Xanadu Weyr - Beach
The unerring range of subdued white rises and falls in a multitude of sandy dunes, creating an endless amount of tiny valleys constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of a dragon. Smoothing out as it slopes gently to the edge of the deep blue water, the sand darkens and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect. The beach itself is set along a low cliff - the height lessoning as one heads eastwards, blocking a portion of the beach from direct access.
The wide wide stretch of water opens up to the east, the far distant shore way beyond the horizon and the beach curves ever so slowly round to east and west, distant arms of land embracing the wind-ruffled Caspian Lake. East leads up to the mouth of the Rubicon River, where the protecting cliff is merely an arms length higher then the sand, and beyond that, a winding road leading out of Xanadu's territory. Westwards, the beach narrows as the cliff swings out, leaving a path wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to the sheltered cove designated the Weyrling Beach. However, cut in the cliff face to the north are a variety of rough, wide staircases, providing access to the clearing and to the meadow.
Xanadu is currently making the push from summer into autumn, which means some days are chilly and others warmer. Today happens to be one of the warmer days, and at mid-afternoon it's the perfect time and weather for hitting the beach. Just a few puffs of cloud in the sky, the rest sunny and blue except for any dragons overhead. Hotaru has a blanket spread out on the beach, anchored down at the corners by rocks. Her clothes have been stuffed into a backpack, leaving her in just a red and white striped bikini. She's laying on her stomach on the blanket, propped up by her elbows and peering down at a book. Her little bronze is hopping along the beach, hunting for something.
With the occasional chill to remind one that winter is coming, it's important to take advantage of those sunny days when they show up. That's why Soriana wants to come to the beach. Why she actually came here was running errands, which means she's dressed in her worky shirt and pants instead of proper beach gear. The latest of her tasks sent her all the way down to the weyrling part of things and now has her coming back again, glancing up at the sun with the hopeful, thinky expression of one trying to calculate just exactly when she's going to be expected back and if she has time to make a detour or three first. It is, after all, a very nice day, and so surely she can take a bit… so when she sees Hotaru there, she makes a turn and comes on over. "What'cha reading?"
Mikal isn't as happy that summer is pushing into fall. It's not fair! But Mikal doesn't mind fall too terribly much. Still clad in his shorts and short sleeve shirt he's done with his duties enough for the day so that he can enjoy the beach. Shuffling into the area he starts a casual walk to simply enjoy the warm air. The others here are noticed, namely Hotaru and Soriana. "Hey guys…whatcha reading?" he echoes Soriana.
Hotaru likes to have her afternoons free, so when she can she'll get up early to do her chores, or opt for things like doing dishes after meals. Stuff like laundry or mucking tended to keep one busy all day. Who knows how many beach days they'll have left until springtime! Hotaru looks up at Soriana when she addresses her. "Hey. 'A Tale of Two Threads'. It's an old-timey novel about some rider who loses his leg to thread but keeps riding. Him and this greenrider fall in love and stuff. It's pretty good." Or at least good enough to hold Hotaru's interest. "What're you guys up to?" Suddenly there's a tiny trumpet or triumph, and Volendrung comes flapping over with what he must think is more than an empty shell.
Soriana, on the other hand, is at the mercy of however her shifts at the Annex get scheduled. Allegedly, they're coordinated with her Candidate schedule. In practice… well, they haven't strictly speaking conflicted yet, but sometimes the timing gets pretty awkward. Hence why she's borrowing this moment to relax. "Huh," she says of the book description, then glances to Mikal. "Sounds like your kinda thing… well, except for the greenrider part. The old-timey thread parts." Not the mushy ones. Never the mushy parts. Soriana grins, and looks back to Hotaru, shrugging. "More deliveries. Numbweed and muscle soaks for the weyrlings, this time." And now… sitting on the beach. Which she does, plopping herself down and looking over at the sound of Volendrung's triumph.
Mikal's interest perks up at the first part of the the book but then his eyes start to glaze over a bit as the whole falling in love bit comes out. "Yeah…" he murmurs in agreement to Soriana. "Just enjoying the sun." he answers Hotaru then ducks his head and looks for the source of the triumph. "Whatshegot?" he asks quickly.
Natalya makes her way slowly along along the beach whistling softly to herself as she goes along.
Hotaru thankfully only has to worry about her candidate schedule. Which is why she can find the time to poke around the weyr and lay on the beach. Hotaru chuckles. "Yeah? Well, I'm not far into the book, but it seems like it might be a sort of tragic story." Hotaru sits up and adjusts her glasses. "You can borrow the book once I'm done, Mikal." There's a nod to Soriana. "I always wondered what it would be like to rub numbweed on your lips and then try to kiss someone. If you would feel it at all." She laughs. Volendrung is digging at the shell, which is looking more and more empty all the time. "He thinks he found a spiderclaw or something, I dunno. I think it's empty." She wrestles the shell away from him and he looks up at her anxiously. "It's empty, Vol." He gives an annoyed chitter before bouncing back down the beach.
Soriana nods to Hotaru. "When they start out with the romance…" she says… not that she's read enough of that kind of books to have any business talking about them. Not that it stops her! At the idea of kissing someone with numbweed, she laughs! "Well, you can still sorta feel some things, so…" Hmm. But which parts of kissing would you still feel? Hurm. "Y'know, I could borrow some for you to test that." She grins wide. "It's not like we don't go through tons of it, nobody'd even notice." Isn't she just helpful. Soriana looks at Volendrung wrassling that shell, and hehs. "Maybe next time?" she offers to the bronze as he heads off again, then shakes her head.
Natalya blinks and say sosftly, "Why would you wnat to numbweed your lips when you kiss someone? woldn't you want to feel it?"
Mikal blinks a little at Hotaru. "Um…thanks." he tries to be polite about it. "Wait..numbeweed on lips?" clearly he doesn't understand /that/!" he watches the bronze fl. "I still need to find Elsie's clutch. She laid it /somewhere/."
