Evening Chat
IC Date: day 28, month 9, turn 2 of the 7th Pass
Players: Imari, R'hal
Location: Northern Bowl
Synopsis: A brief encounter between R'hal and Imari in which they discuss the gather and some other things. Just a nice little scene.
Northern Bowl,
Early Evening
The bowl floor is a broad expanse of gravel and dust, packed flat over decades of dragonweight landing on it. Kept free of vegetation, the only color variation across the vast hollow of the bowl are the dragons, in good weather often found sunning on low ledges or sprawled along the floor itself. The well-worn, charcoal-grey walls of the bowl are nearly vertical, far too steep for even the most adventurous climber to attempt. The rim of the bowl, marked by a rainbow of perching dragons at all times of the day, is topped with massive stone spires that stretch upwards into the blue vault of the sky. There are seven in all, great black fingers of stone that seem, from where you stand, to touch the clouds.
A number of tunnels breach the walls of the bowl, leading to various indoor parts of the Weyr. To the southwest, a vast tunnel entrance descends to the baths, curls of steam seeping out on colder days. On the northern face of the stone, a huge gaping maw betrays the presence of the Hatching cavern. Somewhat more modest tunnel entrances lead to the living caverns and the versatile classroom chamber to the west, and the Weyrleaders' complex to the east. In the distance to the south, the vast grey-blue of the lake stretches off to meet the southern wall of the bowl. It's a clear autumn day and the air has become crisp, stirred by breezes cool enough to redden cheeks. The sky is cloudless and a dazzling shade of blue.
The late afternoon is pleasant enough, if a little on the cold side. Perfect for walking about the bowl with only a light wrap. Imari strolls along, her basket over her arm, the heavy, woolen shawl drawn around her shoulders. A nod is offered to those she recognizes as she moves toward a bench placed outside the cavern entrance. She sits, pulling a piece of decorative work from her basket, studying the brightly colored interwoven dragons she's been working on for some time. It was, at one time, meant to be a collar for D'ban's dress tunic, but that plan ended with his death some time back. Now, the piece serves more as something upon which to work now and then, just a time sink when she's not working in the laundry.
Yanith spirals down to a neat, solid landing, not far from the entrance to the Living Cavern. As soon as R'hal has dismounted, the brown takes off again, keeping low as he wings his way towards the eastern side of the bowl where he can still catch a little evening sun. The brownrider brushes an invisible fleck of something-or-other from his jacket with the back of his hand and turns to walk briskly towards the cavern entrance, though he slows to nod a greeting towards the acquaintance on the nearby bench. "Evening, Imari."
Looking up from her work, the brownrider is offered a smile. "Evening, R'hal," she replies, having long known the wingsecond. The brown dragon is also offered a pleasant, "Hello, Yanith, you look particularly handsome today," by way of greeting, and a grin. "He does look good," she tells the rider, hands slowly lowering the decorative work back into her basket. "Riding sweeps today?" she inquires, setting the basket beside her on the bench, and pulling the shawl tighter around herself. "Won't be long before heavy snow."
R'hal stops, glances after the retreating form of his dragon, and chuckles. "He'll take any amount of that sort of comment. Yes, we were out. Right over Tillek way - he gave his wings a good stretch along the coast. How about you? How are you doing? Still working in the laundry?"
"Mostly mending and sewing what needs t'be done," Imari replies, watching the brown. "You know me, always doing what I know best to do," the girl adds, chuckling. "I was glad to hear nobody got hurt last 'fall. You're getting the hang of this Thread fighting finally?" she teases, though there's a bit of some emotion in the words.
R'hal wrinkles his lips into something that's not quite a grin, and gives the teasing question a serious answer. "Long may it continue. But, yes, we're building up some experience now, learning what works, what doesn't. Trouble is, learning what doesn't... well, sometimes you do it the hard way. I don't think it's ever going to be easy."
There's a flicker of something behind Imari's eyes at that statement, and she casts her eyes down at the basket. "I know," she says softly, probably remembering that disastrous fall when D'ban was lost. "There are always hard lessons to learn in life, but once we learn them, things are easier." She looks back up, and the smile is back.
"As you say, may each 'fall be as injury free as the last one was. I'm glad you and Yanith weren't hurt, R'hal. You have some clean laundry ready, by the way. And, I managed to repair the rent to your good Gather shirt." A flicker of a teasing smile. "You should choose your dance partners better. That last one nearly cost you a tunic." And she laughs, teasing him.
R'hal sounds outraged - in a teasing kind of way. "Hey, it's worse than that! She almost cost me my reputation on the dance floor! Come on, how often do I drop a partner in a toss dance? No need at all to strangle me with my own collar!"
Imari laughs and places a hand on her chest, trying to look innocent. "Ah, but, then, you should not have tried the toss dance after plying the girl with Benden's best, no? -- and did I not warn you beforehand to be careful?" Her eyes are dancing with delight. "See? -- and now you blame the girl. You riders abuse us poor lower caverns girls so!" Imari shivers as a blast of cold wind sweeps through the bowl, stirring dust and making her avert her eyes for a moment. "I'm glad you asked me to dance /before/ you indulged so."
