Xanadu Weyr - Store Room
The storerooms here are carved into the stone, stretching back deep underground beneath the upper hallways that serve for residences and work areas. There is, after all, little need for natural light here; a series of electric lights are more than sufficient to illuminate smoothly cut walls and the assortment of supplies kept until they are needed once more.
For some of the things here, that time will be long in coming. Broken furniture and torn clothing awaits the opportunity for someone to repair it - or else the kindling and rag piles. Other items are more immediately useful; gently worn clothing and boots are neatly arranged in rows and on racks, especially in the quickly outgrown children's sizes, and an assortment of furniture and small appliances in functional condition await new homes.
A series of side rooms connected to the kitchen are the larder which feeds the Weyr through the winter. Sacks of grain lean against barrels of salted meat and wheels of hard cheeses stacked high. Refrigeration and dragonflight make for a more flexible winter diet, but it still takes a great deal of food to provide for this many people. The food is a tempting target for tunnelsnakes, and the occasional scuttle can be heard in the otherwise quiet depths of these caves.
Toward the southern edge, near the path leading down to the hot springs, there's the laundry rooms, a set of steam-filled chambers where water and soap are scrubbed into fabric of various sorts and the dirt and grime is scrubbed right back out.
Much of the stores are easily accessed, requiring only the appropriate permissions to be borrowed from. These supplies are, after all, here for the good of the Weyr and the people living here. A few rooms - those containing particularly valuable or dangerous items - are kept locked.
It was a dark and stormy night…or at least it could have been, the storage caverns seem to give off that impression at least. In fact it's quite pleasant outside. Inside however the dimly lit area accompanied by strange rumblings is rather disconcerting. Amidst the sound of tunnel snakes and groaning shelves are quietly mumbled words. "Children won't hurt anyone they say…diseased they say….disgusting…" V'ayn's is currently wearing a pair of rubber gloves and holding a both an apron and a baking tray at arm's length. To be honest, both items look /very/ clean so there shouldn't actually be any reason for this. The young man's hair is swept back over his head and other than the gloves he's sporting slim-fitting pants and a button down shirt with rolled sleeves. It's not entirely clear /why/ he's in the storage caverns, but…perhaps it is to store those things!
Ricki? Ricki is a hot mess - hair in a messy pony tail, face flushed and clothing wrinkled, but at least she isn't a zombie child.. right? Murmuring under her breath, she slips into the storage caverns, biting her lip as she glances around her, before setting off towards one particular corner of the room - only to be stopped in her tracks by V'ayn and his baking tray - and his odd outfit. Forehead wrinkles, and she blinks a few times, glancing over her shoulder, before back at the young man. "Are you… ok?" She as absently tries to smooth out the front of her shirt.
Risali? Risali SLAMS in through the door with her shoulder just moments behind Ricki's arrival, the Weyrwoman scrambling to slam the door closed by utilizing the entirety of her tiny body against it. THUMP! It sounds ominously final, as desperate, strained calls of, "WEYRWOMAN, PLEASE!" echo through the kitchens towards the storage room. ESCAPING DUTIES? Stop looking at her that way; if you had to play diplomat for the umpteenth time today, you would be too. But Risa turns, shoulders still pressed in against the door as grey eyes take in V'ayn and Ricki both - the state of each of them - with an owlishly slow blink. She missed Ricki's questioning of the bronzerider, so that's probably why she's tilting her body just a little towards the greenrider and whispering, "Is he okay?" LIKE V'AYN CAN'T HEAR HER. FROM RIGHT THERE. WHEN SHE'S NOT EVEN TRULY WHISPERING.
"They touched my things," V'ayn replies, face entirely grim as he gazes at Ricki and her disheveled appearance. Honestly, it sounds like he's talking about a life or death situation…not baking trays. Though after he's done saying his piece, his brows are knitting while he looks at Ricki, head tilted to the side, "Are /you/ al-" And then comes Risali and the baker's eyes widen and brow wrinkling even further. There's a quick flick of his gaze tot he door and then back at both women. For a moment he's watching them silently because clearly /they/ are the strange ones right? "Are you /two/ alright?" Don't mind him and his attire, just a normal day…kind of.