Hotaru shrugs a bit to Soriana. "The romance can be fun. Otherwise it's just battles a lot of times with these books." The red-head grins. "Well, I know what it's like to feel a kiss normal. Now I'm curious what it's like to only sort of feel a kiss through numbweed. I'll have to find someone to kiss though. What about you, Mikal? You up for some numbweed smooching?" Now there's a prospect that sure to scare someone off! Hotaru laughs. "I don't even know if there are spiderclaws around here. I told him to go off and look for crawlies." Hotaru tilts her head at Mikal. "You have any leads?"
"Or endless thread," Soriana agrees, and leans back onto her hands, looking over at the others and grinning as the reasons behind numbweed kisses are explained. Short version: Why not? At the mention of spiderclaws, she nods. "Yeah, there's spiderclaws here… somewhere. The burrows keep moving after each clawbake." As for Elsie, she oohs to Mikal. "She's not wanting to show you, huh?" Her tone is sympathetic, though whether that's to boy or firelizard… "She's probably nervous. It is her first, after all."
"Um…no." Mikal says after a moment's thought to Hotaru. Clearly not wanting to try the whole kissing with numb weed on lips thing. "No leads." he finally replies to the question posed to him. "What's she got to be nervous about? I'm not going to hurt her eggs!" he says in some exasperation.
Natalya blushes and onds, "I guess that could be a reason, I have never done it normally before so."
Exactly, why not? Really a better explanation is that Hotaru is strange, and often is curious about strange things. "Yeah, can you imagine having to deal with Thread?" Hotaru can't really, and doesn't want to. Volendrung will have to find the spiderclaws himself, as it doesn't appear Hotaru is quick to get up and help him. And he might, after several attempts to dig things out of empty shells. Hotaru laughs a bit at Mikal. "Suit yourself. She's probably just nervous, like Soriana said. Have you tried buttering her up with her favorite treats and such?
Soriana just shakes her head at the talk of thread. "I'm glad I was born now, not… back then." That thought, though, makes her glance to Mikal for some reason, only to hear his exasperation about Elsie and nod. "Course not," she agrees. "But she's just a firelizard, and she wants to hide them from predators and such. You're sorta lucky, not all greens're smart enough to think about keeping their eggs safe." Soooo congrats! Ish. "Food might work. Make her feel all… maternal…y."
Hotaru nods emphatically at Soriana. "Meee too. I'd be scared to impress if it was during a pass. Getting searched back then was like a kiss of death!" Maybe not quite to that extreme, but still it was not like it was now. Hotaru nods. "A lot of greens just abandon their eggs. Though generally impressed ones are a little smarter than that, thankfully. Maybe I can get Volendrung to help her guard them? Then she might not be as nervous." How Hotaru intends to achieve this though is another story. Hotaru looks over at Soriana. "Wanna build a sand-dragon?"
"They've still got the stuff on how to treat threadscore in some of our textbooks. Nobody actually teaches it, but… I read through it. It's horrid." Brr! Soriana gives a little shudder, then nods to Hotaru's comments about greens before getting a curious expression. Volendrung might guard them now, but who… she successfully resists asking. Thank you, sand-dragon distractions! "Sure. Lemme just make Toral check if there's more packages to go out…" And she closes her eyes and concentrates for a moment before grinning. "Yep. All good for now." She can't very well do deliveries if there's nothing to deliver, now can she? Those thoughts of flights and maternal-y-ness keep floating around in her head, though, and Soriana looks considering for a moment, then speaks up again. "Hey, so… I was thinking." She leans in toward the other two candidates. "Briana's looking awfully… well, pregnant… lately. That's gotta be hard, with Sahazyth on the sands, so maybe… we could do something for her. Like… all the candidates. We could do a… a baby shower or something." Because that's a thing people do when other people are expecting, right? It's like… traditional. At least, she thinks so. She doesn't sound terribly certain about the details.
Clearly the girly conversation of kissing and romance novels bored poor Mikal so he had wondered off down the beach to peek about for possible signs of clutching activity. Elsie isn't giving any hints though as she swoops around above his head. After several minutes he eventually wanders back to the girls.
Hotaru blinks at Soriana. "Do they have any pictures of what threadscore looks like?" Such morbid curiosity, but there it is. Hotaru digs a shovel out of her backpack and finds a spot to start building a sand dragon. She picks a spot mostly devoid of rocks at the edge of the wet sand. "Good!" She says to Sori, as she confirms being able to make a sand dragon. Hotaru starts to dig a wallow, blinking at Soriana. "Briana? The weyrwoman? Ah… I've heard it's kind of common for goldrider to get pregnant while their dragon is on the sands. They can't between or anything. Do you think it's the rider of the dragon who caught her gold?" She tilts her head at Sori. "I guess we could. Have you been to a baby shower before?" Because Hotaru hasn't.
"They've got drawings," says Soriana of the threadscore. "And… if you go digging, you can find some photos in the AIVAS files." If that's the sort of thing you want to go and see. Alternatively, you can… not go digging for them, and not see them. Your choice. That said, she follows Hotaru along to the spot on the shore, starting to push back the sand as Hotaru digs it out. "Sure they can," she says of goldriders betweening. "They've just got to get another rider to take them." A shrug, at that, and then she shakes her head. "Nah. It's not his, I don't think. I bet it's her boyfriend. Anyways, it can't be that hard, can it?" Now she's the one arguing for it, and her tone gains a confidence it probably doesn't actually deserve. "It's like a turnday. Presents for the baby. Food. That sort of thing." How hard can it be?
Mikal ambles along behind the girls though certainly he has little to say on the subject matter of Briana's pregnancy. Totally not of interest to him. "Whatcha making?" he asks. "What kind of presents for the baby? Like clothing?"
