Xanadu Weyr - Caverns
A massive cavern in it's own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as are the walls where numerous tapestries hang to provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt, leveled carefully but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.
The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area, however, is the one near the Kitchens where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. Its plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr and equally plain that on such occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are appropriated from all the other areas.
A big fireplace is set into the wall near the Kitchens as well, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.
Keziah is inside where it's warm, though the puddle by her coat on a chair next to her attests to the fact that it wasn't all that long ago that she was outside. Her hair is wet, but at least it's not frozen anymore. She's currently got a bog bowl of stew, some hunks of bread and cider. All of which is warm and steaming. Especially the bread as it is just fresh made.
Rainy days are the worse days of going outside. Yet Ysa finally found herself out of her cave and back in the caverns. By the look of her, though, she probably hadn't been outside when it started to rain. "Shardin' leaders," she grumbles once she reaches the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the administration offices. She was slumping forward, still looking a bit pale to the face, as she moves towards the available drinks and choosing herself a glass of juice. On her way to a seat, though, she stops immediately at Keziah's table, brows arching forward. "Kez!" Her voice at least sounds stronger than she looks. "Er… mind if I sit here?"
Keziah pauses mid-midmotion of stuffing stew soppin bread in her mouth "Ysa!" she exclaims nods "Oh yes, please sit down." she notes with pleasure. "Can I get you anything to eat? You really should rest and all." a pause "Or I dunno, making walking around is better? We walk the animals when they're pregnant so that the delivery is easier and all." THoughtful look on her face with that.
Ysa collapses in the seat across from Keziah before she actually gets the proper answer. "Ugh," she answers her offer, sticking her nose in her juice. "No thanks, I don't have much of an appetite." She tenses at the girl, though, and slowly raises her eyes to her. "How'd ya know I was pregnant? I haven't been out— Faranth, was it Ram? He's been saying it everywhere, hasn't it?" Her nose gets lost further into the glass. "Ugh. 'm not even fat yet," she grumbles some more. Her frown only grows more thought, as she eyes the younger girl across from her. "What've ya been up to?"
Keziah shrugs a little "I think it might have been him. Dunno who else would have said something about it." she notes as she dives into the food again. "I hate weather like this, cold, wet, slippery. Though I suppose if people have any brains they'll stay inside and not bother decent folk and all." she mumbles with food in her mouth. "Course, still a pain when you're expected to work the runners and all." she affects a high pitched voice 'Oh, my runner doesn't mind the rain, he still likes to get out and trot and all, but I just can't do it.'" she then grumps a bit.
S'ya comes waltzing into the caverns, little Zallesh attached to her hip, and a small bag full of baby supplies slung over her other shoulder. She's wearing short shorts and a skin tight tank top and is drenched in sweat and water from the rain, someone's been working off that baby fat. Zallesh on the other hand is nice and dry and bundled in his harper blue onesies, the little dark skinned boy sucking his thumb happily. "A /tall/ glass of juice please. Oh, make sure it is very cold." She says to the first drudge she sees before moving off to find a place to sit. She's just passing by the table where Ysa and Keziah are seated when the goldrider utters the word 'pregnant'. "Pregnant? Again, love? How lovely!" Seems she's found her seat.
Ysa glares at a spot in the tabletop. "You'd think my stupid weyrmate would be smart enough to know I don't want any gossip spread even though I didn't remind him." She focuses back on Keziah momentarily, though her gaze keeps shifting away since the girl's stew makes her look sicker. "I'd stay inside if I wasn't over here looking for the Weyrleader. Or Niva. I don't care who, but I got to talk to one of 'em. You, too," she suddenly decides. She couldn't really comment on the runner question when S'ya approaches with her brat. "Ugh," she repeats. "Don't remind me." With her nose back in her mug and her eyes darting from one to the other, she finally comments towards Keziah. "Being kept busy is good. That's your job. So long as ya been staying way from a certain stump in the meadow?"