A slamming door and Ricki glances over her shoulder as Risali comes smashing into the store rooms, mouth opening and closing, before the Weyrwoman is at her side and she is leaning towards her as well. "I don't know. Maybe." The greenrider's eyes stay on V'ayn as he gives his explanation. "Who touched what things?" Does V'ayn need an adult? At his question, she shakes her head a little. "Yes. I mean… No. I mean.. maybe." And she just shakes her head again, fingers fidgiting with her shirt hem.
See, Risali was going to ask that same question, but Ricki beats her to it, so Risali just reiterates it silently, lifting gaze and brows to V'ayn and nodding as if to say, 'Yes, that's the question of the hour, answer it,' before he's asking after their wellbeing. Risali looks to Ricki then, for her amalgamation of answers that give insight, perhaps, but no real answers, and instead of answering the question as it's posed to her, she focuses on Ricki instead. "Do you need me to demote somebody?" BECAUSE SHE WILL. COLD BLOODED.
"The children touched these things so now they're unusable." /Obviously/. Sure she has no reason to know this, but the baker makes it sound like this is the only explanation anyone needs. He's still holding both items at arms length when he takes a slight step back from Ricki, "You aren't sick, are you?" Sure he's getting used to dirt and all, but sickness? That's another issue altogether.
"I.." Ricki starts, blinking at V'ayn's explanation, "They figured out how it is passed, then?" There is a question that actually makes sense, though it is assuming a lot about V'ayn's logical reasoning. At Risali's question, and offer, Ricki is hurriedly shaking her head, "Not sick. I mean. Maybe a little sick, but it was probably just something I ate. But.. Iczy." And those 2 words should explain everything, right? Eyes dart back to V'ayn and she narrows her eyes for a moment, reaching forward for that pan. "If you aren't going to use that…"
Does Risali look amused at V'ayn? She does. "Don't be such a -" But she doesn't get to finish that sentence. Somewhere between Ricki's answer and the sudden pounding on the door (and a desperate, 'Weyrwoman Risali, please,' on the other side), Risali's lips pull in what looks like anger before she sighs, turns back towards the door and - pull. Nothing. A heartbeat, and Risali tries again, pulling harder, shaking the door a little, leveraging a foot against the wall. NOTHING. And then silence. "Don't panic," she tells bronze and greenrider alike. "But I think we're stuck." Probably. Still, she turns towards Ricki and gives her a gentle pat on the shoulder in what's probably sympathy for her plight, and then grabs V'ayn's tray on her way past him. "There has to be something in here somewhere…" Which she sets to looking for. IMMEDIATELY.
"Maybe they did, I don't know anything about that at least," V'ayn quickly shakes his head, though when Ricki starts reaching for the pan he doesn't move it away, but he doesn't let go either. "What are you going to use it for? If you're taking it back to the kitchens…." Then he apparently isn't going to let go. Even the thought of that has his glove clad hand tightening on the pan. It's right at this point that two things become quickly apparent…1) they are now locked in and 2) Iczy is not human. Cue
V'ayn standing there in statue-like fashion as he looks between Ricki and the quickly disappearing Risali. "Surely we're not locked in…" Denial at it's finest! Is he worried? No no, of course not. Just ignore that slight frown on his face and the less than pleased look in his eyes. Faranth…how much dirt is in here? "Well…shit."
Ricki's face suddenly goes blank as Risali tugs on the door - and nothing happens. Slowly turning, she stares at the door, and then as Risali disappears into the stacks, Ricki does exactly what the goldrider says not to do - she panics. "Risa! Where are you going!?" And then the goldrider is gone and so is the pan and she just stares back at V'ayn, biting her lip and looking as if she is on the brink of tears. "But.." And then softer, "But Iczy wanted that.." She murmurs, gaze dropping to her feet.
