Threats caught, threats missed.
Who: N'raj, Aelan, Reyce, Aida
When: Between the last one and the next one.
Where: Caucus Common Area
What: Little bird's feathers get ruffled. Aida finds somebody else that really gets under her skin. Evade, evade, evade.
WARNING: Profanity.
She has had it confirmed that she is not actively disallowed from being here, and thus this obviously translates into it being just fine for her to be here. So, Aida limps her way in from the bowl, stopping once she's through the entrance tunnel and moving off to the side. There is distinct favoring of her right foot, clear not only in the limp but in the way she's standing off of it entirely as she pulls her gloves off and looks around. There is obvious looking for someone or something, her expression thoughtful.
It probably is not N'raj, but N'raj is here anyway. He's actually in a chair that has been pulled up about as close to the hearth as is humanly possible without actually being in danger of combustion, where he has set up camp with a mug of klah and a bit of hide, which he is laborously -not- writing on.
Aelan is making her way out of the barracks, shuffling through a handful of hides on assignments and homework, and other such things cannot quite be avoided. As she looks them over, she shuffles her way carefully towards the fireplace with the klah, pausing in front of it to finish a paragraph.
Though her eyes do catch on N'raj and hold there briefly, Aida is indeed not looking for him, and so there is more inspecting of the common area before she apparently decides that whatever it is, she's not going to find it. There is a wrinkle of her nose, an exhaled sigh -- and then another look over towards N'raj. He may not be her target, but...well, she limps over in his direction anyway, gloves getting stuffed into a pocket of her jacket. "Hello," she greets, once she's gotten within conversational range. "I take it there's been little progress made towards getting used to it?" What 'it' is goes unspecified, but her smile is a sympathetic one.
N'raj looks up from his task, which probably is supposed to involve committing words of one type or another to that bit of hide. His gaze sweeps back and forth, briefly, between Aelan and Aida, giving him a brief moment in which to study each, but it is the latter to whom he finally looks. "Exceedingly little," he assures. "This is quite possibly the warmest spot in the entire room; and might be the warmest spot in the whole weyr."
"Actually," Aelan muses, reaching for one of the pots of klah near the hearth by reaching an arm less than politely around N'raj, "The /warmest/ spot is probably the sands. But we're not really supposed to be down there. The kitchens are pretty warm, too, and beast cave. And the hearths in the living cavern, too," she adds helpfully, not looking up from her hides until she needs to find a mug, brows furrowing slightly. "Where'd they put the mugs?"
Grabbing hold of her own chair, Aida spends a moment tugging it over near to where N'raj has his seat. Then she's flopping herself down into it, curling herself up in against the arm. There's a friendly smile sent up towards Aelan before she's nodding her agreement and looking back to note to the man, "There's a few spots in the other caverns that are about the same, too. Maybe warmer? But this is pretty good."
"The mugs are over there." Mostly helpful, N'raj abandons all semblance of pretending to write to gesture off toward what remains of a loose stack of drink holders. "And the sands probably are warmer, you are correct, but they really don't appreciate people using 'but they're comfortable!' as an excuse to go out on them." His attention drifts back and forth again slowly. "This is sufficent, anyway."
"Ah, thanks," Aelan says with a flash of a smile at the direction to the mugs, tossing her hides down on a nearby chair and going to snag a mug before returning, though at least this time she positions herself so she doesn't have to lean over anyone to get at the pitchers. "I'm Aelan, by the way," she introduces herself simply. "Keroon."
Stifling a yawn, Aida turns her head enough to let her scan the area briefly again -- nope, still not seeing whatever. Another friendly smile is offered up towards Aelan when the woman introduces herself, and she lifts a hand in something of a wave. "Aida," she notes simply, and then she's looking to N'raj again. "As long as you're at least vaguely comfortable. You have plenty of scarves and things?"
"N'raj, bronze Yimarth's rider. From Igen." This would be N'raj's introduction, evidently, as deceptively simple as such things are. He occupies a chair very, very near the hearth, having set up camp there with some hide to write on and a cup of klah, but both apparently are forgotten, just now. "A pleasure to meet you," he murmurs further before nodding. "Sweaters, scarves, boots, gloves; everything anyone could think of to give me before sending me up here."
"Aida, N'raj," Aelan points to each before nodding, looking back to fill her mug. "From Igen?" she asks, a hint of genuine cheer showing in the broad flash of her smile as she sets the pitcher down and moves towards the chair with her hides on it. "I've been to Igen. Much more pleasant place than this, too," she adds ruefully, tugging her chair closer to the hearth and the conversation. "Did they send you here to train for a Wingleader or something?"
Reyce enters bundled high in winter clothes, stamping snow off his boots and giving himself a doglike shake. By the time he's reached the hearth - evidently of the same mind as N'raj, he heads straight for it - the heaviest layers have been shed and he throws them carelessly on an empty chair. The three assembled by the hearth get only the briefest glance as he winds past them, heading for the klah.
"Oh, good," Aida says in response to N'raj, smiling. It's the last thing she says for the moment, instead settling into quiet to glance back and forth between the other two. She's got herself curled up into a chair that's not quite as close to the fire as N'raj's, but close enough. There's clear attentiveness to the conversation on her part, a hint of curiosity to her expression. Reyce is glanced at as well, and though she smiles up his way she doesn't offer a greeting.
Aelan glances up as Reyce barges into the area, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Afternoon," she offers with a scrape of politeness, raising her own mug to take a sip of the klah and try to hide her expression at the same time.
Reyce walked right by Aelan on his first pass, but something seems to register with him on the way back towards his chair. He pauses in front of her, drawing himself higher for a moment's consideration of the girl, then makes a low, grunting sound in his throat. "Huh," would describe it best. And then he sits, his gaze passing briefly over Aida while he sips from his klah.
An eyebrow lifting briefly at Aelan's nosewrinkle, Aida glances again over towards Reyce. Her look doesn't linger long; there's a polite nod given before she looks back to Aelan. "How long have you been attending the Caucus?" She asks, tone a conversational one. At least it's better than a comment about the weather. "Have you been enjoying it so far?"
"I got here a couple weeks ago," Aelan answers Aida with a quick smile, dismissing the wrinkle of her nose in favor of the more amiable expression. "And it's all right. A little snotty," she adds, stretching one long leg out to try to trip Reyce when he moves off. "But all in all, a good sort of place. Wish I could take some more interesting classes."
Reyce is almost fouled up by that leg - almost. His toe knocks into it, causing him to take a little stumble that sloshes klah onto his hand, but doesn't bring him down. The man has good reflexes. His breath hissing in at the sudden pain caused by hot klah on his fingers, Reyce carefully switches his mug to the other hand and glares at Aelan. "Don't try that again," he warns her matter-of-factly. Sucking at his wounded fingers would kind of ruin the moment, so he just gives them a shake, sending klah droplets flying.
