Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr(#350RJs)
Stalactites hang high above this enormous cavern like a jagged chandelier or an inversion of the Spires themselves, but shadows cling to them instead of light. Below lie great tables arranged in rows, each large enough to serve a fighting wing, while in the nooks and alcoves around the cavern's edge sit more sensibly-sized tables, from six- and eight-seaters down to intimate spots for just a couple of diners. The only really open space is around the kitchen entrance, smelling of food and rarely quiet, and by the nearby serving tables with their long buffet of the day's offerings.
Tapestries on the smooth walls -- some faded and others newly woven -- only slightly mute the sea of sound when a meal is in full swing, but they add cheerfulness augmented by the glowlight from wall sconces and the centerpieces of each table. Still, shadows always creep along the ceiling and into the mouths of the exits -- the myriad small hallways at one end of the cavern and, at the other, the twisting tunnel to the bowl near an array of coathooks and and hatracks -- and late at night, when the glows are allowed to dim, the chamber can seem very dark indeed.
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and as such, Alida's found within the Weyr itself, treating herself to an on-time dinner after she's discharged some various Wing duties. The pale-blonde woman's seated at the very end of Glacier's big table, eating with good appetite while exchanging the occasional word or two with a few nearby wingmates between bites. At some point, a drowsy-sunflower-colored fire lizard zips down, announces itself to the bluerider, then carefully alights on one of her shoulders...the beastie soon offered a bite of some roast from between thumb and fingertips.
Beautiful days are most welcome after the chill of winter, Edyis seems to be glad of them at least as she darts into the cavern to at last grab a meal for herself between tasks, a charcoal smear mars her left cheek and she has several fingers bandaged lightly, her latest notebook is tucked under arm as she collects a tray of food and peers about the cavern for a seat. It's a flash of yellow that draws her eye to an empty seat, and a somewhat familiar face. "Rider Alida, may I join you and your companions?"
Glacier might be (correctly) known as a rowdy, tough Wing, whether at work, play, or dinner time, but the general loudness at the long table doesn't mean that all of the riders seated there are cretins. A few of said folk give Edyis a bit of a look as she sort-of invites herself - especially when she directs her words to one of the rumored testiest people seated there - but Alida only measures the once-refugee with quiet green eyes before muttering, "Yeah. Ain't gonna be here long." Pause, blink, peer. "She didn' do anything wrong, did she?" The inquiry is only a touch hesitant, a little long-suffering...the bluie's gaze flicked from the Nabolese female to the flit on her shoulder.
Edyis smiles, and if she gets looks she manages to ignore them. She's fairly sure she used the proper address at least, but there may be something of a small gulp from the Nabolese woman who was more focused on the flit than the people. It perhaps dawns on her a bit late that the bunch is in fact the Glacier wing. Oops. "No not at all, quite the opposite. She's very lovely." Well Edyis you have just invited yourself to sit, you may as well go the whole way the woman thinks as she sets her tray and notebook down, settling herself firmly (more for her own courage than the sake of others) in her chair.
Edyis is lucky there's a chair to sit at while dinner's going on. Alida's left to nod fractionally in inner relief at the young woman's answer as she continues to eat, and feed her pet. After a clearing of mouth with a swig of tea from her mug, the blonde offers Edyis a clipped, mile a minute alto, "Whadda ya' want?" in her usual, hard-accented and direct fashion. Her manner might be a little brusque, but at least the gold on her shoulder is a little more amenable, the flit offering the Nabolese female a curious, lengthy look while she holds and chews her warm chunk of meat.
Nervousness is pushed back as Edyis takes a sip, before addressing the question. "I was curious about your firelizard," She offers honestly. pulling a bit of meatroll apart to consume. "I haven't seen many up close before. Did you find her in the south?" Polite, and even warm her sweet soprano returns evenly. The flit is regarded with curiosity, eye drifting from nose to tail, taking in each detail with a student's eye. The meatroll is bitten into and absently she taps the notebook, as though tracing lines and strokes.
She was about to ask 'why,' but Edyis is soon enough supplying her with a reason, Alida looking about for a moment at those few other Glacier riders with a nuisance of their own in attendance, then back at the new Weyrfolk across from her. "'Reaches don't have many, yeah." Shrug, eat, nod. "*She* found *me* on accident on a weyrling campin' trip down there." Yes, down South. And, to judge by the bluie's small nose-wrinkle and vague eyeroll, it wasn't a wonderful circumstance, either. Perhaps unlike others who own firelizards, 'lida isn't bubbling with enthusiasm over her shoulder-sitter... said little gold offering a low trill to Edyis as the other female studies her. Om nom.
