Ista Weyr - Prison Cell (This is part of an Istan TP)
Separated by a stone wall from the barracks, way at the back, with only a narrow archway as the exit in and out, is the prison cells of Ista Weyr. The cavern can be clammy when it gets really crowded or cool on otherwise empty days with its location deep in the mountain. The prisons are all made of thick metal bars fitted deep into the natural rock of the Weyr, deep and impossible to remove, and then separated by more bars in between to make for individual cells. Each cell is then decorated with a half-filled straw mattress on a low wooden pallet for a cot and a chamber pot hidden under it for the occupant's use.
Voices carry from just outside the cell, a vaguely familiar male voice, or at least familiar to the Xanadu prisoners, talking to one of the guards. There seems to be a bit of an argument, followed by pleading tone, and then silence. The sounds of the door being unlocked seem to echo in the silence, and then it swings open, revealing a man - X'hil - holding a large tray. He peers in a little tentatively, and clears his throat. "Um. Anyone … hungry?"
Thea is resting on her straw mattress, not really asleep although her eyes are closed. The voices have her opening her eyes warily. She pushes herself up quickly, alert to see what's next. But when X'hil enters, she relaxes. "X'hil." Perhaps the first time he's heard her sound really glad to see him. Ironic no? She does smile, if that counts for anything. "Hungry? Here." She raises a hand.
K'nan is off in her own little world in her cell singing quietly to herself. Nothing spectacular and not the most impressive of voices, but it's not the worst either. 'Some Weyr over the ocean skies are blue…" She seems to pay no mind to the others and continues to sing until she stops mid-verse as X'hil comes in bearing a tray. She tilts her head somewhat and seems interested, though she's silent for the time being.
It's no small wonder Thea isn't asleep - Sigam's taken to the old jailbird image, resting dismally against the bars, rattling his cup back and forth across the metal to create quite the clatter, and only the truly attentive would notice it's in time to K'nan's song. "And the dreams that we dare to dream really do come true," he's adding to her lyrics in a very low voice, eyes distant until motion catches his attention. "X'hil?" He sounds more puzzled than pleased, but a small smile is quick to form - a familiar face is a welcome one. "That's a silly thing to ask, methinks."
K'avu came in earlier, making a racket as he is known to do and all the while trying to escape his guards before being tossed into a cell. He actually looks like he's had quite a fight with them, split lip and purple eye starting to show. But now he's sitting on the floor against the bars and sulking, unusually quiet for once. He's in his own cell though, most likely to prevent people from killing him. "Shut up, ya crazy woman," he mutters at K'nan's singing, the only sound he makes so far, his shoulders twitching each time Sigam rattles that cup. His amber eyes lift at the unfamiliar voice, landing on X'hil, and there's a snort at the offer.
X'hil looks momentarily surprised to see Thea happy to see him, but he shakes his head and tries not to make a big deal out of it. "Ah, it's, not much. Nothing fancy. Good food though, good." It might not be especially great, but, if X'hil is calling it good, it must be at least half-decent. The man knows food. He actually looks around when K'nan stops singing, almost disappointed. Sigam's puzzlement gets a bit of a frown from the man, a little uneasy. "Shh, shh, I'm not supposed to be here." he says, in a hushed tone. He starts pushing bowls and spoons through to the unfortunate prisoners, Thea and Sigam first, then K'nan, and finally K'avu. He lingers at the last cell, frowning at the occupant. Someone's been through a rough time… Somewhat of a sobering thought, really. He seems a little less cheerful now, not that he was very cheerful to begin with. It'd be rather silly to ask how folks are doing though, so he just sort of stands there with the tray.
Thea just leans to prop her elbows on her knees, with an air of longsuffering martyrdom. "I really hope you've smuggled in some sedatives for them in your pockets." She waves a hand in the direction of the rest of the inmates, "I'd permanently stop gunning for you if you did." She adds a brittle smile to that, although it's not directed at him. As the bowl is pushed through her bars, she rises to walk over and peek at that tray. But X'hil is down there staring at K'avu. "So what is this stuff?" She prods an experimental spoon into it. "X'hil, psst, come here will ya? Snap out of it."
K'nan glances over at K'avu "I told you, you're going to burst something. That's not a pretty thing to see. It's not. Look at you, it's already starting to curst something." She then ohs softly as the bowl comes her way, along with the spoon. "He brings us a feast. Oh what wonders of wonders await us this night." she looks over towards X'hil and smiles brightly at him "You my dearest of all sirs are a man to be admired and adored." and with that she starts to eat again, clearing enjoying the food and savoring each bite as if it was the grandest concoction of the greatest of all Bakers in the world.
