Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Barracks
A long and roughly oblong cavern, about a third of the space is open, used for classes or chores as required. The rest of the space is filled with couches of varying sizes, all with plenty of space between them. Some couches are obviously intended for the very young weyrlings while the largest ones at the back are for the older weyrlings.
The heat of the day is upon Xanadu now and the barracks is baking hot. Faraeth, Agate, Bloodstone, Tourmaline, Jasper, and Fossil are curled up together on Faraeth's couch, but at least at first M'nol is nowhere to be seen. He hasn't done much more than eat, sleep, and attend lessons lately, anyway, so his damp, towel-wrapped entrance is probably a surprise. Apparently it's too hot to dry off and put clothes on before walking back to the barracks, instead he wore a towel, his clothes in a bag at his side. He sets the bag down, then himself on the cot with a quiet wumph. If he noticed anyone else in the barracks, he wasn't saying.
Keziah herself has just recently been in the water herself, course she's almost dry. Though the heat has done little to her good mood and she's whistling as she works on putting in some intricate thread designs on some non-functional pieces to attach to her riding straps. Alosynth herself as sprawled out across her couch, tail hanging of one end, her nose on the floor of the other end and her feet off the sides as well. Her stomach is a tad distended from a recent hunt. Kezi glances up as M'nol walks in "Hey there!" she calls out in quite the chipper voice.
The heat has gotten to R'owan as well, causing him to upend a bucket of water over his head, the moisture still showing in splotches on his shoulders, but his hair has nearly dried out already. With a bowl of meat in one hand, the young bronzerider walks not more than a few paces behind M'nol, a tiny blue firelizard clinging to his shoulder with wobbly talons. "Hey Kez. M'nol." He greets, and then shoots a glance over at his dragon who seems to be content to sun himself in the heat and warmth. "Ugh. Just what I need, a warm dragon." Nyunath lifts his head, crooning contentedly. "Dragons. Pssh." Still, his smile is affectionate enough.
M'nol mumbles something unintelligible, seeming to not want to involve himself in any conversation, but Faraeth extends his pointy nose and jabs the lad. M'nol gives a loud yelp, glaring at Faraeth for a moment, some conversation obviously passing because his expression softens and he pats the brown's nose lovingly. The lad's voice twists into something resembling a smile, but his eyes are still blank, almost sad, "Hey Kez… Ro… Least if he's warm he's happy."
Keziah glances at Alosynth "Yeah, she's warm and happy. Course she's well fed too." she notes and just shakes her head. "Silly thing, goes off her feed for a bit and then she makes up for it. Least she's spread it out some and doesn't gorge, should be good for awhile." She thumps the green on her hind leg where she's sitting and Alosynth doesn't even twitch. Kezi snorts "First thing she did after she woke up after the flight was go off and eat. Honestly. Well, I suppose that's something. She ain't clingy."
The yelp from M'nol causes R'owan to lift one eyebrow, but a creel near his ear draws his attention back towards his own shoulder. "Here. Eat." He holds a piece of meat up and a tiny blue head snakes out, snatching it before curling up under a drape of oversized wings to scarf the food down. "Happy dragons are good. I'm just not looking forward to having to sleep near him tonight. Who needs one of those heaters when you have baked dragon hide." He reaches out with his free hand and lightly touches his bronze's nose, and then smiles towards Keziah. "Sorry we missed the fun. Was out with one of the Comet riders at the time." He shrugs his shoulders, and then glances more curiously at the brownrider. "You okay M'nol? You look like… well like someone died or something." His eyes show concern, even if his usual lack of grace with words seems to fail his attempts at being nice.
