Xanadu Weyr - Clearing
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on two sides. Toward the southwest, a spire stretches up to high above where the everpresent watchdragon sits on a lonely peak with Xanadu's Starstones. A massive rocky spur extends to the north, curved slightly to hold the clearing and pocked with doors and windows.
The hatching arena and Dragonhealers' Annex sit to the southeast, built together into a single complex that takes up a large portion of the perimeter beneath its domed roof. To the southwest, wide steps lead up to the caverns, and almost directly south is the entrance to the Infirmary. Nestled between the infirmary and the main caverns there's a human-sized archway with frequent traffic - it leads to the Wanderin' Wherry Tavern.
Tucked near the arch, just off to one side is a tiny wood-frame shop bearing the name 'Wildflower Boutique'. Windows have been cut along the cliff in various places along the cliff. Those of the administrative offices are placed to have the best view of Xanadu's airspace - to the southwest, over the entrance to the caverns and the infirmary. Others mark the dormitories and those of lucky residents, while toward the northern edge of that spur cluster the windows and entrances to the crafters' complex.
The rest of the Weyr lies to the north and east - a broad road that leads through the meadow and the trees of the forest beyond. At the far northern edge of the clearing, just inside the perimeter kept clear of trees, a clocktower sits and proudly displays the hour.
It's a nice evening to be out for a stroll, and a few people are doing just that. There's a breeze - which feels a little cool, true - but it's nice to catch some air now that the actual sting of winter is gone. And maybe that's what Jonteim's doing tonight, taking a break from his version of work, leaning on the exterior of the archway that allows access to and from the Wanderin' Wherry. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a bit of extra color in his face, he tugs on his collar to let some of that cool breeze into his shirt while he hangs out in the shadows just outside the puddle of light that marks the tavern's entrance. Which would be a little creepy a stalkery in appearance if there was anyone worth stalking, but - odds are - it's just so he's out of the way while he catches his break.
Kyra doesn't technically need to be here at Xanadu anymore, for the most part, but she is still a candidate, so she's also not technically required to leave. As it is, she's left not doing a whole lot, seeing as most of her habits tend towards the active. She's left, sadly, reading some of Keldan's books that he keeps locked up in his chest. Sigh. She's intent on grabbing something to eat and maybe a drink as she hobbles her way through the clearing, her cast a brilliant white against the darkness of the slowly ending day. She's got on another oversized, soft sweater, this time to help alleviate the pressure of the crutches under her arms as well as to help keep her warm without making her overheat. She mutters a bit as she plods along, eventually recognizing a shape in the shadows just outside the entrance of the tavern. Her head cocks, she blinks, and then she bends an arm at the elbow to wave at Jonteim, "Hey. What're you doing over there?"
"Not breaking my leg, for one thing," answers Jonteim promptly, leaning just a touch until he can put a hand in the light coming from the tavern, blocking it from touching Kyra's cast if no other parts of her. He does a quick rabbit-ears shadow puppet, then drops his arm back, folding them both over his chest and adjusting the way he leans against the arch just a touch. As though the two are old friends, or at least friendly enough to cut to the conversational chase, he adds, "Going back home, then?" It doesn't sound like he means right now, just speaking in terms of the eventuality: not standing for the eggs after all.
Kyra snorts softly at that prompt response only to grin at the rabbit he makes on her cast. She's still bruised up pretty well, but it's starting to lessen, the bruise on her cheek a pretty unpleasant greenish color and the one on her chin mostly just a shadow now. She makes her way over towards Jonteim, then settles her weight mostly on the crutches, smiling at him easily enough, "Yeah, probably pretty soon. I mean, I'm still kind of a candidate, so I'm allowed in the barracks and all, but I'm not going to be able to make it to the sands." She looks at Jonteim, then towards the bar, then back before laughing a little bit, "You want a drink, don't you?" Apparently his casual attitude towards her doesn't bother her, but maybe it's because she tends to be that way with other people as it is.
Jonteim's got a one-word question: "Disappointed?" He shifts somewhat, making enough room that Kyra could join him in the leaning if she so desired, maybe take a little extra weight off her crutches - and he exhales a quick laugh at her guesstion. "Nice try, but." He shakes his head, hooking his thumb to indicate the entrance to the bar, where there's a big round of raucous laughter spilling out into the night as something funny happens inside. "Been earning my keep."