Pyrite - Not a glowing, eye-poppingly bright hue, instead shaded by the red-orange rays of the setting sun, this hospitable lady brings to mind the large and warmth-loving blooms of a tract of sunflowers, their smiling faces ever-turned up to receive every last kiss of sustaining light. Deep, rich yellow-gold burgeons pleasantly over her hide in even fashion, ample hints of descending Rukbat glimpsable in dreamy shades of saffron, apricot, and dark amber that waken with her motions at headknobs, 'ridges, joints and creases, and upon her defined paws. Talons of deep nectarine grace those digits, adding a splash of tang to her mellow hidescape. 'How may I help you?' inquire large, thoughtful eyes.
Edyis chuckles, "I see, she seems quite charming though. Is it the climate or the dragons that keep them away here?" More than mildly curious now, "I've heard they are good at carrying messages back and forth to places If you can manage to get and train one." A thoughtful pause, and a drain of her Klah before, she asks another question. "You don't like the south? I thought it was nice weather down there" Clearly the girl has never really been anywhere before with the intensity of her curiosity about other places. She tries whistling a note back to the gold to match the trill in pitch.
"She can be..." the bluerider mrphs out between bites of food fed to herself and her firelizard, who now flits down to the table beside Alida's near hand to tear into a fatter chunk of meat offered to her. "Climate... an' most people here don't wanna bother with 'em. Pesty." Given the mixed hint of emotions in her words, it might be judged that the blonde still finds even her own pet such, enough times. "Can be. Gotta be consistent, patient, firm." Chew, sip. "South's fine." Maybe firelizards aren't, then? More eating ensues, and after some moments, the woman starts tapping her fork's tines lightly against the tabletop while staring at Edyis. "Yer point?"
Edyis tilts her head, tearing off another bit of meat roll. "Pesty?" Judging from the growing interest she's not quite sure how, then again she's had precious little experience with them. She nods for each of the qualities adding them to a mental list. "Does she rise often?" Considering a different train of thought when asked about a point. She hadn't really had one. "I was looking to try to get one to keep better contact with my siblings, back home. But if they are more pests than useful maybe it isn't such a good idea." Plus pets are good company right?
All Alida offers to that inquiry is a roll of one shoulder and a small incline of her pale head, though - after observing Pyrite for a few moments - she seems honor bound to add on a low, "Useful at times, pesty at times." As for the rising... Brow-scrunch, shoulder roll. "She's too young ta go up, yet." And it doesn't sound like the bluerider's looking forward to it, either. Nearby, one of her more obnoxious wingmates carols in a semi-loud, "And when she *does*, we all got bets on whose face Alida rips off first! Hahahaha!" The lean and edgy brownrider gets a twist of lips and a low, almost casual, "Blow it outcher' ass, T'rel..." along with another eye roll before green eyes return to the former-Nabolese female *and* the bluie's own dinner. "Depends." Grunt. "You got time, the will, the way, then..." Then, perhaps, it's up to her and others willing to help her.
Edyis tilts her head curiously, at the brownrider before her attention returns to Alida, and she lowers her voice as to not be heard by the others. "Are flit flights and dragon flights really that bad?" Her brown eyes wide. She'd heard stories but little more, for the rest she considers quietly. "How do you care for them anyway?" Watching Pyrite with a smile, "And train them at that?"
"Ask someone else..." Alida notes with a little ruffle of feathers, the woman starting to polish off her food, then offering Pyrite one of her broth-steeped carrots with a wry little twist of lips. Apparently the vegetable has just enough meaty juice and flavoring in it to earn an only slightly hesitant grab by the firelizard, who slowly tucks into it while her owner smirks a little. Fooled ya! Green eyes flick over to the girl again, and the blonde notes in her typical, blunt alto, "Dragonhealers 'r good ta chat up on that...'specially the ones that *have* flits." However, she does have to add on to the training inquiry, "Tolja' already. Add in knowledge. I just happened ta know already how ta teach canines, partly equines, too. Applied what I knew ta her..." a look over at Pyrite ensues "...plus some dragon-specific knowledge." Another long sip of her iced tea drains it.
Edyis lifts a brow, oh my. Well that's marked off on the list of topics not safe to discuss, fortunately flights wasn't something Edy had to worry about. "Dragonhealers, I have been meaning to talk with some of them anyway with regard to the records in the records room." She eyes the carrot nomming beastie, and rapidly consumes the rest of her meat roll. "Thank you for the information, and the company." Rowdy riders still make her somewhat nervous as she drains her mug. "I best get back to the Records room." She admits, or rather invents, perhaps not entirely sure she wants to be left at a table of rowdy riders If Alida has finished her meal.
If Edyis thinks Alida's response is curt *now*, she might've been really taken aback by the former-Guard when she first arrived at the Weyr. "Founts uv' knowledge..." the bluie replies to word of dragonhealers. And less testy than the blonde, likely. A bob of head to Edyis' thanks is followed by a studying look at her as the woman pops her last potato into her yap, chews...and then notes to the now departing, would-be Scribe, "I'm not fit company fer anybody." Perhaps Edyis can hear a few guffaws from the bluerider's wingmates as she retreats from that loud table.
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