[Log] How Klioth Vanished
Who: Breide, Cayri, I'neph, M'vari
When: Day 10, Month 2, Turn 443
Where: Weyrling Barracks, Fort Weyr
What: A simple question spirals downhill after G'avon dies.
Weyrling Barracks
Large and spacious, the barracks were originally four large caverns that are now connected. From the entrance, the first cavern is the largest and boasts five picnic-style tables capable of seating about ten people at each - presumably a place for weyrlings or weyrlingmasters to work. To the left, a smaller "storage" area contains large oil bins, smaller oil buckets, long cupboards with gear for making straps, and a large but tidy pile of fresh rushes. Fifty cots, most of them recently repaired or relatively new, are arranged in neat rows - five rows of ten cots - through the middle of the room: Bronzeriders get the back rows farthest from the entrance, greenriders nearest to the door. A smaller cavern, formerly a queenrider's weyr, is connected by a roughly carved tunnel, containing ten cots in a cluster by themselves.
Once elaborate tapestries that hang from the walls are now dusty and crumbling, or removed all together, leaving bare spaces of discolored stone. The only way in or out is through one of the two large openings from the bowl. It's afternoon in the winter. The fire burns bright, crackling with the only cheer in the room. The rugs over the entrances are fastened tight against the cold.
Players:
Breide.........5'7", wheat-blonde, brown eyes, curvy, early twenties
I'neph.........6', athletic; olive skin, dark brown eyes & hair; early 20s.
Cayri..........5'6". 17 turns old. Black hair. Brown eyes. Skinny.
M'vari.........6'2", 31, trim, blond hair, gray eyes.
Dragons:
Aydeth.........Green dragon, 3.25 feet long, 2 months old.
Oskeluth.......Brown dragon, 13.4 feet long, 8 months old.
Exits:
Lake..........................[SE]
Understandably subdued, the half-occupied barracks are even more empty than normal in mid-afternoon. One greenrider known to have quite the crush on G'avon is face down on his cot, muffling his whimpering into his pillow - presumably because M'vari's in the room now, though he's not paying the angsty kid any more attention than he has to. He actually appears to be fairly absorbed in full businesslike devotion to studying Aydeth. Cayri sits on the end of her cot watching while M'vari crouches beside the young green, giving her a good examination.
Cayri asks, "Like what? I'm not real informed when it comes to dragons." In light of recent events, her wry chuckle is brief and quiet, barely heard over the scrape of her feet dangling above the floor. "She's energetic, likes to get outside and play and such, and the snow doesn't seem to bother her at all. Probably because she came from High Reaches? I dunno." She twists at the waist, shooting a look of sympathy to the weepy weyrling.
I'neph's steps are determined as he enters the barracks, but as soon as he reaches the cavern and takes in the somber mood prevailing, he falters again, that purposefulness flagging. Still, momentum carries him onward--that, and it looks like he's about to get accosted by another weyrling, something he's entirely not prepared for, to judge by the way he skitters on past. It's roughly toward Cayri and M'vari that he heads, loitering a couple of cots down from the pair before he finally steps forward, offering the weyrlingmaster a salute. "Sir. Cayri."
A flash of disdain flickers through Breide's eyes, the goldrider having entered from the lake's shore, upon overhearing the muffled whimpers from a cot, before that flash dissolves into a suitably solemn look. The weyrlingmaster's presence is then noted as the young woman begins to step towards her cot, pausing the weyrling's movements. The blonde's interest rises in the high arc of her brows as Cayri is noted, and she deviates her path drastically towards the inspection. "H'lo!" is called out, and once she's closer, Breide salutes M'vari.
M'vari peers, not at the appropriate sir or the pair of salutes, but at the higher-spirited greeting from Breide. He looks - confused, an expression he buries in helping Aydeth stretch a wing. "She looks healthy. How's she eating? I heard something about herdbeasts and - " He pauses, squinting one eye. "Wait, maybe I mean to ask how YOU are eating. Anyway." The hand not minding the wing half-salutes back to the two entering weyrling and he returns, "Breide. I'neph."