Hotaru grins. "Ew!" That 'ew' sounds a little too happy though. She makes a mental note to head over and dig through the AIVAS files for such horrors. Seems like a good waste of time for the AIVAS files, right? Hotaru laughs a bit. "I guess that's true. You don't often see riders leaving their dragon behind to head off on another dragon though." She nods. Clearly it wasn't as scandalous as Hotaru thought it might be, if Briana's boyfriend is the one that got her pregnant. "I guess not. I've never been to a baby shower before. I can help cook and maybe get the baby a gift." Once Hotaru's dug out the wallow and smoothed it out, she gets out of the way so Sori can start the dragon. "We're making a sand dragon! Wanna help? I guess clothing. And other baby stuff. Like bottles and blankets and rattles and such."
Poor Mikal. Romance novels, kissing, and now babies! It's just not his day, conversation-wise… and not only that, he missed some of the gory bits! Soriana nods gratefully at his baby-shower suggestion, though. "Yeah, like that!" Even if clothing is a sucky turnday present. It's a baby, it won't know any better. Or… huh, there's any number of things, aren't there? Soriana's eyes go glazed as she hears the whole huge list from Hotaru. "…yeah," she agrees. Why, no, Sori's never actually been to a baby shower. Nor had a younger sibling, not even a fostered one. Details. She turns her attention back to the sand-dragon-in-progress gratefully, pausing to pick up a flat reddish stone and consider it before setting it aside as a possible dragon-eye. Time to pack together sand and build that dragon. She starts with roughing in a body.
"Rattles? What does a rattle do for a baby?" asks the clueless one of Mikal. Dropping to his knees he starts helping pack sand and whatnot. "Well sure then…guess all that stuff sounds good." agrees Mikal blindly.
Mikal needs some manly friends. To talk about blood and guts and beer and chest hair and wimmins. If he keeps sticking around the girls he'll soon find himself in dress conversations or getting haircuts recreationaly. Clothes might be a sucky turnday present, but Briana would probably appreciate them for the baby. Hotaru is much in the same boat as Soriana, though she's played nanny to some of the weyrbrats before, and can at least hold her own against a baby. "Does Briana have any other kids? Maybe we could pitch in marks to get Datsun to build her a crib…" Hotaru blinks to Mikal. "A rattle. It's a toy for a baby." Hotaru considers the lump of sand that is to be a dragon. "How should it look? I was thinking curled up, like it was sleeping."
Well, maybe if he sticks around Hotaru. Soriana and dress conversations don't really go anywhere. She keeps claiming she'll wear one! Someday. Maybe. Eventually. The excuses are weari- wore thin several turns ago. Meh! "Nah, this is her first." So all the more reason for them to help out, right? With their huge competence. "So a crib would be good!" She grins, packing more sand together. "Datsun'll do anything with wood for enough marks." Then she hmms, pondering the dragon, and nods. "Yeah, that'd work. So like, the tail can go…" she points a line back around the vague dragonlump. "Maybe with one eye open, like it just woke up. Oh, and we should make it a surprise. The baby shower, I mean." Because who doesn't love a surprise party? And besides, that'll make it easier to back out if things don't come together.
Mikal really does need more male companions it seems. He's gotten pretty adept though at filtering out the girly nonsense. So he works on his sand to help with the sand dragon. "So what do you girls think of a beach party with sand sculpting?" he asks suddenly. Everything else they are chattering about goes right over his head.
Hotaru isn't really that girly either, so he'll not get any dress conversation from her. Hotaru will never claim to wear a dress, the closest she'll get is a candidate robe. She nods to Soriana. "I think most people have baby showers for their first. So they can get stuff. If I see Datsun I'll talk to him about how much it'll cost to make a crib." She blinks, then laughs at Sori. "He'll do -anything-?" Hotaru nods in agreement to Sori, laying some sand out to make the dragon's tail. "The sand dragon? Oh. Sure. I wouldn't even know Briana if I saw her probably." She turns her attention to Mikal then. "You mean with sand sculptures? Or that we'd be sculpting sand at the party?"
Logical, that. After you've got the stuff, there's no point. But a first-time parent isn't going to know what to get, which is why she needs a gaggle of teens to help her. Completely logical. As for Datsun and his wood… Soriana just smirks. Knowingly. With a little brow-waggle to go with, before she continues her sculpting. Even if Mikal's been ignoring the conversation on this sunny fall afternoon, his comment is still connected to it. Double-connected, even! It's about sand sculpture and parties both. Soriana looks over to him, and grins. "Sounds fun either way," she says. "I'd go." See, now that they're mature and adult, it's sculpting, not playing in the sand. Totally grown-up serious business. It's artistic.
(Enter Candidate Project Kale!)
If it's not one thing with Kale, it's another. One day pajama pants and goats, another … well. The young smith is looking rather clean as he heads down to the beach. This is because he bathed. Hooray! No one likes a stinky smith, right? And stink happens often with fire and sweat. And so the smell of bathsoap instead of coal is carried with him. All pluses so far! But like … what's up with his hair? He's still in need of a haircut, which he couldn't care either way if it happens, but the somewhat longer strands of hair makes it a bit more noticeable when hair goes awry. Case in point: The dark locks, while usually somewhat messy (cuz really, who cares about hair and styling?) are looking a bit ridiculous. And stiff. And did I mention ridiculous? Here, there, and everywhere! Clumped together with what seems to be a gelatinous something or another that gives it a shiny sheen that's not usually there, it's spiked up and to the left and to the right and a portion on the side of his head looks a bit squished as if someone tried to pat it down and.. like woah.
Oh sure, just what a first time parent needs is a gaggle of teens to help with baby stuff. Suuure. Mikal shrugs a shoulder. "I thought at the party we could all work on one giant sand sculpture of Xanadu. We can include dragons too. It'll be a great way for all the Candidates to work together." and in the end we'll even make an object of it! Woot. Hey look…a male. "Hiya Kale!" he spies the lad and waves somewhat enthusiastically to the other boy.
Yes, she needs a gaggle of teens to give her a bunch of baby stuff and throw her a big party! It all makes perfect sense! Or something. Hotaru grins to Sori about Datsun and his wood. Then she laughs a bit. Yes. This is sculpting and is a form of artistic expression. So what if it's sand and it involves digging in your bathing suit? Hotaru shrugs a bit to Mikal. "I'm always up for making sand-things. Also going to a party. Will there be food and stuff?" When Mikal says hello to Kale, Hotaru turns around to spot him and waves. "Hey Rissa's boyfriend. Where are your pj pants? Or did the thief return your regular pants?"
