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 been a long silent walk for Keziah since she's kept her mouth shut. She can understand the loyalty, it killed her just about to go against that. Still, this can't go on. With Zhaoth settled it's to the tavern with them. Hopefully she didn't have to order Lan on that point, just a mild suggestion at first, insistant after that if the former didn't work. Upon entering in, Kezi calls out "Belly, a bottle of yer finest and a glass to go with." There's a pause "Make that two." she adds "And a double order of fried apples and a couple of burgers and some baklava as well." she then steers Lan towards a back booth and sits down "Shards." she says simply.
Silence was more comfortable than making conversation, especially when Ers'lan started putting the pieces together. Yet he didn't really have time to dwell on what wasn't said when he had to ensure that the dragonhealers didn't jump down his throat and took care of Zhaoth in the manner that Thea promised he would be. Dragon massage! Pah! He made it clear how irritated he was with the special treatment given to the brown before letting the beast lavish in it, leaving with the sheer desire to numb his mind to everything that had happened. The walk was made with his hands in his pockets and his chin dropped, eyes set on the ground. More awkwardness. It lasted as he settled into the booth, leaning back with a 'huff' of air created simply by him falling back into the cushions. More encompassing silence to follow.
Seems as if the two are in accord on the silence. At least for awhile. Keziah isn't much one for staying silent for too long. As the food, drink and glasses are brought, Kezi pours Lan a glass and pushes it over. She doesn't pour herself one just yet. Sometimes just having the choice works for her. The food however is nibbled on, though only with less than half the enthusiasm which she tends to partake of it. Better to wait for the brownrider to lubricate himself though before she says anything.
Lubricate he does! The opening for him to have a glass of whatever Keziah ordered is taken. The glass poured is taken with speed that wasn't anxious enough to show desperation, but necessary to fill the moment with drinking rather than talking. He'll take a gulp, clunk the glass on the table, hold for a minute there, then repeat the cycle. His eyes stray for a time the other occupants of the bar, but already the story was leaking that something was happening with B'rdian and that -he- was part of it. Maybe some where trying to see if he was injured or had evidence of a fight. In any case, he starts sinking back into the booth as much as possible, lowering his face so that the shadows created by the low lighting will help hide him from gossip mongrels.
And if the shadows don't do it, a baleful look from Keziah scares off a number as well. She closes her eyes and then she pours herself some into the glass and then just stares at the amber liquid in the glass and then picks up the bottle. She hehs a bit "Me and my big mouth, this'll cost me." she shakes her head as she sets down the bottle of whisky that's been aged twenty turns. "Ahh, well, ain't like I'm doin' anything else with the marks." she murmurs and then takes a sip and gasps and coughs and heaves a breath. Eyes watering she goes for the burger. "Shards." she wheezes before biting into the food.
The food is given a disinterested one-over, burgers and other such things left for Keziah to eat. For now. He does seem more interested in the booze. Finally, after a glass has disappeared and he refills his own once Keziah is finished with the bottle, he mutters, "Cost you?" He makes an incredulous snort of a sound, drinking further from his glass and for a time, maybe that was all he was going to say. Until: "Tis me that be lookin bad. He did narh see ya…" Finally one of the burgers looks too good to resist and he scoops one up with his meaty paw.
Keziah shakes her head "The bottle, it'll be a pretty mark to pay for, but that's okay I've made marks over the Turns with the runners." she states simply. "Lan, I'm going to say this once, and only once. As your friend. That is iffen ya still consider me friend. " she murmurs "Pull yer head outta yer ass." she coughs a little and eyes the glass of whisky balefully. "How you drink this I canna fathom." she murmurs incredulously. Her who has only ever had a sip of wine.
"Oh…" he mumbles out of the corner of his mouth before he takes another sip of the amber liquid, falling back into an uneasy silence as Keziah continues on, berating him along with the rest of the Weyr. His lip twitches slightly at the remark to pull his head out of his ass, eyes shifting toward her as he fails to answer her concern if they were still 'friends.' He chooses to remain silent, saying at the last with a hard comical feel to his tone, as if he was being more sardonic than funny: "It be easy. Open yer mouth, drink, swallow." And he displays perfect form as he demonstrates.
"Easy, easy he says." she mutters and takes another tiny little sip and coughs again and sets the glass down. "Shards, that'll heat you up won't it?" She snags some baklava and then she glances at Lan again. "Are you upset with me?" she asks finally. "I had to to go to them." She swirls her finger through some moisture on the table. One of the hardest things she's ever done in her life that.
