Attacked from both sides
It is an autumn night, 20:40 of day 21, month 12, turn 18 of Interval 10.
Stores, Fort Weyr
Just off of the living cavern is a short tunnel that leads to the cavern complex of the stores, which consists of several caves of various sizes. Stairs lead further down to the darker, cooler caves which house root vegetables, dried herbs, cooking supplies, and row upon row of meat hung up on hooks. The upper level is devoted to everything else, with one cavern devoted entirely to clothing -- much of which might need mending to be useful -- and bedding, while another contains dragonriding supplies like straps, riding leathers, and oil. Other things that can be found here would be furniture, toys, basic supplies for crafters and anything else that folks in the Weyr might need to do.
Everything is neatly organized to the point of anal-retentiveness, ensuring that anyone can find what they're looking for as quickly as possible. Stores workers are usually on hand for those who don't know where to find what they're looking for.
Contents:
Winston
Phara
Obvious exits:
Kitchen Living Cavern
Phara snorts at Winston good naturedly, "Like Fiorella's not bug was scary, yeah?" Teasing, always teasing. She doesn't take it as a slight that he doesn't take her hand. She just lets it fall onto the crate. "Fair enough, I suppose. I remember what it's like. I used to crash in my friends weyrs." She and Winston are in the very back, deepest part of the stores. The tunnels are crowded and narrow back here, and spinner webs are starting to encrouch on the long-forgotten crates stacked up against the walls. The sound of their voices echo up the hallways, though, and the light of Phara's glows can be seen.
"It's a real bug, darlin' and I got proof. Even got bitten by one." Winston's brows waggle and he asks, "Wanna see my scar? It still hurts me sometimes. Wanna kiss it better?" His hands stay still though and he doesn't start trying to pull anything up or down to show something off. "Got some people I'm friends with rather not be seen with me. Ain't my place to judge, sweetheart. Happy to keep things quiet if that's what they want."
Balkaiv's voice proceeds him, swearing and grumbling to himself as he bangs into things in the dark. "Hey!" he calls toward the light and voices, immediately followed by a thump and things rattling on shelves. This elicits more swearing, and it's a few minutes more before Kai appears, the glow in his hand barely able to light to the tips of his fingers. "What're you two doing back here? Not that I ain't glad to see you. Been lost for... shells. Dunno."
Phara rolls her eyes. "Battle wounds, Winston?" she teases. "You think I can be won over with battle wounds?" She clucks her tongue, tsk-tsk-tsk. Then there is thumping and banging and her eyebrows lift before again, her eyes narrow. "Faranth, Kai. Was that glow new when you came down here?" What they may or may not be doing is highly suspect, given their proximity to one another in this forgotten tunnel. "I was exploring, and Winston was trying to sex up some poor misguided girl. What the shards are you doing wandering around down here?"
Shaking his head Winston looks at Phara with a mournful smile. "Not wanting to win you over, Phara baby. Just want to show you- ah, Belkaiv." Whatever he was going to say is left unsaid. Instead he just grins and shoves his hands in his pockets. Unlike the bluerider there's no hint of web or dust on him. Impeccable and clean as always. "And she's assuming things. Wasn't trying to sex up any misguided girl at all. We were both adults and knew what we were about. Til Phara scared away my companion."
The leer Kai sends to Phara says clearly which girl he thinks Winston's been attempting to 'sex up', and it's not the invisible one. "Weren't. Just grabbed one from this pile of 'em. You want me to give you some privacy?" he adds to Winston, though the look he sends over his shoulder is dubious. "Can't be -that- far back out of here."
Snort! "I didn't scare /nothin'/. Ain't my fault she finally caught a proper look at your face." Phara just laughs at him, reaching up to swipe a hand through her dusty hair. Kai is given a look in return. "I have a proper bed to do that sort of thing in, don't give me that look." She glances over his shoulder and smiles cruely. "Sure, if you take all the right tunnels." The tone in her voice says it all. Good luck finding all the right ones without help. "Have fun." Too bad she's the one with the glows.
