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.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the rock edifice where, high above on Xanadu's Star Stones, the ever-present watchdragon sits on the lonely peak. Directly south is the hatching arena, the large round complex taking up a large portion of the perimeter, a line of trees visible beyond it. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the infirmary is a human-sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Wandering Wherry Tavern. Tucked neatly under the arch, to one side is a tiny wood-frame shop bearing the name 'Petals and Pots Garden Shop'. Southwest lies cliffs where windows for the administrative offices have been cut. Underneath them are the entrances to the crafters complex while north and west along the cliff's base, a broad path leads to the feeding grounds. Due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr - the meadow, the forest beyond. At the far edge of the clearing, beside the trail leading to the forest sits a clocktower.
"Please, Akrab, not so loud…." The little blue creature perched on Eltanin's right shoulder chirps again, peering down at what seems to be a mug of some herbals. The star crafter apprentice lets out a rather long long sigh, massaging the edge of his nose with is free hand. "I know, I know, I shouldn't have…" But then he cuts his own words, the light of the clearing literally aggressing his eyes. Through the mist in his brain and the steam of his mug he does recognize a familiar silhouette though. "Kera. Afternoon…" His voice is low and his face, well, green.
Strolling along at Moncerath's side, Kera is muttering to herself with the reamins of a deflated hide ball clutched in her fingers. The gouged and shredded object having seen its last bounce. The greenling ends up chuckling and shrugging off whatever she was pondering. Minimur chitters and eyes the tattered hide ball with interest as Kera swings it around haphazardly. Around three months have passed since that snowy evening on the hot sands and the young dragons are venturing a bit further out as the days pass. The young dragon waddles akwardly as she holds her wings up and loosely tucked to her. Nearly her previous haunts, Kera looks towards the crafters tunnel brieffly, then her steps take towards the infirmary. Canting her head, surprised to see Eltanin here of all places, and eyes the new shade to his face. "G'day Eltanin….A few tough days?"
Eltanin gives the young green a small bow, calling softly. "Moncerath…" To Kera he offers a poor smile, the smell of his mug making him wrinkle his nose. "Err, more like just a frivolous one." He first replies, reluctantly taking a sip of the worst-taste-on-pern-ever beverage. "I went at the gather and…" It's been a couple of days now but he seems to still pay the price of his impetuousness.
Kera crouches down next to her dragonmate, who stops a couple of paces away from where the starcrafter is working up the courage to down the contents of his mug. Minimur hops down to pounce a vtol or some other insect buzzing among a few potted plants nearby. Moncerath warbles a greeting to Eltanin, her muzzle even dipping briefly towards him, watching with her faceted gaze. Hearing the words frivilous and Gather, Kera grins a little smugly. "Ahh. I made that mistake a couple of turns ago." She winces as her arm slips around her dragonmate's neck "Wasn't a very pleasant morning the next day." Flashing a little grin "I take it that Akrab isn't being very sympathetic to your suffering?"
"Oh he wasn't at first but then I'd never thought it would last that long…" The young Stracrafter replies taking another grimacing sip. "I should have know though…" On his shoulder Akrab chirps quite loudly again as if to mock him. "…pleeeeease Ak…" Diving one finger in his mug quickly, Tani works on spraying some warm liquid at the little blue. "Anyway, the thing that bothers me most is that…I don't really have clear souvenirs…"
Kera grins at the ailing starcrafter with an amused shake of her head "Well, it could have been worse. You could have gotten in trouble and locked detained. So, it's not all bad." With all the new sights to see, Moncerath's head swivel or cants as she watches carts and wagons being pulled by, or transport dragons coming or going about their deliveries. The growing green warbles happily and snuffles at new scents that drift on the air as Kera continues on. "Depending on how much you had to drink, you could have a few entertaining memories as souvenirs." Smirking at Eltanin's almost mocking blue, Kera flicks her fingers towards the mug "The Healer on duty gave you the standard hangover herb blend? Taste so bad you never wanna drink again just to avoid the cure?"
Eltanin's lips curl into another grimace but it's obviously not from the bad taste of the herbals. "But I do have memories…some at least. And no one forced me to drink I just thought…well…you know. I followed advices telling that I should enjoy myself a bit and leave the starcharts behind for once." He wrinkles his nose, nodding at the greenrider, raising his mug once. "I'm starting to get used to it actually."
Kera gives an understanding nod "I hear that alot myself as well. Everyone telling ya to put your manuals away for a few candlemarks, or suggesting ya find a hobby." A little grin slips over her face. "Well not so much this last half turn, with the candidancy and then Moncerath staking a claim. But you know what I mean." The greenling chuckles, reaching up to give an energetic scratch under Moncerath's chin and along her jaw. Kera cants her head curiously at Eltanin "I hope they are good memories, and not completely embarrassing." A little smirk dances across her face. "Then again, I've been told that sometimes the embarrassing ones makes the best memories."
Eltanin watches Kera and her green dragonet with a fondling smile but then he sighs again. "To be truly honest with you I went to that gather with a hope…." Lowering his voices, he tilts his head to peer to his right then left, before adding. "I was hoping to meet that girl again." A sparkle dances in his eyes and his face lightens suddenly at that confession. Even his cheeks get that pink shade. "Sadly she was nowhere to be found." He now clears his throat, frowning as if angry against himself. "I would have never done that if I didn't drink that much…"
Kera glances around when Eltanin does then peers back to the young man when he explains why he went. Having no clue who he's refering to, she nods with a grin "Perhaps it's just as well. She may not have been very impressed if you were drinking 'that' much." A shrug lifts her shoulders "Hopefully you won't make a bad habit of it." She flashes an amsued wink and chuckles "Oh? That sounds like a partial confession of something entertaining. So what was /it/ that you did? Hmm?" Moncerath, peers towards Eltanin pointedly then, her head canted at the same angle Kera's is.
