates remained outside, tossing her head slightly when she entered the cold room. There seemed to be someone sitting off by themselves, someone vaguely familiar in that she supposed him to be important, though she couldn't remember why at this point in time.
Her curiosity got the better of her. Grabbing an ale from the bar, she meandered towards the stranger, smiling at him when she neared. "Hello; can I sit with you?" And, without waiting long for an answer, decided that it would be fine and sat herself on down. "My name's Hannele. You're relatively new here, right? I mean, I've been at the Weyr for a long time, and there's always new people around to meet, but you're obviously not a candidate if you're down here, and it's not like we get that many crafters or anything who hang around after a Gather- I'm rambling aren't I?" She asked with a frown at her insensitivity, taking a nice, long drink before continuing. "Sorry; I've been stressed a little lately and don't always know how to shut up." Giving a small, nervous laugh, she watched the other, curious still about him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:03 pm
Surprise flitted into his face, as the rather... exuberant? woman approached his table. Karane blinked slightly, tempted to look around to see if she was, indeed, talking to him. But before he could do anything, she had seated herself at his table after her invitation. That was rather... forward. At her name, recognition flitted into his mind. Hannele. She was the rider of gold Elenneth, was she not? (Slowly, Karane had made the attempt of learning the riders and their dragons. He had thought it best to start with the higher ranks, and work his way down.) Which meant he at least ought to try and seem pleasant---Faranth, was she still rambling? Shaking his head, he tried his hand at a pleasant smile. "It's alright. I can understand stress." Oh, he definitely did. Especially when his gold was gravid. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hannele. Yes, I'm fairly new here. I've only been here about a sevenday, really. But I've been so busy I haven't gotten to venture much of the Weyr yet." He paused to take a drink, and collect his thoughts for a moment. "My name's Karane," He paused, uncertain. Should he give his rank as well? "handler of gold Karansk. I'm the new wher master."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
legendary jesse james Captain
|
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:50 pm
[ V'ris & Reyth ] _____I like my loneliness and the thoughts it brings
__________The darkness can sometimes be a pleasure to me
_______________I stand around on the outside of it peering from the edge
____________________Looking for the answers to the questions I’ll never ask
( Sorry about the wait, guys! Had to take care of crew business. )
A loud crash erupted throughout the cavern. Several people screamed and most everyone turned towards the cause of the sound. Naturally, everyone was on the edge of their seats, but this time it was only a clumsy barmaid who had dropped a bottle of red wine on the floor. For her transgressions, she got a cuff on the head from the larger of the two bartenders. “What we hirin’ ya fer? Ta break all our goods, huh? Watch what yer doin’ lassie, or yer gonna be replaced.” That kind of punishment wasn’t unusual and it didn’t cause V’ris to blink an eye; he had no sympathy for someone who couldn’t do their job correctly, even less for the uneducated, uncrafted, unrefined legions of Pern.
He was in the middle of drinking his ale again when Hana invited herself over. “I cannot stop you.” Not that he would have tried anyway – he and Hana, they had a moderate relationship, as far as the bronzerider was concerned; at least he didn’t curse at her or try to strangle her. “How are you holding up?” It wasn’t a reference to her health, but to the recent occurrences and the stress it had put on people. “The weyrlings? I bet they are shaking in their boots, waiting for the sky to fall down around their ears.” No, he didn’t have much faith in the youth of tomorrow. “I know the candidates are running around like the sun is not going to rise tomorrow,” a thought which caused him to snort into his mug. The sun, like so many things, could always be counted on to light up the sky every morning. Some days it might be better if it didn’t, but it did, regardless of unspoken wishes.
“Kess-- Kazra,” V’ris called out, putting a hand in the air. His expression was not kind when he greeted the greenrider, rather his eyes were narrowed at the corners and his mouth had tightened up. Whatever his reasons for speaking to her, one could guess it did not bode well for either of them, or anyone else assembled in the bar. “Come, have a seat with us.” Ahhh. Enemies. Keep them closest.
