[Log] Worse Things Than Hats
Who: Claret, R'dur
When: Day 1, Month 9, Turn 3
Where: Living Cavern, Telgar Weyr
What: R'dur joins Claret for dinner.
Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern
This huge cavern is sufficiently roomy to hold a large portion of the Weyr's population without feeling cramped. There's always a bustle of activity here. Fragrant dishes are constantly in prepartion for mealtimes: currently for the evening meal. Drudges are always present, either cleaning under Pierron's watchful eye, or helping fetch and carry. A myriad of glowbaskets and many ever-lit hearths make the cavern warm and inviting despite its size. The scents of cooking meats, baking breads and pastries, and the pungent aroma of spices hang mouthwateringly in the air. It is little wonder that those seeking to relax nearly always find their way here to do it.
A short tunnel jaunts northward out to the bowl and the merry sounds of cooking, chores, and laughter echo from the kitchen at the southeast end of the cavern near the easterly passage to the rest of the lower caverns. Within the lower caverns is an entrance to the infirmary weyr to care for injured dragons and riders.
Contents:
PLAYERS: R'dur Pierron
OTHER: Telgar Serving Tables
Obvious Exits:
Inner Caverns Kitchen Bowl
Claret seems to be lingering over her meal, enjoying the warmth of the nearby hearths in preference to the crisp, fall air. The bustle of the large cavern unnoticed, she sits at a small table at its perimeter, twirling a fork over her half-eaten dinner and gazing blankly into space. Clearly this is a momentous evening.
Shuffling in with a yawn, R'dur rubs one hand across the back of his neck and heads toward the serving table. He piles a plate with various goodies and fills a glass with water before turning to find a seat. He eyes first a table containing a raucous few of his fellow weyrlings and the younger graduated riders, hesitation marking his steps in that direction. Fortunately, he's saved from that fate by the glimpse of a less trafficked area by the hearths. He heads that way, toward Claret, but he shyly lingers just near her table for several seconds. Finally, he steps forward, toward one of the empty seats beside her. "Um. Hi," ventures the weyrling. "Is--is this--can I join you?"
Claret's fork twirling comes to an abrupt end as her glance settles on the hesitant weyrling before her. Attention snapping back into place, she immediately offers him a warm, cheery smile. "'Course you can. Please. You're much more interesting than my eating utensils, I'm sure." She jabs the aforementioned utensil towards the seat he has approached, remembering just belatedly to offer her greetings. "Oh! And evening, R'dur. How're you faring?"
R'dur glances around, seeking some authority figure, before he actually takes a seat and arranges his plate and glass before him. "I'm well," he offers Claret. "How are you and Avrieth?" He adjusts the position of his plate once more, then takes his first bite. "It's, uh... It's starting to turn cold again," he says lamely after a few moments of chewing and grasping for a topic.
A small laugh escapes Claret at R'dur's last choice of words. "Unfortunately so. It will be hat-wearing weather soon, more's the pity. Still, there are worse things than hats." Though if the despondent expression that settles on Claret's features for the moment is any indication, she couldn't think of many. "I'm fine. Avrieth's complaining about just that: losing some of her sunshine."
R'dur tilts his head curiously. "You don't like hats?" he queries. "Why not?" He pauses a moment, then nods as well. "Yes, Alidaeth was a bit sad about that, too, but I don't think he really minds as much as he says he does. Now, he just wants to go sleep in the steam baths instead--even if it /is/ a bit too damp in there for his taste." He bears an indulgent smile where his brown is concerned.
"Because," Claret informs R'dur quite seriously, "They are the essence of evil." But then there's a quick smile, and she lifts her free hand to pat the top of her head. "It's just that they're so... stifling. I don't know. Wearing a cap for drills is bad enough." And now Claret recommences her meal, though her bites are slow, and she fills in the space between with plenty of words. "Mmm, I think it will be a month at least before Avrieth takes to the steam baths. It's a conflict between her preference for open spaces, and the good gossip she can get when it's more crowded."
R'dur blinks, surprised. "Oh. Oh, I see," he says, in that muddled tone that says he really doesn't. "I... Well, it's a necessary evil, at least?" ventures the man. He frowns, brows knit as he continues to debate that statement. After a moment, though, he shrugs it off and takes another few bites of his food. "Really? Alidaeth likes being around the other dragons--talking to them, socializing, if not exactly gossiping. I don't think the--the space really factors into it for him. He'll manage, wherever he is."
