Fort Weyr - Galleries
The galleries are carved right out of the rock face, the rows and rows of benches rising high up into the air on a slight slant. Stone and wood benches that used to be known for offering little in the way of comfort, are now padded with cushions in Fort Weyr's colors. Placed along the railing at regular intervals are antique looking baskets filled with cheery fabric flowers. The curving walls sport tapestries in warm vibrant colors that seem to add a dash of color to the otherwise dreary stone. Where the galleries curve slightly at the ends, affording those attending hatchings or clutchings a decent view of the sands, shaded laterns offer warm lighting along the rows of benches.
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, Harpers are probably encouraged to be diplomatic, tactful. Tejra has, on occasion, as the need arises managed to be these things. It is, however, inarguable that none of that is present in the note that comes to Alexa via a probably familiar by now luminous green firelizard. The note read, "Came to see what all the fuss was about. I didn't know sticks came large enough to accommodate a gold's arse. What is with the color ordering? Ditch your meetings and come hang with me instead. Do you feel ill? Did your spawn suddenly develop a debilitating need for — I don't know. Make something up. I've missed you. I'm with the eggs. - T". True to the contents of the note, Tejra is lounging in the Fort Weyr galleries, lean body draped on the wood of one of the benches, head turned to, theoretically, observe the egg and dragon(s) on the sands, but instead, her eyes are squinting at the faux flowers along the rail.
LISTEN. Alexa does not get to decide the decorating. If she did, everything would look like the Igen library; all dark wood and old books. Those flowers? She’d probably pitch them off the railing if she thought she could get away with it. Anyways. The note is heeded, probably because meetings are boring (and also, she wasn’t actually in one, so no need to make up an excuse to ditch) and within five minutes or so she’s dismounting Raaneth and heading in — and up — to meet Tej. “Raaneth says she’s offended at your assumptions; of course there are sticks big enough for a dragon’s arse. But she says they’re usually stuck up in the bronzes.” Because men. Pft. Dropping down in a thoroughly ungraceful *thwump* she leans back in the chair and sighs. “Kouzevelth isn’t as bad as some,” she admits. “At least she lets the candidates out there.”
"Oh, well," Tej greets the incoming goldrider with a lazy version of her melodic purr, "that makes sense." The smile offered up to the goldrider is distinctly enigmatic and impish. She's sitting herself up, one leg on either side of the bench, the levels uneven because of the step, and then Alexa is drawn (WILL OR NIL, ALEXA) into a quick embrace. "I'm sorry she has to put up with them, but in every life some sticks firmly lodged must appear. I think I've read that somewhere." No, she definitely has not, but she sounds convincing saying it. Then, the goldrider is getting a look over, a tilt of the redhead to squint and evaluate. "Are you sleeping enough? Eating enough? Shall I call the healers? You look like you, my dear Aly, are fun deficient." Has anyone else noticed that the way Tej says that particular nickname sounds an awful lot like ally? "How have you been settling in?" Surely they've written, right? At least some? Tej with noxious remarks about her endless riding out into Xanadu region with the uneducated masses who expect her to care, but listen, to her credit, she tries, it's just not what she's cut out for. Talk of the upcoming gather circuits farther afield, the occasional messaged that includes a little something about a bit of fun she's had here or there. That kind of thing. The questions here and now, of course, are largely farce, even if there is a touch of genuine concern and care. "How is your-" she pauses and then flicks her fingers in the air as she makes the term sound unflattering, "-sperm donor dealing with your being here?"
Hugs are well and good and Alexa will indulge in one, a wry little smirk pulling at her lips. “Definitely deficient in fun,” she agrees, sprawling unceremoniously across one of the benches. “But oh, hey! I’ve got a puppy now, so that ought to help.” And where is said puppy, one might wonder? Clearly not with the goldrider. “Settling in alright,” she decides with a shrug. “Winter was colder than I remember.” But she kinda loved it. “But the summer is awesome! Imagine being outside and not feeling like you might puke just walking across the bowl.” If they did write, it would undoubtedly have been about the many insults and injuries the whiny weyrwoman has suffered in her new move. Such terrible things as being made to entertain Holders and deal with miscreants like Maizin. Probably not the trivial things like moving in and making friends and getting settled. As for the father of her (second) child? Her smirk pulls into a little grin, a touch of mischief in those green eyes. “He’s dealing with it just fine. It’s his weyrmate that seems to have taken issue.” And clearly, Alexa is just so distraught about it, given she looks entirely too tickled about it all. “It’s kind of hilarious. Any time I come around them he gets all hissy and puffed up, and… Yeah okay, I should probably tell him I want nothing to do with F’inn, but honestly, it’s way more fun to pretend to flirt with him.” Seriously. SO MUCH FUN. “He might murder me in my sleep but… you’d avenge me, right?”