"Now see here," Winston says to Kai. "Don't go assuming things. The lady and I were just talking. Don't appreciate it the assumption that I can't be trusted alone with a woman." Although he does immediately turn to Phara and give her a slow wink. "Not that I could not think of all kinds of things to show you about me here all alone, Phara beautiful. Sometimes it's fun to risk being caught after all." But the teasing about being lost sobers him up and he tells Kai, "Can lead you out you're ready to go. Not so bad really. You get used to it after awhile."
Balkaiv says, "Ain't a look no worse'n you deserve, Phara. 'Sides, what's a man to think, you back here with Winston and both of you talking about sex?" He shrugs easily and paces over to stand just a little behind the taller man, like a particularly dusty guard dog. "'Ppreciate it. This place's got more tunnels than you can shake a stick at. Don't think I've gone three days in a row yet without getting lost."
Phara lifts an eyebrow and drawls, "You got something against talking about sex?" A hand is flapped at Winston. "Nothing good comes out of sleeping with folks in back tunnels. I learned that the hard way." She grabs her basket and sighs. "Tell you what, Kai, I'll draw you a map." Total sarcasm, maybe. Who knows. "Come on, boys. I was on my way out anyways."
"Nothing at all wrong with talking about it," Winston agrees with Phara as he laughs. "But don't be picking on Balkaiv here, Phara darlin'. Maybe he just ain't had the pleasures of it yet? Can make a man not want to hear of it. Or so I hear. Been a number of turns since I've been in that boat." Now he looks at the other man and winks. "Need help finding a willing lass then? I know plenty that'd be happy to show you the ropes. Or a lad? Met one or two of them in my time." And for Phara's offer to lead them out he sidles even closer to her. "Gonna hold my hand so I don't get scared?" he asks with a low chuckle.
Balkaiv says placidly, "Ain't nothing wrong with talking about sex. /Doing's/ better, but..." He shrugs again, but doesn't elaborate; his face screws up when Winston suggests getting him a boy. "I can find my own girls just fine," he growls, taking a step back from them both. "Don't do boys."
"Maybe he's a virgin," Phara agrees eagerly, her giggle quickly following. "Of course you don't," she's quick to sooth Kai though. "Big strapping man like you." Her turn to leer. "I'm leaving you behind if you don't hurry up." This for both of them because she's already heading away.
"You are a harsh woman, Phara darlin'," Winston tells her back when he has no one to hold his hand. But even though he knows his way around here fine after three turns of working in stores he still follows along. "Maybe I was mistaken. Is a fine view back here." Not that the gloom lets him see much. Still he turns to Kai and winks at him. "Of course you can, the question is do you?"
Kai certainly isn't holding Winston's hand. He trails after the others, just a few steps behind the other man, ignoring the bluerider's jabs. "Do I what? Ogle her butt when she ain't looking?" He nods to what he can see of Phara's, which isn't much, thanks to the dark. "Sure. Who wouldn't?"
"I only tell you what I think you need to hear," Phara replies, distracted as they come up to a fork and she heads towards the right. "Heard that." She has a nice butt. Worth looking at. Winston's lucky to be following it. Kai, too, even if he also has to look at Winston's butt.
Hey! Winston's butt is pretty darn sexy too! Even if it's unappreciated by the one who might see it. "Nah. I imagine everyone ogles the fine bottom of Phara up there," he tells the other man. "Meant are you out there getting other ladies to head to some dark place with you?" He takes a few quick steps to get closer to Phara. Grinning he tells her, "Darling, if you knew what I needed to hear we'd be having that conversation in private."
"Ain't we the lucky ones," comes Kai's growl from back there in the dark. "Sure, Winston, I've banged a few. Why, you want their names? 'Cause from what I hear, you probably already had your way with 'em." There's a certain lack of heaviness to his tone that hints at teasing, even if it's subtle.
Phara turns to look over her shoulder, lifting the glows up to see them. "Oh would we? Well I can understand not wanting to be embarrassed in front of people." Totally what he meant, yep. "You mean, somebody actually wanted to sleep with you? Was she drunk?"