M'nol gently strokes Faraeth's nose, staring off into space as he speaks, "I could sleep curled up with Farry if he was as hot as Rukbat herself…" He sighs, glancing up at Ro momentarily, then back to his draconic fair, "I should be going out with someone form Galaxy… but… I just don't want to do anything… she may has well have died…"
R'owan settles himself on a chair set near his dragon's couch, scootching it out a bit so it's easier to talk and shove food at the mass of wings that his his most recent addition to his firelizard flock. "It's not bad in the winter, but I'll pass on dragon-heat during the summertime." R'owan replies, even as his bronze sets his head down nearby, eyes lidding. Still, all joking about heat aside, the boy tilts his head slightly, frowning. "She?" Oblivious as ever, apparently. "Which 'she' are we talking about?" He puzzles out, "And I'm sure it's not -that- bad."
M'nol suddenly finds himself surrounded by his fair, each finding its own bit of him to nuzzle into as he strokes Faraeth's nose some more. He glances around, giving each of the flits a scritch in turn before he sighs again, "Figgered Tali'd've told you by now… it's like she took my heart with her and left me empty." melo-dramitc much? Well, he *is* young…
Lifting one eyebrow, R'owan manages a bit of a half-shrug. "Weyrlinghood gets in the way sometimes. We don't get to see each other nearly as much as I'd like." There is a small hint of something, perhaps a lingering jealousy that hasn't quite diminished over time. Afterall, Cidheoth caught Isobeth and that means that there is at least one instance where he's had to share his … well … (not weyrmate…) girlfriend (?) with someone else. "Care to fill me in, or should I play twenty questions?" He asks, although his tone of voice is kind.
M'nol sighs again, giving Faraeth a deep noogieing scritch between his head knobs, "She said she wouldn't leave… then they took her…" twenty questions it is, it seems… or perhaps not… Faraeth nudges him less than gently and M'nol mutters, "Phy… she got recalled to the hall…"
Girls. What is it about them that makes men so crazy? With a sigh, R'owan reaches up and scratches at the small blue lizard on his shoulder, as if trying to figure out what to say. "Ahh, so you were sweet on her, huh?" He glances towards Ontali's couch, perhaps knowing that feeling all too well. "I'm sure she didn't want to leave, Morl." He slips back into the more comfortable form of the brownrider's name. "At least you can always send letters. Communicate by firelizard? Get one of your older ones to remember what she looked like for you. Or Faraeth. I'm sure he'd help out if he could." He pauses, and then frowns again, thoughtful. "And we'll be graduating soon, so you'll be free to visit, right?"
M'nol nods slowly, his attention still mostly on Faraeth, "Was more'n sweet on her… Her note said she'd send me messages with Ciaran, but it's been days and nothing. I'm… as soon as we're cleared for /between/ I'm getting the reference for the healer hall and going to visit her, come fall, fire or fog. 'Sall I can do to keep from trying now…" Faraeth gives a large rumble, "but it'd be too dangerous…"
"Know that feeling." R'owan thumbs towards 'Tali's unoccupied couch, the other weyrling pair probably elsewhere at the moment. "Used to scare me near to death that she might end up getting dragged back home to her hold." He comments, pushing himself to his feet even as the wing-caped blue lizard clings on, wavering from side to side. "I'm sure something just came up. I know the healers have been busy with that mess in Ista lately." He tries to be supportive, reaching out a hand for the shorter boy's shoulder. "Want me to try sending one of mine to scout around? Make sure she's okay for you?" Not that M'nol couldn't send one of his own…
M'nol shrugs slowly, then sighs, "Just happened out of the blue… no warning… one day she was there, the next her whole cot area in the apprentice dorms was empty save for her hastily scrawled good-bye. Said she'd write, but hasn't… I tried sending Agate to her, but he couldn't find her… tried Bloodstone since he's a bronze even if Agate's older and he found the hall, but couldn't get in… something about the watchdragon saying he couldn't go in…" He makes eyecontact with Ro for the first time in the whole conversation, "I'm scared."
R'owan takes a deep breath, honestly not sure what he could say to make the situation any better. "Give it time. I've never been a crafter but… there might be something going on that we're not allowed to know." He smirks a little, but it's light. "Maybe we're all dying of some terrible plague and don't know it, and your girl is in there working day in day out trying to find a cure so she can save you." It's a nice thought at least. "Okay so it's probably not quite that bad but…" He shrugs lightly. "We're here, man. You got us. Rag-tag group we may be, but at least we stand by each other. Sort of." Except for Vivian.