Laughing outright at the designation of the Caucus as snotty, Aida rolls her eyes and puts on a grin. "Is it really all that snotty within it?" She asks, tone touching curious. The girl sits up a bit more, shifting on her chair to more properly face Aelan, and there's a twitch of her lips at the stretching out of the leg. Of course, that fades when there is stumbling and sloshing, and she gives the other woman a reproving look before asking of Reyce, "You alright?"
"Try what?" Aelan replies with a flawlessly innocent look, tilting her head to see where her leg is. "Oh, sorry about that. Still haven't quite grown into them," she says with a rueful smile, giving her thigh a pat and folding the leg back under herself. Another sip of klah follows as she watches Reyce's reaction, letting the mug hide most of her expression.
Reyce scowls at Aelan, not in the least bit convinced by her innocent look. "Bullshit," he growls, wiping his fingers dry on the opposite arm. Aida gets a wary, suspicious look before he shrugs, indicating he's fine.
There is a wince, yes there is. Aida glances between the two of them, suddenly terribly attentive to both individuals. At this point, the young woman elects to say nothing, instead scooting down in her chair just a bit and curling up some, doing her best to make herself just a little bit smaller. There's no worry there, no fear -- just a careful attempt at making certain she's out of the line of fire.
Aelan shrugs one shoulder at Reyce's call, sipping once more before setting her mug down on the hearth and stretching out in her chair. "Lady Sian says it's always polite to return a lady's greeting," she informs him with a dry smirk, folding her hands over her stomach. "Afternoon, Reyce," she says cheerfully again.
Reyce moves to his own chair, pushing aside the bundle of winter clothes that he tossed there earlier. "Does she? I wouldn't care," he replies, in a voice that would be genial and polite were it not for the words it contained. Having cleared a space for himself, he drops into his seat with a most unmannerly puff of breath, ignoring her greeting in favor of a sip from his klah.
More silence from the bump on the chair that is Aida. Oh, she's still most certainly watching, though she's dropped her head back and turned it enough that on first glance it would appear she's looking elsewhere. Every bit of her posture is dedicated to making her less than noteworthy. Please ignore the girl in the chair.
And then, rather than getting angry, Aelan grins. "Good," she approves, reaching out to reclaim her mug and take another swallow of klah before moving along as though nothing happened. "Aida, what're you here for?" she asks, looking over towards the lump on the chair. "I can guess what Benden's here for, and I know what got me shipped off to the ice and snow. How about you?"
Reyce is not quite so easily mollified, though he doesn't interrupt her efforts at redirecting the conversation. Still frowning at the Keroonian for a few moments, he eventually allows himself to be diverted towards that bump on the chair. His brow quirks, but it's now his turn to keep silent.
There is a nosewrinkle when she's remembered. Bah. Aida smiles sunnily a beat later and sits up, shaking her head quickly. "I'm not a student," she points out. "Resident. I'm *here*," and there is emphasis upon the word, explained with a gesture of one hand around the room itself, "Because I'm waiting to hopefully catch one of the other students. Somebody I need to talk to. Plus, the casual conversations tend to be more interesting on this side of things."
Aelan ahs, smile flashing easily as she nods. "So long as it's not some group of people talking about the details of which fork to use, it usually is, so far," she chuckles, setting her elbow on one knee and propping her chin up in her hand. "Who're you waiting for? Not that- Not that you'd have to tell me, of course. Just curious."
Reyce gives a derisive little snort about interesting conversations, but so thoroughly have he and Aida switched places that this all he offers. Pressing his knuckles against the klah mug for warmth, he lets his gaze wander inattentively over the room.
There's a sidelong glance over towards Reyce at his snort, and Aida lifts an eyebrow at him. Though the question is left unspoken, the 'what?' is clear all the same. Still, there's a smile offered his way, and then she's laughing and shaking her head at Aelan. "Nothing of general import," she promises. "And nothing interesting. Also known as 'I'd rather not say if you don't mind'." Beat. "And even the discussion of the details of which fork to use /can/ be interesting, particularly when compared to a discussion of laundry washing techniques. Believe me."
"I dunno, it sounds like a toss up to me," Aelan says with a faint smirk. "Hey, Benden," she calls over to Reyce, lifting her chin in his direction. "What're you studying here?" No, there's no escape.
Reyce glances back, making sure that his boredom can be easily read in his expression. "Math and shit. What do you care?" He sniffs dismissively, eyes tracking back over to Aida. Her unspoken question receives no more than a shrug from him, but considering how disinterested he is in /this/ conversation, it might be assumed that he disagrees with her assessment of Caucus chatter.
More of her attention shifting over towards Reyce, Aida studies him; there's no attempt made to hide that this is what she is doing, though any reaction she might have to said study is kept well away from her expression. She doesn't say anything to him though, instead looking back to Aelan and offering a grin. "It's really just a case of 'what you hear more often'; variety is good. There are often discussions about classes and the course material, though, which *is* interesting to me."
"Just wanna find out if I'm in any of your classes so I can screw with you there," Aelan tosses back with a swift grin in Reyce's direction. "Don't think I'm signed up for math, and I'm pretty sure I've got shitting down, so I guess we're not in anything together." Raising her mug for another sip, she turns back to Aida. "So what is it you do around here?" she asks curiously. "Laundry, did you say?"
Reyce bears Aida's scrutiny without flinching, though he does attempt to make it more uncomfortable by keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. Because of this, Aelan's comments register only peripherally with him, but he does let out a small snort. "Guess not." The dark amusement barely makes it into his tone, but it's there. His glance flicks away from Aida as some other Caucus-ite wanders close by, but it returns to her swiftly.
She's like a little bird that's been threatened, puffing her feathers out and generally trying to look bigger. Aida sits up in her chair more, her attention swinging back to Reyce. Though her smile holds steady, she does quirk an eyebrow inquisitively. Eventually, she just shakes her head at him and looks back to Aelan -- and the word 'laundry' has her making a face. "No," she states, firmly. "It's only that the laundresses are second only to the kitchen workers in the amount of...chatter, and so I hear a lot of it. I work in the infirmary, actually."
"Oh, infirmary?" Aelan asks, perking up a bit. "So you'd know that healer Benden here was talking to the other day. What was his name?" She looks over at Reyce, as though waiting for it to be supplied before answering herself. "Neiran, that's it. Oh, and you'd've seen K'sar and Roa. How're they doing? Everything knitting up okay?"
Reyce didn't seem about to supply it, anyway. He just stretches out in his chair, suddenly luxuriant, and flashes a thin, dark smile at Aida. The conversation-in-gestures entertains him, it would seem, far too much to offer any kind of explanation for his actions. And the question of K'sar and Roa distracts him from it anyway, because he asks suddenly, "What /did/ happen to them?"
