Logs:Nonfrivolous
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 19 July, 2013 |
| Who: Alida, H'kon, N'ky |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: There's nothing frivolous at all about three riders having lunch. |
| Where: Living Cavern |
| When: Day 15, Month 4, Turn 32 (Interval 10) |
| Weather: Heavy, driving rain makes everything a wet and muddy mess today. |
   |
| Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr 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. Never one for frivolity, H'kon's lunch is a simple thing; a bowl of stew, the end of a loaf of bread, and a mug of klah to wash the lot down. The caverns are busier today, with folk wanting the warmth of fresh pots and the shelter from the pounding rain outside. No wonder, then, that H'kon should find himself crowded into one of the last few open seats, with others all around him. He deals with it in usual taciturn brownrider fashion - which is to say, focuses on his lunch, and ignores the chatter around him. When you find something that works... It's utterly craptastic outside, what with the heavy, driving rain and the cold: totally High Reaches weather. Finished with wing drills, somewhat miserable and soggy, Alida trudges into the living cavern after leaving behind her outer wear on a couple of pegs near the entrance. Her pinned-up hair is limp as a wet noodle due to the humidity, but it still shines some in the glowlight...which does nothing to improve her bedraggled looks. All she wants is hot food and drink right now, and she barely even grunts greetings at those who choose to try and engage her along her way towards the food. Give the blonde about 8 minutes, and she's acquired her chow...now looking for someplace in the sea of humanity to sit down and eat unmolested. Good friggin' luck. Around and around the Glacier rider moves, finding not a seat to be had. But just before she's about to give up and try for the night hearth...there's a seat! Moving like a snow leopard on a mountainside of scree, the woman dips, darts, winds her way through people and tables, chairs...triumphantly plunking her food down upon the table and claiming a chair not 3 seconds before some sad schmo of a greenrider finds himself runner-up in the race. Funny, how the seat winds up being just across from H'kon. 'Funny' is not what the expression on the brownrider's face suggests. The bustle about him has already got his edges properly prickly, but the arrival of this wet former-weyrling - one he's not particularly well-disposed to - gives little help to what is H'kon's apparent mood. It's more scowl than wince when the plate hits the table, though he doesn't pull back, when not finding her food splashed over him. Small mercies. Green eyes are raised, the slightest nod of his head is given as greeting, and then he's focusing on his next spoonful of stew. She hasn't honestly seen H'kon about since she was assigned to protect him and Vielle from the formerly enraged K'del, and the darkly inquisitive, yet guardedly cautious look flicked to his face shows this. Greens met greens, and the man's slight nod receives a grunt-nod combo from the somewhat surly-from-the-weather bluie, Alida digging into food with restrained hunger. H'kon is, truly, more content to leave interactions at a minimum. Careful not to have his elbows intrude to far into the space of anyone to either side of him, he rests the spoon in the bowl, grasps bread, tears it. This is dunked, and though his eyes rove to the klah cup, it isn't grabbed. It's certainly been added to the to-do list, but it isn't yet grabbed. He's busy softening up crust with broth. Likewise with the once a-social, now social-neutral bluerider. Alida finds her own stew and bread combo much more pleasant and interesting than social interaction, her motions economical and direct as she stokes her inner fires...while very slowly becoming a little less prickly. This might be glimpsable upon her features, which also slowly move from withdrawn and vaguely hostile into grumpy, then more towards neutral. H'kon remains where he is, opposite Alida, where both riders have managed to actually find seating in a bustling living cavern. Whatever social defrosting is taking place on Alida's face, the longer they sit there, continues to go unnoticed. Could be H'kon is as lost in his own thoughts as he is in drenching the next bit of crust that is pulled from his bowl of stew, and put into his mouth. A thumb flicks quickly at a dribble of broth out the corner of his mouth. And riders and residents come and go, most with grumbles for the nasty weather. Yup. Basic spring lunchtime. Yes... being left alone, even in a sea of humanity, is a blessed boon to the bluie. Content that she'll get no interaction from H'kon or the others around them too busy eating or yapping about the crappy weather, the damp, bedraggled Alida continues to warm up - inside and out - as she thaws herself in the warmth of the cavern, and with her hot chow. And sneakily-boozed-touched klah. I wuv you, booze. With a light lunch of his own in hand, N'ky approaches the table where his wingmate and clutchmate are sitting, though he seems hesitant as to which rider he'll actually sit next to. After a moment's deliberation he chooses the side that H'kon's on, sliding his decidedly unfrivolous meal - bread, a few pieces of cheese, and a little blob of what looks to be redfruit chutney - onto the table beside the the brownrider. He sits, sets his klah on the table, and looks across at Alida with a crooked smile and a wiggle of his fingers, then H'kon is given a bob of his head.... but perhaps the air between the two riders he's interrupted is palpable enough for him to not speak, because he says nothing as he starts assembling a sandwich of sorts. The majority of H'kon's greeting to N'ky involves, more, a shift further down the bench, mirroring the riders to the other side of him. It's a busy time, and an extra insertion into the table requires some repositioning. Only once he's, again, checked his elbow room and the spread of what remains of his meal does H'kon offer that greenrider a sharp, quick nod. Those beyond N'ky are given a glance, those alongside Alida on the other side of the table as well. And he reaches for his klah. Apparently the utter indifference between them has put off any others from wanting to seat themselves beside both Alida and H'kon, for once the previous 'owners' abandoned their places, they didn't re-fill. Until N'ky bubbles up, of course. That crooked smile and finger waggle earn her clutchmate only a peer and another grunt-nod combo, greens then lifting to cast all about the huge cavern as far as possible, then return towards eating her food. Habit. Brown eyes flicker from one rider to the other, as N'ky tries to figure out what the deal is while he fixes his sandwich. His teeth are sunk thoughtfully into his bottom lip as he does so, and he takes a bite of his meal while pondering it all. Once he's swallowed, he attempts to break whatever's in the air with a, "So, um... n-nothing too frivolous on the spread today, is there?" It's perhaps more for H'kon's benefit than Alida's; the brownrider, at least, will have noticed the new Avalanche wingrider's allusion to frivolity a lot since being assigned to watch over him. Noticed, yes. Appreciated? Well... H'kon looks up sharply to the younger rider alongside him, and sends an equally pointed look past Alida toward the main food tables. "Winter's end does not create a sudden increase in supplies." He abandons the klah in favour of tilting his bowl up, and spooning up a chunk of tuber. Ears keep her attuned to the gist of the words being traded nearby her, but otherwise, Alida appears as if she couldn't give a damn, the blonde continuing to tuck into her food even when the greenrider speaks. She *knew* it had to happen. Still, nothing is glimpsable upon her bland, indifferent features, though heavily-lashed eyes hide a spark of faint irritation at the interruption of her inner quiet by...frivolous conversation. Oh well, at least she has her left side free. Unconsiously, her pale head bobs just a minute fraction in unspoken agreement with the brownrider's words, though her whole attitude speaks of 'Nope, leave me alone.' "No," N'ky concedes, in a tone that suggests there's more to come. And there is, a breath later; "but spring will mean more things growing." He shrugs at H'kon, then takes another bite of his sandwich. That, at least, should keep Alida happy for the time being - with his mouth full, he can't speak, but he can look at the bluerider, brown eyes slightly narrowed in curiosity at the reticent attitude so similar to the old Alida. H'kon favours his bowl with another scoop, this one coming up with a tidbit of herdbeast and some piece of onion, all of which are swallowed, before the older rider looks to N'ky again. "The mere fact of their growth does not guarantee their shipment to the Weyr." Yet another spoonful, this time all just broth, and then he's reaching for his klah once more, with little attention to any others around him. The sooner he can finish, the sooner he can leave, after all. A faint prickle at the back of her neck has Alida glancing up...to notice N'ky *looking* at her that way. Immediately, her greens narrow back, though it's not in curiosity, but silent 'warning.' Do not tease the bear. And then H'kon's breaking the silence again, making the blonde glance over to him a hint sourly before returning her eyes to her own diminishing pile s of chow. It's at this point that the woman kicks into 5th gear from 3rd, skipping forward a bit so she too can get this over with and get the hell out of dodge before some horror like actual conversation can take place. N'ky simply shrugs, adding a quiet, "You never know," before popping the last of his sandwich into his mouth. He chews contentedly, returning Alida's warning glare with an amused, crooked smile, but he doesn't say anything more, even when he swallows and lets out a satisfied little smile. That's when he produces a plump-looking redfruit from the pocket of his flight jacket, and after chugging a mouthful of klah he bites noisily into the crisp treat, crunching happily down on it as is oblivious to the noise it makes... and yet a sneaky little peek at both riders suggests he's got an inkling that the noise might irritate them. Whatever inklings that greenrider might have, H'kon doesn't stick around to confirm or deny them. The last dregs of stew are finished up from the bowl, the last of his klah, drank. The older rider carefully sweeps any remaining crumbs from his bread off the table, brushes his hands into the otherwise empty bowl, and shifts off the bench. "Drills are early tomorrow," is as much farewell as the greenrider will get. Alida is treated with the same quick glance as others at the table. No sooner has he taken his leave, someone else swoops for his spot. And life goes on. It's just eating, the sound of it rife around them as others yakk it up and chow down, so N'ky might be faintly surprised to find Alida not blinking an eyelash at his crisp redfruit chewing, though she is silently wondering as to how he got that fresh fruit at this time of year, given the Weyr's sad state of food supply. Oh wait. South. Yeah. Power-nom. And then H'kon's rising, speaking to N'ky, glancing around, and taking off. Another low grunt serves for a farewell, and the bluerider soon enough finishes off her bread and stew, going for her last sips of klah. N'ky gives H'kon a nod of acknowledgement to show that he heard the comment about drills, and the brownrider gets a smile as he leaves. It's one of those purposely happy ones that flashes a little bit of tooth. Then the greenrider shuffles along to make more space for the newcomer beside him, who also gets a smile. Not as big as the one for H'kon, but a smile nonetheless. Alida then becomes the centre of his attention, and he watches the bluerider carefully across the table as she drinks. Before she can finish whatever's left in her mug, he dips a hand into the pocket on the other side of his jacket, pulling out a ripe plum to roll it across the table towards her. Just as she too is finishing, making to rise...that plum is rolled across the table to her, Alida catching it without even thinking from trained habit, though her eyes examine the thing for a moment. Peer. Back up to the greenie is grunted, "Thanks..." in a neutral tone, the blonde then bobbing her head to him, and looking at her nearby tablemates much as H'kon did. Cursory politeness. Nothing more said as she's not in the mood, the Glacier rider lifts up her tray of empty dishes and used silverware, mug, and moves off carefully through the crowd to dump them and head back towards the Bowl, where Ilicaeth's already swooping back down from his protective ledge to take them home. And N'ky is left on his own, happily munching through his redfruit in between sips from his mug of klah once he's waved goodbye to Alida, and given the bluerider a cheeky, playful sort of wink. When the rider next to him asks where he got his fruit from, the greenrider just shrugs quietly, then picks up his mug to also vacate the table, meandering in towards the inner caverns rather than out into the bowl. |
Leave A Comment