V'ayn may not like kids, and /some/ might say that he's mean but he doesn't hold up well against tears? "Alright, alright…I don't think dragons can catch the disease so…." His dark gaze flicks to the pan once more, lips pursing just the slightest. "You can have it I guess, but you should probably wear gloves too. Just, don't cry, alright? Please?" He's trying to be nice! But /disease/ Ricki, never mind logic and reasoning, /disease/. "Though you might have a hard time getting it to her." Because they are locked in! His lips twist into a half smile, allowing his entire demeanor to ease just slightly. See? It's cool, he's not panicked at all. Wait, was that the sound of a tunnelsnake? No no, the the little twitch of his shoulders was just that and nothing more, certainly not a sign of fear.
"Do.. do you have another gloves?" Ricki asks after a moment, words interspersed with sniffles as she eyes the bronzerider, even as she is glancing around the store room. "I mean, don't say that. It'll be ok, there's no way it is stuck.." She counters in what she hopes is a calm, even tone, even as she is glancing back at the door. "Risa was just.. Just.." And she turns back towards the door, giving it a tug.. and another tug.. a nd then her shoulders sag and she turns back to V'ayn, leaning against the door. "Uhm."
"I do in the kitchen but…surely there are some here, no? It's the store room after all." V'ayn manages another somewhat crooked smile for the woman, though when she turns her efforts towards the door and there's a significant /lack/ of budging, he can't help but sigh. "Right, maybe if we…pull together?" But let's face it, V'ayn has got /some/ muscle…but not a /lot/ of muscle. Still, he'll at least put the pan down and strip off those rubber gloves to reach for the door handle. He doesn't tug quite yet though, waiting for Ricki to move away. "What if we break the handle with something?" Because that ALWAYS works.
"Maybe that's what Risa went to look for.." Ricki suggests, stepping away from the door to look down the aisles in the direction the goldrider disappeared. But then it seems something down that way has caught her attention, because the door is abandoned and she is scurrying down the row, pausing partway to stare at something up on the top shelf, glancing back at V'ayn at the door, then back up at the shelf. "Breaking things doesn't usually fix them." She counters, as if he should know better.
"Wouldn't it depend on the door?" V'ayn gives one final tug before giving up, "Maybe one of the smiths can come and open it? They have to have tools for this sort of thing." Or so he hopes. He's already firing off to Varequoth, who is so VERY amused by this whole situation - much more so than V'ayn. After a moment, the baker's gaze follows after Ricki and curiously glances up at the shelves, "Did you find something useful?"
"Uhm, I don't know if -useful- is the right word.." Ricki admits after a moment, pointing a finger at what appears to be .. A giant cake-topper decoration shaped like a pair of dragons. "Can you reach that?" She asks after a moment, tilting her head to peer at the taller man. "I don't know why someone would hide it way up there." Probably because the dragons are rather terrifying, but that will be a surprise for V'ayn if the bronzerider is able to retrieve it.
V'ayn raises an eyebrow at the object she pointed out but eventually shrugs after a moment, "Sure." Though not without the proper precautions. They are in a storeroom after all, so it's bound to be covered in dust and…general nastiness. So first and foremost, the rubber gloves are back and /then/ he's moving back. He'll attempt to reach the cake-topper, thought it may involve him having to use one of the lower shelves as a stepping stool once he does so. "These don't exactly give off the warm…fuzzies…" There's a quiet huff from the man as he streeeeeetches, fingers finally grabbing onto the item before he holds it out to Ricki.
Object retrieved, the greenrider leaves V'ayn stuck there, holding it with gloved hands as she considers it, going so far as to step around the caketopper (and V'ayn) in a large circle to examine the dusty, sort of grimey, definitely disturbing piece of art from all sides. It is only once she turns to her starting point that her attention is back on the bronzerider, and she reaches out to give a gentle push on the object, pushing it back to him. "Iczy says its perfect, and that it is for Varequoth." Pause. "You will make sure he knows its from her, right?"