Ooh. Cooperation! "Make sure you mention that part when you ask the candidate coordinators to give us free time," says Soriana with a grin. She gives the sand dragon a considering look, roughing in limbs. The nice thing about being curled up asleep is that the paws can be hidden underneath, which makes it far, far easier. There, that should… huh? Kale? She turns around to look at him, and if her wave is perhaps not as vigorous as testosterone-talk-starved Mikal, she's at least got a grin as she does it. …and… then… her… wave… slows. What has he done to his hair? Why would he even… no, wait, don't tell her. "Is Xanthius visiting again?"
Words are drifting to his ears. Did someone say … party? Kale peers at Mikal, interest obvious in his eyes. He saunters up to him, brows faintly raised as he pauses, the tips of his fingers pressing together as he lifts his hands up a bit. "I heard party. Now, that rises an important question. Perhaps the most important question've all." He pauses for dramatic effect, eyes on the other boy. "Will there … be ale?" He waits on baited breath! Or rather, he would if he hadn't started grinning already, but it's a grin that pauses. "Wait. Can candidates drink?" There is probably a rule or something that'll ruin it. Eyes sweep to the girls, a smirk given to Hotaru at the title. "Pajama pants are for special days only. Can't go around wearin' them all the time, else they'll lose their…specialness." A grin. "An' hello pants thief," he quips in return before looking to Soriana with a confused expression. "Xanthius? Uh, no … why?" His hair predicament has already been forgotten, it seems!
Kale oh yeahs and adds that Kale has a candidate's knot and stuff. Since that's probably important to note since no one here is ICly blind, I'm sure.. *cough*
Mikal oohs a bit at Soriana. He didn't think about asking the coordinators for free time. He makes a mental note to do just that. "Party." he nods to Kale. "For..ale?" he blinks. "Dunno what drinks. I was thinking juice..but maybe you can be in charge of getting drinks." he blinks. "Oh hey! You got a knot!" he says excitedly with a manly friendly punch to Kale's knotted shoulder. "Lookitthat!" Mikal also doesn't seem to think that Kale's messy hair seems to matter. After all who cares what hair looks like! His own dark red hair is kept short so he doesn't have to brush it.
Hotaru blinks at Sori. "Wait, what? I have to ask them for time off? This was your idea!" Hotaru did not fancy having to asking the weyrlingmasters in charge of rounding up the candidates for candidate time off to throw a party for Briana. Hotaru tilts her head at Soriana. "Who is Xanithus?" She blinks a bit. "Are we even allowed to drink? I can't remember. E'gin went over the rules, but all I can remember is that he said we're allowed to have sex." Which had distracted her, apparently. "Special days only, eh? Only when you're sure to bump into Idrissa? To show off all your manly… uh. Somethings?" What did pajama pants show off? Hotaru's only seen Kale once before and his hair was a mess then, too. So she figures his hair always looks like that. She at least grins to the smith about his knot. "Congrats."
"Not you," Soriana says to Hotaru. "Mikal. For the beach party." Though, hurm, she supposes that is a point. Oh well. "I'll do it for the baby shower." Now, as far as that beach party goes, it's possible that Kale's just generously thinking about others with that candidate comment, but Soriana doesn't really give that option due consideration before her gaze goes to his shoulder and… yep! There's the white knot. She grins again, because there are many things more important than hair. (Revoke her girly license now!) "So much for your plan to be a stowaway," she says with an attempt at a serious tone. It's not a very successful one, though, because that grin keeps breaking through. Too much so for her to really ponder Xanthius. "Never mind him," Sori says, despite being the one who brought him up in the first place. "We can drink. But if you get drunk, you're in trouble." A lesson in moderation! Or… something. "His… manly flannely?"
Mikal shrugs a bit at Hotaru's unwillingness to ask them for time off for a baby party. "Not a big deal I bet they will let us host it. Who do I gotta ask again for the beach party?" he directs this to Soriana. "I've got it all planned out in my head. Well..mostly. If I find Elsie's eggs then maybe I'll give them away there too." with that said he turns full attention to helping with the sand dragon while the player eats dinner.
Juice? Kale makes a wrinkled nose face. "Eh … juice is alright. Y'know what's better than juice? Flavored ale," he comments knowingly, perking as he is nominated to be the drink coordinator. It shall be done! The spoken congratulations given by Mikal broadens his grin, and he glances to his shoulder nonchalantly with a nod to match. "Yeah, not too long ago. Thanks," he says to them all as other words of congrats are chimed in. "Xanthius is my friend," he explains. "A uh.. tan-.. no. A … fabrics crafter? No, that doesn't sound right." He waves a hand dismissively. "He makes clothes an' stuff." Totally uninteresting stuff in his opinion! As for special days, he gives Hotaru only a sly look. "You'll know'm when they come." Mysterious! The reference of stowing away makes him grin, and his eyes lift up to the sky. "Yeah, now I have to hope that we do go up there this time. Gotta make a list've stuff I want to do, if we do." Also, now that he's thinking of it, he glances to them all in general "Who is showering a baby? And I've never been drunk." In public anyway.
Hotaru whews. "Ah, alright then." Mostly Hotaru didn't want to be in charge of any sort of baby shower. Hotaru's suggestion to Kale's hair problems would be to cut it short enough where it didn't matter. Which probably would mean her girly license would be revoked as well. She keeps her own hair sort of one the shortish side for that same purpose. Hotaru shrugs to Mikal. "I don't know any of the weyrlingmasters here, so I wouldn't know if they'd let us or not. Some of them can be sticklers." And a party was a good excuse for candidates to be wild and over indulge. Hotaru raises a brow at Kale. "Flavored ale? Flavored like what? I usually stick to whiskey when I drink." Because that's what her mother always drank. "A weaver? Heh, I suppose I will, if you'll be in your special pants. I've been drunk before. Once. It was kind of an accident. Sori wants to have a shower for Briana. Shh. It's a secret."