That smile from Reyce has Aida promptly giving him an 'oh, really?' sort of look, eyebrows lifted and her head tilted briefly. Then she's rolling her eyes at him and shaking her head, settling back down in her chair and nodding agreeably to Aelan. "I do know him," she says. "And I have -- they're both doing well enough; I'm sure it won't be long until both are fine. They're in good hands. As far as what happened..." She looks back over towards Reyce to note, "Details haven't been shared in general. There was an incident during the gather, beyond that I can't say."
Aelan mouths 'shelves' towards Reyce while Aida's talking about not sharing, though at least she doesn't say anything more, swiftly hiding her face with a sip of klah before she clears her throat. "Glad to hear they're okay. Hey, did you notice Dara in there sometime the other day by any chance, getting something from a healer? She said she got something from someone, I was just curious about what it might've been..."
Reyce catches the mouthed word but has trouble deciphering it, because he blinks and directs a frown down at his klah mug. His lips echo the motion quickly, but if that brings him any more enlightenment it doesn't show on his features. Answering Aida's information (or lack thereof), he says simply, "Okay."
Aida does offer an apologetic smile towards Reyce, but Aelan's question about Dara has her attention jerking there, full focus snapping to. Concern is clear for a moment before she covers it back up, amiable smile settling back into place as she shakes her head. "I didn't see her coming in and getting anything, no," she replies conversationally. "'Something from someone'?"
Aelan shrugs one shoulder, looking into her mug. "She didn't really say much about it. Just that it helped her feel better. I was just...curious." She catches her lower lip between her teeth, thinking for a moment, then looks back to Aida with a swift smile. "So are you a healer apprentice, or you just help out there, or...?"
Reyce shrugs off the apologetic smile, letting his attention wander off into a corner of the room again. Not big on small talk, this one. At the very least, he seems to be listening in.
Lashes lowering briefly, Aida seems to consider something herself at Aelan's response. Eventually, she looks up again, her eyes seeking Aelan's. "It's being looked into," she states without explanation, one shoulder raised and dropped in a vague shrug. "And I'm no apprentice, no -- just...help out there. I know enough to be fairly useful." She does send a glance over towards the clean mugs and the pots of klah, but the look around ends with a look to her ankle, and her attention settles back in on Aelan.
"Sounds interesting," Aelan says with a flicker of a smile, though her gaze narrows slightly at the talk of things being looked into. For the moment, she falls quiet, lifting her mug to drain the last of her klah before idly tossing the empty mug between her hands. "So...How about that interesting caucus room conversation, eh?"
Reyce gives another quiet snort. "How about it," he remarks drily, not bothering to add an inflection to his words. The klah mug goes up to his lips, pausing there for a long drink. When it comes down, he clears his lips with a smacking sound. "You thrilled by this chat yet, healer?" Apprentice or not, he sticks the title on her.
"Things generally are," Aida replies lightly to Aelan's words, offering a reassuring smile that way. She starts to laugh at that last question, but is derailed by Reyce actually speaking up again. Her attention swings to him again, and she gives her own snort. "Do I sound particularly thrilled?" She asks of him, threading her tone heavily with skepticism. "Oh no, it's not a discussion of a class -- however am I going to survive? The conversation has been acceptable. I'm not bored, and given I don't actually know either of you, I wasn't expecting anything impressively thought provoking."
"Ouch," Aelan murmurs with a faint smirk, laughing down into her empty mug. "Hear that, Benden? We're not impressively thought provoking. You have any deep thoughts waiting at the bottom of the well?" she asks, looking over towards him with a wry smirk.
Reyce raises a brow, his own smirk half-hidden behind the mug of klah. "Ouch indeed. Although she did say we were 'acceptable.'" He leans his head back on the chair, eyes drifting closed while his face points up to the ceiling. "Better talk about your classes, Keroon. Met your ten people yet?"
Blinking a few times, Aida gives first Aelan a puzzled look, then Reyce. "I...think I misspoke," she notes. "And so I apologize. It was small-talk; good for that, but it was what it was." She lifts her shoulders in a shrug, uncurling fully and moving to slide to her feet, giving both of them a respectful dip of her head. "I apologize a second time, this for intruding upon you both."
"Don't think so," Aelan admits, shaking her head. "You, Neiran, Aida here, Essdara, Tavaly, Roa, K'sar...That's seven. Think I can count Lord Samien from the gather?" she muses before looking over to Aida, smile slipping wry. "I'm just jerking your chain, Aida. Don't know about Benden, here, but I'm not /really/ offended."
Reyce makes a mocking sound in his throat when Aelan answers the question seriously, and gives her a withering look. "Whatever," he mutters. "I wasn't actually interested." Sipping from his klah at this point, he fixes his gaze on Aida with a shrug. "Just being assholes, she means. I don't care."
"That's good to know," Aida tells them both quite seriously, giving another dip of her head. "But I don't think that I'm going to end up catching the person I've been hoping to catch before I need to be in the infirmary, so I'm going to excuse myself regardless. Good day, both of you." Her tone is polite, words carefully spoken, and with her farewell said she's turning to start limping back towards the tunnel that leads back out to the bowl.
"Good day," Aelan calls after the healer before turning a smirk back towards Reyce. "Boy, you're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? Surprised you /aren't/ in more of the damned etiquette classes I got thrown in." She pauses then, wrinkling her nose. "Of course, you're a boy, so that's probably the difference."
Reyce watches Aida retreat from the room, openly intrigued by her limp. Aelan draws an annoyed look for distracting him. "Actually, I just have a busy schedule, since I am /doing/ things here." The arched eyebrow is clearly meant to imply that she's not. He raises his klah for a sip, only to find that he's already emptied it. He gags on the dregs, spitting them back into his mug with a grimace.
Who: Kierom, Essdara, Aida
Where: Baths
What: Kierom makes a threat; Aida does too, but hers is much more veiled and was as such missed.
Not actually in the process of bathing, Aida appears to have perhaps recently finished with such things? Whatever the case is, she's damp (but fairly well along the road to being dry) and wrapped up in a robe, her hair tied in on itself and confined, wet or not. She's presently sitting at the edge of one of the pools, her right foot soaking in the water, the left tucked up beneath her. Her expression is clearly thoughtful, though she doesn't seem so lost in consideration to be unaware of her surroundings.
Holding a few towels and in a robe himself, Kierom stolls in getting ready for a bath, humming a toon that sounds vaguely familiar, possibly one from the gather? HE nods in greeting at Aida as he heads for one of the pools and smiles a little. "Hello there."
Coming fully back to the present, Aida's attention swings up to Kierom when he speaks to her. Her lips promptly curve up into a smile, and she gives a little dip of her head in greeting. "Kierom," she offers quietly. "How are you?" She leans down after the question has been asked, poking and prodding at the ankle in the water.
Kierom turns slightly as he raises an eyebrow, pausing for a moment. "I'm fine, and you? Did you hurt your ankle?" he asks the obvious question. "I hope it wasn't at the gather...."