Eltanin has great difficulties to stifle a chuckle, looking at Kera and Moncerath alternatively. But then, he coughs, slowly crossing his arms over his chest. "I never drink actually. I just thought it'd give me enough courage to…go search for her. With the gather and all and my…urge to see her again, I boldly asked G'lin if he'd be kind enough to take me to Western Weyr." He tilts his head, adding. "The place I saw her for the last time." He then chuckles as if still under the effect of that incredible red wine. Or is it because he's talking about /her/? "Now considering it again, I assume I had blind luck and found the right rider who had to see the right greenrider at that very same place…." The way he almost dances from one foot to another, and by the large smile on his face, one can tell it has been quite exciting. "Anyway it's when at Western that it didn't go as planned…'
Kera nods as she follows along with Eltanin's rambling recollection, grinning at his expressions. She lowers her head and turns towards her dragonmate a bit, tryin to hide her amusement. Rolling her fingers at Eltanin to keep him on track "Western, yes…was the breeze after your charts again?" Chuckling softly "It can't be that bad. You still look to be in one piece. So, what happen?"
"You know I keep forgetting them wherever I go. No…" Tani shakes his head vigorously. "I didn't bring my charts along. Obviously not." Sticking his tongue out playfully at her, he follows, words still rushing out just as his embarrassment raises. "I-I….found the wrong girl…I mean it wasn't her I found…."
Kera arches a brow and snaps her fingers as she remembers something herself and looks around the clearing for her lizard "Mini! Come here." from a cluster of grass a few paces away, the brown's head shoots up with a half eaten insect that he hurriedly gobbles down and scramble-flaps across the short distance to Kera. Gestures are made while she talks to the lizard "Go get that white thing under my cot." A few more instructions are given to make sure his task is known before Minimur takes to the air and blinks out. The greenling looks back to Eltanin, smiling at his playfulness, and admission. "Oh? Wrong girl huh? Hmm, well if it wasn't the one ya were looking for, who did ya find?"
Eltanin keeps silence for a moment. For a rather long moment during which he tries his best to conceal his embarrassment. Finally he sets his eyes on Kera again and, with an half smile, he says. "That's where it hurts. I can't remember. I mean I remember her name but not what I…we….have been doing." He coughs, a Oh-yeah-you-can-laugh look in his eyes.
Kera flicks her gaze over Eltanin, taking in his somewhat haggard appearance. Normally she'ld be sympathetic, today isn't really one of those days however so she simply shrugs and smirks towards her hungover friend. "Hmm, between downing that mixture from the JourneyHealer, and the way you feel now, maybe you'll learn not to drink so much next time?" Minimur returns then, chirping excitedly as the rolled cargo in his talons weighs him down. Kera holds her arm out and takes the scroll while giving her lizard a place to rest. "Thank you Mini." Peering back to Eltanin, she does crack a little smile "I got drunk once. Woke up in the wrong cot rather rudely by someone tryin gto sit on my back." She chuckles at herself while offering over the rolled scroll. "You forgot this at the beach the other day."
Eltanin coughs again and nids rather vigorously, causing him to frown as his headache seems to reappear with that brave move. "Oh trust I won't ever touch alcohol anymore. In any way." Repressing a shudder, he lifts a brow, seizing the words, wrong cot, sit and back. "Ouch. Must have been painful but at least you didn't wake up in a wrong cot next to…an unknown face." Here is a shudder again but he perks at the rolled scroll. "Oh thank you, Kera. I really should try not to spread them everywhere I go. Thanks Minimur for me too." He adds, winking at the little brown.
Kera winces at the mention of waking up next to an unknown, her amused smile slipping some as her eyes flicker to Moncerath for a few seconds then shakes off whatever thoughts were pinging around her head. "Things like that do tend to happen, even without adding some drinks." Glancing back towards Eltanin, she nods "I just hope there are no new holes in it. I promise, I didn't let Mon anywhere near the chart while I had it." Chuckling over that, she copntinues to work on coaxing a name from the starcrafter. "So..ya said you remember her name…?"
Eltanin catches Kera's bouncing glance and he follows it. Soon, he too looks from the green dragonet to Kera. Green Moncerath. Kera. "Oh…I didn't mean to…" Yeah, it finally made its way through his slow brain. "Didn't mean to awaken fears." He coughs once again. Quick. Find a new subject! He didn't want to linger on his personal mess of a life but then, it's the perfect distraction. "Naeda!" He replies, smiling almost casually. "A friendly Dolphiner. She helped me find my way back…I guess…."
Kera shrugs, waving off Eltanin's worry about upsetting her and grins at Tani's reaction when talking about the girl he met. "So now you'll be looking out for two huh? Neada and…what was the other girl's name again?" She winks in amusement "Glad things are going well for you. Not including your hangover that is." Reaching out, she gives Moncerath's eye ridges a few scritches, much to the crooning green's delight. "I should go spot her ehr, got a bit of a dry spot there." Peering back to Eltanin, she gives a quick wave. "I need to go tend her, see ya around.. And watch the drinking." Kera smirks through that last bit "Might get ya in some trouble next time."
Eltanin pffffbts which is surely unexpected for him but Kera's comments make him laugh quite a bit. "I'm not /that/ popular. And the only girl's name for me is Lei!" He replies vigorously but without nodding this time. He learnt his lesson. "I will see you around, Kera. Be well." He waves both at the rider and dragon, a large smile on his face. His headache disappeared and not only thanks to his herbals…