Soriana ponders Mikal's question for a moment. "The headwoman, probably. Ocelara. She's the one who does the work rosters for us, so she's the one you gotta convince." A glance to Kale, and she smirks slightly as he talks about his ale preferences. "Aren't flavors kind of… girly? I mean…" She tilts her head to Hotaru. "See? Now, whiskey, that's a serious drink! Not all light and froofy like flavored ale." Soriana grins, and then her expression goes less certain as the topic comes back to the baby shower. "Well, I just figured… it'd be nice. She could use the help."
"Well if he's hoping for juice, flavored ale is the cloest thing to suggest," Kale replies. "Juice to whiskey is a bit've a jump for someone who hasn't a drink before." He looks to Mikal, "Though I'm sure y'have, huh?" Guys, gotta stick together! Especially when girls are trying to tromp over your manliness. He eyes Soriana. "No. Sparkly drinks are girly, an' you'd know all about that wouldn't you?" He smirks, then looks to Mikal. "Hey," he says, lifting a hand up to press a hand to his head. Upon pulling it away, strings of sticky…something can be seen attached from fingers to hair. Like honey! "Was it you who put this in the soaps? S'a farkin' good prank. Better if it wasn' me." The explanation of the baby shower fails to be much of an explanation at all, and he glances to the two girls with vaguely furrowed brows. "You wish to … help Briana with showering?" One would think he's never heard of a baby shower before!
Hotaru ponders. "I guess we just need a couple of nights off really. It shouldn't be too bad. We can probably do most of the cooking the day before or something." She snickers at Sori as she calls flavored ales girly. "I agree, they are kind of girly. Generally I just take my whiskey with water. No froo-froo drinks for me. It is nice. I think we can manage it." Hotaru laughs. "I suppose whiskey is a jump for someone from juice." When Kale presses his hand to his forehead and pulls it away with a string of goo, Hotaru jumps and slides over closer to Sori and further from Kale. "Ew! What the shards is that! You better wash that off! You'll attract crawlies and such!" Hotaru wrinkles her nose. "No. We want to throw her a party in anticipation of her new baby."
"Thank you," says Soriana with a nod of her head to Hotaru about the drinks. At least somebody around here gets it! And besides… "The closest thing would be to mix some juice and some whiskey or rum." Sothere. "But if it makes you feel better to claim your pink strawberry ale is manly, you just go right on saying that." She smirks, and then raises one eyebrow at the goo… stuff. "Yeah, you'd better wash it," she says. Here she goes, agreeing with Hotaru… again! "Or what if it gets hard and you're stuck like that?" Foreverz! As for the baby shower, well… at least she's heard of them, even if she's never been. "It's like a turnday for the baby before it's born. With presents and stuff. But it's a baby, so clothes're okay, cause it won't mind."
Warm fall afternoon on the beach is always fun, at least that is how Idrissa feels on the idea. She is making her way along the sand, barefooting it with a brown firelizard on one shoulder, blue on the other and a green flying over head. Yes she has her own little fair going on here it seems. She wanders onwards humming to herself while peering one way and another, voices she is rather sure that someone or ones is around and so she is heading in that direction to see whom all can be found.
"It was supposed to be soap," says Kale, lowering his hand to peer at his sticky palm. "I … dunno what it is. It doesn't smell horrible though." He half smirks at Hotari, eyeing his hand, then her with a devious gleam. "Yeah? The grand whiskey drinker is afraid of a bit've stickiness? Does the unknown make ya tremble?" He lifts his hand up and out towards them, fingers curling and uncurling, and although it's not like the goo is ooooozing from his hands, there's enough to make his palm and fingers look a bit shiny. Fear the sticky! The sticky that will harden and make him a spike-head for life! He takes a zombie step towards them. Then another. That hand is getting clooooser. He's hearing the baby shower explanation throughout though. Turnday before…its born? Then how will it open its presents? "Sounds like somethin' someone made up one bored day. Is there food?"
Hotaru nods to Soriana. "I agree. If you have to you can mix juice in with something stronger, but with ale? What's the point in drinking if it doesn't burn going down?" Pretty soon Kale is just going to leave whenever Hotaru and Soriana are around each other. Mikal, too, probably. Apparently they seem to be set out on emasculating all the boys around. "If it gets hard we'll have to take you into the caverns and run the dish sprayers over your head to get it out. Yes, the grand whiskey drinker -is- afraid of -that- stickiness. Because it is gross and I don't know where it came from." Also she does not like crawlies unless her firelizard is eating them. Hotaru scoots backwards on her behind. Away from the sticky. "I don't think boys are usually invited to baby showers, are they? There'll be food at the one we throw."
The Kale-zombie has turned goopy! It's probably infectious. If that stuff gets on them, they'll turn into zombies too. Whiskey-drinking, boy-teasing zombies, and then they'll rampage all throughout the Weyr and… doom. The last lone survivors will set the Weyr on fire, just to contain the infection. "Is it starting to burn yet? How about melt the skin off your bones?" These are important questions to ask! More important might be fleeing, but… meh! "Also you'd better not mess up the sand dragon. Mikal would be sad." Lookit him! Working away. Tuning out the rest of this. Smart boy. As for the baby shower, well… the baby will use its mother as a psychically controlled meat puppet to open the presents. Duh! "Of course there's food." She glances over to Hatoru again. Are they? She didn't know that. Because she knows almost nothing about baby showers. But! "Yeah, you're right. So I guess only boys who bring presents are allowed." She putatively addresses Hotaru as she adds, "Lorelai will probably help with the food, too. She's a baker."
Idrissa soon catches sight of the others and is thus moving that's way. She smiles and waves to the ones to be found there. "Hello everyone." She calls out once close enough to talk without yelling. Willow disappears off to hunt which leaves her with Ripley and Hidalgo as her little tagalongs it seems. "What you guys up too?" This questioned while she pauses once near Soriana and Kale and soon just sits down next to them.