"Just a little bit," Aida says, promptly sitting back up and then scooting forward, sticking her foot deeper into the water and making it more difficult to see. "Nothing serious. And no, not at the gather. I'm doing well. Has your day been well, so far?"
Kierom raisees an eyebrow at the girl, but decided not to pursue the ankle hurting right now. "It's been an interesting day, but happily unevently. And yours?" He then moves to settle in by one of the warm pools and sets his towls down, slowly moving to a sitting position.
Aida gives a loose shrug of her shoulders, bringing a hand up to brush her hair out of her face. "It's been fine," she says quietly. "Quiet. Uneventful. Boring." This is, given the tone of her voice, not a positive thing for the girl. "I have a bit more time before I have to go make myself useful, and I'm relaxing with it."
Kierom chuckles softly as he prepares to enter the pool. "I'd settle for quiet and boring anyday," Kie says a little serious, and isn't teasing at all. "There's been too much excitement as of late. We could switch?" he raises an eyebrow at the girl, this time the question was meant to be teasing a little.
Laughing, Aida shakes her head. "I wouldn't enjoy that sort of excitement," she points out, offering a smile. "So no, I don't want to trade. Plus, I don't know how to fight. I'd be a bit useless, and somehow I expect you might stumble a bit in the infirmary. Thank you, though." Wink.
Making a quick face as Aids mentions the Infirmary, Kie nods. "Aye, I would. Most likely would punch Healer NEiran before the shift was done as well." Kie doesn't hide his annoyance with the Healer at this point and slips out of his riobe and into the pool. "You like working there?"
Averting her eyes when the robe comes off, Aida goes back to poking at her ankle, folding forward to rest her chin down on her knees. "Why would you want to punch Neiran?" She asks idly, fingers trailing around in the water. "And yes, I like working there. Most of the time."
Kierom wrinkles his nose and makes a face, "Well, his bedside manner needs work for one thing and I don't like his reaction to some things. He hasn't been the nicest when I've been to the Infirmary to see him or friends there." There's obviously a little more to the story than Kie is telling, but he leaves it there for now.
"I see," Aida says quietly, continuing to lazily play with the water. "Well, to each their own. It's certainly a good thing for you to avoid the infirmary, if you think you may end up punching him in the face. That...would not go over well."
Kierom shrugs and smiles slightly. "No it wouldn't. But until Roa and K'sar get out of the Infirmary, I will visit them ther and keep my anger in check." Kie moves to push water over his shoulders and face, and finally the hair. "How did you hurt your ankle anyway?" Kie asks, deciding to change the subject.
"You'd best," Aida says, casting a glance over towards Kierom's back again. There's a flutter of her own smile, and then she's looking back to the water, trailing her fingers through it. She's damp, wearing a robe, and sitting on the edge of one of the pools, her bad foot soaking in the warm water, the rest of it (save her fingers) out. "I slipped out in the snow. No big deal."
Kierom sits in the pool, and smiles at the girl from there, his robe at the side of the pool with his towles. "Well, I am sorry to hear that. Hurt ankles are /not/ fun."
Essdara comes into the baths with her normal small basket of abthing supplies, wearing a sunny smile and a slightly vapid expression. She hums a cheerful tune as she makes her way towards the bathing pools, compleyely oblivious to any other people around her.
"Not terribly so, no," Aida agrees, chuckling quietly and shaking her head. There's another swat at the water, and then she's turning and glancing when she hears Dara's humming. An eyebrow lifts, but she smiles all the same. "Hey, you," she calls.
Kierom nods at Aida and smiles when he sees Dara. "Wow, must be a popular time." He splahes himself with waterv again and chuckles softly.
Essdara grins brightly at Aida, giving a litle twirl before coming to rest on the edge of one of the unoccupied pools. "Hello to you both! I wasn't expecting any company, but I'm always happy to see either of you, so yay for me!" She sets her basket down and unceremoniously starts disrobing. "How're you both today? Isn't it just a wonderful day? I think so, it's been very good to me so far!
Aida blinks slowly up towards Dara, her eyebrows lifting. She's quiet for a long moment, then smiles warmly and starts to sit up. "It is," she agrees quietly. "Absolutely wonderful." There's a chuckle, and she scoots back out of the water, drawing her foot up and eying her ankle. While yes, it is swollen, it's not /terribly/ so. A towel is grabbed, and she starts to dab it off carefully.
Kierom blinks at Dara for a moment and shakes his head. He moves to the edge of the pool where his towls are, but stays in. "It's been nice," he says. "Pleasantly uneventful." He peers at Aida's ankle quickly, trying to assess for himself how badly it's hurt.
Essdara, naked, drops into the water with a happy sigh. She peeks over the edge at Aida's foot, and makes a face at her. "Still hurting? You should see Neiran, he's got a tea that'll fix it! A tea for everything, pain, sadness, being awake, being asleep, convulsions... You name it, he's got something for it!" She splashes a bit with her feet. "Think K'sar'll get better, Kierom? I hope so, he's a lot of fun when he's not being all crabby and sick."
"I'd planned on it, actually," Aida says, giving Dara a slight smile. She finishes patting off her ankle, setting the towel aside in favor of a cloth bandaged as she starts to wrap it back up. "It's not all that bad, though." It's hurt, it's swollen and red, but there's no bruising or the like. She seems quite skilled with the bandage wrapping, at least.
Kierom nods at Aida, "That is good to hear that you have it checked on." He glances over at Dara quizically and nods. "I' sure he'll get better. He's showing signs of improvement ever time I visit him."
Essdara beams at Aida. "Good. I hate when you pull that 'I'm not hurt, I'm fine' crap. Makes me want to drag you in there myself to get looked at. You need to take good care of yourself, if only to keep the people who love you happy!" To Kierom, as she reaches for some sand to scrub with. "Yeah, he is! Well, I mean, 'cept today, that was just bad all around, but I think he is getting better. Now if I can just catch him in a lucid place and have a talk to him!" Scrub, scrub. "He thinks he knows things about me, and thinks he can 'help', and I plan to make sure he keeps his nose out of it!" Firm words, but all said with an almost sickeningly sweet, cheerful tone.
Lifting an eyebrow, Aida points out, "I am fine." Of course. She tucks the end of the bandage in on itself, then gathers her things up, shoving up to her feet. Her weight rests on her left foot once she's up, but hey. "A minor injury really is no big deal. Honestly." A shake of her head. "I'm going to excuse myself, though -- Dara, it's good to see you feeling well. Kierom, it was nice seeing you."
"You know you wouldn't let /me/ get away with that." Dara says, cheerfully. Still, she waves to Aidaa and turns to Kierom. "So what've you been up to? I've been so distracted lately that I've been neglecting you horribly. Anything new and fun int he guard barracks?"
"You don't work in the infirmary," Aida points out cheerfully, flashing a grin. This, apparently, seems to in her mind close the argument. She gives a wave to the pair of them, then goes limping off in the direction of the tunnel. It's not a bad limp, but she is limping, yes.