Cayri lifts a hand toward I'neph, lifts it again toward Breide. She whispers loudly to Breide, "He's been like that for at least half an hour. At least now he's not hysterically sobbing." Nodding to M'vari indicates her reasoning as to why the sobs have stopped. "Fine, M'vari. I'm eating just fine. The bit about the cow is a pretty long story, but Aydeth's well and truly over it and eats as much as I'll give her most days. That's good, right?"
I'neph glances around himself at Breide's greeting, brows knitting briefly, before he turns back to M'vari and Cayri. For several seconds he's silent, letting Cayri get in her say; then, he volunteers, "Hey, sir? I, uh... I got a question." Pause. "Nothing important, really--just, you know, when you have time, is all. S'not that important," the bronzerider's quick to add, lifting his hands in a slow-down gesture, lest M'vari leap straightaway to his aid.
[DTU] To Aydeth and Rielth, Dioscuth envisions himself in the sky, then blinking /between/ and reappearing further across the bowl. He's very careful to add in M'vari on the ground, watching: they're doing this the /right/ way.
The look Breide levels M'vari is studiously bland in light of his glance over, marked only by the continued arc upwards of her pale brows and the faintest twitch at her lip corners. With a tilt of her head for Cayri, the other girl's comment elicits another glance for the prone greenrider on his cot and then a wry curve shaping the woman's mouth. "You're not overfeeding her then?" Rather than replying in kind to Cayri's loud whisper, a critical study flicks to Aydeth, which is then interrupted by I'neph's interjection as the slender frame turns to catch sight of the bronzerider.
M'vari answers, "Yes, it's good. A good sign. In another month, she'll be big enough to do a bit of hunting on her own. She's not being overfed." That to Breide. "She looks quite good. Very healthy." Followed by a pat to the green's muzzle, he helps Aydeth smooth her wing back. Alas for I'neph, the Weyrlingmaster's in a helpful mood, and he stands up from Aydeth with his listening face on. "I have time right now. What can I do for you?" Yes, kids, it takes practice to learn to say something that indirect and still make it sound like an order.
[DTU] To Aydeth and Dioscuth, Rielth is quiet a long while in light of the bronze's thoughts and returns a moment later in a enveloping blanket of crimson and amber to wash the image away. Kept at bay, but somewhat tangible in the undercurrent of the young gold's thoughts is a tendril of fear. << It is that easy, you think? >>
[DTU] To Dioscuth and Rielth, Aydeth informs brightly, << That's how Klioth vanished! >> Like this is big big big news!
Cayri smiles impeccably. "Thank you, M'vari. I thought she was doing pretty okay, but it never hurts to have an expert opinion." She shakes her head at Breide, underscoring M'vari's answer in mute reiteration. Naturally, she falls silent in time for everyone to turn their attention on to I'neph, even little Aydeth wobbling around to look inquisitively at the bronzerider, staring happily.
[DTU] To Aydeth and Rielth, Dioscuth answers Rielth's concern by simply reinforcing the image. You go away and you come back--what's hard about that? For Aydeth, he pictures another scene: Klioth vanishing and not reappearing, with M'vari very notably absent. It's not the same at all, you see.
[DTU] To Dioscuth and Rielth, Aydeth contemplates, << I wonder who will cry when Dioscuth vanishes. >> She tries out one of these pictures with the poor greenrider all sobbity-sobbing it up. << Probably him again! >> She doesn't 'get' Dioscuth's point about M'vari.
[DTU] To Aydeth and Rielth, Dioscuth's imaging has a peevish undertone as he pictures the entire Weyr wearing black and sobbing on each other's shoulders.
I'neph's smile is definitely strained as M'vari rounds on him. Delaying his reply by glancing at Breide and Cayri, then the doorway that's oh-so-far-away, he shifts his weight slowly and gathers the words for his answer. "Well, see. Dioscuth and me--Dioscuth and I," he corrects slowly. "We were talking, and he suggested something to me. You know, how in, um, in light of the current situation--recent events and all that..." He's trying to sound all high and political, but he really only sounds less intelligent than usual. Finally, abandoning his stalling, he blurts out, "We think you should go ahead and teach us to /between/ yourself."