In a sharp move, Sigam has whirled around on his behind, eyes narrowed right at K'avu. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!" This seems like something he's said before, for when he returns his attention to X'hil, he's smiling so very sweetly. "Anything's better than regular bread," he says, reaching out for his own bowl. K'nan's comments earn an eyeroll from the Dragonhealer, but at least Sig's keeping his own shushes to himself. Not a hypocrite! See! "Who're you planning on sedating?" Thea is given a wary eye and a smirk, even as he glances back over at X'hil. "Pern to bronzerider. Come in, bronzerider!"
"Nothin' burst," K'avu snaps at K'nan, trying to look menacing with one big black eye, which he then rounds on Sigam. "I'd like ta see ya try ta shut me up." He looks like he was just getting started, but then gets distracted by the bowl suddenly in his cell. "Where's my sharin' five course me I asked fer?" he says, turning to look up at X'hil and then noticing that the older man was starting at him. His shoulders straighten and he lifts his chin and narrows his eyes. Look at his feathers bristle! "Whatchoo lookin' at?" he huffs. What a punk right? … Yeah right, he wishes. But a very loud rumbling from his belly forces him to scoot over towards the bowl and the spoon to start scarfing down the meal. Which he does so as loudly and messily as he can.
X'hil frowns to himself, and glances down at the now foodless tray he's still holding. "It's a stew, plain, simple, but … good. Filling." he finally answers, moving back to Thea's cell. "Ah, no sedatives, I'm afraid." Is that..? It is! The hint of a smile! "But…" he shrugs, and glances back to the tray. There is still something on it, a jug, and several cups. Alcoholic perhaps? Though the man might get into a good deal of trouble if it were, personally and professionally. K'nan is eyed though, with a bit of a bewildered blush colouring his cheeks. "It's just… food." Really. He snorts a little at Sigam, but otherwise ignores the 'Pern to bronzerider' call. It's just a little bit of a shock, is all. His life has taken some /interesting/ turns recently. First kidnapping, and now … whatever /this/ is. He's sort of tried to stay out of it as much as he could. "Figured you could maybe use a change of diet…" There's a second glance to K'avu, and a wince. He's just a kid! "Nothing, not looking at anything." he's quick to add, after staring a little too long.
"The lot of ya." Thea answers with a faint grin at Sigam as she cradles her bowl in the palm of her hand, leans in the corner of her cell near the aisle. "Your're all driving me insane!" K'nan is ignored politely, patiently. But the snarls resounding between the cells grate on her nerves. "Boys, please!" She rubs her face, before digging the spoon into her bowl. "It's good X'hil, thank you." She looks towards the bronzer where he's lost in another guilt-trip-whatever of his, sighs and mutters to Sigam with an eyeroll, "Ever wondered why I wanted to crossbow-shoot im?" She waves a hand, "X'hil, hey…" A small growl before walking away from that shared wall with Sigam and D'son's cell to be closer to where the bronzer is standing. Her hand reaches through the bars of her cell to poke at him if she can reach him with her spoon. Then she attempts to tug on his sleeve. "Need to talk to you."
K'nan tsks lightly at both Sigam and K'avu "Boys, it's best to play nice." she looks over at K'avu "You were getting so good at being quiet." she sighs a little and shakes her head somewhat "You really should try harder, it'd be better for you." She smiles brightly at X'hil as she takes another bite of her stew "And tis a lovely stew, did you make it yourself? I can't make a good thing of stew. I can make some, but it's only edible, barely. This, oh this brings back the memories. So warm and filling and not at all gritty. Tis a delight of wonders for the tongue." A look at Thea "Oh, they are troublesome aren't they?" she glances back at Sigam and K'avu "But they can be sweet and adorable." Yes, she's just a little nuts.
Sigam's response to K'avu is immediate, taking the form of a universal single-digit gesture to show just how much he thinks of the young whippersnapper, as well as wordlessly suggesting just how the snarky boy should go about shutting himself up. Towards the others he offers a flutter of his tongue before diving into his meal with gusto. "It is good," he mumbles after a moment, at least polite enough to clear his mouth before speaking. "Thanks." His eyes miss none of the movement between Thea and X'hil, and he smirks when she reaches with the spoon rather than, well, fingers, but whatever. Being in public confinement has thrown them all for a little bit of a loop. Some more than others. Cough.