When: Between the last one and the next one.
Where: Caucus Common Area
What: Little bird's feathers get ruffled. Aida finds somebody else that really gets under her skin. Evade, evade, evade.
WARNING: Profanity.
She has had it confirmed that she is not actively disallowed from being here, and thus this obviously translates into it being just fine for her to be here. So, Aida limps her way in from the bowl, stopping once she's through the entrance tunnel and moving off to the side. There is distinct favoring of her right foot, clear not only in the limp but in the way she's standing off of it entirely as she pulls her gloves off and looks around. There is obvious looking for someone or something, her expression thoughtful.
It probably is not N'raj, but N'raj is here anyway. He's actually in a chair that has been pulled up about as close to the hearth as is humanly possible without actually being in danger of combustion, where he has set up camp with a mug of klah and a bit of hide, which he is laborously -not- writing on.
Aelan is making her way out of the barracks, shuffling through a handful of hides on assignments and homework, and other such things cannot quite be avoided. As she looks them over, she shuffles her way carefully towards the fireplace with the klah, pausing in front of it to finish a paragraph.
Though her eyes do catch on N'raj and hold there briefly, Aida is indeed not looking for him, and so there is more inspecting of the common area before she apparently decides that whatever it is, she's not going to find it. There is a wrinkle of her nose, an exhaled sigh -- and then another look over towards N'raj. He may not be her target, but...well, she limps over in his direction anyway, gloves getting stuffed into a pocket of her jacket. "Hello," she greets, once she's gotten within conversational range. "I take it there's been little progress made towards getting used to it?" What 'it' is goes unspecified, but her smile is a sympathetic one.
N'raj looks up from his task, which probably is supposed to involve committing words of one type or another to that bit of hide. His gaze sweeps back and forth, briefly, between Aelan and Aida, giving him a brief moment in which to study each, but it is the latter to whom he finally looks. "Exceedingly little," he assures. "This is quite possibly the warmest spot in the entire room; and might be the warmest spot in the whole weyr."
"Actually," Aelan muses, reaching for one of the pots of klah near the hearth by reaching an arm less than politely around N'raj, "The /warmest/ spot is probably the sands. But we're not really supposed to be down there. The kitchens are pretty warm, too, and beast cave. And the hearths in the living cavern, too," she adds helpfully, not looking up from her hides until she needs to find a mug, brows furrowing slightly. "Where'd they put the mugs?"
Grabbing hold of her own chair, Aida spends a moment tugging it over near to where N'raj has his seat. Then she's flopping herself down into it, curling herself up in against the arm. There's a friendly smile sent up towards Aelan before she's nodding her agreement and looking back to note to the man, "There's a few spots in the other caverns that are about the same, too. Maybe warmer? But this is pretty good."
"The mugs are over there." Mostly helpful, N'raj abandons all semblance of pretending to write to gesture off toward what remains of a loose stack of drink holders. "And the sands probably are warmer, you are correct, but they really don't appreciate people using 'but they're comfortable!' as an excuse to go out on them." His attention drifts back and forth again slowly. "This is sufficent, anyway."
"Ah, thanks," Aelan says with a flash of a smile at the direction to the mugs, tossing her hides down on a nearby chair and going to snag a mug before returning, though at least this time she positions herself so she doesn't have to lean over anyone to get at the pitchers. "I'm Aelan, by the way," she introduces herself simply. "Keroon."
Stifling a yawn, Aida turns her head enough to let her scan the area briefly again -- nope, still not seeing whatever. Another friendly smile is offered up towards Aelan when the woman introduces herself, and she lifts a hand in something of a wave. "Aida," she notes simply, and then she's looking to N'raj again. "As long as you're at least vaguely comfortable. You have plenty of scarves and things?"
"N'raj, bronze Yimarth's rider. From Igen." This would be N'raj's introduction, evidently, as deceptively simple as such things are. He occupies a chair very, very near the hearth, having set up camp there with some hide to write on and a cup of klah, but both apparently are forgotten, just now. "A pleasure to meet you," he murmurs further before nodding. "Sweaters, scarves, boots, gloves; everything anyone could think of to give me before sending me up here."
"Aida, N'raj," Aelan points to each before nodding, looking back to fill her mug. "From Igen?" she asks, a hint of genuine cheer showing in the broad flash of her smile as she sets the pitcher down and moves towards the chair with her hides on it. "I've been to Igen. Much more pleasant place than this, too," she adds ruefully, tugging her chair closer to the hearth and the conversation. "Did they send you here to train for a Wingleader or something?"
Reyce enters bundled high in winter clothes, stamping snow off his boots and giving himself a doglike shake. By the time he's reached the hearth - evidently of the same mind as N'raj, he heads straight for it - the heaviest layers have been shed and he throws them carelessly on an empty chair. The three assembled by the hearth get only the briefest glance as he winds past them, heading for the klah.
"Oh, good," Aida says in response to N'raj, smiling. It's the last thing she says for the moment, instead settling into quiet to glance back and forth between the other two. She's got herself curled up into a chair that's not quite as close to the fire as N'raj's, but close enough. There's clear attentiveness to the conversation on her part, a hint of curiosity to her expression. Reyce is glanced at as well, and though she smiles up his way she doesn't offer a greeting.
Aelan glances up as Reyce barges into the area, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Afternoon," she offers with a scrape of politeness, raising her own mug to take a sip of the klah and try to hide her expression at the same time.
Reyce walked right by Aelan on his first pass, but something seems to register with him on the way back towards his chair. He pauses in front of her, drawing himself higher for a moment's consideration of the girl, then makes a low, grunting sound in his throat. "Huh," would describe it best. And then he sits, his gaze passing briefly over Aida while he sips from his klah.
An eyebrow lifting briefly at Aelan's nosewrinkle, Aida glances again over towards Reyce. Her look doesn't linger long; there's a polite nod given before she looks back to Aelan. "How long have you been attending the Caucus?" She asks, tone a conversational one. At least it's better than a comment about the weather. "Have you been enjoying it so far?"
"I got here a couple weeks ago," Aelan answers Aida with a quick smile, dismissing the wrinkle of her nose in favor of the more amiable expression. "And it's all right. A little snotty," she adds, stretching one long leg out to try to trip Reyce when he moves off. "But all in all, a good sort of place. Wish I could take some more interesting classes."
Reyce is almost fouled up by that leg - almost. His toe knocks into it, causing him to take a little stumble that sloshes klah onto his hand, but doesn't bring him down. The man has good reflexes. His breath hissing in at the sudden pain caused by hot klah on his fingers, Reyce carefully switches his mug to the other hand and glares at Aelan. "Don't try that again," he warns her matter-of-factly. Sucking at his wounded fingers would kind of ruin the moment, so he just gives them a shake, sending klah droplets flying.