V'ayn just /stares/ at the circling woman, STARE. Sure there are gloves between him and this object but it's filthy and hideous and he'd like nothing more than her to take it from him…only she doesn't. On top of it all…it's a gift? "This…uh…." While V'ayn is /less/ than pleased at now having to drag this object back to the Weyr, apparently the bronze's feelings are on the complete opposite of the spectrum. "He says….much obliged." V'ayn on the the other is trying very hard not to shudder. There's a moment as he's hopping down from the shelves that he considers 'accidentally' dropping, and yet he doesn't (for now). "That was very kind of her." BUT OH FARANTH EW. Did any of the dirt get on his clothes? These are the important questions.
Accidentally drop it, and throw away Iczy's LOVE?! What kind of cruel person is V'ayn? Ricki seems satisfied for now, waving a hand at him, as if he can find a temporary home for it until they can make their escape. "We still need something for Tsari, of course.." She is then meandering her way down the row, scanning the dusty shelves for something - though who knows what - conveniently distracted from the broken door, before glancing back over at V'ayn. "She says we can find something nice for you, too, since you are so helpful." Quick.. Run.
"No no no…I am /more/ than happy to help /without/ needing a gift for myself," V'ayn is quick to hold up one hand while the other is carefully placing the cake topper on a more reachable shelf. "You both have done more than enough for me by taking the pan off my hands." There's a quick glance towards the door, hoping beyond all hope that somehow it's magically unstuck…but it isn't. He miiiight be taking a step back right now, just in case she finds something random to shove at him. And while he might be making a distress call to Varequoth - Vare? He's just rolling in amusement. "So about finding that thing for…" For whoever!
"Just because you think you don't need one, doesn't mean I am not going to find one for you. Just wait, it will be perfect." Clearly, Ricki will have none of his insisting otherwise - and who knows, it may prompt more tears. "For -Tsari-. Weren't you listening?" The greenrider asks as she continues on her way, pausing to tug a piece of pink fabric out of a box - which turns out to be a pink, heart-covered apron that.. surprisingly looks clean, if wrinkled. "Ahh!" She glances back at him, holding it up. "See, its perfect for you!" And then its flying towards him.
"It's alright, in fact I /insist that you don't find me anything," not that any of his protests seem to be working. "Right, right Tsari, we should focus on /Tsari/." Look at the poor man's feeble attempts to street the subject away from any potential gifts for him. And then she has that /thing/ in hand, and a look of our horror crosses the baker's features. Catch the apron he does /not/. Instead he ducks and watches it go flying past him to land on the floor, "Maybe it's…better for Tsari? I'm not sure the pink and the hearts really go well on me."
"For some reason, I don't think a human sized apron is going to fit Tsari." Ricki's eyeroll bleeds over into the tone of her voice as she shakes her head, watching the apron go flying. While it takes a moment, the fact that the beautiful apron is now on the floor finally registers with Ricki, and her lips bunch up and her eyes widen, and it looks like a problem is imminient. "Do you.. do you not like it?"
RISALI, please come back? V'ayn is looking just about everywhere /other/ than at Ricki for a moment, hoping beyond hope that perhaps the Weyrwoman could come serve as a distraction. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have luck on his side. "Look, it's not that I don't like it per say…." V'ayn maybe steps backwards towards the apron, "I'm not just sure that it's my style. It doesn't really go with all of this." There's a sweeping gesture towards his entire outfit, which looks like he probably spends more on clothes than he really needs to. He'll at least pick it up, though he doesn't put it on. "See? I am taking it, just…no crying."
NO RESCUE FOR YOU. The pout turns into sniffles, and the greenrider's eyes are more shimmery as they fill with tears, even as V'ayn continues to make excuses and explanations. "You.. You don't like it." She manages, even as tears begin to drip down her cheeks, face turning sort of blotchy.. before she is hurriedly turning away and stalking down the row, leaving V'ayn with his gift and making no move to rub away the tears on her cheeks, apparently now settled on ignoring the bronzerider.