Niah walks in slowly, pausing at the threshold to glance at every single face. She never makes eye contact, moving quickly from one person to another and sighing. The bluerider from Ista looks around six months along, wet hair is stuck to her face and her braid is dripping water on the floor. "Ummm." She says for a moment, very quiet voice and then shaking her head and moving quickly towards the food. She bends this way and that, avoiding touching anyone and being touched. The oddball flinches everytime someone gets close enough to brush against her, pouring juice she turns around and resumes scanning the Caverns. Where to sit?
Keziah shifts a little in her seat. "You were there as well, your talking should cover both of us." she murmurs and looks a little sheepish. "Yeah, I know I should, but well, " She shrugs a little and then a glance at the others, kid and pregnant rider as well. "Umm stump? No, I've not put anything in the stump." she notes quietly. Not that she hasn't thought about it out of sheer curiosity but the means of communication leaves her wary.
S'ya places Zallesh on her lap, the infant looking from Keziah to Ysa in wide eyed curiosity. "You know I had heard something about you getting pregnant over in the lower caverns but I though I should hear it from the runners mouth first before believing it." She says happily, not seeming to care about the goldriders annoyance on the subject. "So, what do you think it is? I hope it is a girl, then you can have the set!" She beams at Keziah, at a complete loss over what the pair are talking about but still poking her nose in. "Runners? Shards, those things must smell when it rains." She comments with a giggle, the baby cracking a large goofy grin at the sound of it.
Ysa's roving eyes catch sight of Niah's strange behavior, but she was quick to turn back to the conversation around her. Especially when it concerned a specific tree stump. "Good. Cause I don't want to find that you disappeared one day or gotten yourself killed or worse. And you're going to be right there with me when I speak to 'em. More proof, the better." She snorts towards S'ya, rolling her eyes. "Sharding gossiping Weyr. It's useless trying to have some privacy." She eyes the baby, frowning a bit and shrugs. "Who knows." With that, her nose goes back in the juice, taking a few deep breaths.
Niah spots the group of women, gazing at them for a long moment and then moving towards them. Slow steps, and she attempts to smile and fails. The smile looks a lot like a grimace, she asks in a small quiet stutter "May-may I sit down? If I am botheirng you I can go somewhere else." All her words jumble together, she is quiet and everything is said so quickly and nervously. Holding her glass of juice, she waits and chews on her bottom lip. Big hazel eyes not making any eye contact.
Keziah shifts again in her seat "BUt I'm a nobody, a goldrider's word is going to have more precidence over mine anyways." she murmurs softly "Though, I really should find some starcrafters, see if there really is a conjunction coming or something." she can't help but grin at S'ya, people do gossip and all. A glance up at Niah and a thoughful look "You're more than welcome to sit, safety in numbers and all." she notes with a sidelong glance at Ysa.
"Oh, I bet it will be a girl! You look like you would have luck for that kind of thing." S'ya says brightly as she wipes a bit of drool from her childs mouth and pudgy cheek. "Bet she looks just like you too." When Niah quietly asks if she can join them she beams up at the bluerider bobbing her head. "Sure!" She says quickly but soon enough she's doing a doubletake. "Do I know you from somewhere? You look rather familiar." She frowns a bit as she examines her face, trying to make eye contact with her. "Safety in numbers? What are you talking about? We are safe so long as we are in the weyr." She says with a slightly confused look, her own hazel eyes finally pulling away from Niah and onto Keziah now.
"Don't give me that crap, Keziah. You aren't a nobody." Ysa can't be convinced but that speech at all. She nods her head to her, then to S'ya, and even to the approaching Niah. "Everyone's got a role important to the Weyr, don't they?" That is directed to the green and blue rider as well, the latter whom she waves an empty seat to. "And a goldrider's word isn't much if it doesn't have good proof. Just like we were trying to ask that crazy bastard for. Ya want me to sound crazy to Niva and R'sul?" Angry Ysa is slowly rising… and rising… A certain memory makes her grip her glass for a moment and clench her jaw. "The Weyr would be the first to know if something like that will happen. I'm a goldrider after all, aren't I?" But then her anger quickly leaves, blinking at S'ya. "A boy. I only want boys," she quickly notes, smirking.