[DTU] To Aydeth and Dioscuth, Rielth's fear subsides with Aydeth's continued blitheness, and in a moment of haughty disdain of those -that- much older, for what does a green who picked a girl really know, she wipes clear the slate of between, M'vari, and the greenrider with a casual flick of a mental talon. << You are too young to know. >>
[DTU] To Dioscuth and Rielth, Aydeth plays along, sending back the same image except Cayri in bright pink! It's like Where's Waldo! At Rielth, she agrees disconsolately, << I am too young to know. >> And heaves a great mental sigh, all raindrops and sadness and despondency.
Schooled by weyrlingmaster and greenrider, and not particularly pleased by it, Breide tosses her hair from I'neph to refocus narrowed eyes back onto Aydeth, in an apparent attempt to find something wrong with her. Again, I'neph draws the attention of not just her, but several other weyrlings still in the barracks to the bronzerider, and with widened eyes that have thus far been able to mask any untoward emotions in regards to 'recent events', she stares. "Always have to try and one up J'tei, don't you?"
M'vari gives Cayri a half-indulgent smile. (What? The man could use a little bubbly charm in his life. Don't judge him.) Mostly, though, he stays all centered on I'neph, business as usual. "Is that what you think?" he asks flatly. "Much as you're probably right, Breide, hush a minute. Let the man speak." He folds his arms and waits, taking a half-step back - giving I'neph plenty of room to dig himself into that hole.
Cayri sits on her cot and stares at I'neph and bites her thumb. She lets the man speak, by all means!
I'neph's mouth opens and closes before he manages words again. "We were just... I mean, we obviously /can/ do it, right? I mean, /he/ did," he explains, a vague gesture toward Breide for her mention of J'tei. "And, well. Somebody's--somebody's already got killed trying it, too, but if we--if we actually knew how to, then we wouldn't get killed and it wouldn't be such a big deal, either, because if everybody can do it, and it's not just one person getting this special treatment, it's not nearly so interesting to do it in the first place. Right?" Weakly, he glances at Cayri and Breide for support.
Too busy shooting M'vari an agitated look, Breide misses the look for support, but she does hush as directed. As Cayri's cot is nearby and convenient, the blonde sinks herself down, uninvited, on the very edge, and only belatedly remembers to flash a quizzical half-smile and chin lift for permission by the greenrider.
M'vari explains, "J'tei spent six months studying how to go Between, son. Stupid as it was - and it was stupid, make no mistake there - he did it with conscientious discipline, and that's the only reason he's alive. G'avon spent an afternoon - ONE afternoon - and that's the reason he's dead." He glances at the girls, just daring one of them to butt in. What comes next is not meant for female ears.
M'vari mutters to I'neph, "I... see... get... you, but... is... own... People... unprepared.... you... to..."
M'vari whispers "I understand it's frustrating to see J'tei get ahead of you, but this is for your own good, son. People DIE doing this unprepared. Are you really so anxious to take that risk?"
Cayri quickly looks away from I'neph with sudden interest in some lint on her blanket. Ohmy, look at that! She answers Breide with a sunny smile and a wordless nod, quelled to continued silence by M'vari's look.
[DTU] To Aydeth and Dioscuth, Rielth is mollified by the quick agreement from the green and cants a mental nod towards the smaller dragon. She is, however, quick to dim the brightness of Cayri in the crowd and swathe her in soap bubbles instead.
I'neph bites his lower lip, glancing downward at the floor in sulky silence when M'vari mutters to him. "No, sir," he finally mumbles. "Just.... It was all Dioscuth's idea," is his excuse, shoulders lifting in a haphazard shrug as he glances up. "Told him I'd ask if it'd get him to drop it."
[DTU] To Dioscuth and Rielth, Aydeth practically oohs! Soap bubbles are fun for all ages! << I wish we had some of those. >> Sigh sigh sigh.