"If you don't know where it came from, how can y'say it's gross?" remarks Kale whose brows shoot up, his expression expectant. "You don't know what it is. It could be a serum that grows hair. A miracle for baldin' folk. Or, it could be seepin' into my brain at this very moment, feedin' genius into my already genius head." Hence, spawning a MEGAGENIUS! "Or, it could be givin' me super strength." So many possibilities! It also could be eating all the hair folicles out and causing him to be bald forever while scalding his scalp to one huge scarred mess. When dealing with the unknown, so much is left to speculation! Soriana could be right afterall. Is it tingling, or is that his imagination beginning to run wild? He pauses in midstep at the mentioning of sand dragons, eyeing Mikal's work. "Wait, there's food but I can't come?" He turns wide eyes at the both of them. But, oh he gets it. The key to the party food is a present. He can do presents! "What kind of presents? Like a cage?" Don't babies stay behind bars in one? He needs to get some intel on this. He waves a sticky-looking hand to Idrissa. A hand that matches his sticky looking hair.
Ew it's goopy! Hotaru doesn't care if it burns the flesh off bones or has a delightful scent. Hotaru does not want it touching her! It's a good thing she's never saw There's Something About Mary, or she'd be shrieking right now. "Yeah, don't mess up the sand dragon." Poor Mikal has sort of been left to finish it while the two talk to Kale and flee his goop. They really ought to find someone with some baby shower experience. "I suppose we can let the boys come if they want. And pitch in and bring presents. Just as long as they don't show up just to eat all the food." Hotaru nods. Her own bronze is off looking for spiderclaws along the beach, leaving her to fend for herself. "Hey, Rissa. We're building a sand dragon!" It's almost finishes though by the looks of it. "And trying to stay away from Kale's hair goop." Hotaru just wrinkles her nose at Kale. "Because it looks gross? When you get your super strength let me know. Otherwise, ew."
But Mikal has sand dragon skills. It'll be fine in his capable hands, surely. And once he finishes it, he'll probably wander off again to search more, because… flee, flee, flee the girls. Something megagenius Kale appears to not be doing. Hmm. What is that goop doing to his brainmeats? "I think it might just be giving you super stickiness. Which might be cool if you can climb up walls now." Spider-Kale, Spider-Kale, doin' the things… "No, you don't keep babies in cages!" Seeeeriously! "You keep them in cribs. Or playpens." Totally different! Eyeroll, and then Soriana waves a non-sticky hand to Idrissa.
Idrissa blinks while she peers at Kale and leans away from that sticky looking hand, making a face in the process. "What is all in your hair, and one your hand?" She makes a face as it well, just looks /wrong/. She shakes her head and peers at the sand dragon, smiling. "It looks good." This said with a nod before a soft oh escapes her. "Why are you talking about putting something in a cage?" Yes she is a wee bit confused it would seem. "Hey, where did you put that baby goat for the night, did you leave her at the stables?" Jarse most likely has a…runner at the sight of a goat there in the morning.
Boys show up to the party just for food? These girls have such little faith! "My sole reason of goin' to this showerwhatever thing would be to show…." Uh, who is having a baby again? … Oh! Right. "..Briana that I care." Which he truly doesn't because when are baby showers and babies ever anything any teenage boy cares about? But hey, food! He puts on a noble face, complete with a subtle inclination of his chin. "The super strength would just be enhanced, as I already have that ability." He lifts an arm to flex! But, alas, the sleeves of his shirt keeps muscley goodness from view. Poor them! Soriana's instance of non-cages has him smirking smugly. "I know what a cage is when I see one. Those are cages. I'll bring a nice cage." Mision Present: Accomplished! He fists his sticky hand and unfists it slowly. Yup. Extra sticky when getting hard. "That's the question of the day, Idrissa. I dunno what's in my hair, but .. excuse me." He turns from all of them and starts to stride off, heading for the shoreline. "Yeah, she's at the stables. That reminds me Anybody want a goat?!" he calls back.
Hotaru laughs. "I'll give you a mark if you climb up onto the top of one of the buildings." She'll let Sori handle the babies in cages issue. Some of the weyrbrats -belonged- in cages. Hotaru laughs at Rissa's face as she catches sight of Kalegoop. Hotaru peers at Kale. Though since she's never met Briana she feels about the same as he does really about the baby. But she'll happily pitch in and get a present. There's an eyeroll at Kale's mention of being super strong. "Sure you do. That'll go over well. Here I brought you a cage for your baby. Most babies don't have the motor skills to go running off into the night or something." She blinks. "A goat?"
The distinctions between a playpen and a cage are… subtle. But totally deep and meaningful! Ooooor at least Soriana is sure they will be to Briana. "…it… would be cheaper than trying to get Datsun to make one.." Wait, no, she's supposed to be arguing the opposite side! Uhhhh… "Yeah, and, uh, it's her baby shower, so Briana gets to kick out anyone she wants." Them's the rules! Probably. They reaaaaally ought to get someone competent with babies involved here, before things get out of hand and they try to give the baby something weird like… a goat. Yeah, that'd be pretty rando- wait. What did Kale just say? "Why do you have a goat?" She turns to look at Idrissa, since Kale is going to (finally!) get himself washed off. "Why does he have a goat?"
Idrissa smirks at Kale and shakes her head before she looks to Sorian and Hotaru as she listens in a bit more. "What you all talking about Briana for?" She questions curiously. "Well You see, the rider who searched him last night sort of gave him a goat." Yes that should prove rather interesting yes? "I have no idea what the plans are with actually dealing with the goat, but the rider let him keep it." She pauses a moment ponders and ohs. "It was E'gin and his blue They are interesting to say the least."