"Oh, thank you so much." Niah sits down at the table, keeping a distance between herself and the others. Nodding to each, and twirling hair around her finger. The bluerider stays very quiet, her bottom lip being chewed at but as S'ya attempts to make eye contact she flits her hazel eyes to S'yas face. Putting her head on the table she groans, muttering to herself for a second and then saying. "We have met, umm you sat in my lap." Her cheeks are suddenly bright red, "I am sorry I ran off, it's just. I just." Shaking her head and scooting a little farther.
Keziah ducks a little in her sleep and looks sheepish yet again. Oh look, interesting topic on something else "She sat in your lap? Really? WHat was it like? Not that I think I wan't a women sitting in my lap or anything, but oh do tell me about." Yup, she's blithering on like a little idiot. A sidelong glance to Ysa, is she buying it? Oh wait, more fun topics "I like girls. They are definantly nice and all. Mirai is such a lamb and all."
"Ysa is right, no one is a nobody!" S'ya echoes happily, obviously agreeing with that statement whole heartedly. "But what is all this about going to Niva and sounding crazy? Did something happen to you two?" She bites her lower lip a bit as her eyes dart from the other Xanadunians. The comment about babies brings her right out of the mood however and she smiles brightly, bouncing Zallesh a bit on her lap. "I did?" She blinks over at Niah a bit, a bit confused before suddenly the memory comes back to her. "Oh, I did! Yes, that was an interesting night. But love, do not worry, I will not bite!" She says when she notices the bluerider scooting away. She looks back over to Keziah and Ysa with a shrug, obviously unsure of Niah's actions. "Hey, I am not dense." She finally says to all of Keziah's attempts at steering the conversation away from their odd behavior.
Ysa's smirk turns into a grin. An actual grin for S'ya! Even if all the gossip around the Weyr says how much the goldrider hates that greenrider. "Don't ya worry yourself 'bout it. Just a little adventure the two of us had that we got to talk to the 'Leaders about." Her grin fades as she eyes S'ya and then Niah. "Um," is all she says about that topic of conversation. Sitting in other women's laps was just confusing to her. "Neither am I," she snaps towards Keziah at her hope of giving the conversation a complete 180. "You're not getting out of this that easy. You're coming with me to speak to Niva and R'sul. Hopefully both of 'em, but one will do."
Niah watches the conversation, not commenting on the current topic. Her eyes glaze over, and a small smile comes on her face for a fraction of a second. Then at Keziahs reaction her cheeks are deepening in color, shaking her head quickly and stuttering out. "It was absolutely and totally wretched." The quick babble of words, quiet but with an edge to her tone. Placing a protective hand on her stomach. Opening her mouth to say something to S'ya, but the baby catches her eye and she suddenly smiles at him. "IS her yours?" She whispers, drinking her juice but staring at the baby. Sitting back up she says, with a little squeak. "I totally forgot, Ista's duties to Xanadu and her queens. I am so sorry!" Tucking her head nervously, fidgeting but glancing back at the baby.
Keziah wrinkles her nose a little. She liked her old Journeyman herder, it was a lot easier to pull the wool over his eyes. A glance at S'ya "Never figured you to be dense. Nope, not you. Most certainly not you." she notes brightly and then tilts her head a little at Niah, noting the reaction "The why are you blushing?" she asks after a moment. Okay, so she has no tact, but then she's known that.
"So was proddy!" S'ya says with a slight look of exasperation at everyone's shocked expressions. "But then again, what is so odd about it? I love woman almost as much as I love men, only I am more selective about them. After all they have to match my beauty." She smirks at the girls gathered before looking down at Zallesh who has doozed off, moving him gently in order to support his head properly. "Oooh, you are in trouble!" She says with wicked amusement to Keziah when Ysa calls her out. "Oh, of course he is! Little Zallesh is my very first, Tonny is his daddy." She announces happily, moving a bit so that the doozing infant can be better viewed. "You are having one of Ton's too, right?"
"Uh huh," Ysa says to S'ya's defense. She doesn't seem to be mortified by the idea, just not sure what else to say to it. Her brows do arch at her revelation. "Yet you're always with men, I realized. And if that were the case, you'd be attracted to every woman you'd encounter 'round here." She rolls her eyes at the greenrider and then turns back to Keziah, trying to avoid looking at her stew still. "You're still not answering me, Kez. You're coming with, right? And even if I have to stick a shardin' lizard on ya, 'm keeping my eyes on ya." Ton-brat conversation merely gets a snort and a slight shake of the goldrider's head.