M'nol shrugs, "I was a crafter… but not of the hall… I don't… I'm more afraid they dragged her back there for something and now she's sick." He nods again, his eyes shifting back to his worried-looking brown who receives some solid scritches before the lad continues talking, "I know most of you guys're here for me… I just… there's nothing anyone can do about it and… I don't want to be a burden…" He sighs again, "I'm being stupid… I just… I can't stop thinking about her…"
"If she is sick, that's the best place she could be to get it taken care of, at least." Small comfort, and R'owan knows it as he takes his hand away, finding the need to shove another piece of meat at the small blue lizard on his shoulder. "Well, I know you can't go between on Faraeth to see her but… couldn't you get one of the other riders to take you if it's bothering you that much? Just ask?" He glances towards the younger boy's brown, "I think he'll forgive you for one flight."
Keziah seems to have been off in her own little world as she stitches. Course, she's at that slappy silly smile on her face as well. "We should be getting to go 'tween soon enough." she notes and looks thoughful "Might be a good thing too." she murmurs more to herself than to anyone else really.
Faraeth gives a disgruntled wuffle and M'nol chuckles humorously, "He's afraid I won't come back if i go without him. Could be right and I couldn't do that… couldn't… shouldn't risk it. I'll wait until we can go together." He pats the brown's head lovingly again even as his eyes flick towards Kez, "Why's /between/ so important to you? Ruz is right here."
R'owan looks momentarily between the boy and his brown dragon, but other than a shrug, there's not much else he can say about the issue. Nyunath may be quite bonded to him and not like being far appart, but if all there was was a between leap between him and 'Tali, he'd take it, dragon or no. "Well, it shouldn't be too much longer. Hang in there, okay?" He does glance over at Keziah, and then back again. "Well, between's really one of the last big things before … you know… freedom? At least that's how I see it."
Keziah blinks at moment at M'nol "Well, yeah he's here." she notes and tilts her head "What does him being here have to do with betweening?" she asks curiously and then she nods to Ro "Yes, we graduate soon. I can't wait. I think I'll go into Search and Rescue myself. Alosynth seems to love it, disgruntled dragons and all." she notes and purrs as she eyes the still zonked green, albeit her tail is twitching a little.
M'nol nods, still stroking the brown's large head, "I'll keep going as long as I need to to see her again… doesn't make it easy, though." He sighs, glancing at the bag of clothes he really should deal with, then glances back at the room "/Between/ is my licence to try to visit her. Maybe even bring her back…" M'nol glances at Kez, "Well, you've been all happy smiles since Mikalath caught Alosynth… I just assumed…" He shrugs, not looking at all downtrodden that he was wrong about *that* particular detail…
"Probably transport for Nyunath and I." The bronze dragon lifts his head, and snorts just once at this, causing R'owan to roll his eyes a little bit. "Excuse him. Nyunath is of the opinion that he should be fighting thread. Hasn't quite accepted that what dragons do now is just as important." The bronze whuffles just once, and then lays his head back down. He walks slowly over to the big dragon and lightly puts a hand on one headknob. "Not everyone has to pair up you know." He quips, and then seems to think as he leans against his bronze. "I've still got to figure out a good way of asking Tali to be my weyrmate. Bah." He rubs at the back of his neck, still boyishly embarassed about such things apparently.
Keziah blinks a little and then ohs "Well, I did enjoy myself, but it's not as if we've any serious relationship or anything." she notes "Don't think either on of us is really lookin for that. Nah, we're just friends. Maybe benefits here and there." She notes with a wicked grin. She glances over at Ro "Yeah, Alosynth was pretty upset when actually learning that there won't be any Thread. I think that's why she enjoys Search and Rescue so much. She feels useful doing that."