A low exhaled, "Six months," is part of the gossip Breide had not heard apparently, and as Cayri looks away, the blonde cuts her gaze up sharply to spy out M'vari. "And so what? If we don't spent six months studying to go between, we have no chance to survive unless it's with you, or do we have to wait six months from here on out studying to even think of surviving even -with- you? - Sir?" She dared.
[DTU] To Aydeth and Dioscuth, Rielth draws one of the bubbles off Cayri's shoulder, floating it idly over towards where a sketch of Aydeth appears on the mental canvas. It grows in its upward arc towards the little green and then hovers near picture-Aydeth's nose.
M'vari's been on the edge of snapping all afternoon - go figure - and Breide just hits that one nerve, earning her a bitter stare. "Did you actually just say 'so what' to me?"
Cayri scooooots down the cot away from Breide, putting physical distance between herself and the goldrider like that's going to save her somehow. She even continues to look away, more and more out of place the longer this conversation continues.
I'neph breathes a sigh of relief when Breide speaks up, focusing intently on her and folding his arms expectantly over his chest. Oh, goodie. Someone /else/ to stick their foot in their mouth.
"I guess," Cayri doesn't have that much leeway as Breide favors the other female, rather the distance now between them with a bemused look, "You should start studying now." Still, a beat later the leggy blonde gets to her feet, an even sharper salute for M'vari than before, and levels a steady look for the weyrlingmaster. "You know what I meant, sir. So what- does that mean?" she concludes the shortened phrase, though probably hasn't bought herself any karma points.
M'vari answers firmly, "It means that you're ready when I say you're ready, and you keep your mouth shut about it until then." Trying to be calm (it's harder than it looks), he adds, "You will begin learning your landmarks relatively soon. It takes about a month or two of study before most people can make images clear enough to get through safely time and time again." Pause. "Just because J'tei did it doesn't mean you - either of you - can. Understood?"
Cayri clears her throat and asks, "So it doesn't /actually/ take six months? That's just because J'tei wasn't properly trained?" She avoids challenge or accusation or even daring in her tone, putting her question squarely in the department of a weyrling seeking the ever sage advice of the Weyrlingmaster.
"Yes, sir, don't worry about us," I'neph answers at once, decidedly cheerfully. Still, though, he glances between Breide and Cayri uncertainly, looking still interested in their responses, and M'vari's to theirs.
"Mmmm." Clearly, Breide disagrees, but as her eyes catch the knot of M'vari's shoulder the disgruntlement subsides, slipped behind a thin mask that's fixed to her face with a bland, accepting smile. Her fingers flex, then close loosely around her thumb before a wave of fingers ensues repeatedly in an inaudible drumming. "We," she stresses that, with a glance towards the greenrider who's missed the entire conversation in his mourning. He's excluded. "Won't disappoint you, sir." As if M'vari might have any ideas of their imminent death to stupidity.
M'vari answers Cayri, saying hastily, "Exactly. Some people pick it up quicker than others, but most drill for a month or two before they're really ready." As the one or two other weyrlings in the room start figuring out what's being discussed over at Cayri's cot, his frustration peaks. Lowering his voice, he says grimly, "Listen to me, all three of you. G'avon DIED today because he was too stupid to accept that I'm not holding you back to get my jollies off your frustrations. Another word about this, and none of you will so much as have leave to daydream about Between for turns. Understood?"
Cayri just mumbles, "Sorry, M'vari." With a guilty fold of her lips, she looks sidelong toward the crying weyrling who just started tuning in. Ok, so it was a little heartless to have this conversation today...
[DTU] To Aydeth, Dioscuth, and Rielth, Reith abruptly, without warning, slams an image into all three dragonets. Unbearable cold, infinite blackness, terrifying vertigo - no sense of direction, no feeling except an aching, bitter frost settling into your very bones. The sense of infinity conveyed is dizzying, the feeling of forever in this void. << Fedayth will not allow you Between until M'vari asks her to do so. I am sorry for you. >> He breaks away.
