Xanadu Weyr - Wanderin' Wherry Tavern
It is often whispered in the crowds that converge here, that a certain Weyrleader was asked what he wanted in the remodeling of the pub that was not so long ago given a refreshing. He muttered back over the rim of his ever-present mug, "I don't care what you do with the place, just so long as there is plenty of ale." With that in mind, cask after cask of ale lines the walls of the tavern, the remodeler's idea of a jest. As they age, the casks bring a real rustic atmosphere to the pub, along with the deeply wooden flavor that seems to be the theme throughout.
The lighting is dim, as it should be in all good pubs, and the tables and chairs are plentiful. A long mahogany bar, intricately carved with runner beasts, stands vigilant duty at the head of the bar, lined with stools for those patrons that seek the bartender's company.
It's the usual state of things for Satoris since Zevida up and disappeared. He's turned the Tavern into a temporary place to… live and work. That is, until he's kicked out at the end of the day and who knows where he goes. Stories vary. Right now he's well into a pitcher or three of ale and is simply staring at a map spread out before him. The table is full of other stacks of reports, messages, and the like.
Soaking rain continues to pour down upon the Xanadu area this evening and some weyrs near the water are flooded making things crowded everywhere. Folks are bedded down in every dry spot they can find from the upper levels of the hatching arena to the cavern and offices at night. Tempers flare as folks become irritable with less places to get away for their down time. Seeking someplace - any place to get away from the crowds finds Thea stepping into the Tavern with, of all things, a deck of cards. There's a table next to the one Satoris has claimed and so she heads over, sits. Determined to be cheerful she offers the miner a bright, "Evening!"
D'had isn't that far behind Thea in entering into the tavern. He's headed for the bar first however, getting a pitcher of ale, a glass for himself, and whatever it is that the junior is drinking tonight before heading over to that same table that she's claimed. All is set down and glass is filled. A long drink follows before he says much of anything more than ordering and thanks.
Satoris glances up briefly at Thea. It takes a moment for his eyes to focus. He's well into a drinking marathon already. Poor man must have liver damage by now. He grunts a brief response before looking down at the map again. Who knows what's going on there.
And that would be water that Thea's drinking, for once passing up the white wine she'd normally partake of. She's not being particularly chatty tonight for all her chipper greeting to the somber-looking Satoris, she's looking rather fatigued, her smile of thanks for that water D'had brings her, while warm is slightly strained. Seems sleeping in the office leaves one less than rested. "Did that tree hurt the main roof?" This is directed to the Weyrsecond before another glance towards the miner, "So, have you gone to see her yet?" Prodding, yes.
D'had gives a slight nod back to Thea, a note of 'your welcome' somewhere in it. "Doesn't seem to." Not bad enough that he thinks its worthwhile telling her at any rate. There's a glance towards Satoris when she starts talking to him. He narrows his eyes as he tries to put a name to the face there. That one he has seen before. Here even maybe. There's a nod of greeting for the miner as well before the weyrsecond is back to his drink.
Chin comes up again and Satoris blinks a few times. His eyes are bloodshot and there are dark circles beneath him. He's usually fairly rough around the jaw, but he's been putting off shaving for a while and has the serious beginnings of a woodsman's beard. He gives a brief, jerky nod back at D'had. "Seeing as how I lack a dragon to take me, nor have I bothered anyone to waste their time… No. I haven't."
"This is Satoris, Zevida's weyrmate," Thea tells D'had as she slides the hand not holding that deck of cards palm up across the table towards one of his. Eyes concerned as she listens not just to what he's said, but how. Seems she's taking him at his word and not worrying about the weyrbarn, breathing a sigh of relief instead, she smiles, "Good." Then, "How's the flooding along the coast?" She turns to blink at Satoris, a soft snort accompanying her reply, "Sounds like an excuse to me. I told you I'd take you there."
D'had nods again, "Good ta meet ya," he replies before turning back to his ale. He lifts a shoulder in a shrug as he drinks, lowering the glass back to the table with a soft thunk before he replies to the question that follows. "Flooding, could be better, could be worse." Obviously. Then to Satoris, he echoes Thea's sentiments, "Plenty of people who wouldn't mind I'm sure."
"And run the risk of returning to find you were needed? No thanks." Satoris roughly folds the map and pours himself a fresh mug of ale, finishing off his current pitcher. "There's too much needing to be done here to waste time on something so trivial."