"Such a nice fellow," Winston tells Kai with a laugh. "And if you think the kind of women I spend time with are going to be out there with just anyone you don't know the women I associate with." Shaking his head he quickens his pace to stride next to Phara. "Just for that you're on your own now, darlin'. Gonna go shake my fine booty for someone who will appreciate it." His chuckle lasts after he's out of sight and he leaves them to their bickering to go track down his former shy date.
Balkaiv calls laughingly after Winston, "Know you as-so-ci-ate with her!" but the other man's gone, and with him, the last of Kai's good mood. "You talk a big game, for a little girl," he grumps at Phara as he swings into step beside her. "There's plenty I could say to you, only I was raised to be polite to women. So I guess I'll just say g'night, and thank you for helping me out."
Phara's face smooths out once Winston has left. She slows to a stop, looking at him. "I wish I knew what I'd done to make you dislike me so much," she says, more hurt in her voice than what shows on her face. "I'm not much of a woman. Say whatever you want." She starts forward again. "Take the left fork when you come to it, and then a left again. That ought to get you out."
"You're the one insulting -me- every time you open your mouth," Kai retorts, though he nods at the directions. "Maybe it's just better we don't talk to each other for a while. G'night, bluerider." Longer legs carry him quickly past her, one hand trailing along the left hand wall so that he won't get lost again. Assuming Phara's given him correct directions, of course.
Phara stares after him, her mouth slightly open. "Balkaiv? Wait." She trots after him to keep up with him. "You don't have to walk in the dark. I'll even keep quiet." And she does, as far as it takes him to get back to the frequented and lit part of the hallways before she leaves him, disappearing off down another side tunnel.
Sharding stores are too flaming big. They shouldn't leave them half-lit glows out for people to pick up if they know they ain't going to last long enough. 'Least Winston was there, but he was too busy making calf's-eyes at Phara to pay attention to anyone else. Maybe he ain't so bad when there ain't skirts around to distract him.
Wish she'd just've let me walk in the dark. 'Least she was quiet.
Stores, Fort Weyr
Just off of the living cavern is a short tunnel that leads to the cavern complex of the stores, which consists of several caves of various sizes. Stairs lead further down to the darker, cooler caves which house root vegetables, dried herbs, cooking supplies, and row upon row of meat hung up on hooks. The upper level is devoted to everything else, with one cavern devoted entirely to clothing -- much of which might need mending to be useful -- and bedding, while another contains dragonriding supplies like straps, riding leathers, and oil. Other things that can be found here would be furniture, toys, basic supplies for crafters and anything else that folks in the Weyr might need to do.
Everything is neatly organized to the point of anal-retentiveness, ensuring that anyone can find what they're looking for as quickly as possible. Stores workers are usually on hand for those who don't know where to find what they're looking for.
Contents:
Winston
Phara
Obvious exits:
Kitchen Living Cavern
Phara snorts at Winston good naturedly, "Like Fiorella's not bug was scary, yeah?" Teasing, always teasing. She doesn't take it as a slight that he doesn't take her hand. She just lets it fall onto the crate. "Fair enough, I suppose. I remember what it's like. I used to crash in my friends weyrs." She and Winston are in the very back, deepest part of the stores. The tunnels are crowded and narrow back here, and spinner webs are starting to encrouch on the long-forgotten crates stacked up against the walls. The sound of their voices echo up the hallways, though, and the light of Phara's glows can be seen.
"It's a real bug, darlin' and I got proof. Even got bitten by one." Winston's brows waggle and he asks, "Wanna see my scar? It still hurts me sometimes. Wanna kiss it better?" His hands stay still though and he doesn't start trying to pull anything up or down to show something off. "Got some people I'm friends with rather not be seen with me. Ain't my place to judge, sweetheart. Happy to keep things quiet if that's what they want."