Claret shakes her head, expression woeful. "No, not even a necessary evil. Necessary for drills, of course, but I'd really rather lose feeling in my ears and fingers than wear hats and mittens the rest of the time. It's perfectly senseless, isn't it?" And as ever, that prospect is one of whimsical delight. "It feels, sometimes, like Avrieth keeps the brunt of her stories and chatter for me, but I know she likes to socialize, too. And to watch, even when she's quiet. But of course, she doesn't feel the cold like we do, and when she's in the lake, she's got more space to play."
Claret's grin is infectious, and soon R'dur is smiling, too. "Senseless. Well, if that's what you like to do, I suppose it makes sense for you," decides the man, amused by this thought. He continues picking his way through his food, one item at a time. "Alidaeth does that--watch, that is. People, dragons... anything, really. And he's always got some keen observation on the state of things. I think that's why he likes being around everyone else so much: he thinks they're fascinating."
Claret gives her head an unrepentant shake. "No, I think it's pretty senseless, because even if it's what I like to do, I end up frozen. Occasionally it's an interesting sensation, but usually rather unpleasant, wouldn't you say?" And it's the moment where she points out the unpleasantness that she chooses for another bright smile. "Avrieth too! We're alike in that way. She can sun for hours, just watching and relating the stories to me. And then being twice as delighted when I report them back to her the next day, since she's forgotten."
R'dur's smile wavers, then resolidifies. "Usually," he agrees. "I don't like being cold, yet here I am: at Telgar." He shrugs and finishes his meal, pushing the plate away at last. He grins at her description of Avrieth, noting, "Fortunately, Alidaeth has a relatively good memory--for a dragon. He remembers things a bit longer than just a day, generally."
Despite the fact that Claret has been working on her meal for much longer, her progress is still slow, impeded more by her general air of distraction than by talk. "I've always been cold. Woodcraft's temperature isn't so different, really. And that's where I came from before here. Never lived anywhere else." She lifts her shoulders in a slight shrug, continuing with an affectionate smile. "Avrieth's got a worse memory than most. Two hours later, everything's gone from her head. But it works to my advantage, more often than not. I can't imagine the horror she'd be if she remembered how I was supposed to look and act -all- the time."
"Oh. I'm... sorry?" ventures R'dur, frowning a bit. "It must be... difficult, though, having to deal with something like that." He pauses a moment and toys with his fork a moment. "I'm from the South--the Southern Continent," he tells her after a moment, studying his plate. "We, uh, weren't a tropical, beach-paradise hold or anything; we were actually pretty temperate--but definitely warmer than here. And before I came to Telgar, I went by Southern Weyr and Igen, so I've never dealt with weather quite so cold as here." Pause. "But it's okay; I'm used to it by now."
Claret's brows knit together in momentary puzzlement. "Sorry? About what? Oh, about Avrieth? It's all right, she means well and she's quite indulgent, really. Unless you meant sorry about the cold. In which case it's really not a bother at all." Food forgotten for the moment, she props her chin on her hand, expression intrigued. "You're from Southern? That's exciting. Not that it's -terribly- uncommon, or anything, but it's awfully different down there, isn't it? I've only been a couple of times. Igen is Avrieth's favorite haunt."
R'dur hesitates, then elects not to answer Claret's question. Some things are better left unclarified. Instead, he notes wistfully, "Alidaeth has never been anywhere else. Perhaps one day after we've graduated, we can go visit a few different places. I've already promised him /and/ my family to visit them when I can. And, well, it's really not so different there, you know. Holds are holds, and Weyrs are Weyrs, the same as they are up here. Have you ever been there?"
"Yes but the trees," Claret replies, making an expansive gesture with her arms--and hopefully not hitting R'dur in the process. "They're huge! I've been a couple of times," she repeats. "When Avrieth wanted sun, and I had some spare time. Once you've graduated, you can pretty much go wherever you like. Within reason, of course. And as long as you're here for drills. It took me a little while to take advantage of that opportunity, though, and I still find I like it better here than anywhere else."
R'dur leans back, making sure he's out of range of Claret's flailing arms before he speaks. "Yes, the trees," he agrees with a bemused smile. "I suppose that's one of the better things about being graduated: the freedom to go and do what you want to do. I miss my family sometimes. Before I left home, I'd never been without all of them around me, you know, so it's... a change. Yes. Perhaps for the better in the end, but..." He trails off with a helpless shrug.