Kale lets Idrissa do the goat explanation, if she wants. He's too far away now to try to have any sort of conversation without yelling, even to defend his cage to Hotaru. It'll be the most awesome baby cage Briana has ever seen! Pausing at the line that marks wet sand and dry, he ponders the best way to get this done without completely taking a swim. It's not exactly summer anymore. He suffices with pulling off his shirt to drop on the dry sand before moving into the water just an handful of inches. Enough to wet boots, but not soak pants. He crouches and gets to hair washing! Water is scooped and deposited on his hair repetitively, adding rubs of his palm to try to work the whatever it is in his hair out. Rub a dub dub, one candidate in the t-…er, lake.
Generally a crib was open on top and had nice comfy bedding. And really was made to keep baby from flopping out accidentally than from running off or biting someone. "Yeah, we'll let Datsun make the crib I think." Hotaru tries to think of something the smith could make for the baby. "Maybe you could make little baby spoons or something." For some reason a goat didn't seem like a good present for a baby. Or a baby's pregnant mother. "Wait, gave him a goat? Was the rider E'gin? Because he tried to give me a baby herdbeast! And I told him to give it back to its mother. I thought he was giving me a snack for his dragon or something." Hotaru leans back on her hands. "Soriana wants us to throw Briana a baby shower."
Ohhhh yeahhhh. That's why cages and cribs are different. "Uh, right," Soriana agrees as Hotaru re-establishes how this crib is going to be made. Spoons, though? Spoons are totally metal. "Or maybe a rattle." Yeah real smart idea, give a baby a metal club to thunk itself in the head with. Nothing can possibly go wrong with that plan. "Or… a hangy mobile for the crib. Like those ones Zah had at the stargazer party." Ooooor maybe she should let those wiser than her come up with these things! Which… would mean… uh… the goat? Maybe? "I told you E'gin was weird." She nods about the baby shower. "She just… I saw her going in to the sands the other day. And it's like… that's gotta be hard, being pregnant with all the heat and everything. So… yeah. A surprise baby shower."
Baby spoons? How dull! Kale doesn't reply, either unable to hear or pondering something more worthy of his skill. Spoons don't even take twenty minutes to make. He'll think of something. Something spectacular, and he'll show these girls that boys shoul always be allowed to go to baby showers, because they bring fantastic gifts. Whatever the substance was that was substituted for soap seems uneager to release its hold on his hair, but with some scrubbing, it's starting to feel more like hair and less like brick. Splash, scrub. Splash, scrub. Don't mind him. Just a guy. Washing his hair.
Idrissa hahs and nods with a smile. "That sounds like a great idea actually. When did you want to do it?" This questioned with a glance between the ones here. At the bit from Hotaru she nods looking amused. "Ya it was E'gin, just handed Kale the lead and said to figure out what to do with it and so forth." She ponders. "I wonder if Keziah would want a goat." Well it's possible! She is in the field and so forth. "It's a really cute goat, little girl and all. Kale had to feed it with a bottle and everything." She peers over at Kale and smirks. "So what did he have in his hair anyway?"
A death rattle! That sounded terrific! Though for some reason Hotaru doesn't think Kale would go for just making a rattle, either. But she can't really think of anything metal a baby might need. "Hangy mobile! That's a good idea! He should make one of those. "E'gin -is- weird. If you want my advice you'll give the goat to one of the beastcrafters. I'm sure it's cute and all, but do you guys have the time to be caring for a little goat? It ought to be with its mother if its still nursing." Hotaru shrugs to Idrissa. "I don't know. And I'm not really sure I want to know."
Soriana's eyes widen slightly Idrissa's approval for her party, and then she grins. "Really? Yeah, I mean, I thought so." She nods sagely, then pauses. Oh, right. Scheduling! "Uhm… we'll figure that out. It'll take some time to get everything together, anyway." Especially in secret, but hey. Conspiracies are fun, as long as you're on the right side of them. "Rissa is a beastcrafter," Soriana feels compelled to note. "But it'd probably be best to see if Kezi wants it, yeah." As for what Kale had in his hair… "We. Don't. Know." Cue the artistic shudder. "It could be anything."
Almost done. There's just a few more clumps of gunk that he has to scrub, and Kale'll be scot fr- "Shhhha-nnngh!" The expletive is muffled as he bites his tongue, jerking his hand from the water, and bringing with it a clinging crustacean with an angry face! (Well, rest assured it'd have an angry face, if sea animals could make such expressions) With its pincher squeezing his thumb, it's all Kale can do to keep squatting there and pretend it doesn't feel as if hi finger's going to be cut in half. But, luckily, the spiderclaw doesn't seem intent on lingering around this super large beast, and it's shaken free and plops back into the water to scuttle away. Siupid frickin'..! The gash on his thumb is eyed as blood drops into the shallows, and he hastily dunks his hand in the water and squeezes a fist before standing up again. His head is given a doggish shake, combing the fingers of his free hand back through his hair to push it away from his eyes when done. He heads out of the water, to his shirt, catching the conversation as it continues on.
Idrissa makes a few at the note that they don't seem to know /what/ was in Kale's hair, could be anything indeed for all they know. At the beastcrafter bit she looks up and blinks a few times. "I don't need a goat. I have three firelizards, a canine and a runner. Enough for me right now." This said with an amused tone and soft chuckle. "Sure, just let me know when and where alright?" She ponders what to bring as a gift though, ponderponder!
Hotaru blinks at Sori, then chuckles. "Whenever they let us, basically. We'll need permission and all that jazz. Time off from chores." Hotaru blinks. "You're a beastcrafter? I… probably should know that." She laughs. "Sorry, Idrissa. Well, if you want the goat… keep her. You can care for her, right? I just don't know what I would do with a goat." Hotaru blinks out at Kale. That spiderclaw doesn't get to live very long, Volendrung has caught sigh of it and goes swooping into the water to scoop it up. And then off someplace to consume it. "Yeah, sounds like you have enough animals to care for already." Hotaru gets up then and stretches. "I need to get back. I gotta be in the kitchens before dinner starts. I'll see you guys later."