"Aww, come on! How much of Benden's best do you think I can afford?" R'hal isn't averse to joking a bit, it seems. The mock outrage is giving way to a broad grin. "Besides, /she/ was indulging. /I/ still had to fly home. You know I don't drink and fly. Much. Did you hear her complaining?" The tone of the question clearly expects an answer in the negative.
"No, that I can't say I did," Imari replies, shaking her head. "Would the rider who brought me home from the gather had been as cautious. I'm thankful his blue was of a more sober frame of mind and brought us safely back -- fortunately, a matter of flying straight, not going Between. I'm glad the gather was at High Reaches Hold. I doubt we'd be having this conversation, otherwise." She's laughing, yes, but there's an underlying sense of terror at the thought of Betweening. Maybe since that was the way D'ban was lost. "I'll be sure and ask /you/ to bring me back next time."
R'hal waves a hand dismissively and says, "Any time," but there's a flat note in his voice. "I hope that wasn't one of my wing. And if I catch anyone Betweening when he's had a skinful..." The threat isn't completed, and doesn't need to be. R'hal has something of a reputation for being a stickler for flight safety.
"No, it wasn't," Imari is quick to assure the wingsecond. "Had it been, I would have told you. As it was, his dragon showed common sense, and all is well." She smiles to the rider. "I'll be sure and look for you next time, or at least let you assign one of your riders to convey us safely home." She shakes her head. "Although, as in her cups as Dessah was, she didn't even recognize that she was on the dragon," Imari says, mentioning the girl the rider had been indulging with. "I'm sure he didn't leave his weyr for the rest of the night, at least."
"I don't suppose she did, either," R'hal responds, a touch sourly. "Oh, well. I hope his hangover taught him something." He seems to have exhausted that topic of conversation. He nods towards the girl's embroidery. "What're you making?"
Glancing down at the basket, Imari's smile fades a little. "It was going to be a collar for D'ban's gather tunic, but --" She shrugs. "I work on it occasionally, but I doubt it will ever be used, now." Softly spoken, and her finger traces one of the gold dragons that decorate the material. "I haven't really done much decorative work lately," she adds. "Though I did get a commission for a patch with four dragon poker aces recently. A gift for D'ven, apparently."
"Very appropriate," R'hal grins, his tension passing as conversation moves onto a safer topic. He doesn't seem to have anything else to say, though, and there's a moment of slightly unsettled silence. "Well, I'm going to get something to eat. Clear skies, Imari!"
"Clear skies, R'hal," Imari replies, smiling. "You can pick up the laundry down in the lower caverns anytime. It's in a basket marked with your name."
Players: Imari, R'hal
Location: Northern Bowl
Synopsis: A brief encounter between R'hal and Imari in which they discuss the gather and some other things. Just a nice little scene.
Northern Bowl,
Early Evening
The bowl floor is a broad expanse of gravel and dust, packed flat over decades of dragonweight landing on it. Kept free of vegetation, the only color variation across the vast hollow of the bowl are the dragons, in good weather often found sunning on low ledges or sprawled along the floor itself. The well-worn, charcoal-grey walls of the bowl are nearly vertical, far too steep for even the most adventurous climber to attempt. The rim of the bowl, marked by a rainbow of perching dragons at all times of the day, is topped with massive stone spires that stretch upwards into the blue vault of the sky. There are seven in all, great black fingers of stone that seem, from where you stand, to touch the clouds.
A number of tunnels breach the walls of the bowl, leading to various indoor parts of the Weyr. To the southwest, a vast tunnel entrance descends to the baths, curls of steam seeping out on colder days. On the northern face of the stone, a huge gaping maw betrays the presence of the Hatching cavern. Somewhat more modest tunnel entrances lead to the living caverns and the versatile classroom chamber to the west, and the Weyrleaders' complex to the east. In the distance to the south, the vast grey-blue of the lake stretches off to meet the southern wall of the bowl. It's a clear autumn day and the air has become crisp, stirred by breezes cool enough to redden cheeks. The sky is cloudless and a dazzling shade of blue.
The late afternoon is pleasant enough, if a little on the cold side. Perfect for walking about the bowl with only a light wrap. Imari strolls along, her basket over her arm, the heavy, woolen shawl drawn around her shoulders. A nod is offered to those she recognizes as she moves toward a bench placed outside the cavern entrance. She sits, pulling a piece of decorative work from her basket, studying the brightly colored interwoven dragons she's been working on for some time. It was, at one time, meant to be a collar for D'ban's dress tunic, but that plan ended with his death some time back. Now, the piece serves more as something upon which to work now and then, just a time sink when she's not working in the laundry.
Yanith spirals down to a neat, solid landing, not far from the entrance to the Living Cavern. As soon as R'hal has dismounted, the brown takes off again, keeping low as he wings his way towards the eastern side of the bowl where he can still catch a little evening sun. The brownrider brushes an invisible fleck of something-or-other from his jacket with the back of his hand and turns to walk briskly towards the cavern entrance, though he slows to nod a greeting towards the acquaintance on the nearby bench. "Evening, Imari."