M'nol nods, actually feeling a part of the conversation instead of its object at the moment, "Farry's insistent that I should keep up with my miner stuff, but that I can't do the crafter wing… not that I'd want to… Search & Rescue lets me help people without having to live in the mines." He glances at Ro, "Have you tried… just asking? I mean, that's all I did when I asked Phy, 'hey, would you like to share it?'… course… that was before…"
R'owan seems a bit surprised that so many of those he knows seem to be intent on search and rescue duties, but then again… dragons are big damn heroes so might as well let them be what they are. "I just like the freedom of transport. Besides, the wing needs a few more big guys. Only bronze they have is D'mon's Saetanth and that pair's getting up in years." So he's exaggerating just a bit, the pair aren't -that- old, but still. He pauses though, and looks at M'nol with a half-shrug. "Kinda wanna make it special. I mean… shards. If it weren't for the dragons, I'd be asking her to marry me. I don't want to lose that just because I'm a rider." Living in the weyr all his life or not, sometimes Ro' still acts like he's craft/hold bred.
Keziah grins at at Ro "Well, iffen they're lookin fer big…" she looks at herself and snorts. "S and R works for us, both of us are little to get into smaller area's and such." she notes with a cheeky grin. She hmms at Ro "Well, make a picnic or something and woo her then." she notes with a smile "That way ya all can go weyrlookin' together iffen she's of the same mind, which I think she is."
M'nol chuckles, a tinge of his own mirth seeming to return, "Trust me… it was special…" he sighs again, this time more wistfully, "First thing Phy an' I talked 'bout after the mating flight lesson was the whole having to sleep with others thing… we… riders can't really be exclusive… we can just do our best… I'm sure Tali understands that." His eyes cast back to the brown with another round of headknob scritches, "Picnic might work… I… I guess I'm going weyrhunting alone now…"
R'owan lifts one eyebrow towards Keziah, managing the smallest of smirks. He reaches up and lifts the now dozing blue hatchling from his shoulder, placing him on Nyunath's head. The bronze only rolls his eyes upward to look at his tiny passenger, and then ingores the tiny blue lizard-cousin. "I'll figure something out. Already got some plans." He nods just once, the 'non exclusivity' thing bringing his mind back to V'dim with a shudder. Poor Tali. "Should figure that out soon though." Decisions decisions.
Keziah gives a nod and goes back to her leather stitchin' "Well, then implement them. Great things ne'er happened just by sittin on yer tail feathers and waitin' and all." she notes "I mean if M'nol can get up the courage to ask a girl after Cen.. well then you should be able to ask Tali."
M'nol blushes deeply when Cen is mentioned, but doesn't say anything about that specifically, instead he gives Ro the best smile he can muster, which is but a poor copy of his usual jaunty grin, "Get away for an evening… There's a really nice guest weyr at Rubicon River." Oomph, he covers his mouth. Had he actually just admitted that. After a few moments to regain his composure she smiles sheepishly, "Going somewhere else is nice…"
R'owan laughs slightly, and then shakes his head from side to side. "I will. I will. Just waiting for one thing I need to pick up from the crafters before I set my evil plans in motion." A wry smirk shows on his features as he shrugs his shoulders helplessly. "I'm chained up in my persuit of love by craft delays." He pushes away from his bronze, glancing skyward for a moment as if considering th time. "Probably should see if that order is in yet…" Yes, plotting.
Keziah looks curious and glances up from her stitching "What are you getting? Perhaps some frilly underthings?" she asks with a wicked grin "For you or for Tali?" A pause and then she hmms "Or perhaps something a little more cutesy like a minature blue dragon, or maybe it's ring…" there's a pause as she eyes Ro "Did you get her jewelry?
M'nol cocks an eyebrow at Ro, barely containing a snicker when Kez mentions frilly underthings, "You bought her something custom? Wow, you must be really serious." He strokes Faraeth's brown head for a moment, "What is it? Is it really pretty?"