K'avu mirrors the gesture to Sigam since he's oh so smart and has quick replies like that, right? But then he's sputtering at Thea, and then at K'nan. "I /ain't/ no boy," he says with a glare to the women as he sits up straighter and puffs his chest out and looks all manly. And then wipes the soup off his chin with the sleeve of his shirt, already looking plenty stained with dirt and the like. "Oi, woman!" he shouts at K'nan, glaring most fiercely to hide the brief flash of discomfort that crosses his face. "No one cares. How 'bout ya shut up an' put yer mind ta something like getting us out of 'ere." And that sweet and adorable comment? Makes him mutter darkly as he gets up off the ground, shaking out his legs some.
X'hil smiles a little at K'nan, and shakes his head. "Ah, no, no. Found all the good chefs around here when Kinseth sired a clutch a few turns back, made some friends, some're still around… I'll pass your compliments on." he nods to Sigam as well. "Unfortunately, never could get the hang of cooking." By his tone, it's something that he regrets. He gulps at Thea's need to talk, and looks around. "Here?" …kind of a stupid question, really. Where else can they go? He winces as he realises this, and then just frowns. "Um, okay, sure…" Talk… There's a scowl towards K'avu, then. "Oi, kid, /shut up/. The grown-ups are trying to talk here." he snaps. He's got a lot on his mind right now, see, and his patience is a little thin.
Thea smiles at K'nan, "You keep on 'em." K'avu and Sigam are eyed once more and she points her spoon at the bars with a little smirk. "Good thing they've got you boys in cages." The gesturing war, short-lived though it is has her muttering under her breath to the dragonhealer in a slightly sarcastic, "Way to make Pern a better place Mr Dragonhealer 3rd class." Since Thea is now standing closer to K'avu she puts her face closer to the bars that separate them, sing-songing to him, "So not helping." X'hil's reprimand to the lad has her poking him once more with that spoon, correcting loud enough for all to hear. "Grown up. Singular." She's been through a lot herself. "Over here." She tilts her head towards the far end of her cell where her wall adjoins Sigam and D'son's.
K'nan ohs softly and then nods "Yes, much compliments to them." she murmurs as she goes to finishing off the bowl of stew and then proceeds to lick to bowl clean. No point in wasting a single drop of it. After she finishes that off she looks over at K'avu and then blinks at him "Why?" she asks as she tilts her head a little "It's warm here, and there's a real bed." She pauses and then sighs softly "Though Phaili's very comfortable to lie up against." shr frowns a little and looks at the empty bowl.
That spoon of Thea's is eyed as if it were the stick that smacked White Fang, and needly brown eyes lift to peer at Thea. "If we weren't in cages, I'd doubtlessly be back at home by now," he grumps most irritably, pausing halfway through his bowl. The licking K'nan is given half an eye before Sig's scooting his soup towards Thea, indicating she should pass it on to the bluerider with the phrase, "Obviously needs it more than me." Along with it comes a supreme look. "So ha. Your attempt to demean my status as a protector of Pern has been foiled." Rolling to his feet, the Dragonhealer makes a very-very mature (read: NOT) face at K'avu before sauntering towards that adjoining corner. "The singular grown-up has arrived," he announces, smirking over at Thea. "It is good to see you," he notes to X'hil, quite unawares that the bronzer's mind may have changed about him since a certain gardener and he saw each other last.
"I'll get out of this. Ya shardin' watch… Lus's plottin' /right now/," continues on K'avu, mumbling and grumbling along. At least he wasn't shouting loudly like he normally can be. He starts pacing restlessly in his cell, up and down and left and right with his eyes looking at each in turn, especially K'nan. "Then 'm coming fer ya first," he grumbles at Sigam. He stares as they start to pow-wow over there, moving towards the corner of his cage that was closest to them out of curiosity, only pausing in his watching to stare incredulously towards K'nan. "/Anything's/ better than 'ere, crazy, an' it's yer fault we're in this mess anyway! I got better stuff ta do than sit 'ere."
X'hil is too a grown up! Er. Wait. He opts, wisely perhaps, not to dispute Thea's stress on the singular, instead moving to the other end of her cell, as requested. He gets a better look at Thea now, and winces. "Shards… you okay?" he asks, though the answer does appear to be a rather obvious negative. There's a glance to the door out, as if wondering if maybe he should get a key from one of the guards, but, for now, he remains on the outside of Thea's cell. There's a brief nod to Sigam, but the narrowed eyes and silence do seem to imply a chat with a certain gardener has taken place.