Niah getting an even brighter shade she mutters and sighs. Her eyes are big, and she has a small tremble to one of her hands. "You do not understand it was." She shudders and then scoots a bit closer to S'ya, Ysa is nodded to just a bit though she doesn't appear to be following the conversation very well. Leaning down the shy woman says, "He is beautiful, I met another one named Zalyu and he came and stayed with me for a while and he was simply wonderful." She speaks the words happily, though she is still talking nervously fast. "My baby is L'tons." With a very uncharacteristic reation her face lights up, big smile as she starts to talk about L'ton. "He is simply so wonderful, and M'iken is so very nice and we are going to have a baby." A big grin as she pats her stomach, as if it wasn't painfully obvious. "Zallesh." She murmurs, staring at the baby and then saying, "My baby is so very lucky." It is almost like worship.
Keziah grumbles a little as she looks balefully at Y'sa and then gets up to dump off her bowl of stew. "All right, all right, no need to stick anything on me." she mutters and flops down into the chair and slumps a little. "I'll go, I'll go." and then under her breath "If I'm not kidnapped 'afore then." A sidelong glance at Niah and then she mutters "I swear, that guy is like the plague." she remarks more to herself then anybody else. "It's like people get pregnant off his leathers or something."
S'ya frowns over at Ysa, tilting her head up a bit before letting out a little. "Hmph!" She rolls her eyes before setting to fixing Zallesh's bib. "Because, /love/, I only take the cream of the crop and well unfortunately there have been slim pickings lately." She smirks over at the goldrider before moving on to the others. Her mood does lighten when Niah moves closer to her and she just bobs her head as the bluerider talks on about L'ton, that is until she mentions another name. "Wait? You are /all/ having the baby?" She stares back in disbelief, obviously shocked by the news. "I did not think M'iken would be up for sharing their weyr…" Suddenly an evil look crosses over her face and she cackles. "Maybe I can move in too and we will have almost every color in one place!" Keziah's words only get her laughing harder and soon enough Zallesh is bawling. "Oh, someone is not happy, guess I better get going." She says after wiping a tear from her sons eyes and then her own.
Ysa nods at Keziah sharply. "Good. 'm keeping your word to it." She catches the word 'kidnapped' though in that muttering, being intuned to it, and she leans forward to rap the table in front of Keziah. "Not if I can help it, an' if ya stay clear away from those crazy people, and that stump." She turns to finally face the other conversation, lips pursing out when she catches familiar names. "Senkyou's ugly brat? What's he doing in Ista?" Her brows get drawn down further and she slams her glass noisily on the table (her favorite pasttime). "That no-good excuse for a weyrmate," she growls. "He's out getting these stupid gals pregnant that he's got no time or juices left to even get my best friend, and /his weyrmate/, pregnant." This was all towards Keziah, seeing that she had similar thoughts. The bawling baby makes her wince, and Ysa doesn't even think about asking the greenrider to stay.
Niah is lost for words, stuttering to S'ya, "Oh, no no. I have a weyr near theirs, Celiketh would never share his space." Sighing and seeming overwhelmed, pulling her legs up to her belly since there is no way they will reach her chest. Her eyes are very big and round, almost tearing up. "Is that her name? His mother?" She questions and then, as Ysa calls the baby ugly she says. "Oh, he is so very cute." Cooing with her words and getting quiet again, lapsing into awkward silences and tapping her fingers on the table. "I do not live with them, and I would never take anything from mai." Poor thing looks prepared to cry, her arms crossed infront of her chest defensively. All her words come out very quickly, voice getting higher with worry. "I even offered to take all her betweening so she could get pregnant, and she was really happy about me having a baby and I would never ever steal anything from her." Her lip has started to bleed, but it is to be expected with all the chewing. "It's my fault she can't have a baby?"
Keziah glares at S'ya and grunps a little and just blinks a little at Niah and then scratches her head. "I really don't think I ever wanna get pregnant." she finally says after a moment "I'll foster, that sounds good to me, no carrying of babies. It makes women just to darn crazy and all." she remarks and then glances over at Ysa. "I'm not sure who's crazier, thems or the ones that surround me." she states after a moment and then ducks away. Yup, she's used to being hit for her lack of manners, comes from being an apprentice after all.