"Of course." The redhead sounds concerningly serious about that, Alexa, but listen, she's more bark than bite. "And who is he to take your fun if you've gone to the trouble of spawning for F'inn." There's a 'blech' face for that. She can't help it. It's not even about F'inn, really, whom she's yet to meet. "But really, what is it with you and wanting helpless non-dragon-like things in your care? A puppy now on top of six spawn?" The number goes up everytime Tej has reason to say it, though she surely knows the real headcount. "You really are fun deficient if you're taking on responsibilities and calling them fun." The judgment is only playful though. She contemplates her friend some long moments. "Have you sorted out a way to make those unfun things you keep ending up in," miscreants and holders alike, "a little less terrible? Maybe since you're near the Hall again, you should find some terribly dashing Harper schooled in diplomacy to take up with. You could turn him or her to your cause and have them just deal with things for you while you look— well, imperious might be too much to hope for." But this comes with an affectionate ruffle of the goldrider's hair. "What about that… what was his name… Kwesin, wasn't it? Older than you by some turns, and that one all those older girls had fits of vapors for whenever he was near. Maybe he's back at the Hall now, after journeying out. I haven't kept up." But hey, one name she can throw out there. "But at least you have summer. I missed most of ours at the Weyr proper because of all that horrid riding out into the sweep." She makes a face and then a put-upon sigh. Clearly, she did survive the ordeal.
“Puppies are totally fun!” When they’re not chewing everything in sight and waking her up every two hours. “And way easier than babies, honestly.” But even so, there’s help for the baby-raising. And probably help for the puppy-raising. So on the whole, “it’s really not as bad as you might think.” But Alexa won’t spent too much time trying to convince Tej of this, though she will toss out, “Raaneth likes the puppy,” as another point of defense, complete with mock-pout. She shifts on her bench, elbow to knee and chin to hand, to frown briefly toward the clutch on the sands. There’s a nose-wrinkle for those dashing harpers, and a half-hearted wave-away of the hair-ruffling hand. “Yeah, I don’t think that would work out for me,” she decides, all dry tones and pseudo-smirks. “Though maybe I could talk someone into running interference…” The idea has merit, even if Alexa might not be hiring the heart-throbs to do it. “They’d have to be cultured and diplomatic.” Two areas in which Alexa is somewhat lacking. A little finger tapping against her cheek, but whatever scheming she might do, she’ll put it off in favor of summer. “Well, yes,” she agrees, grinning over at Tej. “But snow isn’t so bad either. I mean, I’m kinda just enjoying the whole seasons thing, now that I’m living somewhere that has them again. Igen was… eh.” Hot. It was really hot, and really sanding. And then really cold, and still really sandy.
"The only thing I want waking me up every two hours is something fresh shelled with a hide to oil." Tej's emphatic look of different strokes is as articulate as her words. But, listen, if Alexa wants fourteen babies and four puppies, more power to her as far as the (sorry) vaguely disinterested redhead is concerned. "I'd much rather hear about other things Raaneth likes. Does she like Fort? Or are there too many bronzes with appropriately sized sticks for her liking?" The idea of hiring heartthrobs is as easily dismissed as it was offered. "Maybe you should just start practicing at putting off the air of an eccentric. You know, just… one day claim you've taken a vow of silence. Put it on a pin and wear it on your shirt. And then speak when it's convenient to you and call it a mistake." Listen, never take Tej's advice. It's not good. It's never good. It's a marvel that she herself manages to navigate the world with aplomb and all her eccentricities. She could probably pull off the faux vows for no reason even though there's only the First Egg and the Red Star to make vows by on Pern. "You could get a personal assistant. I think some goldriders have those. Do their schedules, run interference, 'lose' inconvenient meetings on the schedule." SOUNDS RIGHT, since Tej's current home is Xanadu where the secret of the filing system is there is no filing system; it's fine. "Seasons are a fine experience. Now. When are we going camping?" NEVERMIND that Tej has NEVER BROUGHT UP any kind of plan to go camping and she's mentioning it now as if it has been her a long standing plan between them with only the need to set a date for it. DOES ALEXA EVEN LIKE TO ROUGH IT IN THE WILDS?! Tej probably doesn't even know, but Raaneth is probably invited.