Laughing outright at the designation of the Caucus as snotty, Aida rolls her eyes and puts on a grin. "Is it really all that snotty within it?" She asks, tone touching curious. The girl sits up a bit more, shifting on her chair to more properly face Aelan, and there's a twitch of her lips at the stretching out of the leg. Of course, that fades when there is stumbling and sloshing, and she gives the other woman a reproving look before asking of Reyce, "You alright?"
"Try what?" Aelan replies with a flawlessly innocent look, tilting her head to see where her leg is. "Oh, sorry about that. Still haven't quite grown into them," she says with a rueful smile, giving her thigh a pat and folding the leg back under herself. Another sip of klah follows as she watches Reyce's reaction, letting the mug hide most of her expression.
Reyce scowls at Aelan, not in the least bit convinced by her innocent look. "Bullshit," he growls, wiping his fingers dry on the opposite arm. Aida gets a wary, suspicious look before he shrugs, indicating he's fine.
There is a wince, yes there is. Aida glances between the two of them, suddenly terribly attentive to both individuals. At this point, the young woman elects to say nothing, instead scooting down in her chair just a bit and curling up some, doing her best to make herself just a little bit smaller. There's no worry there, no fear -- just a careful attempt at making certain she's out of the line of fire.
Aelan shrugs one shoulder at Reyce's call, sipping once more before setting her mug down on the hearth and stretching out in her chair. "Lady Sian says it's always polite to return a lady's greeting," she informs him with a dry smirk, folding her hands over her stomach. "Afternoon, Reyce," she says cheerfully again.
Reyce moves to his own chair, pushing aside the bundle of winter clothes that he tossed there earlier. "Does she? I wouldn't care," he replies, in a voice that would be genial and polite were it not for the words it contained. Having cleared a space for himself, he drops into his seat with a most unmannerly puff of breath, ignoring her greeting in favor of a sip from his klah.
More silence from the bump on the chair that is Aida. Oh, she's still most certainly watching, though she's dropped her head back and turned it enough that on first glance it would appear she's looking elsewhere. Every bit of her posture is dedicated to making her less than noteworthy. Please ignore the girl in the chair.
And then, rather than getting angry, Aelan grins. "Good," she approves, reaching out to reclaim her mug and take another swallow of klah before moving along as though nothing happened. "Aida, what're you here for?" she asks, looking over towards the lump on the chair. "I can guess what Benden's here for, and I know what got me shipped off to the ice and snow. How about you?"
Reyce is not quite so easily mollified, though he doesn't interrupt her efforts at redirecting the conversation. Still frowning at the Keroonian for a few moments, he eventually allows himself to be diverted towards that bump on the chair. His brow quirks, but it's now his turn to keep silent.
There is a nosewrinkle when she's remembered. Bah. Aida smiles sunnily a beat later and sits up, shaking her head quickly. "I'm not a student," she points out. "Resident. I'm *here*," and there is emphasis upon the word, explained with a gesture of one hand around the room itself, "Because I'm waiting to hopefully catch one of the other students. Somebody I need to talk to. Plus, the casual conversations tend to be more interesting on this side of things."
Aelan ahs, smile flashing easily as she nods. "So long as it's not some group of people talking about the details of which fork to use, it usually is, so far," she chuckles, setting her elbow on one knee and propping her chin up in her hand. "Who're you waiting for? Not that- Not that you'd have to tell me, of course. Just curious."
Reyce gives a derisive little snort about interesting conversations, but so thoroughly have he and Aida switched places that this all he offers. Pressing his knuckles against the klah mug for warmth, he lets his gaze wander inattentively over the room.
There's a sidelong glance over towards Reyce at his snort, and Aida lifts an eyebrow at him. Though the question is left unspoken, the 'what?' is clear all the same. Still, there's a smile offered his way, and then she's laughing and shaking her head at Aelan. "Nothing of general import," she promises. "And nothing interesting. Also known as 'I'd rather not say if you don't mind'." Beat. "And even the discussion of the details of which fork to use /can/ be interesting, particularly when compared to a discussion of laundry washing techniques. Believe me."
"I dunno, it sounds like a toss up to me," Aelan says with a faint smirk. "Hey, Benden," she calls over to Reyce, lifting her chin in his direction. "What're you studying here?" No, there's no escape.
Reyce glances back, making sure that his boredom can be easily read in his expression. "Math and shit. What do you care?" He sniffs dismissively, eyes tracking back over to Aida. Her unspoken question receives no more than a shrug from him, but considering how disinterested he is in /this/ conversation, it might be assumed that he disagrees with her assessment of Caucus chatter.
More of her attention shifting over towards Reyce, Aida studies him; there's no attempt made to hide that this is what she is doing, though any reaction she might have to said study is kept well away from her expression. She doesn't say anything to him though, instead looking back to Aelan and offering a grin. "It's really just a case of 'what you hear more often'; variety is good. There are often discussions about classes and the course material, though, which *is* interesting to me."
"Just wanna find out if I'm in any of your classes so I can screw with you there," Aelan tosses back with a swift grin in Reyce's direction. "Don't think I'm signed up for math, and I'm pretty sure I've got shitting down, so I guess we're not in anything together." Raising her mug for another sip, she turns back to Aida. "So what is it you do around here?" she asks curiously. "Laundry, did you say?"
Reyce bears Aida's scrutiny without flinching, though he does attempt to make it more uncomfortable by keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. Because of this, Aelan's comments register only peripherally with him, but he does let out a small snort. "Guess not." The dark amusement barely makes it into his tone, but it's there. His glance flicks away from Aida as some other Caucus-ite wanders close by, but it returns to her swiftly.
She's like a little bird that's been threatened, puffing her feathers out and generally trying to look bigger. Aida sits up in her chair more, her attention swinging back to Reyce. Though her smile holds steady, she does quirk an eyebrow inquisitively. Eventually, she just shakes her head at him and looks back to Aelan -- and the word 'laundry' has her making a face. "No," she states, firmly. "It's only that the laundresses are second only to the kitchen workers in the amount of...chatter, and so I hear a lot of it. I work in the infirmary, actually."
"Oh, infirmary?" Aelan asks, perking up a bit. "So you'd know that healer Benden here was talking to the other day. What was his name?" She looks over at Reyce, as though waiting for it to be supplied before answering herself. "Neiran, that's it. Oh, and you'd've seen K'sar and Roa. How're they doing? Everything knitting up okay?"
Reyce didn't seem about to supply it, anyway. He just stretches out in his chair, suddenly luxuriant, and flashes a thin, dark smile at Aida. The conversation-in-gestures entertains him, it would seem, far too much to offer any kind of explanation for his actions. And the question of K'sar and Roa distracts him from it anyway, because he asks suddenly, "What /did/ happen to them?"
