| Characters | Alexa, Rhodelia |
| Synopsis | Alexa and Raaneth meet Rhodelia and Inasyth down in Xanadu Weyr. (Note: technically backdated. Time is super wibbly-wobbly, so just go with it). |
| Out-of-Character Date | January 15, 2020 |
Xanadu Weyr - Meadow
A large, slightly rolling meadow is set high enough above the riverbank on both sides to avoid suffering from flooding, healthy ground cover and grass spreading out from either side of the dividing river. Scattered amongst the meadow are a variety of weyrs, each with a narrow path leading up to it from a main, winding road. Some are set under a few trees, while others sit by themselves. The meadow continues with gentle rolls and dips, grass tall and short waving in the slightest of breezes, and eventually those hills grow higher and steeper, ending in a large ridge that provides a fine view of that meadow and the rest of the Weyr, gazing out over the multicolored roofs of the houses and the cliff that holds the caverns.
Runner stables with the paddock beyond are to the south beyond the meadow weyrs, and a smithy and a woodcraft shop are settled closer in towards the path to the clearing. Trees border the northern side of the meadow, and more of those low, rolling hills can be seen to the northwest. A road passes through the meadow, coming from the east and used by traders and crafters alike. Wagons laden with felled trees from the forests or ore from the mountains are hauled by burden beast up the road through the meadow, over the bridge spanning the river to be processed in the appropriate workshops.
While Xanadu's oldest current crop of weyrlings have long since grown past the point where they would understandably sometimes fall asleep in inconvenient places, Inasyth is not letting that fact bother her. The gawkily growing gold has claimed a feline's share of the road through the meadow with her butt and her head is tucked under her tawny wing. Close inspection will reveal ever so often peeking a little glimpse out from under the wing safety. What sight might she or anybody else expect to see this wintery afternoon? It's a very frustrated Rhodelia standing face-to-wing-hidden-face with her dragon, hands on hips as her booted foot pokes at the dragon's foreleg. "Don't try that with me! I know you're not asleep!" « NO. I'M PRETTY SURE I'M ASLEEP… » And yelling. There's another peek and a massive sigh as the argument doesn't seem to be working. New tactic time. « BUT I'M SURE I'M NOT ON THE PATH. I CAN'T SEE IT!!! » Rhody has a sigh of her own as she draws in breath trying to find words for that.
Today, it isn't ore or fallen trees coming down the road, but a foreign dragon. Why Raaneth is walking (awkwardly) instead of flying is anyone's guess. But here she is, slowly hop-skipping along in that awkward dragon-gait, her rider walking sedately beside her. And while she could just hop-skip-fly right over the speedbump that is Inasyth, instead she stops, tilts her head, and considers the little queen with whirling eyes and dry amusement. « Huh. How funny. I can't see it either, » she drawls, while Alexa squints a bit before continuing her walk until she's at a reasonable conversation distance. "Is she Okay?" She's pretty sure she is, or there'd probably be more hysterics? But the question is asked nonetheless, even if it's curiosity rather than concern in the foreign weyrwoman's face.
« SEE!!! » Inasyth's voice is pure triumph tinged with a sparkling of champagne bubbles as someone agrees with her. For a moment, her head swipes out to get a look at who this Very Smart Dragon might be, but then she remembers she's supposed to not be seeing and purposefully shuts her eyes again. Head might be out from under the wing, but she's still not seeing! So what if it's on purpose. Rhodelia lets out all that breath in another sigh and her hands flap up in surrender. "I give up. Sit her all night if you want to." When Alexa gets in speaking distance and asks her question, the woman nods. "Perfectly. And uh… Xanadu's greetings to…" Somewhere. Despite spending a couple turns before impressing as Risali's assistant, Rhody still hasn't memorized those couple dozen faces of all the world's weyrwomen. And hysterics could be Inasyth's calling. With more melodrama than even the worst apprentice harper could pull up, the young dragon flails her head so that now her neck and soon the wings and shoulders are sprawling out even more into the path. « No! It's awful! It's horrible! It's a TRAGEDY!!! » She'll even toss in the sound of a wineglass shattering right on cue to add to the whole effect.