Thea wriggles her fingers; D'had's ignoring the hand she's offered him. She does manage not to roll her eyes at his non-answer. "Need extra help on sweeps? I'll be happy to go along with," she tells the Weyrsecond sweetly. Yeah, she already knows the answer to that one. She smirks at Satoris, "Nobody needs me for anything and I'd make sure you got back too. But if you want a ride you'll never forget, have D'had take you on Siebith." She's still living with the effects of that one ride. Her grin fades, "Since when are Zevi and your new baby trivial?"
D'had shrugs again, lifting the glass again with one hand while the other reaches out for Thea's hand when his attention finally catches it there. "We're good," he assures about sweeps. "But yeah," he agrees, "Like I said, plenty of people to take ya…" But then there's baby talk and he's shutting up.
"Since they left," Satoris replies, harshly. He's not even looking at Thea and D'had anymore; jus staring at the empty seat across from him. He downs his ale fairly swiftly, pushing pitcher — and coin enough to refill it — to the edge of the table, for the serving girl to see.
Thea pretends to pout about sweeps, "Can make them even better?" Her teasing is falling on deaf ears tonight it seems. With all that shrugging going on over there, someone's looking irritable to her. As D'had's fingers close around hers, she asks him quietly, "Didn't sleep again, huh?" Snarling miners should likely be wearing collars and caged safely. Alas. This one is not. She eyes him warily, "Since you've finished that pitcher, I can take you now to see her and you can tell that to her face." Someone's not giving up.
D'had shrugs. Yes, that is his thing tonight. He's drinking, not talking tonight. "Not so much," he agrees about his lack of sleep. But then, sleeping in the office isn't exactly productive to getting actual sleep.
"No," Satoris states, lifting a hand to try to flag down the serving girl. He doesn't look at Thea. "She left without telling me and took my son. I doubt she wants to see me."
It's been difficult for them all and Thea know this, so flashes the Weyrsecond a look of understanding for his silent drinking. She gives his fingers a gentle squeeze before pulling her hand away, leaving that deck of cards to lie on the table she rises and shakes her head at that serving girl, hopefully to discourage her from bringing the miner anything more to drink. "Not helping you think, Satoris. She loves you. Come on," she steps over beside him, "lets go see her." One hand taps lightly at his arm.
D'had refills his glass once his hand is freed from Thea's. That done he hands over the remained of the pitcher to the miner's table since the junior is doing what she can to avoid his getting another. "Goin' now won't do any good," he notes to her, "Tomorr'd be better." When there's a semblance of sobriety.
Satoris jerks away from Thea, pale eyes turning upon her in a severe glare. "If she loved me, why would she leave like that? She could've told /me/ of all people. Why do you think she didn't even tell you? She abandoned us, Thea."
Thea sends the Weyrsecond a pointed look for that pitcher-sharing he's doing. So -not- helping there, D'had! "Drunk's the only way to get the stubborn old crusty miner-" Her hand is left tapping naught but air as Satoris jerks his arm from underneath it. "Dunno. Let's go ask her," she says simply, leaning over his table, she starts scooping up his map into her arms.
D'had sighs, somewhere in his expression is an eye roll though it's more thought than actually done. No need to let Thea see it after all. "Go," he notes towards Satoris. "See what she says and I'll buy a few rounds when you get back." Deal?
He was done with the map anyway. Satoris just stares at Thea, then a glance to D'had and back. "No," he says firmly. "If I'm wrong, she'll come around in time. If I'm right?" There's the broken man, in that expression right there. "I don't need to see it."
Thea stands there with those maps and stuff in her arms, staring right back at Satoris and yes, thankfully, she misses that expression in D'had's eyes. "You are the most stubborn-" It's nearly a growl. "She's probably wondering why you didn't follow after and check on her." Stumped at the miner's refusal to be bribed by D'had's offer of booze, she resorts to threats, "Don't make me hog-tie you and cart you there in a cargo-net." One toe starts tapping.
"Don't blame him," D'had replies to Thea. He's avoiding taking sides here as best he can, but it’s clear enough there's a certain point of agreement with the miner. "He don't wanna go, he don't wanna go. No point in arguing it."
"Has she told you that? Has she told anyone that? This is Zevida. If she wanted to talk to me, or to contact me, she would have." Satoris raises an eyebrow, expression clouding. "You would do no such thing and I'm ashamed for you to even suggest it."
