Xanadu Weyr - Forest
In sharp contrast to the treeless, carefully manicured look of the main clearing, the forest is full of trees, and maintains most of its natural look. Wild flowers grow in their seasons, bordering the road leading from the main clearing as weaves its way between the stands of trees - wide enough for traffic of all types, even draconic. Leading off are several smaller, less worn trails, which branch outwards, making their way to private residences and other attractions - the theater for example. The road, though, continues on eastward, to the feeding grounds and the mine, and beyond that, to the coastal road out of Xanadu's territory.
There's a rustling up in the trees and some small branches fall downwards along with a few leaves. Suddenly there's a snap and a yelp and a muttered curse even as a larger and quite dead branch falls to the ground. Up in the tree, Keziah lies across her stomach and looks quite annoyed with herself and higher up still is a small kitten who looks down with curiosity.
A slight humming sound is audible as Erdric makes his way along the forest path. His eyes only occasionally glance up at the road as he walks, being more focused on the current book he is now reading. His attention is snagged however by the snap of branches and the yalp from somewhere above him. He glances up into the trees and notices the young woman precariously perched on her stomach. "Are you ok up there?" He calls to her. "Do you need some help?"
Snapping and yelping? Oh, Y'ki is there. Or..he will be, anyway, since he comes trudging out from between a few trees off the path. The beaten path, even. Still, he does stop, looking first right at Erdric, and then…up. Upward toward Keziah, in fact, and her rather awkward position. Then comes the laughter, which comes right up out of the teen's throat, causing him to lean heavily against a nearby tree. "What /are/ you doing? You look like an idiot up there!"
Keziah shifts her weight a little and swings a bit as she peers around and then groans as she see's both the young men. "Great." she mutters. She looks up the tree a bit again at the kitten and then sighs "I told little Arine that I'd get her kitty for her." she states and then eyes R'ki a little. "Ever the same, aren't you?"
Erdric looks back groundward at the sound of Y'ki's voice and a the visible apprehension apparent in his eyes and his sudden posture seems to disappear a bit. He wasn't sure he could offer Keziah help even if she did need it. As the young woman calls back down towards the rider Erdric looks up again only now noticing the cat perched further up the tree. He looks then to Y'ki and back to Keziah not sure what to say or do, since they apparently already know each other and he knows neither one.
Theodore isn't generally one for wandering around the Weyr, really, so when he steps into the forest, it is with a satchel bag over his shoulder and sporting obviously comfortable clothing - though the blue tanktop he has on basically hangs on his skinny frame. He stops abruptly, however, when he hears people speaking and laughing, especially the familiar voice of Y'ki. He looks from one side to the other before he moves to try and sneak closer, acting as nothing more than a rustling bush as he attempts to peek out and see what they're up to without being caught. Keziah's mention of the feline draws his attention, naturally, frowning faintly at the poor kitty.
Keziah struggles a bit and then straddles the branch and sits up, bracing herself with a branch above her head. She watches Erdric curiously and doesn't happen to notice Theodore. Meanwhile, the kitten gives a little bit of a mew and draws Keziah's attention upwards even as bats at the hair abit. "You're more than welcome to come on up and all." she states with a grin to the boy.
Y'ki shrugs somewhat, his own laughter dying down a bit. "Why would I be any different? It's not that much of a surprise, is it?" Y'ki will always be..Y'ki. Even if it does mean he's not the most charming person around. Still, he doesn't look like he's going to offer much help, either, staying put with his back to the tree. "Well then have at it, eh? C'mon, I wanna see you break your leg or something." Or neck, by chance, if falling does occur. Erdric is given another slow look then, before the boy grins slowly. "Well? I thought you were gonna help her?" After all, one broken leg is funny. Multiple broken limbs on different bodies is downright hilarious. Theo the bush-rustler..isn't noticed quite yet.
Erdric looks at Y'ki then up and Keziah not sure which 'boy' she was referring to. As Y'ki answers her inquiry back and does not seem to want to offer any help he guesses she meant himself. "You want me to come up there? Yeah, well, umm.." he stammers for a moment, his dark skin turning a noticeable shade of red. "Actually I don't think I could get even up to that first branch there." He is obviously also oblivious of Theodore having found himself in a bit of a predicament himself now.
Bushes beneath the tree rustle, and then, monkeystyle, a slim figure is scaling the tree. Light as can be, Theodore doesn't have much problem getting up through the branches, though he doesn't pay any mind to Keziah beyond a very polite, "Pardon me," on his way by, scooting up past her and curling his legs around one of the higher branches. He doesn't waste time doing it because he wants to be done and away from other people as soon as possible, though his haste does wind up with him getting a few small leaves and tiny branches stuck in that birdsnest of curls he has.