And Soriana totally believes you, Idrissa. She completely and utterly believes you when you say that you have enough pets and won't be adopting more. Really she does. She must, because she's not arguing with you. Not in her outside-her-head voice, anyways. This is her believing-you grin. "So-" she begins, and then a muffled expletive from the shore draws her attention, and she watches Kale a moment. Here he comes again! "Oh, so… it was spiderclaw bait. Good to know!" She grins to him, then nods to Hotaru. "All right, see you around."
Ah ha! Revenge! The offending spiderclaw is now dead, thanks to a hungry firelizard. Kale watches the quick hunt with a look of satisfaction, but it surely does nothing to soothe his bleeding hand, which he's a bit too slow at shoving into his pocket. Soriana has already seen. "Heh. Seems like it," he comments, stooping to retrieve his shirt and shaking it out a bit. "So if ever you go fishin' fr spiderclaws, you know who to talk to." Eyes follow Hotaru as she speaks of leaving, and he nods to her, lifting his other hand in a parting gesture. "Kitchen duty?" he assumes. "Let us all know what to stay away from when we go, will ya?" He grins a bit. "See you."
Idrissa waves after Hotaru as she is on her way out. "See you around Hotaru!" She calls out after the leaving kitchen bound girl. As for Soriana believing her, Rissa is being /so/ truthful, really. "Well, until you know after this candidate bit." Anything is possible after all. She peers over at Kale and tilts her head. "You alright there?" Did he just get attacked by a spiderclaw?
"Right. Until then," Soriana agrees to Idrissa. This time, in her out loud voice. She leans back against the sand, and nods to Kale. "Yep. I need to talk to whoever it was that put that in the soap." Hurm. "Speakingof, Idrissa, check the soap next time you're going to take a bath. Someone's doing pranks."
"Definitely," Kale answers Idrissa as he pulls on his shirt again, one handedly to keep himself from looking as if he's just murdered someone. Nothing says wtf like a blood smeared shirt! But keeping his hand tightly balled is at least keeping the gash contained and constricted. Blood will stop soon. He's had worse injuries, likely. He nods at Soriana's warning, eyes on Idrissa. "Test everything before you use it, I'd say. Should've learned from last time. Saw a candidate from someweyr whose hair was pink because've the soap." Hmm! Maybe it's the same culprit!
Idrissa ohs and glances to Soriana. "Pranks with the soap?" She questions before looking to Kale and points at his hand wanting to see it would seem. "Let me see your hand then." A nod is seen while she ponders. "Alright, I'll make sure to keep an eye out on things. Maybe get some soap of my own and so forth."
Soriana peers up at Kale's hair again. It's not turning pink, is it? That wasn't some kind of sticky hair dye… right? She nods to Idrissa. "Might be safest. At least, unless somebody goes after you personally and finds your stash while you're away at lessons." She glances back down toward Kale's hand as Idrissa demands to see it, though she seems less concerned than her beastcraft compatriot.
"I'm good," insists Kale, who unballs his fist, gives his hand a shake, and holds it up for about 1.34 seconds for inspection. Enough to see a red gash that looks less tragic without blood, which makes the most minor of abraisons look a bit more crucial than they really are. A grin is flashed, fades, and his hand is pocketed with a glance to Soriana. Luckily, there's no pink hair to be seen manifesting on his head! Now … green hair on the other hand…evades him too. Phew! His unpinched hand is slid into his pocket next, cringing at the feel of water from his hair dripping down to his shirt. Now it'll look like he's been sweating or something! "M'gonna walk," he says, eyes drifting from them to intead peer down the beach. "Look at the eggs or somethin'."
"I can just lock my trunk so no one can get into my stuff." Idrissa states with a nod. She eyes Kale and rolls her eyes a moment before shaking her head. "Oh fine, don't show me. Hope it doesn't get infected with spiderclaw ick or something." She's joking around really. Her gaze turns back to Soriana. "I don't think I'd like to have my hair dyed, rather like it the way it is." At the talk of Kale going for a walk, a soft oh escapes her and she waves after him. "Alright, see you later then."
Once fingers are actually uncurled, Soriana gives that cut a quick look. "Well, your ichoring is terrible," she says, then grins before saying matter-of-factly, "Make sure to wash it tonight with real soap, and stick a bandage on before you go back to the forge so the coaldust doesn't get in." Her tone: totally not worried. And she's qualified to put band-aids on dragons, so that means… uh… nothing. Because Kale isn't a dragon. "Well then," she says to Idrissa. "Be careful of the soap." She stretches back as Kale prepares to go walking, and then blinks. "Oh. Uh. I'd better get back to the Annex. I'm on delivery duty." Not lolling on the beach duty, no. There'll likely be a stack of things just waiting for her to carry them away! Oops. She may have to work into dinner to catch up.
Rinse it with water. Let it air dry. Don't bother with any kind of bandage. Got it Sori! He'd give a mock salute if his hands weren't pocketed already, but as they are, Kale instead bobs his head once at her. "Sure, but if my fingers fall off before long the blame will fall on you. The time I gave you t'look should've been enough to merit whether or not I need stitches." An edge of his lips quirks up after, and he takes a backwards step to go. But he pauses, hearing that she's leaving too. He glances to Idrissa, brows raising a bit. "Are you stayin' here?"
Idrissa glances to Soriana as she is now off and leaving too. She ohs a moment and just keeps put it seems, Hidalgo hops down to settle in her lap. "Well, I guess I'm staying. I just got a break an all so I was taking advantage of being outside for a bit." A shrug is seen as she curiously watches the water for a few moments. "I'll just hang out here; see you all at dinner and all." She smiles and waves after the two.
"If your fingers fall off," retorts Soriana as she rises, "You'll have to make awesome new metal ones." And with that, she's off! Hopefully to not actually get in trouble, but just finish her work. Quickly. …hopefully. Jog, jog, off she jogs!
Metal fingers, huh? Kale just snickers at Soriana before she's too far off. Who knows. Maybe techcraft, smithing, and healers will all work together and make metallic prosthetics for those in need! He moves over to Idrissa and kisses her cheek. "I'll be in the observatory, if you start wantin' company," he says gently, offering a smile before he moves off towards the meadow.