Claret quirks an apologetic glance R'dur's way at her near hit, the expression brief before she returns her concentration to finishing off her food. "I don't think there's anything -but- good about being graduated. But then I guess we've talked about that, huh? S'only natural to miss your family, if you were close to them before. I used to miss my da, sometimes. And even my brother a little, though he was bossier than Avrieth. It's nice to be able to visit. Still, even without that, it's a big change."
R'dur shrugs. "I don't suppose I was really close to them, but it's still something you get used to. And even if I had stayed, things wouldn't have been the same. My parents and my two oldest siblings are--gone; my next oldest sister is married; and my younger siblings are growing up, too. It's strange." He hesitates, then confesses slowly, "Sometimes I wish things hadn't changed, but they can't stay the same forever. Right? I mean, it's better now, too. Isn't it?" He sounds halfway like he's trying to convince himself, and when he realizes this, he blushes a bit and ducks his head.
Claret isn't usually much of one for comforting people, but she gives the weyrling her best warm smile. "Far as I can see, there's nothing wrong with looking back, sometimes, and wishing. Still, you wouldn't give up Alidaeth for anything, would you? So of course things are better now." And this is said with fair confidence. "Although..." There's an unusual moment of hesitation before Claret continues, "If part of your family is gone now, I guess that makes the wishing a bit more hopeless, doesn't it?"
R'dur frowns slightly, eyes cutting upward to Claret. After a moment, he nods. "I... Yes," he confirms. "It's much better now. Thanks." He falls silent for a few seconds, then nods again, more firmly. "There's really no point in worrying about it. It's... Anyway." Another pause, and he grimaces. "So, anyway. What was--what was your graduation like?" he questions after a moment, striving for a lighter tone.
Claret recommences her fork-twirling, her plate almost empty in front of her and her eyes settled on R'dur with a vaguely puzzled expression. "You can be really difficult to understand when you're worried about something, you know. That's another reason not to worry. Makes you comprehensible." Because Claret is so often easy to understand. It's only a moment before her knitted brows are smoothed again, and she launches into bright talk. "Oh, it was grand! We all got called up one by one and Weyrlingmaster I'sai said something nice about us, and then the Weyrleader gave us a gift."
R'dur cocks his head, then manages a faint smile for Claret. "Ah, okay. I'll... try to... do that," he falters, blushing again. That smile starts to falter, but he latches onto talk of graduation and manages to hold it in place. "That's all? Some of the others--the more recently graduated riders--have been, er, telling... stories about what it will be like. And, well, you make it sound much more bearable than they do," he admits.
Claret pulls a face of disappointment. "Have they? Oh, I should have thought to do that! I'm sure I could have come up with the most gruesome story for you. Too bad." Her regretful sigh is short-lived, however, because she concedes, "Still, I suppose you're starting to look uncomfortable enough already. I'm dreadfully sorry. You should keep smiling. Graduation's not bad at all."
R'dur eyes Claret, then shakes his head. "I figured they were just trying to scare us, but... Well, I'm kind of gullible. Or maybe I just wanted something else to worry about," he says wryly. "I didn't know what to expect at all, about graduation or being in a new wing and all that."
"I'm gullible too," Claret admits cheerfully. "I'll believe almost anything I'm told. Although sometimes I do suspect it isn't true, just because. The really far-fetched tales are best, because then they're interesting, not just trying to scare you." The greenrider pauses in her twirling just long enough to tidily finish up her meal, before pulling another face. "Being tapped is quite another matter. When I got tapped, I thought I was being demoted to weyrling again."
R'dur blinks quickly, expression growing uncertain. "Is that--likely?" he asks. "What happened? How did you--I don't know--end up in your wing? Like, did the wingleader pick you, or... Yeah."
Claret gives a quick grin, shaking her head. "Well, I was tapped by Yselle," the rider explains, her mouth quirking. "So Wingsecond, although usually it's the Wingleader. I don't -think- it's at all likely that you--or anybody--will get pushed back to weyrling. It was just that she started out by scolding me, and so I was worried. It came about right, though. Of course, you have to adjust to a whole new set of riders, but still, once you have, it's good." Gracelessly Claret unfolds herself from her seat, collection her dishes with a rueful glance towards the bowl entrance, from which she can hear the rain. "Avrieth says it's time to go get in out of the cold. Good luck, R'dur!" With what, Claret doesn't specify, and then she's off, zig-zagging out of the cavern.
"Goodbye," R'dur offers slowly, watching as Claret disappears. After she's gone, he, too, stands, and gather his dishes to dispose of them before heading out, too.