S'ya is ready to go but she does turn around for a moment to frown at Ysa. "Great, you made her cry. Do not listen to her, Niah, she is just a mean old thing." She says with a wave of her hand before getting to her feet. Keziah gets a frown too but no where near as evil as the one she sends the goldrider, after all, they have a history for this kind of thing. "Do not be sore over it. Just because we are prettier and men are begging us to have their children. And if M'iken really has such a problem with it she should actually say something instead of acting like it is fine." She says before turning on her heel and waving to the others. Zallesh continues his crying but it fades as soon as his mother starts to sing to him gently.
"Last I saw, he was as ugly as Lyram was when he was a little a little sack of tubers," Ysa says before shoving her nose back into her glass of juice. "Everyone's crazy," she answers Keziah with a snort, but eyes the younger girl for a long moment. "And I only tell the truth. You're not the one that's keeping Mai from getting pregnant," she says with a roll of her eyes. "That sharding weyrmate of hers. Ton's just as good of a friend, but he's got to stop chasing every gal that turns his eyes onto him and actually go to care for his weyrmate like he's /suppose/ to." She arches a brow after S'ya before they drop down in a glare. "Stupid woman. I think that more than just the baby left her when she was pregnant. Thought the whole weyr was out to kill her."
Niah stands, seeming to have had enough. "I-I have somewhere to be." She is shaking like a leaf, drinking the rest of her juice. Wrapping her jacket around herself, and nodding to S'ya even as the woman leaves. Then, in an unusual turn she stutters out, "My name is Niah, and yours is?" Her words have unusual clarity, a hand on her stomach as she looks at the strange goldrider. Shifting from foot to foot waiting for the answer, shrugging at Keziah as if she has run out of words for the moment.
Keziah hmmphs a little, everyone is crazy, truer words have never been said. She quietly traces a pattern in the wood of the table as she sits there like a trapped critter. A glance at Ysa "Maybe I should go for a walk or something." she murmurs quietly. "Go check out the runner or even the caprines." Yeah, that sounds good. She nods to herself as she sounds it out in her head. Yeah, it sounds reasonable.
S'ya doesn't say anything else to the others even if she did hear the comments, she just stays on her track. She keeps singing happily to her son before passing out of the caverns and leaving the ladies to their conversation of kidnappings, babies, or whatever else might strike their fancy.
Ysa watches Niah's shaking with an arched brow. "Are ya feeling alright? Cause the infirmary is just outside, and we've got some of the best staff here." Biased a little? Maybe. "A walk in this dreadful weather?" She glances back out of the cavern as if hoping that it wasn't raining anymore. She sighs and turns back to look up to Niah, nodding her head stiffly. "Well met. The name's Ysa." She downs the rest of her glass of juice before setting it down to one side, looking just a bit better especially with the stew cleared from the table.
Niah gives a slight nod, shaking her head. "No, I do not go to strange infirmaries." This is said as if Ysa had just asked her to do something extremely crazy, face flushed. Walking out the mutters a bit, leaving quickly with long strides.
Keziah scratches her head a little as she watches Niah head off and then she shakes same head "Weird." she murmurs after a moment and then a nod to Ysa "THe weather ain't all that bad and I've been in worse when tending caprines and such and well umm" she pauses trying to figure out what else might sound good. "And it's not like anyone would be likely to follow me and all."
Ysa's jaw drops at Niah's comment. "Crazy bluerider," she notes to Kez, wide-eyed. "Our infirmary has some of the best equipment." She shakes her head with an audible sigh. "I guess I might as well try getting some fruit or bread down, seeing that my stomach has settled." She doesn't get up yet, though, drumming her fingers on the tabletop as she leans back in her seat, eyes on Keziah. "I don't think anyone would be stupid 'nough to follow ya in a Weyr."
Keziah just looks at Ysa "Oh I dunno. I've things left on my bed. Notes, I even found a tunnelsnake this morning in my bed. I was kidnapped while here. They're stupid, but awfully lucky." she mutters. "And well He wasn't exactly in his right mind and all either."