Between strong pulls of whiskey, he's shoving that burger down. It is apparent that he hasn't eaten, not with an appetite as strong as his, with the burger disappearing in large chunks that most people would consider too much a chew for them to handle. Sensing her stare, he shrugs his shoulders initially to her question, finishing up the mouthful. A second later, after wetting his lips with whiskey, he bluntly answers: "I am. Ya should've come to -me- first." He doesn't say it in an angry voice, not even a hint of a grumble, just a calm answer that was completely sincere and not at all whiney.
Keziah watches the food disappear with some relief "Oh aye, come ta ya and have ya say that nothin' was wrong." she snorts a bit "Shard it Lans, Mirai saw B'rdian running you ragged on the course. Shards I saw you kicked while you were down. Kicked!" she hisses, keeping her voice down. "They had to know." She mutters under her breath. "Yer a thrice damned fool. What in the bloody shards were you trying to prove? I thought you had brains. There's takin' yer licks, but that's completly differnt than letting that wherry piss for brains man abuse you. He succeeds with you, then who's next? Me? Laera? Shells. Think about it. A man like that isn't gonna just stop with you if he gets away with it."
Ers'lan slows his eating so that he's not preventing some rebuttal on the subject, plopping the remains of it on a plate in front of him so that he can get a decent grasp of the conversation and reply to it. "Aye… I be a fool.. Aye… I got that already…Shards that's all anyone ever be sayin…" He believed it now. It had happened too numerously for him not to. There is a long and hard look at Keziah, calculating something, his eyes squint some and then he's back to eating. "I warn't tryin ta prove anythin… I jus be trying to 'fit' in… and ta get his respect. I be workin for cap'n's before who be as strict as he…" He makes a gesture to dismiss it, or in fact he's dropping it, going back to munching on his burger.
"In case it slipped, you're no longer on a ship. Yer at a Weyr. Look at the Weyr as a ship. That'd put Xe'ter as Cap'n. And we don't act like that here anyways. B'rdian overstepped his bounds. What he was doin' wasn't bein' strict. He was bein' abusive. Shards, me may as well raped ya fer the trauma he's caused to yer self-esteem.' she snaps and then without thinking about it grabs her glass and drinks it like her cider. This of course as the effect of cutting off any other rant she was about to say as she's reduced to gasping with tears watering her eyes at the sheet fire of the drink. She gesticulates at Ers'lan as she tries to catch her breath. What a sight she must look.
Ers'lan rolls his eyes at the reminder, leaning his elbow with a heavy thunk onto the table, head following suit as it rests on the turn of an upward faced palm. The remark about Xe'ter being Cap'n has Ers'lan frown a little deeper, shaking his head at the admonishment or the fact that Xe'ter was brought up in the conversation. Whatever the case, this former sailor just heave-hos with the rest of his whiskey, muttering: "Down the hatch…" He says nothing of the rest of it, merely turning an eye to her to watch her struggle with the glass of whiskey, "Iffin ya chase it, it be better fer ya." A sailor's advice as he scouts the folks in the tavern, lips tightening as a few look their way and then go into a gossip whisper with one another - it could be his imagination or it could be in fact people enjoying the talk of the two newly (if temporarily) promoted wingriders. "I best be going ta check on Zhao…"
Keziah mutters something about the dragon getting the perks of massage but she nods "Understand." she notes as she gets her breath under control "Chase it?" she asks and then shakes her head a little and then mrrs softly. She can barely handle that one, let alone another. "One thing though, afore ya go. Iffen yer my second, I can't be having ya on night's all the time. I'm gonna keep ya on the same rotation as me until we get things settled in." She's gonna go on at least that things aren't temporary. One never knows how long Council will get to handling matters. Best not to let the wing flounder. It's not very noticable of yet, but there's a slight slurring to her words. She mutters a little "Niva she is not." she says with a bit of wonder in her voice.
"Aye… follow a drink with another of a different sort. Sometimes it be juice or another beverage that helps with the taste…" He stands up from the booth though, eager to be out of her company by the looks of it. A sailor, even a former sailor, wouldn't give up drinking all night if they didn't have to! Free drinks besides! Still, there is whiskey in the bottle. "Reckon I be thankful fer the drink… and food…" Hopefully she has an appetite or can invite other folks to share, since he just had one burger out of the whole deal. The rotation comment is marked with a head bob and that's it. Pulling on his jacket collar, he excuses himself with a final 'good night' muttered out, heading out on his way with so little words.
Now here's a twist Lan leaving the tavern before Keziah. She winces as he's so quick to leave and whisky still left. She stares at the food and then she just closes her eyes and leans back in the booth as he leaves. "Belly, can ya be havin' it sent home fer me?" she says as the man comes over after the brownrider gets up to leave. She carefully gets up herself and has to hold onto the table a moment, though she waves of the bartender's concerns for needing help home herself. "Meh, be fine I will." she mutters. "Damn fool." Though that bit could just as easily be said about her. And then she very carefully makes her way out.