Hmmm. Is Raaneth agreeing? Cause not long after those triumphant bubbles burst does the Igen gold add, « Because you are laying on it. » But there's more amusement than annoyance in that simply stated fact, the Igen gold taking the opportunity to plunk her own butt down on the path and make herself another artful road-block. "Igen," offers Alexa, with a matching amusement in her own tone and a little hint of a grin that just cannot be contained. Maybe she remembers those weyrling days. Or maybe she's just in a really, really good mood. "And Igen's greetings in return." A pale brow arches at the theatrics of the little queen, and only a hastily pressed palm to her mouth keeps her laughter from busting out. Ahem. "Oh dear." « A tragedy, hm? » offers Raaneth, gravely voice as dry as the desert. « Do tell. » On the human side, Alexa at least offers condolences in the form of an empathetic little look, and a somewhat proper introduction with, "I'm Alexa. That's Raaneth."
E TU, BRU-RAANETH??? Inasyth gasps in horror as yet another turn of betrayal can be added into her horrible, very bad, no good day. At least the gasping means she's drawing herself up and clears a little bit more room for the older dragon to settle. Rhodelia nods as Alexa introduces herself. "And I'm Rhody, er… Rhodelia. And that's Inasyth. She's not always like this. Or well, at least not this morose." She'll make no promises about the dramatics though. The growing gold has two hearts and she's gonna feel whatever with all of them! And kindly share those feelings with everybody else. That little encouragement from Raaneth is all the encouragement she needs to return to her sprawling, even going as far as to dare to stick her head on the other gold's paw and look up. « Well you see… it was a long, long story that started several months ago. I was in an egg and then a got out… » Rhody gives a bit of a cough. "Maybe you should just jump forward to today?" With a sight, the flood of champagne bubbles washes forward, but the gold does fast forward her story telling. « So… I was talking to my sister Agadhith and my brother Tcyralth and they were arguing about who got to get the good wallow cause we're all taking turns cause that's what makes the most sense since we can't go back to our nice comfy couches cause they don't exist any more. But Agadhith and Tcyralth both said it was their turn and nobody could remember whose turn it actually was. I think Glorioth might have vanquished the list but anyways… I tried to say we could all cuddle like we used to but they said we were too big for that!!!! Who is too big for cuddles with their friends? And then they wouldn't listen to me. SO WHO EVEN NEEDS A WALLOW? RHODY, WE'RE SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT. »
« As we all did, once. » Hatch. Raaneth is no stranger to that, for sure. But while sarcasm might tinge her mind, there's an indulgent sort of settling of her weight, and she obediently listens despite the growing amusement in her mind, appropriately « Ahh »-ing or « I see »-ing when necessary. And while the queen might be able to compose herself (not having the proper mechanism for laughing definitely helps) her rider can't quite contain a giggle or two, the sound stifled with further pressing of her hand and the pretense of coughing, even if she knows she's not fooling anyway. "Well met Rhody. Or should I call you Rhodelia? I'm never quite sure with nicknames," she admits, though doesn't seem to be too concerned about it. « That does sound rather tragic, » agrees the Igen, a sage-nod offered in spirit if not in reality. « But, maybe not 'the end of the world' tragic. It could be worse. It could be raining, » she points out, with no illusion of this actually helping matters, but more because she just can't contain herself. « What happened to the couches, I wonder? » The true tragedy of them all; the vanished couches.