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you." R'owan eyes Keziah and rolls his eyes. "No, no frilly things for her or for me. I don't think she'd like them that much anyways. She's too down to Pern for that sort of thing." He says it as if that were the highest compliment he could make in the girl's favor. "Shh, will you?" He places a finger over his mouth, knowing that the 'walls have ears' at least when it comes to certain weyrling dragons who don't know how to keep their mouths shut. "It's a surprise. So shush."
Keziah hmms and blatently looks Ro up and down, though a smirk is twitching at her lips "Oh, yes Ro. I'd so love that. The image of you wearing skimpy frilly things just has me quivering in antici….pation." she then can't help herself and rolls backwards onto Alosynth just cackling maddly. The green lifts her head to peer at keziah and then chuffs softly and then Keziah bursts into even more giggles "Oh, don't even suggest that Alo. Him posing in it as well.."
M'nol sticks his tongue out, an expression of clear disgust on his face, "Yuck! How can you even suggest that, Kez!?!" Then he realizes she's joking… somehow it doesn't help and it takes a few moments for him to regain control of himself enough to ask, "Could you whisper it? Or have Nyu tell Farry? With Phy gone I need to live vicariously through you." He still looks sad, but at least some of his tricksy twinkle has returned to his eyes.
"When I get it, I'll show you. Not before." R'owan lifts a finger and aims it at M'nol, and then glances over at Keziah. "I'm so glad I can amuse you." He aims a steady gaze at the greenrider and then pats his bronze on the nose. "Anyways, I should go check with the crafters…" Besides, it gives him an opportunity to bow out from being the center of attention, hopefully. "See you two later. And not a word of this to Tali." He warns as he walks off towards the practice grounds.
Keziah blinks a moment as she sits up, the laugher stopping and she's serious "No worries, I won't say anything to her. Only on the condition that we get to see what it is and then you tell us how things went." Course with the latter would likely be easy to guess by the young mans moods.
M'nol glances up at Ro's retreating form, "What she said…" Then he turns to Kez, "What could you possibly find funny 'bout him in frilly underwear?"
Keziah blinks a moment "Whats not to fund funny about it?" she asks curiously and then tilts her head a little "You're not thinkin' it's hot…are you?" she asks with a look of startlement "I didn't think that sorta of thing floated' yer boat." she says completely ignoring his earlier yuck. after all, she's seen several guys go yuck over girls and secretly watch them.
A thoroughly shocked look crosses M'nol's face, "Hot? Only in that it's a bazillion degrees in here. Shards, no! I do not dig the guys." Faraeth nudges him gently and M'nol just glares at him and mutters, "One dream doesn't mean I like them… heck… was probably all you anyway."
Keziah blinks a moment and she just eyes M'nol "You were dreaming of a guy? WHo? Not V'dim I hope?" She pauses and then shudders "No, don't answer that." she says after a moment and then eyes Faraeth "I'm glad ALosynth doesn't give me dreams like that." she notes as she looks at the green and smiles.
M'nol blecks again, his face if possible even more disgusted than the last time, "V'dim? Shards no. If I ever dream of him that way I'll pluck out my own eyes." He shudders along his full body, "No… never… it was just a dream… it didn't… yeah… no way. If I have to I have to, Faraeth'll be responsible for that, but I've no interest in going looking for it…"
Keziah can't help but grin a little about M'nols look concerning V'dim." she tilts her head a little "Well, just remember, you may end up with one." she notes softly." she frowns a little "Just like a might have ended up with F'yr." she frowns a litt.e
M'nol nods, grinning back just a tidge, "I know… but I can't stand the thought of going looking for a guy to practice with…" he shudders again, "One day at a time and all that…" He gives Kez a sidelong glance, "Would F'yr really have been that bad? I mean… you seem to like her… and you haven't shown any special interest in, well, anybody…"
Keziah gives a little bit of a nod "Yeah, I can understand that, but yeah, it think it's different for a girl and girl than a guy and guy." she notes and frowns a bit "I dunno if it would have been bad or not." she eyes F'yr "Sure, I like her, but not like that and well, I'd never felt any need to find anyone. I mean the one other time I well, it wasn't all that special." she pauses a moment "Course, shouldn't always go on the first time I guess." and she leaves that at that. "I've been prepositioned by a few otehr women, but it jsut never interested me."