That smile from Reyce has Aida promptly giving him an 'oh, really?' sort of look, eyebrows lifted and her head tilted briefly. Then she's rolling her eyes at him and shaking her head, settling back down in her chair and nodding agreeably to Aelan. "I do know him," she says. "And I have -- they're both doing well enough; I'm sure it won't be long until both are fine. They're in good hands. As far as what happened..." She looks back over towards Reyce to note, "Details haven't been shared in general. There was an incident during the gather, beyond that I can't say."
Aelan mouths 'shelves' towards Reyce while Aida's talking about not sharing, though at least she doesn't say anything more, swiftly hiding her face with a sip of klah before she clears her throat. "Glad to hear they're okay. Hey, did you notice Dara in there sometime the other day by any chance, getting something from a healer? She said she got something from someone, I was just curious about what it might've been..."
Reyce catches the mouthed word but has trouble deciphering it, because he blinks and directs a frown down at his klah mug. His lips echo the motion quickly, but if that brings him any more enlightenment it doesn't show on his features. Answering Aida's information (or lack thereof), he says simply, "Okay."
Aida does offer an apologetic smile towards Reyce, but Aelan's question about Dara has her attention jerking there, full focus snapping to. Concern is clear for a moment before she covers it back up, amiable smile settling back into place as she shakes her head. "I didn't see her coming in and getting anything, no," she replies conversationally. "'Something from someone'?"
Aelan shrugs one shoulder, looking into her mug. "She didn't really say much about it. Just that it helped her feel better. I was just...curious." She catches her lower lip between her teeth, thinking for a moment, then looks back to Aida with a swift smile. "So are you a healer apprentice, or you just help out there, or...?"
Reyce shrugs off the apologetic smile, letting his attention wander off into a corner of the room again. Not big on small talk, this one. At the very least, he seems to be listening in.
Lashes lowering briefly, Aida seems to consider something herself at Aelan's response. Eventually, she looks up again, her eyes seeking Aelan's. "It's being looked into," she states without explanation, one shoulder raised and dropped in a vague shrug. "And I'm no apprentice, no -- just...help out there. I know enough to be fairly useful." She does send a glance over towards the clean mugs and the pots of klah, but the look around ends with a look to her ankle, and her attention settles back in on Aelan.
"Sounds interesting," Aelan says with a flicker of a smile, though her gaze narrows slightly at the talk of things being looked into. For the moment, she falls quiet, lifting her mug to drain the last of her klah before idly tossing the empty mug between her hands. "So...How about that interesting caucus room conversation, eh?"
Reyce gives another quiet snort. "How about it," he remarks drily, not bothering to add an inflection to his words. The klah mug goes up to his lips, pausing there for a long drink. When it comes down, he clears his lips with a smacking sound. "You thrilled by this chat yet, healer?" Apprentice or not, he sticks the title on her.
"Things generally are," Aida replies lightly to Aelan's words, offering a reassuring smile that way. She starts to laugh at that last question, but is derailed by Reyce actually speaking up again. Her attention swings to him again, and she gives her own snort. "Do I sound particularly thrilled?" She asks of him, threading her tone heavily with skepticism. "Oh no, it's not a discussion of a class -- however am I going to survive? The conversation has been acceptable. I'm not bored, and given I don't actually know either of you, I wasn't expecting anything impressively thought provoking."
"Ouch," Aelan murmurs with a faint smirk, laughing down into her empty mug. "Hear that, Benden? We're not impressively thought provoking. You have any deep thoughts waiting at the bottom of the well?" she asks, looking over towards him with a wry smirk.
Reyce raises a brow, his own smirk half-hidden behind the mug of klah. "Ouch indeed. Although she did say we were 'acceptable.'" He leans his head back on the chair, eyes drifting closed while his face points up to the ceiling. "Better talk about your classes, Keroon. Met your ten people yet?"
Blinking a few times, Aida gives first Aelan a puzzled look, then Reyce. "I...think I misspoke," she notes. "And so I apologize. It was small-talk; good for that, but it was what it was." She lifts her shoulders in a shrug, uncurling fully and moving to slide to her feet, giving both of them a respectful dip of her head. "I apologize a second time, this for intruding upon you both."
"Don't think so," Aelan admits, shaking her head. "You, Neiran, Aida here, Essdara, Tavaly, Roa, K'sar...That's seven. Think I can count Lord Samien from the gather?" she muses before looking over to Aida, smile slipping wry. "I'm just jerking your chain, Aida. Don't know about Benden, here, but I'm not /really/ offended."
Reyce makes a mocking sound in his throat when Aelan answers the question seriously, and gives her a withering look. "Whatever," he mutters. "I wasn't actually interested." Sipping from his klah at this point, he fixes his gaze on Aida with a shrug. "Just being assholes, she means. I don't care."
"That's good to know," Aida tells them both quite seriously, giving another dip of her head. "But I don't think that I'm going to end up catching the person I've been hoping to catch before I need to be in the infirmary, so I'm going to excuse myself regardless. Good day, both of you." Her tone is polite, words carefully spoken, and with her farewell said she's turning to start limping back towards the tunnel that leads back out to the bowl.
"Good day," Aelan calls after the healer before turning a smirk back towards Reyce. "Boy, you're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? Surprised you /aren't/ in more of the damned etiquette classes I got thrown in." She pauses then, wrinkling her nose. "Of course, you're a boy, so that's probably the difference."
Reyce watches Aida retreat from the room, openly intrigued by her limp. Aelan draws an annoyed look for distracting him. "Actually, I just have a busy schedule, since I am /doing/ things here." The arched eyebrow is clearly meant to imply that she's not. He raises his klah for a sip, only to find that he's already emptied it. He gags on the dregs, spitting them back into his mug with a grimace.
Who: Kierom, Essdara, Aida
Where: Baths
What: Kierom makes a threat; Aida does too, but hers is much more veiled and was as such missed.
Not actually in the process of bathing, Aida appears to have perhaps recently finished with such things? Whatever the case is, she's damp (but fairly well along the road to being dry) and wrapped up in a robe, her hair tied in on itself and confined, wet or not. She's presently sitting at the edge of one of the pools, her right foot soaking in the water, the left tucked up beneath her. Her expression is clearly thoughtful, though she doesn't seem so lost in consideration to be unaware of her surroundings.
Holding a few towels and in a robe himself, Kierom stolls in getting ready for a bath, humming a toon that sounds vaguely familiar, possibly one from the gather? HE nods in greeting at Aida as he heads for one of the pools and smiles a little. "Hello there."
Coming fully back to the present, Aida's attention swings up to Kierom when he speaks to her. Her lips promptly curve up into a smile, and she gives a little dip of her head in greeting. "Kierom," she offers quietly. "How are you?" She leans down after the question has been asked, poking and prodding at the ankle in the water.
Kierom turns slightly as he raises an eyebrow, pausing for a moment. "I'm fine, and you? Did you hurt your ankle?" he asks the obvious question. "I hope it wasn't at the gather...."