Looking up from her work, the brownrider is offered a smile. "Evening, R'hal," she replies, having long known the wingsecond. The brown dragon is also offered a pleasant, "Hello, Yanith, you look particularly handsome today," by way of greeting, and a grin. "He does look good," she tells the rider, hands slowly lowering the decorative work back into her basket. "Riding sweeps today?" she inquires, setting the basket beside her on the bench, and pulling the shawl tighter around herself. "Won't be long before heavy snow."
R'hal stops, glances after the retreating form of his dragon, and chuckles. "He'll take any amount of that sort of comment. Yes, we were out. Right over Tillek way - he gave his wings a good stretch along the coast. How about you? How are you doing? Still working in the laundry?"
"Mostly mending and sewing what needs t'be done," Imari replies, watching the brown. "You know me, always doing what I know best to do," the girl adds, chuckling. "I was glad to hear nobody got hurt last 'fall. You're getting the hang of this Thread fighting finally?" she teases, though there's a bit of some emotion in the words.
R'hal wrinkles his lips into something that's not quite a grin, and gives the teasing question a serious answer. "Long may it continue. But, yes, we're building up some experience now, learning what works, what doesn't. Trouble is, learning what doesn't... well, sometimes you do it the hard way. I don't think it's ever going to be easy."
There's a flicker of something behind Imari's eyes at that statement, and she casts her eyes down at the basket. "I know," she says softly, probably remembering that disastrous fall when D'ban was lost. "There are always hard lessons to learn in life, but once we learn them, things are easier." She looks back up, and the smile is back.
"As you say, may each 'fall be as injury free as the last one was. I'm glad you and Yanith weren't hurt, R'hal. You have some clean laundry ready, by the way. And, I managed to repair the rent to your good Gather shirt." A flicker of a teasing smile. "You should choose your dance partners better. That last one nearly cost you a tunic." And she laughs, teasing him.
R'hal sounds outraged - in a teasing kind of way. "Hey, it's worse than that! She almost cost me my reputation on the dance floor! Come on, how often do I drop a partner in a toss dance? No need at all to strangle me with my own collar!"
Imari laughs and places a hand on her chest, trying to look innocent. "Ah, but, then, you should not have tried the toss dance after plying the girl with Benden's best, no? -- and did I not warn you beforehand to be careful?" Her eyes are dancing with delight. "See? -- and now you blame the girl. You riders abuse us poor lower caverns girls so!" Imari shivers as a blast of cold wind sweeps through the bowl, stirring dust and making her avert her eyes for a moment. "I'm glad you asked me to dance /before/ you indulged so."
"Aww, come on! How much of Benden's best do you think I can afford?" R'hal isn't averse to joking a bit, it seems. The mock outrage is giving way to a broad grin. "Besides, /she/ was indulging. /I/ still had to fly home. You know I don't drink and fly. Much. Did you hear her complaining?" The tone of the question clearly expects an answer in the negative.
"No, that I can't say I did," Imari replies, shaking her head. "Would the rider who brought me home from the gather had been as cautious. I'm thankful his blue was of a more sober frame of mind and brought us safely back -- fortunately, a matter of flying straight, not going Between. I'm glad the gather was at High Reaches Hold. I doubt we'd be having this conversation, otherwise." She's laughing, yes, but there's an underlying sense of terror at the thought of Betweening. Maybe since that was the way D'ban was lost. "I'll be sure and ask /you/ to bring me back next time."
R'hal waves a hand dismissively and says, "Any time," but there's a flat note in his voice. "I hope that wasn't one of my wing. And if I catch anyone Betweening when he's had a skinful..." The threat isn't completed, and doesn't need to be. R'hal has something of a reputation for being a stickler for flight safety.
"No, it wasn't," Imari is quick to assure the wingsecond. "Had it been, I would have told you. As it was, his dragon showed common sense, and all is well." She smiles to the rider. "I'll be sure and look for you next time, or at least let you assign one of your riders to convey us safely home." She shakes her head. "Although, as in her cups as Dessah was, she didn't even recognize that she was on the dragon," Imari says, mentioning the girl the rider had been indulging with. "I'm sure he didn't leave his weyr for the rest of the night, at least."
"I don't suppose she did, either," R'hal responds, a touch sourly. "Oh, well. I hope his hangover taught him something." He seems to have exhausted that topic of conversation. He nods towards the girl's embroidery. "What're you making?"
Glancing down at the basket, Imari's smile fades a little. "It was going to be a collar for D'ban's gather tunic, but --" She shrugs. "I work on it occasionally, but I doubt it will ever be used, now." Softly spoken, and her finger traces one of the gold dragons that decorate the material. "I haven't really done much decorative work lately," she adds. "Though I did get a commission for a patch with four dragon poker aces recently. A gift for D'ven, apparently."
"Very appropriate," R'hal grins, his tension passing as conversation moves onto a safer topic. He doesn't seem to have anything else to say, though, and there's a moment of slightly unsettled silence. "Well, I'm going to get something to eat. Clear skies, Imari!"
"Clear skies, R'hal," Imari replies, smiling. "You can pick up the laundry down in the lower caverns anytime. It's in a basket marked with your name."