Thea hasn't finished but half of her stew and it idly poking through it when Sigam's bowl is passed under her face. She gently pushes it back to him, ignoring his glare, saying sweetly, "Eat up, you're a growing boy." She holds her own bowl out across the aisle to K'nan. "I'm full, you want the rest?" She keeps a-hold of that spoon though. Might need it for poking X'hil if he goes into another one of those trances. K'avu's sputtering earns him a short glare and a 'grow up.' She walks back to The corner near Sigam, placing her face close to the bars and both X'hil and Sigam. "Hunh?" She shrugs. "Oh, yeah. Hit my cheek getting on Ph'lip's dragon." She ignores eye-squinting between the men, "Listen, X'hil. Can you find out how long we're supposed to be in here?" There's a look back D'son's way and a headshake, "How does he sleep through all this?"
K'nan looks up from her well licked bowl at Thea and her eyes brighten "Oh you are a most wonderful lady." she exclaims as she reaches for the bowl to take it and goes back to eating. Yes, she's a happy little bluie. She pauses a moment to glance over at K'avu and sighs and shakes her head "I's not the one that wouldn't be quiet for hidin'. You've gotta be quiet for hide and go seek." she notes as she looks at him as if he's nuts for not knowing that. "Even Phaili knows you'se gotta be quites when huntin' for treasure." she sighs a little and once more looks down to where her pouch used to be. "Tis a shame I've no more ribbons to offer fer the stew. It is certainly ribbon worthy. Even sock worthy." She pauses a moment and looks thoughful at that and then peers at her feet. "But I's no proper socks to give. These have holes in 'em."
"No, I meant it was for- Oh, nevermind," Sigam says with a grimace, eyes rolling as he sets the bowl aside for D'son instead, if ever the man wakens. "What?" X'hil's narrowed eyeballing is received with a politely puzzled look, which is quick to fade. "Excuse me," he sais quaintly before he wheels around to glare at K'avu. "I cut up forty meter beasties for /fun/." Back towards bronze- and goldrider he turns, face all cool politeness again. Thea's question actually makes him turn solemn, a weary look entering his eyes. As lively as residency in the jail cells happens to be, way deep down, he's sick of it, and it shows… But instead of adding to the burden on the poor man, he mutters, "Must be the sweet Ista air, I reckon. Wish he didn't snore though." Sock-girl gets her customary glance, but surely K'avu has more to say to her than the Dragonhealer can muster anymore.
"If yer not gonna eat that…" K'avu starts out, nice and loud as he watches Sigam and that bowl of his go back and forth. Hey! He was still here in the cells, too, and they were obviously sharing. He leans his lanky body lazily against the bars, on arm just swinging in and out of the cell and he arches one brow at that comment from the dragonhealer. "So?" he drawls, and then mock-yawns. "An' we got bored an' set off a forest fire. Poor Lus had ta hack up all that ash all by herself." He at least showed love to his lifemate in his voice, which suddenly starts rising in volume as he glares at K'nan. "If ya weren't there, I'd have been in and out an' not /had/ ta hide, all fer ya messin' round with trash 'stead of finding the real stuff." He shuts himself up momentarily though, just long enough to try to catch what Thea was saying.
X'hil just shakes his head at Sigam, muttering, "Never mind, now is not the time." more to himself than the dragonhealer. Besides, he may be on the gardener's side, but he really should get the full story first. And now is /really/ not the time. Thea's explanation for her bruised cheek gets a frown, but no comment. As to seeing how long they'll be in here… "I can try. I'm not weyrsecond h— any more." He was going to say here. He just gave up the knot recently, sometimes he forgets. "But … I'll see what I can find out." he promises. K'avu is shot another look, and the bronzerider scowls, but holds his tongue, for the moment.
"Not really, no, just not all that hungry. No way to work up an appetite." Well, she's refereeing between K'avu and Sigam, that ought to ave done it. Didn't though. "They took your -ribbons-?" Thea really shouldn't encourage the woman. "What'd the guards want with those?" She turns back, eyeing Sigam. "I know it. I was full." Back and forth the little boys trade insults and Thea is looking like she wants to just kill both of them and get it over with. That is until The Dragonhealer mentions cutting up dragons. This has her going into a sudden fit of snickering. These looks passed between X'hil and Sigam finally get to her, "What is -with- you two?" She just ignores X'hil's random sighs, eye-squints and last-minute word changes, well-used to his oddness by now, "At least try to talk to whoever?" She's sounding a little weary herself, leans her forehead against the bars, "I can't take much more of this."
K'nan just shakes her head at K'avu "You didn't even know how to get in and all with the guards all there. Silly." she tsks a little and then nods saddly to Thea "Took the ribbons. Said they couldn't be sure they were mine to be having and that it'd be safer if I didn't have them." she sighs and shrugs "Dunno how ribbons are dangerous. I mean not even the little really fight over them and all." She looks up at X'hil "I used to be weyrsecond too. Not no more." A pause and a smile "Weyrleader too. That was fun. Funny too. Only short time, but imagine that." she seems to be quite pleased with herself and has forgotten about the ribbons.