Careful, Raaneth. All that oohing and ahhing might get this particular queen flagged as a Good Listener and reached out to for cross continental sob stories in the future if only Inasyth can remember that far. Rhodelia shrugs as for names. "Either one. I answer to both. I've had much worse nicknames in the past." And probably the present too. Inasyth will stretch into the cuddle pile. If her siblings won't she'll cuddle with whoever is closest and spread that love. « It is tragic! So tragic! And let it rain! IT WILL MATCH MY SOUL!!!! » Cue a very pathetic warble to the sky for this pity party. It'd probably be more effective if it were raining. Or dark. Instead it's a quite pleasant and sunny winter afternoon. As for the couches, that gets a very quick answer. « I think they burned. » It was a couple sevens ago now, so she doesn't remember for sure, but there's a fuzzy little detail that keeps being reinforced every time Inasyth might ask why they're not sleeping on their couches.
« They burned. » It's not a question, it's a statement. A very deadpan statement, despite the rather concerning information being given. « Do I dare ask how? » Oh yes. Yes, she definitely does dare, because this is becoming a rather fascinating story! And as it is not her Weyr (and therefore, not her weyrlings, not her problem) Raaneth is more than happy to hear the sordid details and be more amused than distraught about them. But while the dragon might be chill, Alexa is very much not. "What do you mean they burned?!" she asks, her voice and octave higher than it really should be, absolutely aghast at the thought. I mean, she's not worried really. Cause clearly everything is fine. And presumably no one died. And Alexa really doesn't want to think about the total (true) tragedy that could have come from this. So instead she'll just shake her head, affect an appropriately bewildered expression and turn to Rhodelia for an explanation, while Raaneth waits ever-so-patiently for the undoubtedly dramatic retelling… or simply more woe and wailing on the current lack of sibling-wallow-cuddling. At least she'll offer a metaphoric 'there-there' with a little wuffle and gentle nudge of her nose.
Inasyth swivels her head up and blinks those overly large eyes. « They burned, but I don't remember. I think I was there. And I shuffled the little ones out like this!!! » Out snap her wings as she demonstrates a posture a mother hen would be proud to call her own. Inasyth's mind-self uses those same wings to shuffle out a brood of tiny bubble dragons. For all the woe and despair about the lack of cuddles, she seems utterly unconcerned about the whole ACTUAL FIRE. And for once today, Rhodelia's concerns or lack of them mirror her dragon's as she just gives a shrug and Alexa's question. "Yeah, it was an accident, but everybody was alright. Or mostly. They're alright now." The last she stresses as if everything being fine now means there's not even any point in being concerned about the before.
Raaneth is a very avid listener, head tipped to direct one whirling eye down at the demonstrating little queen. « It sounds like you were very brave, » she decides, the praise a bit exaggerated but well-meaning. She's not teasing in this particular moment. « And you did the right thing. » She doesn't quite say 'good job' but it's there in her mind all the same. But while Raaneth might be fine to let the subject go, Alexa is quite obviously itching for the details. It's in the little rock on her toes, the press of her lips into a thin-line to physically stop herself from asking, and a very pointed look that tries to convey all that she is not saying to Rhodelia. Which, basically, is 'tell me tell me tell me tell meeeee!!'. But she won't. Because she knows how to be polite (-ish) and this is not her Weyr, and yadda-yadda politics. So instead, she'll just nod her head slowly and say, "That's… good…" as if she's not quite sure whether it is, or not. "Good that everyone's fine. Not good that things… burnt down…" Gah, she's just dying for the details here! « Do you think, » wonders Raaneth, in a carefully casual tone, « That, being so very brave and good, you could see fit to sleep in your wallow and now the road? It is important to set a good example. » She's only half-heartedly invested in convincing Inasyth of anything but hey, she'll at least kinda try?
« I was! Even though I didn't try to vanquish the fire! » Inasyth brightens at the compliment, her chest puffing out with pride and making the brindled pattern look even more like feathers. It's cool. She can read behind the lines and insert whatever she wants. At least this time both Inasyth and Raaneth might both be on the same page of the hidden message of good job. While the other weyrwoman might be rocking and rolling, itching to get those details, Rhodelia can do a very good impression of being a rock, all stone faced and what-not. "Yeah. They had us all in the candidate barracks for a while, but…" She waves a hand at the very large and almost grown queen. "They got too big." Inasyth considers that suggestion before giving a very delicate sniff. « But I don't want my wallow. I want my siblings. BUT THEY DON'T APPRECIATE ME!!! » There's another sniffle. Dragons might not actually be able to cry, but she can certainly try to give an impression of it. « I KNOW! I'LL SNEAK INTO THE CANDIDATE BARRACKS AND SLEEP WITH THE LITTLE ONES! THEY LOVE ME! I AM THEIR HERO! » That… is probably not 100% true at all.