M'nol nods a little, even though he really has no idea, "I… I've never been … propositioned by anyone… least not to my face… there were those creepy letters in the candidates' barracks… and the rose fiend…" he rubs his butt in memory, "Thankfully those've slackened off… Think I've always been more 'cute' than desireable… but since I didn't start desiring 'til pretty recently…" He lets that trail off, thinking perhaps.
Keziah tilts her head a little as she eyes M'nol and his butt rubbing and then grins "Well you're still young yet, there's many turns left for that. Course, you don't need that not with having Phy and all." she notes and hmms.
M'nol nods slowly, "Part of me wouldn't mind, though… wouldn't mind being able to say 'sorry, I'm taken, but thanks for being attracted to me…' yanno?" He sighs, "And with Phy gone… I feel more lonely than ever… even if I know I couldn't be with someone outside of flight because it would hurt her…" his eyes cast down again, staring at the floor, "I think she's the only person who's ever told me I was attractive…"
Keziah tilts her head a little one way and then another and hmms "Well, I wouldn't say you're unattractive. Just not my type." she notes "I mean, you're not bad lookin' and all, but I dunno. You seem more like a little brother to me, so maybe that's what makes so, I dunno. Not for me?" she hmms a little "I suppose it might be fun to say that, but I guess, for me, the prepositions have been more nuscience than anything?"
M'nol nods slowly again, "I… I can understand that… if a bunch of guys were to proposition me I'd be… I don't even know… terrified?" He chuckles, "Thanks, Kez… that is the problem, though… I'm too cute for the average girl to be attracted to me as more than a friend… luckily I found someone above average…"
Keziah pouts, though her eyes are twinkling and it's hard to keep a smile of of her face "I'm only average. Oh woah is me." she then can't help but snicker. Obviously she's not offended. "Yeah, it's odd, but I've had girls and guys and all, and well. None seemed right."
M'nol sighs again, his eyes glazed over, "You're a different kind of special, Kez… you're cute and hard working… but… yeah… definitely more like a good friend or a big sister than a partner…" He shakes his head, bringing his eyes back into focus, "You're a rider, now… you may never need a 'right' so long as there's often a someone."
Keziah snorts a little "I am not cute." she hmmphs and then she's blushing a little and shakes it off "Yeah, as long as there's a someone. Sex really isn't as tiresome as I thought it might be. Good for relaxing at the end of the… err." Yeah.. how bout them Yankees? "So you're thinking of Search and Rescue as well huh?"
M'nol chuckles, "Yes you are, herder-girl…" he stares off into the distance again and says quietly, "It was… amazing…" Another violent shake of his head brings him back to reality, "Yeah, that seems like the best option. It'll let me help people and feel like I'm doing the right thing as a rider and a person. And Faraeth wants to to… says it'll give him purpose delivery or diplomacy won't." He giggles softly, "And it'll let me do what I promised Thea… try to bring good relations between Weyr and Hold by simply being me."
Keziah snorts again and then drops the cute issue. She couldn't get R'zel to stop saying it either, what is it about guys? "Aye, Alosynth needs a purpose as well, odd to see her depressed." she notes thoughtfully and then sighs as sweat drips off her nose onto the leather. "Shards, I need to go cool off." she thats as she gets up and puts the project away "I'm going for a swim." she states simply as she snags a towel and starts to head off.
M'nol nods, "Don't blame ya fer wantin' to get wet, it's much better than being hot all the time." He glances at Alosynth, then at Faraeth, who was paying her little attention now that she was no longer in heat, then chuckles softly, "Have fun Kez. Don't let the shipfish nibble your toes."