It’s just a trick of the light, she says_____
Washed away__________
Don’t panic, don’t panic_______________
Break, break, break, break____________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:01 pm
Daria waltzed into the bar, altogether too pleased with the opportunity before her. Marenth was currently sleeping so he couldn't protest her drinking. Besides she was only going to have a few. She really didn't have much reason to be here, except her mind kept buzzing with unanswered questions. She hadn't personally gone to the gather but that didn't stop her from hearing about it. She was just here to silence the questions whirling about in her head. That shouldn't take too many drinks...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:07 pm
Kazra and Kirath When Kazra heard V'ris call her name, her head cringed toward her shoulders like a plank had been dropped on it. She took a second before she turned around with an impish, trying-to-piss-you-off smirk on her face. "V'ris, it's been so long," she said. She pulled out the chair directly opposite to the bronzerider and sat in it. "You look cheery today," she cooed in her most irritating tone. Kirath, many levels above in her weyr, lifted her head, eyes whirling with worry. Her rider was picking a fight with a bronze rider, a prospect that made her very anxious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 10:02 pm
Daria got herself an ale at the bar and settled down at an empty table. She glanced over at a group of other riders. She assessed the situation slowly and then purposefully turned her head away and took a nice long drink. Daria decided Marenth was going to flay her for this. She smiled slightly. She loved the blue lug dearly. Daria took another look around the room, pointedly avoiding the situation at her back. She noted a goldrider sitting with another she didn't recognize.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:29 am
Hana flinched at the crash and the resulting screams. For a brief moment--until she calmed enough to realize the true cause--she could only think of the gather. She doubted she was the only one. The atmosphere of the bar suddenly became tense and nearly everyone was silent as the barmaid was punished. Hana frowned in sympathy. It seemed everyone was on edge; not just the dragonriders and their charges.
She grimaced at V'ris's all too accurate evaluation of the state of the weyrlings. "Some are holding up better than others, but they all seem worried. But who can blame them? Being a weyrling causes enough anxiety as it it."
So much responsibility was hung over the head of each weyrling, especially after thread had begun to fall. Hana couldn't help but wonder which was worse: being trained to fight thread, never knowing if you actually would live to see thread fall--as she and V'ris had--or knowing exactly what might happen once you graduated from weyring status. She sighed as she rubbed the scar on the left side face before taking a long drag from her mug of ale.
V'ris called out to another rider, and Hana turned to see Kazra. If she remembered correctly, Kazra and her dragon were barely out of their weyrling training, but still before Hana's time of assisting the previous weyrlingmaster. Hana smiled as the other woman moved to join them, but quickly perceived the tension between the bronzerider and the greenrider. Hana and V'ris got along realitively well, but she had seen how rude he could be to others. Given V'ris's disregard of the young and inexperienced, Hana wouldn't have been surprised if Kazra was one of the countless people he had offended.
With the extra tension among the dragonriders in the past few days, she knew that what would normally be a trading of verbal barbs could easily turn into a fight. Hana didn't want a real fight to break out, especially when she had finally found a chance to relax. Hoping to diffuse a bad situation before it really started, Hana smiled a little wider and commented, "Cheery is good, isn't it? We can't go around worrying all the time."
~ Hana ~~ Larth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:22 pm
She might have felt bad about being so forward if he hadn't tried to smile. So maybe she wasn't completely welcome, but surely he would have not put forth that effort if he wanted her to go away? She brushed aside the awkward thinking easily, crossing her legs and twining her fingers together around the glass.
The mention that he was new had her biting her tongue to keep from pelting him with questions. The pause after his name made her ponder for a moment, wondering what he was thinking, but the words after made her grin. "The pleasure is all mine, Karane." Leaning slightly on the table, she continued, "It's lovely to meet you." Hannele wondered for a second about telling him that she rode Elenneth, but the thought of him maybe being more formal because she rode a gold worried her. In the back of her mind, Elenneth's presence bespoke amusement with no resistance.
"It's nice," she ventured, "to have a golden wher around. Whers bring the nights to life, and wherlings moreso. Though, that goes for any sort of young creature. They're so full of life." Smiling, she took another drink. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"
Shortly after she asked, a loud noise made her turn in her stool in one fluid motion, swinging so that she could remove herself to a standing position easily if it was called for. The tension all around made her frown, her shoulders squaring in an authoritative stance. Everyone was on edge until the source was revealed, when Hannele relaxed again, turning back around to face Karane, but not before noticing that someone else was watching her. A small flick of her hand indicated that the other could join them if they wished. "Sorry about that," she returned to her conversation with Karane. "Something like that usually doesn't cause that great of a disturbance." Giving a slight laugh, she reached back to push her hair behind her ears, only to have it curl defiantly back when she released it.