Keziah snickers a little at Y'ki even as she eyes the other boy curiously and then her attention is distracted by a third kid. Theye just come out of the woodwork, don't they? She watches Theodore as he climbs up and then past her and then shakes her head a bit and rolls her eyes even as the kitten shrinks back from her newest rescuer, though the little thing doesn't go up any higher.
Well there's a surprise. Someone Y'ki didn't expect. …At least not up in a tree. "Theo!" It's a somewhat bewildered exclamation, the bluerider pushing himself away from the tree as he gets a look at the curly-haired baker. "Oh great.. Look, you bust your skull wide open, and I'm not dragging you to the infirmary! ..At least not /quickly/." The boy just scowls, however, though he does move a bit closer to the tree, eyeing its occupants somewhat.
Erdric's attention is drawn towards the new arrival as he skitters up the tree past Keziah, towards the stranded kitty. He turns towards the rider as he exclaims towards the new arrival. "Well it seems you all have things quite well under control here." He looks up at the young woman eyeing her carefully. "Good luck with your kitten there Ma'am." He never did catch her name. He stands there for a moment to make sure that truly the rider and the new boy now up in the tree have things under control as the last thing he wants to do is explain why he left two people stranded in a tree when he has only just arrived at the Weyr.
Theodore waves a hand at Y'ki in a dismissive fashion while he opens his satchel with his free hand, taking out what looks like a small paper bag, the sort that Y'ki is likely familiar with. He reaches inside and takes out what looks like a small pie, tucking the bag back into his satchel afterwards and breaking off a little chunk. It looks like the pie is full of meat of some kind, and so the blonde leans forward carefully and wiggles the piece at the kitten, "It's okay. Come on."
Keziah continues to watch Theodore as he tempts the kitten closer. That is until Erdirc speaks. She looks back down at the boy and grins. "Yeah, looks like he's havin' better luck and all." she remarks as she starts climbing back down. Slowly, carefully and then another yelp as she manages the last ten feet a little quicker as she loses her grip and ends up falling onto her back with an oof. "Ow… that hurt." she mutters with a wince and then groans. Lovely. She just had to go and fall… in front of a bunch of boys no less. How embarrassing.
Y'ki tilts his head toward Erdric as the other boy starts to..leave? Wha? "Where do you think /you're/ going? The least you could do is stand under the tree and pillow his fall if he.." Falls? Well, sure, all he was talking about was Theo, but Keziah goes and plops right down, earning a stare from the rider, followed by a slow grin. "So /graceful/." Still, his attention flickers back up into the tree again, brows furrowing somewhat. "Just /leave/ the stupid thing up there, already!"
Erdric starts to give the rider an inquisitive look and is about to say something as Keziah starts her way down and suddenly falls the last couple feet towards the ground. He moves suddenly, his slight frame moving lightning quick. In an instant he is kneeling beside the woman, looking her up and down his attention on her (hoping the other boy does not fall and land on top of them). "Don't move." He says quietly to her. "Where does it hurt?" He may not be a healer but he obviously knows something or other about it from the way he is talking.
Theodore sets the little piece of meat pie on the branch so that he can pull a small blanket from his satchel, obviously used for sitting on. He reaches out to let the kitten sniff his fingers, pets her a while as she nibbles on the pie, then carefully goes about picking her up. He's not above easing her claws from the tree, either, but he won't just rip her up; once he has her in close, he curls the blanket around her carefully and tucks her into his satchel, closing it over top. She'll likely wail, but at least she can't jump out, and Theodore carefully makes his way back down the tree he so brusquely climbed.
Keziah snorts a bit at Y'ki, though he does have a point. A glance at Erdric as he's looking her over. "I'm fine." she states as she starts to sit up. "Just a little bruised is all. I'm all right." she mutters in embarrasment. Imagine, being fussed over by a kid. She looks up in the tree. "Does he got her?" she asks as she rubs at her back and looks over at Y'ki "Leave her? Even you wouldn't want a little girl heart broken would you? Airne's father gave that to her before he went back out to sea after all."
Y'ki blinks somewhat as Erdric goes rushing by, and then just shakes his head. At least Theodore is coming down the tree now, even if it is with a kitten stuffed in his manpurse. Keziah, however, is given a rather bland look for her questioning, brows slowly lifting. "Oh..wait, was I supposed to care about some little brat I don't even know?" Does he know her? Well he's going to maintain that he doesn't! So there. "I don't care about what happens to her stupid pet, she's the one that let it run off."