Balkaiv's voice proceeds him, swearing and grumbling to himself as he bangs into things in the dark. "Hey!" he calls toward the light and voices, immediately followed by a thump and things rattling on shelves. This elicits more swearing, and it's a few minutes more before Kai appears, the glow in his hand barely able to light to the tips of his fingers. "What're you two doing back here? Not that I ain't glad to see you. Been lost for... shells. Dunno."
Phara rolls her eyes. "Battle wounds, Winston?" she teases. "You think I can be won over with battle wounds?" She clucks her tongue, tsk-tsk-tsk. Then there is thumping and banging and her eyebrows lift before again, her eyes narrow. "Faranth, Kai. Was that glow new when you came down here?" What they may or may not be doing is highly suspect, given their proximity to one another in this forgotten tunnel. "I was exploring, and Winston was trying to sex up some poor misguided girl. What the shards are you doing wandering around down here?"
Shaking his head Winston looks at Phara with a mournful smile. "Not wanting to win you over, Phara baby. Just want to show you- ah, Belkaiv." Whatever he was going to say is left unsaid. Instead he just grins and shoves his hands in his pockets. Unlike the bluerider there's no hint of web or dust on him. Impeccable and clean as always. "And she's assuming things. Wasn't trying to sex up any misguided girl at all. We were both adults and knew what we were about. Til Phara scared away my companion."
The leer Kai sends to Phara says clearly which girl he thinks Winston's been attempting to 'sex up', and it's not the invisible one. "Weren't. Just grabbed one from this pile of 'em. You want me to give you some privacy?" he adds to Winston, though the look he sends over his shoulder is dubious. "Can't be -that- far back out of here."
Snort! "I didn't scare /nothin'/. Ain't my fault she finally caught a proper look at your face." Phara just laughs at him, reaching up to swipe a hand through her dusty hair. Kai is given a look in return. "I have a proper bed to do that sort of thing in, don't give me that look." She glances over his shoulder and smiles cruely. "Sure, if you take all the right tunnels." The tone in her voice says it all. Good luck finding all the right ones without help. "Have fun." Too bad she's the one with the glows.
"Now see here," Winston says to Kai. "Don't go assuming things. The lady and I were just talking. Don't appreciate it the assumption that I can't be trusted alone with a woman." Although he does immediately turn to Phara and give her a slow wink. "Not that I could not think of all kinds of things to show you about me here all alone, Phara beautiful. Sometimes it's fun to risk being caught after all." But the teasing about being lost sobers him up and he tells Kai, "Can lead you out you're ready to go. Not so bad really. You get used to it after awhile."
Balkaiv says, "Ain't a look no worse'n you deserve, Phara. 'Sides, what's a man to think, you back here with Winston and both of you talking about sex?" He shrugs easily and paces over to stand just a little behind the taller man, like a particularly dusty guard dog. "'Ppreciate it. This place's got more tunnels than you can shake a stick at. Don't think I've gone three days in a row yet without getting lost."
Phara lifts an eyebrow and drawls, "You got something against talking about sex?" A hand is flapped at Winston. "Nothing good comes out of sleeping with folks in back tunnels. I learned that the hard way." She grabs her basket and sighs. "Tell you what, Kai, I'll draw you a map." Total sarcasm, maybe. Who knows. "Come on, boys. I was on my way out anyways."
"Nothing at all wrong with talking about it," Winston agrees with Phara as he laughs. "But don't be picking on Balkaiv here, Phara darlin'. Maybe he just ain't had the pleasures of it yet? Can make a man not want to hear of it. Or so I hear. Been a number of turns since I've been in that boat." Now he looks at the other man and winks. "Need help finding a willing lass then? I know plenty that'd be happy to show you the ropes. Or a lad? Met one or two of them in my time." And for Phara's offer to lead them out he sidles even closer to her. "Gonna hold my hand so I don't get scared?" he asks with a low chuckle.
Balkaiv says placidly, "Ain't nothing wrong with talking about sex. /Doing's/ better, but..." He shrugs again, but doesn't elaborate; his face screws up when Winston suggests getting him a boy. "I can find my own girls just fine," he growls, taking a step back from them both. "Don't do boys."