Kyra can't really lean as well as he can, so she just props her shoulder and one crutch against the wall while using the other one as a sort of stand. She peers at the door at the sound of laughter, then nods her head a little bit, "Yeah. I mean, I'm not too broken up - it was worse being out in the woods, not sure if anybody'd be able to find me, you know? Compared to that, missing the Hatching is kind of secondary." She jerks her narrow chin towards the door and smiles a little less teasingly now, genuinely pleased by the news, "Oh, so are you a bouncer, then? Or are you bartending here, too? I didn't figure they'd let you, since candidates aren't allowed to drink and all, but it'd probably be a lot easier than anything else, huh?"
You know, she asks. And, apparently, he does know, at least enough to nod sympathetically. Jonteim's expression of this sympathy is a little dry when he comments, "Definitely gives you a sense of perspective, doesn't it. Figuring you're done-for. How long on the crutches?" As for the drinking… he shrugs, summarizing this specific Weyr's position on the matter: "Not allowed to be drunk, apparently. So yeah," he tends bar here. "Old habits die hard."
Kyra shrugs in response to that question, which is sort of amusing on crutches as she more or less lifts herself in the process, "Until the leg heals, I guess. I imagine I'll be able to sort of hobble around without them when the pain stops, but they didn't give me a really clear timeline on it." She nods her head understandingly regarding old habits, quirking a somewhat amused, wry smile, "Yeah, that's how I got this." She nods at her leg. Old habits, old jobs. Hunting in places you don't know that well, bartending in places you can't drink. Sad lot.
Jonteim does not smile at her awkwardness. In fact, the sheer force with which he does not smile is probably even more derisive than actually smiling would be. "Long enough to be sure you can't Stand, though," he deduces once the humor of her ungainly shrugging has run its course, and once he's sure the snicker won't creep into his voice uninvited. "Shame." And that really does sound genuine, like he'll be bummed on Kyra's behalf, even if she's too busy seeing the bigger picture.
Kyra takes in that not-quite-totally-not-laugh and just gives her own little snort of laughter, as if to make up for it, informing him impishly, "Hey, this cast is heavy and hard as a rock. Don't make fun of me in your head." There's no real malice there, however, and she nods her head in mild agreement, "Yeah. It would've been nice. I'm still going to go watch it, though. I told everybody I'd make a huge banner and yell really loud." Her grin returns quickly and then she is nodding towards the tavern, "I was going to get something to eat. Wanna come with me? It's probably more fun than standing outside." Pause, grin, "Well, you know. Maybe."
Don't make fun of her in his head, "Or what? You'll hop at me?" For all he seems pretty confident about being unthreatened by Kyra's plaster appendage, it should be noted that he glances down a second, taking the measure of the space between the two of them. In case he has to skitter away quick-like. This is also an excuse to totally ignore talk of banners and loud yelling, which would only make him say something snide and wander off, bringing him to talk of going inside and eating. "It's not," more fun. "Least of all for sixteen," at a guess, "Turn old girls in casts who technically can't drink to get drunk 'cause they're still Candidates." Pause. "Also for bartenders."
Jonteim's name was in that pose somewhere, honest.
"I'm seventeen. And I want food, not booze. Either way, it's here or the living caverns, do you want to eat with me or not?" is Kyra's quipped response, her expression still seeming largely amused and mostly at him. She does hop in place after a second to test her ability only to wince and shake her head, "No, probably not. I'll just swing it. Like a stick or a yo-yo." She gives her foot a couple testing swings, finds this to be largely not painful, and grins a bit. It's more likely she won't kick him, anyway, but it's good to have the ability.
"After that?" The testing of her bludgeoning weapon? Jonteim can answer in all honesty, "No," he doesn't wanna eat with her. In fact, he kinda sidles over a little more, too, like he's not totally sure he even wants to stand out here and chat with her, killing the last few minutes of his break before it's back to slinging drinks for people who are allowed to get drunk. (Oh, sweet irony!) "But come in, you can have some fried friedstuff, get fat while you're crippled." The combination of which does have him give up trying to quell it: he snickers at Kyra, haha.
Kyra frowns a little bit and reassures him quite stridently, "Oh, come on, I'm not really going to conk you with it." Probably. She puffs up her cheeks when he sidles away from her like that as well, only to huff and blink at the idea of getting fat. Rather than get hurt or try kicking him, his snicker and the idea he presents just makes her start to laugh rather hard, "Oh my Faranth! I should! People would freak out." Nyahaha. She scoots around him in order to head for the door, backing up to it so she can open it without having to stumble all over her crutches in the process, "Come on, then."
Jonteim still keeps a good distance between himself and Kyra's beatstick. Which is a lot easier to do when you're going in to work and not just hanging out, eating fried friedstuff. He does, as promised, send over some barfood for Kyra, all of it as greasy as can be managed, but work trumps teasing Gimpy McCrutcherson, and he gets sucked into the world of tending bar not long after ducking inside.