Erdric stops fussing over Keziah and looks up at Y'ki his eyebrows drawn down in bewilderment. He obviously is not used to people being talked to in such a manner, even if the man is a rider. "Excuse me, I may be new here but is that any way to talk? You seem awfully callous." Despite his appearance it appears the young man has a spine of sorts.
"He doesn't mean it," Theodore says as he approaches the group, gently taking the wrapped kitten out of the satchel so he can rub her head and under her chin to calm her down a little bit. Theodore doesn't just foist the kitten off on Keziah, though, instead shifting it around so he can get his hand under her feet and pull her free of the blanket, in case she doesn't like it. Kissing the kitty on the head, he rolls his shoulders and adds, "Y'ki's just acting like a brat." So there. He gives Y'ki a look as he pets the kitten, noting, "It would've been mean to leave her up there." Is he chastizing Y'ki? A little. Bwaha.
Keziah can't help but smile at Eldric "Aww." how sweet. "He's actually being pretty decent." she notes with a shrug and then grins at Theo. "Thank you for getting Sashi, Arine will be quite happy." she notes softly even as she looks over at Y'ki "Actually, I'd be surprised if you did care about her. But it doesn't matter if you don't, since it's not important if you do."
Y'ki slowly looks at Theo, eyes narrowed just a little at the baker. "Who /says/ I don't mean it?" The kitten is fluffy. He doesn't /do/ fluffy. Arms do fold over his chest, however, before he simply shakes his head, turning his gaze back on Erdric who does, in fact, have a spine. "And? I'll talk however I want. I don't have to care if I don't want to." Keziah is given a little glance then at her comment, but he shrugs somewhat.
"If this is decent, I'd hate to see him at other times." The words come out of Erdric's lips as a mutter almost to himself but loud enough for probably everyone to hear. He slowly stands up from his semi kneeling position and offers Keiah a hand to help her up the rest of the way as well. Then, turning towards Theo, "That was awfully thoughtful of you, I am sure the little girl the cat belongs to will be very happy to have it back safe and sound." He shrugs towards the rider when he makes his last comment and shakes his head. "True you don't but your loss then. Not going to make many friends with that attitude, thats for sure."
Theodore is fluffy! His hair is, anyway. He watches the three of them while he pets the kitten quietly, big green eyes shifting between each of them before he's startled by Erdric speaking directly to him, blushing heatedly, "Ah. Well. The kitten wasn't very happy, either, so…" He scratches the kitten's neck and then offers it over to Keziah, staring at it contemplatively for a few seconds before he ruffles through his satchel and takes out a few fruit tarts; one is offered to each of them before he hefts his satchel, wags a hand in a light wave, then does his best to extricate himself from this social meeting.
Keziah takes Erdrics hand and pulls herself up, wincing just a little. "Ahh well, he can have his moments, but he's softy inside." she states with a sneaky little grin at Y'ki. Theo is smilesd at "Thank you, and who can I tell Arine to thank for rescuing Sashi?" she asks curiously. aaaaaaaasrgrshlo['
Y'ki is given a /tart!/ Joy. He even stuffs it right into his mouth, chewing contently on it while eyeing Erdric. "I've /got/ friends." Er../a/ friend, anyway. Which is why he promptly grabs hold of the back of Theodore's collar when the other boy tries to leave. "Where are you going? We're hanging out today." By royal decree of King Y'ki, of course.
Keziah cuddles the kitten a little even as she finally takes a bite out of the bubbly she'd been offered. She sneaks a grin at Y'ki and just shakes her head a bit. "How is your brother by the way?" she asks after a moment.
Theodore has his collar ganked and tries not to fall over backwards, flailing a bit as he stumbles only to glower rather sulkily at Y'ki, "T-that's okay… I was going to, um, go… out… and sit." By himself. Alone. Me time. He smiles at Keziah and waves a hand quickly, his cheeks filling with blush once more, "N-no, it's okay. I'm sure she'll just be happy to have it back."
Y'ki narrows his eyes a little bit at Keziah. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" Pft. Like he'd know anymore, with all the time D'len spends with../that/ guy. Hmph. He shakes his head though, keeping his grip on Theodore's collar, and just looks at the other boy. "Fine. I'll sit for a little while. A /little/ while. Sitting's pretty boring."
Keziah gives another little nod to Theo. "Well, just as well I suppose. She's a tendency to crushes at the moment, though she is only five." she murmurs and then hmms thoughtfully at Y'ki "Well, I suppose I'lll run into him at some point." she murmurs thoughtfully. "He seems to be pretty busy and all."