Welp. Raaneth tried, and Raaneth failed. But she's not gonna be too fussed about it. « That is one way to handle the situation, » she decides, drawling and dry once gain. « But I don't know if that's the best way to handle it. » Particularly given Rhodelia's comment on outgrowing the space. Alexa lets out a long breath through thin lips, a great sigh of sound that is not-quite-but-almost petulant in nature. It's a fine line, and she's walking it. "Where are you sleeping now?" she wonders instead. "They wouldn't let you move into weyrs early, would they?" As wonderful as the idea might be, Alexa knows her own weyrlingmasters way too well to assume that any weyrlingmasters would grant that kind of reward for… potentially burning down the barracks (She is, of course, making assumptions that the accident wasn't really an accident >.>). But her curiosity is definitely piqued and if she can't get the details she really wants, she'll at least go for those that seem more accessible.
"Ohh, we have a tent. Or two." Rhodelia waves a hand down one of the paths towards the forest edge. "The big gather ones." As for moving into their own weyrs early, she winces. "Uhhh, no." A very guilty no as she doesn't quite make eye contact. "There were some concerns about supervision." To understate it by just a hair considering the whole already stated BURNING DOWN THE BARRACKS SO THEY HAVE TO LIVE IN TENTS. Inasyth gives a dismissive snort at the gentle objections to her Great and Wonderful Plan. « Whatttt??? It's perfect. Or if it's not… We could all go sleep on the Sands! Nobody is using them right now. And the little ones can pretend that they're eggs again and I can turn them over like this!" Her snoot boops into the side of the larger dragon, just a demonstration and not an actual effort to upend Raaneth as unpractical as that would be.
"Oh, well. I guess that works." In the sense that it provides some sort of cover and isn't just sleeping on the ground? But it should be clear enough from the nose-crinkle that Alexa is just a little slow in stopping, what her opinion on tents might be. Even the big gather ones. Meanwhile, Raaneth is facing a dilemma of her own. To encourage or not encourage this Very Bad but Very Amusing idea. « Hmm, » is all she can think to say on the matter, though there is more than enough laughter-like feelings in that mind of hers to be taken any which way. « That's… certainly an idea. » Yup. She's got nothing. Nothing but laughter and some fond affection for the little queen, even as she gently extracts herself from all the cuddling. « You're very cute, » she decides, only a little patronizing, « and I would love to think this through with you, but we have pressing business to attend to. » "Oh. Oh! Right. That's my cue," sighs Alexa, turning to regard her dragon. "We actually /do/. Have business." Because Faranth forbid they ever go anywhere for fun anymore. "But it was nice meeting you Rhody. And uh, good luck with the tents and… stuff." Side-eye to the little queen should leave no question about what 'stuff' she's referring to.
« I'M FULL OF IDEAS!!! » Inasyth exclaims proudly with a warble. At least she's forgotten about being morose as she's now got this tangent to explore. She's even bouncing from one foot to another, unphased as the other queen extracts herself from the cuddle pile. « I like you too. You're very kind. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BUSINESS!!! » Rhodelia nods as Alexa also makes her farewells. "It was nice meeting you as well. I'm sure we'll meet again." Because really, there's only so many weyrwomen so their odds of running into each other in a professional setting are almost guaranteed. And then she shields her mouth from her own dragon to whisper. "I'll get her distracted again now that she's actually moving!" At least it's a system and Rhody does have the young gold moving in the right direction as she babbles on and on about what other ideas and plans she might actually have. Maybe a few of them will actually be acceptable to all parties including the weyrlingmasters!
