Fort Weyr

Fort Weyr - Shenanigan's Lounge
The natural walls of this cavern have been completely covered and replaced by straight and sometimes curving walls of brickwork. There's a method to the madness of covering stone with stone. It's as simple as the electric buzz in the room. New grade electric lights dot the fancy brick-worked walls, with wires cleverly hidden behind, allowing more focus to be centered on the rest of the room rather than the numerous strings of wire needed to operate the lighting. Each bulb roosts in a bronzed metal flowering fixture, giving the room a rich atmosphere. Still, the walls are not the only place which has stone on stone appeal. The floor has been run smooth, the surface now slate rock, creating an imperial cast.

Beyond the actual foundations of the lounge, the luxury continues. High backed wooden chairs with padded white seats have been stationed all around the room. Between the individual chairs are benches fashioned out of the same rich wood with pillows made to flatter the cushions. There are low lying coffee tables or end tables near the individual chairs, while there's larger dining room sized tables with chairs to match scattered as well, giving much variety to those who find themselves in the room. Decorative hangings and framed artwork has been neatly hung around the room, but to offset the meticulous method of the room, there are some pieces that give a sporty feeling to the room - such as a fishing rod or a snowshoe.

Of course, the final appeal of the room comes in the form of its purpose; athletic competition. There are several games of darts lining the walls, various decks of dragon poker cards available, a large velvet lined pool table centered to one side of the lounge, a mat area surrounded by ropes, and an area that keeps track of all the runner races around the world via radio signal, giving constant updates on the status of the runners.

Over the turns, the use of Shenanigan's as the in-Weyr watering hole has seen the bar expanded and expanded again. Now, the brick of the bar has been built into a rectangle broken at the narrow ends and surrounding a free-standing wall of brick and mirrors that holds all the supplies the on-duty bartender(s) could wish for. Stools hug the bar for those who are here for the drinks, but bar food can also be ordered there to be run by the bartender's assistant(s) from the nearby kitchens.

Winter in Fort isn't always soft falling snow and picturesque vistas. Sometimes it's dark clouds, old snow churned by beast and dragon alike, and biting cold winds. Today is one of the latter days, though a bite to the air suggests the possibility of a fresh layer of snow on the way. Stomping into Shenanigan's, shivering and damp, is a young woman. Bundled up as she is in her winter gear it's impossible to see her knot at the moment as she makes her way to the bar and sits. Rummaging inside her coat for a moment, gloved hands then gently deposit a tiny blue firelizard onto the bar while she looks around for a bartender.

Sadly, Alexa is not a bartender. If she was, she'd probably be pouring her own drinks rather than waiting for them to be poured. Even if, at the moment, her drink of choice appears to be nothing more interesting than a mug of Klah. The deposited firelizard that has her looking up from her book and peeking over in curiosity, the small stack of hides that she's ignoring working on gently pulled a little closer to her person if just to keep from encroaching on another's space. "I don't think they take firelizards as payment," is probably meant to be a joke? It at least comes with a friendly grin and is spoken in a tone that suggests amusement rather than animosity.

Aranthi glances up, pushing her hood back to show her curly, dark hair. She at first frowns, an 'Of course he's not payment!' expression crossing her face before her sense of humor slowly catches up, and she smiles. A little. "Ah, no," she says with a brief chuckle. "He's hungry though," she adds, which is probably unnecessary information given that the little blue has begun creeling and flapping his wings demandingly. The bartender comes over and doesn't bat an eye at the sight of a firelizard on his bar. "Klah with cinnamon, and some meat," Aranthi orders. The bartender nods, and glances at Alexa to see if she needs anything before he's off to fulfill that order.

"Poor thing," says Alexa, though it might be unclear to whom her pity is aimed; the little blue or the woman with him. There's definitely a wince for the creeling, somewhat exaggerated, but with an expression of empathy that says she's been there. The bartender gets a polite smile and a little shake of her head; apparently Alexa is good for now, the mug she collects up in one hand still warm enough to not need topping off. "At least that stage doesn't last too long," she says conversationally. "How old is he?"

Aranthi removes her gloves and gently rubs the little blue's forehead, cooing softly to him. "Sevenday," she answers, though she doesn't take her eyes off the little creature who is now trying to nibble her fingers. "Shush, not yet," she murmurs with a more genuine laugh. "These are mine. Your food's coming." She finally shrugs out of her coat, her Journeyman Beastcrafter knot now visible. "You have any?"

"Too many," admits Alexa with a self-deprecating smirk. "But, they're all old enough to hunt for themselves," she adds with a little shrug of her shoulders. "Sometimes they'll come around for treats. Right now I suspect they're all bundled up on a bed somewhere." At least for the moment, she is free from the demands that little winged pets might impose. Her curious appraisal of the beastcrafter is at least done with some modicum of decorum, rather than outride staring and study, but the question that comes in the wake of it is simply, "Does he have a name?"

Aranthi doesn't answer right away, as the bartender returns with a little bowl of meat. Klah is clearly the second priority, and the Beastcrafter isn't complaining. The little blue tries to dive head-first into the bowl, but Aranthi is too quick for him and scoops him up, pushing the bowl away. "Wait," she says, gently but firmly, and with a protesting creel the little blue curls around her arm. "Shhhh," Aranthi murmurs, waiting until the blue is at least a little calmer before she picks out a choice bit and feeds him. Only then, with her firelizard eating, does she look up and answer. "Wick. