Difference between revisions of "Logs:Taking In A Stray"

Azaylia and Hraedhyth's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr

Accessed via a narrow staircase from the Weyrleader's Complex, or from the broad, sunny ledge beyond, this weyr was clearly designed to be for one of the weyr's junior queens. Spacious, but not extravagant, it boasts a well-sized outer room, narrowing in front the dragon couch and ledge beyond. Much of this main room has been turned over to a couch and several chairs which circle the hearth and the blue rug in front of it. There's a low table here, too, set in the middle of that rug. A tack-cupboard stands tidily behind the couch, keeping out of sight a rider's paraphernalia.

Three low steps lead up onto a peculiar little landing, just large enough for the brand new desk and set of shelves that have been placed there. Here, too, there are definite pointers to the lived-in state of the weyr despite the newest resident's attempts at tidying what she can when it comes to the piles of hidework on her desk.

Behind the workspace, a narrow passage leads in an inner set of chambers, made up of a sleeping cavern and a private bathing area. A decent-sized bed fills much of the space, the mattress piled high with overstuffed down pillows, comforter. There's a nightstand on either side, and against one of the other walls, a tall, heavy wardrobe made from a dark wood that matches the bed. The bathing area is part of the same cavern, a folding screen shielding the toilet and slightly raised, double-sized bathtub built into the stone, and a small shelf to hold toiletries.

Unusually, the walls, ceiling and floor of this weyr have all been whitewashed thickly, covering the natural stone. One of the walls has a full sized quilt pulled taut and secure to reveal the work that went into it. It has a decorative border and a pieced-together design in the middle: the spires of High Reaches, with a tawny gold dragon high above, flying through the blue sky. Embroidered into the lower corner is an 'M' to signify the maker. The hearth is also brand new, as are most of the built-in fittings, as though they have recently needed to be replaced. These are not the only oddities to be found within their home...

Animal remains litter the otherwise comforting space, the majority made up of the heads of various Pernese creatures. Clean and bleached, the largest of the leg bones and skulls are typically featured around Hraedhyth's wallow, some splintered and broken where the urge to gnaw became too great. The smaller, more intricate trophies can be found throughout the weyr. Several are on the mantel, along with a set of carved and painted animal figurines: a runner, bovine, llama, porcine, ovine, horned caprine, pointed-eared canine and lastly, a tiny wherry chick. A ram's head has been painted black and blue and acts as a lovely centerpiece atop the low table, fresh flowers sticking out of it's eye sockets. Why, there are even one or two being used as weights for some of Azaylia's hidework.

The days are still cold, and the nights are even more so at High Reaches Wey, especially so late. Slowly but surely, people have been trickling in and out of her home. Some are scared. There's safety in numbers, after all. And of course, the 'guards' posted outside of the weyrwomen's weyrs. Azaylia is a dull phantom in a gray dress, complexion sallow, dulled much like Hraedhyth's. The gold is curled up in her wallow, draconic bodies crowding and spilling out onto the ledge. The junior leans on one of the stone walls, looking over the weyrfolk. Some are talking quietly, but several are sleeping, what with it being so very, very late. Judging from how the purple bags beneath her eyes have grown, she hasn't been getting very much rest these past few days.

It was no great revelation that some creatures thrived more in darkness than in the light. Was it no surprise then that Bones had more in common with them than he did the diurnal folk of High Reaches? Looking somehow more refreshed in the dim light, he seems respectful enough of the other houseguest's need for sleep to step over and around them with surprisingly courteous stealth. He stops in the middle of the main room for a moment, glancing around as if he's searching for something lost. And then he finds it. His eyes land on Azaylia and his smile grows big at the sight of her, continuing toward her. "Hey beautiful!" Voice is excited but low, and comes with a playful nudge at her shoulder. "Makin sure nobody steals your stuff? I gotta be straight with you, I had my eye on that weird ram skull you got holdin flowers. If you weren't watchin so close I'd make off with that son of-" he pauses in the middle of what one could presume would be a joke. "... oh man, you look ten kinds of dead. What you doin' still standin', girl? Get yer ass in bed!"

Azaylia catches sight of Bones in the same moment that he finds her, eyes darting away quickly to make it seem as though she's just scanning the room. Her expression remains the same, dull and tired, until he calls out to her that is. The young woman's eyes close for a moment, simply resting them and not at all bracing herself for the experience that is Bones. She opens them when he nudges her shoulder, smile slightly pained... or that could just be her default expression, with so little rest. "Hraedhyth would be upset if you stole one of her trophies." Voice even softer than normal, she can at least appreciate Bones' effort to quiet himself. "I'm not..." She can't lie, instead, "I can't sleep. I don't... want to."

That heavy brow pinches above his nose, a small sign of disapproval that couples oddly with his big smile. His whole face questions her sanity, and his voice follows suit. "You fuckin serious?" The sharpness of what most consider a word to use sparingly is very much watered down considering the man delivering it. Still, there's a sense of concern in his playful tone. "My arms are twitching, because they're half expecting they'll be needin' to catch you when you start falling on your face, ha!"

"That..." Azaylia doesn't snap, but she's awfully quick to respond, voice rising just a bit. Shoulders press even more into the wall, and she tries again with a much more controlled tone, "Thank you. But no, I won't fall over." She has more incentive to stay upright, in fact. A hand lifts to rest chilly fingertips against her cheek, voice whisper-soft, "You know, you're... My weyr is open to those who need it." Who need her, or Hraedhyth. "But, uhm... You've been here every day since and, uhm..." Not wanting to belittle the man's feelings, if he has them. "You seem fine."

Bones lets the issue of her sleeplessness drift out of conversation for the time being. It would have been nice to say it was out of respect for her wishes to let it be so, but in truth, he was simply curious about the other point she was bringing up. "Well of course I'm gonna choose to spend my time here! Your place is awesome, n'have you seen where I sleep? Ha!" The last outburst of laughter is just slightly loud, and he realizes it with a small wince and hunch of his shoulders. He gives quick glance behind him to check if he's woken anyone up. He hasn't. "Sorry, y'mighta noticed I aint so good at bein serious. Uhhh, lemme try and explain." There's a pause, a struggle, a look down at the floor in-between them as he rubbed the back of his neck and collected his thoughts. "Yer nice to me, Zee." He looks up with the same stupid grin he always wears, face unchanged. "Well, y'aint nice to me. You freeze up and shit like I'm gonna spit on you or somethin. And your basically kinda hintin' that I shouldn't be up in your Weyr too."

Azaylia is quiet, except for the delicate little 'shh' she gives when the man is overly loud. "Bones I-" Somewhat pained now, it's her own fault this time rather than his. "I don't mean to make you feel unwelcome." Not on purpose. "I..." Mind far too frazzled, there's no excuse she can think to give, no argument against anything the man has said thus far. She lets her arms hang, head dropping back against the wall as she looks up at him, eyes somewhat mournful.

"I guess a better way of puttin it is uhhh... well, you 'member when we first met? Y'didn't know me, and your boy H'kon was about ready to lay my ass out? Normal thing, probably the right thing to do would be to tell me to piss off? But you didn't. Y'handed me your lunch like we were best buds." He lets the memory sink in for the both of them for a few seconds, crossing his arms in front of his chest like he's already made his point. "Difference is, you try to be nice to me. You try real damn hard even when I straight up tick you off. S'why you're good people Zee. And it's why I should stick around. Everybody's lookin to you to help 'em right now. Me? Hehe, you said it yourself, I'm fine." He unfolds his arms and gives another playful nudge to her shoulder. "Which means I got the strength left in me to help you out."

Azaylia doesn't respond right away, closing her eyes and touching her cheek, all his words taking a moment to make sense. The smile is small and tense, wavering as tired muscles don't know whether to go up or down. "You don't... 'tick me off'." Hesitant only to make sure that what she's saying is true. "I- Thank you, Bones. I... I'm sorry. If I make you feel..." She's not familiar with her instinctual dislike, with the way she wants to avoid the big and brash man. It's even worse now, with those feelings lingering even as he does his best to be understood. Finally, "You... are a strange man." Very strange, though she's managed to keep hold of that little smile while glancing up at him

An already impressive grin grows bigger at her choice of words, as if strange is the nicest compliment she could have given. "Zee, you need to sleep." The tone is surprisingly firm. "Because if you don't, I'm gonna try and drag you up to your bed and make you. Then you'll hafta hit me, and then the guards will come in thinkin I'm here to... the point is, it'll get real damn loud and messy in here if you don't get a damn nap, alright?"

Azaylia doesn't lose her own smile, though it might as well be non-existent in comparison to his grin. An attempt at his infectious humor, "Actually, I don't think it would take them that long." Even now, an annoyed and sleep deprived rider is hanging half-inside her weyr. Watching them. Or more specifically, watching Bones. "I can't have you waking everyone else up." The junior loses some of her amusement at that. Slipping off the wall, she walks around the large man and takes a few steps in the direction of her bedchamber. The young woman stops to glance over her shoulder, "You should sleep too. I think there's room on the couch." If not, oh well. "Good night, Bones." Spoken through a squeaking yawn before the goldrider heads for bed.