"Yes, sir," I'neph repeats, a note of good-natured didn't-I-just-say-that exasperation creeping into his voice. Though, his expression flickers at the mental barrage, a wary look directed sideways at M'vari. "Yes, sir." Once more, with feeling.
[DTU] To Dioscuth, Reith, and Rielth, Aydeth is utterly confused by the imagery, by the edict. << Okay. >> She retreats to the land of imaginary soap bubbles.
[DTU] To Aydeth, Reith, and Rielth, Dioscuth's agreement is sulky, an image of himself stuck firmly on the ground in the bowl. It's probably his rider's doing that he still adds Chaemith above him, disappearing and reappearing in quick succession.
"Yes, sir." Repetitive, with a funny fuzziness in her voice at the emphasis of death, Breide then shoots I'neph a -look-. At the barrack's entrance, a tarnished nose hovers and upon spying M'vari there, retreats into the shadows.
Harried, M'vari leaves without saying another word.
M'vari heads out of the barracks.
M'vari has left.
Soon as he's gone, Cayri turns toward the two other weyrlings and asks in full-frontal confusion, "What in the world is wrong with you two?"
"It was a perfectly valid question," grumps I'neph, kicking at the leg of Cayri's cot with one foot. "And at least I didn't press it."
Cayri's outburst garners one brow creeping higher in askance at the girl from Breide. "And what did we do wrong, greenrider?"
Cayri asks with heat, "But you couldn't save it till tomorrow? Ohmygosh, he feels responsible that G'avon got himself killed and you two are all over him about how he's failing to train people in time?" She sags onto her cot, full of disappointment and a little pity too.
"Oh, like he even cares," I'neph says, rolling his eyes. "He should be dancing--that's one less person for him to bother training. G'avon was /my/ friend, you know, the idiot. Known him my whole life. And it's J'tei's fault for starting all this, but if /he/--" a wave at the door, where M'vari ran off "--would just train the rest of us, nobody'd have to try it out themselves."
"So?" The petulant fit she couldn't throw at M'vari is instead turned onto the younger rider in the form of a cool pseudo calm. Breide turns slowly from where M'vari was to where Cayri is, pivoting until the entirety of her frame is directed to that cot. The death, however, throws her off once more and instead of answering that accusation, the blonde tosses her pale hair behind her shoulders again. "I think he's afraid," assesses the weyrling, a backwards glance darted to the exit.
Cayri asks I'neph disdainfully, "Do you even know what the word compassion means? It's not always all about you, y'know." The bleeding heart greenrider actually nods at Breide and continues, "Ya think? You could've tried to lay off him at least long enough for everyone to sleep on it. Selfish."
I'neph rolls his eyes. "If he can't take it, he shouldn't be weyrlingmaster. Everybody knows how he got the position in the first place," he says, matching his disdainfulness to Breide's.
Sharply, more sharply than she intends if the surprise that marks Breide's features immediately is any indication, the young woman returns, "Selfish? He's the weyrlingmaster. He hasn't the time to be afraid. And if he's afraid, what are the rest of us supposed to think, feel? Rielth-," the goldrider's lips press down thin, her gaze straying to where the tarnished nose was seen last, and in that startled look from prior firms into determination, "-Dragons are meant to fly, and go between. We will not be the last to do so for one at least, if not the other."
Cayri shakes her head with a snort. "Whatever. You two could've acted like decent human beings about it, but instead you made it all about you you you. If that ain't selfish, I dunno what is." Disgusted with them both, she scoots to the end of her cot and develops a sudden and encompassing interest in pairing her socks.
"Whatever," repeats I'neph, mimicking Cayri's tone. "I'm going to get something to eat. See you later," is his own exit strategy as he turns to start out.
Breide studies Cayri, interest piqued but only as far as the girl turning from her to the socks and then any questions the blonde may have had fly out of her pretty little head. "I've to tend to Rielth." Coincidentally, her steps line with I'neph as she too makes her exit.
Cayri stays in here with the /nice people/. Tossing mated socks into her press, she calls, "Bye."