"Maybe he's a virgin," Phara agrees eagerly, her giggle quickly following. "Of course you don't," she's quick to sooth Kai though. "Big strapping man like you." Her turn to leer. "I'm leaving you behind if you don't hurry up." This for both of them because she's already heading away.
"You are a harsh woman, Phara darlin'," Winston tells her back when he has no one to hold his hand. But even though he knows his way around here fine after three turns of working in stores he still follows along. "Maybe I was mistaken. Is a fine view back here." Not that the gloom lets him see much. Still he turns to Kai and winks at him. "Of course you can, the question is do you?"
Kai certainly isn't holding Winston's hand. He trails after the others, just a few steps behind the other man, ignoring the bluerider's jabs. "Do I what? Ogle her butt when she ain't looking?" He nods to what he can see of Phara's, which isn't much, thanks to the dark. "Sure. Who wouldn't?"
"I only tell you what I think you need to hear," Phara replies, distracted as they come up to a fork and she heads towards the right. "Heard that." She has a nice butt. Worth looking at. Winston's lucky to be following it. Kai, too, even if he also has to look at Winston's butt.
Hey! Winston's butt is pretty darn sexy too! Even if it's unappreciated by the one who might see it. "Nah. I imagine everyone ogles the fine bottom of Phara up there," he tells the other man. "Meant are you out there getting other ladies to head to some dark place with you?" He takes a few quick steps to get closer to Phara. Grinning he tells her, "Darling, if you knew what I needed to hear we'd be having that conversation in private."
"Ain't we the lucky ones," comes Kai's growl from back there in the dark. "Sure, Winston, I've banged a few. Why, you want their names? 'Cause from what I hear, you probably already had your way with 'em." There's a certain lack of heaviness to his tone that hints at teasing, even if it's subtle.
Phara turns to look over her shoulder, lifting the glows up to see them. "Oh would we? Well I can understand not wanting to be embarrassed in front of people." Totally what he meant, yep. "You mean, somebody actually wanted to sleep with you? Was she drunk?"
"Such a nice fellow," Winston tells Kai with a laugh. "And if you think the kind of women I spend time with are going to be out there with just anyone you don't know the women I associate with." Shaking his head he quickens his pace to stride next to Phara. "Just for that you're on your own now, darlin'. Gonna go shake my fine booty for someone who will appreciate it." His chuckle lasts after he's out of sight and he leaves them to their bickering to go track down his former shy date.
Balkaiv calls laughingly after Winston, "Know you as-so-ci-ate with her!" but the other man's gone, and with him, the last of Kai's good mood. "You talk a big game, for a little girl," he grumps at Phara as he swings into step beside her. "There's plenty I could say to you, only I was raised to be polite to women. So I guess I'll just say g'night, and thank you for helping me out."
Phara's face smooths out once Winston has left. She slows to a stop, looking at him. "I wish I knew what I'd done to make you dislike me so much," she says, more hurt in her voice than what shows on her face. "I'm not much of a woman. Say whatever you want." She starts forward again. "Take the left fork when you come to it, and then a left again. That ought to get you out."
"You're the one insulting -me- every time you open your mouth," Kai retorts, though he nods at the directions. "Maybe it's just better we don't talk to each other for a while. G'night, bluerider." Longer legs carry him quickly past her, one hand trailing along the left hand wall so that he won't get lost again. Assuming Phara's given him correct directions, of course.
Phara stares after him, her mouth slightly open. "Balkaiv? Wait." She trots after him to keep up with him. "You don't have to walk in the dark. I'll even keep quiet." And she does, as far as it takes him to get back to the frequented and lit part of the hallways before she leaves him, disappearing off down another side tunnel.
Sharding stores are too flaming big. They shouldn't leave them half-lit glows out for people to pick up if they know they ain't going to last long enough. 'Least Winston was there, but he was too busy making calf's-eyes at Phara to pay attention to anyone else. Maybe he ain't so bad when there ain't skirts around to distract him.
Wish she'd just've let me walk in the dark. 'Least she was quiet.