Ysa's face falls when she is reminded of the events, frowning deeply. "Yah, well, they can't try the same tricks twice. Do ya have 'lizards 'round to help with tunnelsnakes?" She sits up in her seat, resting her elbows on the table. "Except we're on our guard a lot more now, right? He might be crazy, but he was also very defensive of his crazy home. He probably wouldn't risk getting captured just yet."
Keziah gives a nod "Yeah, Eirwyn, my gold, dispatched it right away. Though I had to end up cleaning the bedding, it wasn't exactly cleanly done." she murmurs softly "He is defensive of it. I just wish we could bring it down around his head, but then there are all those children." she pauses a moment and then looks sidelong at Ysa "Did you notice how much they all looked like him?"
Ysa curls a hand around her stomach in a subconscious protective way as she stares towards the clearing. "I'll make a note that 'snakes are getting into the caverns," she says, distracted for a moment before blinking back towards Keziah. "The only one we really got to worry 'bout is that crazy Kefai and all his bodyguards. He probably disillusioned more than half of those people." At her comment, she furrows her brows, drops her mouth to answer and then snaps it shut. "Now that I really think 'bout it… I thought they did, but I guess I never thought 'bout it." Her green eyes focus on the younger girl now, eyeing her up and down.
Keziah nods a little "Not just into the cavernsbut on the cots as well. I'm not sure it was accidental." she murmurs softly "I think one of them put it there. I just dunno what they meant by it. To frighten me or what." she sighs a little "I really didn't realize it at first, not till I started thinking about it later. It's kinda creepy. I mean, I could see a few, family and all, but not so many. You don't think they really are all his and all, do you? I mean, those poor women. It's…" she shudders a little
Ysa lets out a dry chuckle. "Getting your bum bit by a tunnelsnake isn't much of a sign that Thread is returning. It could just be concidental." But she immediately turns serious, leaning forward towards the girl. "If it happens 'gain, though. Or three times. Then we should look into it." She sighs deeply, raising her hand to run it through her hair. "The whole fact that they're out there having been so easily convinced is bad enough. But to have this man luring women away, repopulating his own Hold… It's criminal, is what it is." She regards Keziah again, falling quiet for a brief moment. "I'd like it if ya keep your lizard on ya at all times when you're alone. Send her to me or anyone ya trust if something bad happens. That man was interested in keeping ya 'round there and I didn't like it."
Keziah gives a delicate little shudder "Still would hurt, but yeah, it's not a sign of thread." she sighs a little and then sits up and glances sharply at Ysa. You don't think he was…you know…I mean…He wouldn't? Would He? I…" she shudders again. "Shards, I didn't even think about that. He did want to keep me there and Oh sweet Faranth." she flops her head down onto the table and was silent a moment. She then sits up, a gleam in her eyes "I'll geld the bastard."
"'m not positive," Ysa says honestly. "But I wouldn't put it past him. He was crazy 'nough to think we'd believe him, and think that little cave of his was going to be the one safe place on Pern." She gives a furious shake of her head, stopping only to place a hand to her temple and groan slightly. "There's no way 'm going to let him take people from my Weyr anymore…" There's a dangerous glint to her eyes as she meets Keziah's gaze. "Not if I get to him first," she says in a serious tone.
Keziah gets up from her seat and gives a little whistle calling Eirwyn down from whatever little nook she was perching on. "I've got runners to tend and tools to sharpen. Use me as a brrodmare. I don't think so." she mutters as she grabs her damp jacket "Anyone of his people come near me. I'll kill them." she's a ltitle peeved at the moment, no?" "I'll be careful and you'll be careful too, and I'm gonna get me a couple of new coin purses." and with that she stalks out into the weather.
Ysa can't help but give another dry chuckle at the girl's reaction, though it was a sad soft sound that ends quickly. "I can believe that. If ya need any help, 'm always just a firelizard or call away. I'll keep my eyes and ears open." Ignore the fact that she was suffering from constant bouts of morning sickness. "Yah, take care of yourself Kez. I'll catch ya later to talk to the 'Leaders!" The last is quickly called out as the girl stalks away.