Alexa most certainly does not want fourteen babies. Maybe four puppies. But probably not all at once. “She’s loving Fort,” is offered for Raaneth, a quirk of a dry grin given for her gold. “Then again, dragon memories aren’t anything to boast about, and she’s kind of forgotten about Igen except for the vague sense that it was hot and sandy. Only one dick bronze I think, and he leaves her alone most of the time.” Raaneth, unlike her lovely little rider, is far more mature in her handling of irritating males and tends to opt for the high road of simply ignoring their obnoxious behavior. Eventually they go away. Or if not, well… she does have the privilege of making them go away, though it is very rarely used. “I don’t know… Fort might seem tame on the surface but I’ve heard rumors of some pretty… uh. Eccentric riders. I might fit in more if I did that.” Does she want to fit in? Stand out? Probably somewhere in the middle where people just ignore her and she can be lazy and read all day. “Could be funny to see what the holders did, though.” It won’t happen. Because as funny as it might sound, Alexa doesn’t really have the guts to pull it off. She might just end up with a personal assistant though… “Camping?” Blink. Squint. Frown. “Where are we going camping?” Where is probably an important answer before when can be decided. And no, the answer is decidedly no — Alexa does not like to rough it. Even if she might claim otherwise. “And why would we go camping?”
The news of Raaneth's positive transition makes Tej grin in earnest. "Good," is emphatic and warm. Sorrynotsorry, Alexa, but Tej probably cares as much for Raaneth's comfort as yours; then again, Tej only knows the dragon through her rider — but when has that ever stopped her from fawning over something with a hide? (Spoiler alert: never.) "Does Fort seem tame on the surface? I was only up to the Weyr a handful of times while I was still at the Hall. In the mountains plenty and the surrounding-" she makes a vague gesture that seems to indicate everywhere, the region on the whole. "I had always heard Fort was very orderly and traditional for a Weyr. Is that not so?" There's something to the way her head tilts and the sharpness of her pale gaze on the goldrider that implies a subtle, additional layer of interest in this particular question - information will be filed for later. But then, lighter, "Oh, Holders are an easy mark, Aly." Tej tchs. "Flash a little too much skin and they'll blush to their boots. I suppose if you wanted practice though. It's these weyrfolk you have to work to shock." There's a little fluttery sigh for the WOES of not having ready SHOCK VALUE in a Weyr. Terrible, having to work for it. "Why wouldn't we go camping?" Tej returns lifting red brows. "A chance to be away from all of this and just enjoy something a little different, out there? You go to stay anywhere, especially with Raaneth," who is, of course, invited to camp with them, "and they'll be 'weyrwoman'ing you through your whole stay. I'm sure Raaneth can bring enough in the way of supplies as to keep us much more comfortable than many a trip I've been on." No, Aly, this does not mean you can bring actual beds. "It'll be fun," she pitches her melodic purr persuasive. "We can go somewhere Raaneth can have a nice hunt and then find one of those exotic pools or hot springs or — you know, just somewhere out there for a change of pace. A chance to bond." Like they're not bonding now?
THIS IS FINE. Alexa totally cares far more about Raaneth’s comfort than her own, so they are definitely in agreement on this. A dramatic sigh answers the question of Fort Weyr and it’s level of order, even if it is probably just the sort of thing Alexa loves. “It is,” she confirms. “Very orderly. Very traditional. At least in its manner of business. But that doesn’t mean everyone is orderly and tame. There’s a bluerider who runs around pretending to be Th’ero. I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard enough about her. Wears a mustache and everything.” She assumes, given she’s not seen it. But hey. Why not believe all the rumors if they’re fun? But it’s the camping question, in return for her camping question, that has the goldrider slanting a look at her friend. “Because camping probably doesn’t involve feather mattresses or room service.” Is it room service if she lives in a weyr? Close enough. “And I imagine there’s a great deal of dirt, and no showers, and probably creatures with more legs than should be allowed.” Which is saying something given she lives on Pern and her favorite creature has six limbs. “or not enough legs.” But there’s a sigh, and a little side-to-side of her head as she concedes to the logic of, “They would be doing that, wouldn’t they,” with a little mutter. And although she might not find it detestable all the time (at least, not when it gets her perks) it’s not always a fun time when she just wants to be Alexa for a while. “Fine,” she sighs, as though she’s just agreed to a great impediment of her time and resources. “We’ll go camping. But you have to pick the place because all I know is Igen.” And she is not going camping in the desert, thankyouverymuch.
"Deal." Tej is not letting Aly take that offer back. She grins, the predatory wildness there in the look, "I'll even pick somewhere hospitable, just for you." It will definitely still have things with too many or not enough legs. That's just how the great outdoors works. Fortunately, probably many of them will be somewhat put off by the immediate presence of a predator as large as a gold dragon (if not one as small as the redhead). There will be no room service, but there may be Tej Pity-Taking depending on just how well Alexa takes to camping with her friend; she will go for a positive experience after all. But then Tej is rising in one smooth movement, hands going down to the goldrider. "Come on then. Let's go find this bluerider with the fake mustache." NEVERMIND THAT THE BLUERIDER IS PROBABLY NOT DOING IT RIGHT NOW OR COULD EVEN BE JUST A RUMOR. "You can show me around your new home properly while we're at it." A tour with a purpose. Who knows how many Th'ero look-alikes they might find along the way~