"Just a little bit," Aida says, promptly sitting back up and then scooting forward, sticking her foot deeper into the water and making it more difficult to see. "Nothing serious. And no, not at the gather. I'm doing well. Has your day been well, so far?"
Kierom raisees an eyebrow at the girl, but decided not to pursue the ankle hurting right now. "It's been an interesting day, but happily unevently. And yours?" He then moves to settle in by one of the warm pools and sets his towls down, slowly moving to a sitting position.
Aida gives a loose shrug of her shoulders, bringing a hand up to brush her hair out of her face. "It's been fine," she says quietly. "Quiet. Uneventful. Boring." This is, given the tone of her voice, not a positive thing for the girl. "I have a bit more time before I have to go make myself useful, and I'm relaxing with it."
Kierom chuckles softly as he prepares to enter the pool. "I'd settle for quiet and boring anyday," Kie says a little serious, and isn't teasing at all. "There's been too much excitement as of late. We could switch?" he raises an eyebrow at the girl, this time the question was meant to be teasing a little.
Laughing, Aida shakes her head. "I wouldn't enjoy that sort of excitement," she points out, offering a smile. "So no, I don't want to trade. Plus, I don't know how to fight. I'd be a bit useless, and somehow I expect you might stumble a bit in the infirmary. Thank you, though." Wink.
Making a quick face as Aids mentions the Infirmary, Kie nods. "Aye, I would. Most likely would punch Healer NEiran before the shift was done as well." Kie doesn't hide his annoyance with the Healer at this point and slips out of his riobe and into the pool. "You like working there?"
Averting her eyes when the robe comes off, Aida goes back to poking at her ankle, folding forward to rest her chin down on her knees. "Why would you want to punch Neiran?" She asks idly, fingers trailing around in the water. "And yes, I like working there. Most of the time."
Kierom wrinkles his nose and makes a face, "Well, his bedside manner needs work for one thing and I don't like his reaction to some things. He hasn't been the nicest when I've been to the Infirmary to see him or friends there." There's obviously a little more to the story than Kie is telling, but he leaves it there for now.
"I see," Aida says quietly, continuing to lazily play with the water. "Well, to each their own. It's certainly a good thing for you to avoid the infirmary, if you think you may end up punching him in the face. That...would not go over well."
Kierom shrugs and smiles slightly. "No it wouldn't. But until Roa and K'sar get out of the Infirmary, I will visit them ther and keep my anger in check." Kie moves to push water over his shoulders and face, and finally the hair. "How did you hurt your ankle anyway?" Kie asks, deciding to change the subject.
"You'd best," Aida says, casting a glance over towards Kierom's back again. There's a flutter of her own smile, and then she's looking back to the water, trailing her fingers through it. She's damp, wearing a robe, and sitting on the edge of one of the pools, her bad foot soaking in the warm water, the rest of it (save her fingers) out. "I slipped out in the snow. No big deal."
Kierom sits in the pool, and smiles at the girl from there, his robe at the side of the pool with his towles. "Well, I am sorry to hear that. Hurt ankles are /not/ fun."
Essdara comes into the baths with her normal small basket of abthing supplies, wearing a sunny smile and a slightly vapid expression. She hums a cheerful tune as she makes her way towards the bathing pools, compleyely oblivious to any other people around her.
"Not terribly so, no," Aida agrees, chuckling quietly and shaking her head. There's another swat at the water, and then she's turning and glancing when she hears Dara's humming. An eyebrow lifts, but she smiles all the same. "Hey, you," she calls.
Kierom nods at Aida and smiles when he sees Dara. "Wow, must be a popular time." He splahes himself with waterv again and chuckles softly.
Essdara grins brightly at Aida, giving a litle twirl before coming to rest on the edge of one of the unoccupied pools. "Hello to you both! I wasn't expecting any company, but I'm always happy to see either of you, so yay for me!" She sets her basket down and unceremoniously starts disrobing. "How're you both today? Isn't it just a wonderful day? I think so, it's been very good to me so far!
Aida blinks slowly up towards Dara, her eyebrows lifting. She's quiet for a long moment, then smiles warmly and starts to sit up. "It is," she agrees quietly. "Absolutely wonderful." There's a chuckle, and she scoots back out of the water, drawing her foot up and eying her ankle. While yes, it is swollen, it's not /terribly/ so. A towel is grabbed, and she starts to dab it off carefully.
Kierom blinks at Dara for a moment and shakes his head. He moves to the edge of the pool where his towls are, but stays in. "It's been nice," he says. "Pleasantly uneventful." He peers at Aida's ankle quickly, trying to assess for himself how badly it's hurt.
Essdara, naked, drops into the water with a happy sigh. She peeks over the edge at Aida's foot, and makes a face at her. "Still hurting? You should see Neiran, he's got a tea that'll fix it! A tea for everything, pain, sadness, being awake, being asleep, convulsions... You name it, he's got something for it!" She splashes a bit with her feet. "Think K'sar'll get better, Kierom? I hope so, he's a lot of fun when he's not being all crabby and sick."
"I'd planned on it, actually," Aida says, giving Dara a slight smile. She finishes patting off her ankle, setting the towel aside in favor of a cloth bandaged as she starts to wrap it back up. "It's not all that bad, though." It's hurt, it's swollen and red, but there's no bruising or the like. She seems quite skilled with the bandage wrapping, at least.
Kierom nods at Aida, "That is good to hear that you have it checked on." He glances over at Dara quizically and nods. "I' sure he'll get better. He's showing signs of improvement ever time I visit him."
Essdara beams at Aida. "Good. I hate when you pull that 'I'm not hurt, I'm fine' crap. Makes me want to drag you in there myself to get looked at. You need to take good care of yourself, if only to keep the people who love you happy!" To Kierom, as she reaches for some sand to scrub with. "Yeah, he is! Well, I mean, 'cept today, that was just bad all around, but I think he is getting better. Now if I can just catch him in a lucid place and have a talk to him!" Scrub, scrub. "He thinks he knows things about me, and thinks he can 'help', and I plan to make sure he keeps his nose out of it!" Firm words, but all said with an almost sickeningly sweet, cheerful tone.
Lifting an eyebrow, Aida points out, "I am fine." Of course. She tucks the end of the bandage in on itself, then gathers her things up, shoving up to her feet. Her weight rests on her left foot once she's up, but hey. "A minor injury really is no big deal. Honestly." A shake of her head. "I'm going to excuse myself, though -- Dara, it's good to see you feeling well. Kierom, it was nice seeing you."
"You know you wouldn't let /me/ get away with that." Dara says, cheerfully. Still, she waves to Aidaa and turns to Kierom. "So what've you been up to? I've been so distracted lately that I've been neglecting you horribly. Anything new and fun int he guard barracks?"
"You don't work in the infirmary," Aida points out cheerfully, flashing a grin. This, apparently, seems to in her mind close the argument. She gives a wave to the pair of them, then goes limping off in the direction of the tunnel. It's not a bad limp, but she is limping, yes.