Thea flickers a wide-eyed look towards the Weyrsecond, ice green eyes innocent. "But, but Donn. Zevi needs him." Back to Satoris she narrows her gaze at him, "Oh, wouldn't I?" Over her shoulder to D'had, "Okay, won't argue with him." She reaches a hand towards Satoris' arm, "Be a big boy and come talk to her."
"Don't look at me," D'had adds, throwing up his hands before reaching for his drink. There will be no accusing him of anything here. Well that's the hope anyway. "She left without sayin' anything, sounds to me like she don't wanna talk."
Satoris swats Thea's arm away. Gentle from his end, but he /is/ a miner. "She does /not/ need me, Thea. Whatever Zevida is, she is not some weak woman who has need of a man around." Now he's angry on a whole other level.
Thea complies; she turns away from D'had. Not looking at him, not dragging him in the middle of anything, nope. Not her. "She was injured, Niva said. Maybe she hit her head and isn't thinking right. It happens I know, cos after I fell down that ravine I was all confused and thought-" Oh, let's not go there. "She's not weak, but I know she l-" That swat is enough to put Thea off-balance and Satoris perhaps cannot know that her renewed grab for his arm is but for balance.
D'had is putting himself in it with that swat. Being that it's an action that he only catches out of the corner of his eye… He's on his feet in a second, reaching to catch at Thea while he sends a glare and a growl towards Satoris. "Don't touch her. You don't wanna go, don't, but she's got a point."
When Thea reaches for him again, Satoris follows D'had's request and leans back. "She grabbed at me," he points out, simply. Once he's able, he gets up from the booth and grabs his things, leaving behind the marks for the other pitcher; a tip, or something. "As soon as these rains stop, we'll all be busy. I shouldn't go prancing off on some misguided hope."
So Thea's grab for balance misses and she flails, her attempt not to land in the irate miner's lap has her staggering back a step and there's poor D'had behind her, that growl of his distracts her momentarily. "But… but, Satoris… " He's getting up, looks to be heading out and she's failed. Alas. "Hope's never misguided." She mutters it to the man's back, then her shoulder droop, "I'm sorry, Donn. I had to try."
"Just think about it man," D'had notes to the retreating Satoris. Well it is something to think about the way Thea puts it, not that he would have thought of it like that without her guidance. On his own he'd have to agree with the miner. "For her, he just shakes his head, "Its alright babe. Ain't no one's fault or nothin'."
Satoris just grunts in response. Either to Thea or D'had as he ventures out. Perhaps to find someplace else to sulk.
Thea just flumps back down into her vacated seat, propping her chin in her hands as Satoris exits. "Well, I shouldn't have pushed him, but for Zevi's sake…" She shakes her head ruefully, then peeks up at D'had with a twinkle. "Can we get him majorly drunk and cart him *Between* to Eastern when he passes out?"
D'had just shakes his head, dropping back into his own seat. A drink fills a long moment of silence before he answers, reaching over to retrieve his pitcher in the process. "No." That's the simple answer. "He'll go when he's ready. She ain't tried either."
Darn! There goes a beautiful plan down the drain. "He'll never be ready. And Zevi's too proud." Thea sighs, but doesn't argue, simply watches the way he drinks. "You're… " eyes flicker from the pitcher to his face, "ah… something bothering you tonight?" Besides what she just put him through, that is.
D'had lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "Nothing we can do about all that. You tried. All ya can do." On that topic, that seems to be his final comment. As for the rest he shakes his head, "Nope." Drink. "Just been a long day." Too many people in too close quarters, not sleeping well, not to mention what just went down. Its just more than time for a drink.
Thea simply nods to that, keeping her mouth shut and it's likely that Satoris will finally find some peace and quiet if D'had has any say in the matter (and likely he does). She rises from her seat, steps around the table, brushes a kiss to his cheek, murmuring in his ear, "The other juniors have left, the office is empty. I'm gonna go make up that couch bed. Join me when you're ready?" A brow lifts suggestively. The office. A place of so many memories. His hangover. Her boozecakes. It's a wonder any sleep is to be had there at all.
D'had nods. "Right," he agrees, hand still firmly on his drink. "I'll be in later." How much later is yet to be determined, but he will be there eventually.
With a half-smile, Thea heads out, leaving D'had the deck of cards and the rest of his ale. And so ends another day in Xanadu where miners are homeless and Weyrseconds… are too for that matter. In the hatching arena folks are settling down for the night on those oh-so-comfy seats - just one big pajama party.