"Have you been shown around the Weyr?" She bit back the following question - have you met the Weyrwoman? - with a bitter taste filling her mouth. Delina should have been able to meet the new Whermaster, though she supposed it would happen in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
legendary jesse james Captain
|
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:25 pm
[ V'ris & Reyth ] _____I like my loneliness and the thoughts it brings
__________The darkness can sometimes be a pleasure to me
_______________I stand around on the outside of it peering from the edge
____________________Looking for the answers to the questions I’ll never ask
The cavern quieted down again with the disappearance of the barmaid, who had rushed off to the stores for another cask of wine. Both of the bartenders were whispering between themselves, though their eyes were never far from the door. Everyone else could relax now – the excitement had died down. But V’ris had never wavered far from that state of mind, with his blue eyes focused on the brownrider seated nearby. “I would never envy your position. Waking up to the squabbles of teenage weyrlings and constipated dragons. It must be far from the life you expected you would have when you were a weyrling yourself.” He leaned back in his seat, long legs spread out underneath the table, and one arm relaxed on the arm of his chair. “I guess I am not much better – Reyth convinced me that we would be Weyrleader by now.” With a distracted look to his expression, he smoothed a hand over his chin. “I am not too upset about the prospect, but he reminds me every day of our failure.” The smile he turned on Hana was tinged with self-deprecation.
Oh, Kezra, what have we got here? “Has it? I can still see you lying on your back as if it were just yesterday,” he commented, deadpan, without the slightest twitch. “You should have your eyes checked.” His voice was not quite cold, just cool, as he leveled his hard stare on the greenrider. It flicked to Hana in an instant, his voice thawing as it switched victims. “No, but we should be expected to show ourselves respect and represent our Weyr, instead of making damn fools of ourselves in front of half of Pern.” Apparently, he meant Kezra.
It’s just a trick of the light, she says_____
Washed away__________
Don’t panic, don’t panic_______________
Break, break, break, break____________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:31 pm
Daria noticed the invitation absently, realizing suddenly that she had ended up staring off into space in that direction. Shrugging to herself, she joined the two. "Don't mean to interrupt or anything. I just didn't recognize you." Daria directed this last comment to Karane, nodding slightly in his direction as she slid into a seat. Volunteering no more, she calmly took a swig of her drink and relished the numbing of the questions that seemed to plague a good deal of the Weyr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:38 pm
S'tel hadn't gone to the Gather, instead choosing the time to hang out with his mother Sairena. Her and her dragon were getting old, and the Sairena would never show up to a Gather if her own dragon couldn't carry her there. And well, the old green couldn't. Because of this, S'tel had heard of the situation secondhand, although almost immediately. The first dragon that had popped in from between with candidates on its back had been subject to Liosliath's scrutinizing on why they were returning so early.
So S'tel was in the bar himself, wrapped up in his best riding leather. He was sitting with a group of old friends, all of them happily chatting. Their words, however, were strained. They were merely pretending nothing was wrong to comfort themselves and dodge the heavy feelings that pressed everywhere in the Weyr. The brownrider had a mug of beer snuggled against his palm. The alcohol helped with the cold, both literally and figuratively.
When the crash rang out, S'tel tensed up like the rest of them, cutting himself off mid-sentence. He coughed awkwardly afterwards and then leaned back, looking around at the other occupants. Hana, Kazra, a man he didn't know... And then he spotted V'ris, one of his wingriders. He was about to get up and sit down with him, but then he heard the other respond to the greenrider. The man scowled and sent his brown Liosliath a quick message to relay. Normally, S'tel wouldn't have cared, but with the tension around, he had to make sure no member of the Wing made matters worse.
My S'tel tells me to tell you to tell your rider... Liosliath paused there, as if saying the whole situation was ridiculous. He had been interrupted in his flirting with a gorgeous young green and couldn't care less about what his rider was doing at the moment, that he himself is making a damn fool out of himself in front of the entire Weyr... and his wingleader. Thanks, Reyth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