What did V'ayn do to deserve this? Here he was, just putting away these things, and now he is locked in the room with a goldrider in the shadows and a greenrider in tears. There's an audible groan from the man when Ricki starts crying and begins to walk off. "Alright! Alright…It will look /great/ on me?" He can't even believe his own words. But he is following after her and cringing /so/ hard before he is…definitely going to put it on. There's another quiet groan as he undoes the aprons tied knot strings and with MUCH cringing and shuddering he eventually ruins his entire ensemble with the piece of cloth. "See? Love it…it's great!" LOOK RICKI, STOP CRYING.
V'ayn could have it so much worse though - it could be the never-without-his-camera Niko that he is trapped in the store room with - and then there would be permanent evidence of this experience. The greenrider had moved on to another row, looking at the shelves with blurry eyes, before she finally lets his words draw her back in, moving to peer back around the corner at the bronzerider, sniffling a few times and rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hands. Another sniff, and she is giving a hesitate smile. "Perfect!" She agrees happily.
Thank Faranth for that, he /definitely/ does not want permanent evidence of this. At this point he's already getting /more/ than enough amusement from Varequoth, just imagine what could happen if other people saw this! His very carefully (but somewhat poorly) crafted image would be absolutely ruined. "Great now…how about we try finding something to open that door? You can always look for Tsari's present later." Please? Somehow he doesn't think reasoning is going to work too well in this case.
Another few sniffles, some more rubbing at her eyes, and it seems the tears are gone, and she is pondering V'ayn - and the apron - before she shrugs. "I'm sure they are trying to get it open." She counters, glancing back at the door. "I don't know what you think you'll be able to do." But, she does at least start to meander back towards the door, apparently willing to help with whatever plan he comes up with.
Plan? Oh right…he totally has a plan. Only he does not. BUT luckily for them he spies something on the way back that gives him an idea. "How strong are you?" Because for all he knows she could be the world's strongest woman. Why? His gaze has settled on a a sofa chair that looks like it's seen much better days. "Think you could help me bring that over there?" BATTERING RAM TIME. Hopefully no one gets injured.
Ricki's initial reaction is to grump at his question, but then as she follows his gaze and explains his reasoning, she settles back down, eying the chair for a moment before nodding. "I.. I think so." The sofa chair gets similar treatmeant to the cake topper from earlier, before she nods again, waiting for him near it. "What are you going to do?"
"We're going to break down the door…or try." V'ayn replies quite matter-of-factly, which is probably /not/ an awe-inspiring plan. Especially given he has a lot of lean muscle and doesn't look particularly like a man that could break down the door. Still, he has to try something so he grabs on as best he can and starts lifting the chair. /Why/ is there a chair in here? Who knows. It's fine!
Bad idea bears.. definitely, definitely bad idea bears. That being said, Ricki considers the "plan" for a moment, glancing at that door, and then back at the chair, and back at the door. "I.." And perhaps it is because she has no better ideas of her own, but the greenrider is shrugging and leaning to find some handholds of her own on the chair, trying to keep it balanced evenly between the two of them.
Once the chair is up off the ground V'ayn starts shuffling his way towards the door. It may take a couple of breaks but eventually they're at the door and now it is time to DESTROY. Those baker muscles flex (such lean tiny-ish muscles) and there's a /genuine/ grin shot over towards Ricki. "On three…" Maybe all of this wasn't terrible? The count begins and the two rush forward…JUST as the door swings open to reveal that person that was yelling for Risali earlier. But it is TOO LATE! They're already charging headlong into the poor person and there may or may not be a crack as the chair and three humans end up tangled together on the floor. "Shit…sorry!" At least there's an apology? But it seems the right time to make a hasty exit before anyone gets in trouble!
There is a yelp from Ricki as the door opens and it all goes to shit - but there is no stopping it, and the greenrider attempts to recover her dignity as she gets back to her feet. A mumbled apology and she is looking sheepish, glancing back into the store room, before shaking her head and slinking off. V'ayn at least seems to have gotten rid of the present for Vare - For now. FOR NOW.