"I don't think any of us can," Sigam mutters as he massages the spot between his eyebrows, visibly aging. Gasp, he's mature under all of that snarking? No way! "We'd appreciate anything you can give us. And uh. Sorry 'bout the Weyrsecond thing." He doesn't know the story behind it, but surely it wasn't just a whimsy thing for the bronzerider, so the 'healer makes an attempt to be nice. The cryptic comment about it not being the right time is frowned at, but largely ignored as, with a growl, he angles himself to jab a finger at K'avu. "So stuff a sock in it - sorry, K'nan - because you come after me and I'll cut you!" Sigam from the HOOD. WUT. "Gah. I can't do this," the Dragonhealer hisses low for Thea and X'hil, and with a stiff back he stomps over to the cot, unceremoniously tugs a handful of straw out from under D'son, and goes to make himself a soft spot in the corner farthest from K'avu, defiantly leaving his half-finished bowl right where it sits. "Do you have any more songs, K'nan?," he asks, even as he shuts his eyes and tries to will away the temperamental greenrider.
"We were working at those minor details 'till ya came up," K'avu huffs out at the bluerider, leaning more heavily against his bars and watching the other little group. Thea's encouragement of K'nan's ribbon talk makes him roll his eyes, but then they land on K'nan with a frown. "Maybe they were right. Ya can strangle someone in their sleep 'ere with those ribbons." Like himself! He eyes her warily for a long moment. "With what?" he asks, annoyingly amused at Sigam's anger now. "Yer nails, boy? Ya ain't good at all that threatening, an' I'd shardin' like ta see ya be brave 'nough to say that if there weren't these bars 'tween us." He grips the bars and glares at the older man, waiting for the retort. But before that comes along, a groan escapes and he shakes his head and moves back to the spot that he was sitting at. "Ya can't get that crazy woman ta shut up…" Grumble.
X'hil shakes his head at Thea, looking a little concerned. "Look, if it's the food… Just say the word and I'll bring you something else." Anything else? Though it was difficult enough just getting this much past the guards, apparently. Though, really, the food is just a minor concern. There's a blink at K'nan, then. "Weyrleader." His tone is flat, he doesn't believe it. She's clearly not a bronzerider, and he doesn't even remember the last time a brownrider held the position. But the man frowns at Thea. "I'll … see what I can do." he says, clearly intending to do just that. He may have his doubts about /some/ of those in these cells, cough, K'avu, but he's pretty sure Thea and D'son don't deserve to be here, and he'll even give Sigam the benefit of the doubt. "How's Seryth holding up? I… Kinseth would be happy to keep her company?" he suggests, because Seryth did the same for Kinseth once, when he was under quarantine and separated from his infirmary-bound rider. Sigam's comment about the weyrsecond knot actually gets a thankful nod from X'hil. "Ah, you and Kinseth both. I just… needed to get out of there." No further clarification on what he means by 'there', or what he was getting away from specifically. But it must've been pretty big, right? "I'll… have you guys out of here in no time, you'll see. Back at Xanadu. We'll throw a party, it'll be great." He smiles, but it's a little forced.
Thea groans at K'nan's answer, but the rest? Whoosh! Gone. It's been a few long days by now. She eyes Sigam askance at his apology to X'hil about leaving Xandu, and though she knows full well the dragonhealer wasn't involved, she eyes him and asks with a small smirk, "That was your doing?" He gets an exaggerated look of gratitude and her lips move in a silent 'thank you'. Finished for the time being in bantering, she says to X''hil, "Thanks, Seryth is fine. She's in Xanadu. I'd appreciate the effort if you would X'hil? Have things to do people to see. Like to get out to get to them." K'nan and K'avu are are ignored for now because X'hil has just given her the opening of the millennium with his 'need to get out of there' comment. She turns her head around towards Sigam and mouths, 'his mother' before returning to her pallat and sinking back down upon it. Someone needs a jailbreak.
K'nan gives a nod to X'hil "WEyrleader." she hmms a little "Well sorta. Filling in as any proper Weyrsecond would and all." she sighs softly "So long ago. I miss Western somedays. So does Phaili. Maybe we should go visit. Poor Phaili." she hmms a little as she stares down at the second empty bowl and then looks up "Party? Can I come? Been so long since I've been to a party, would be fun. Can I go?"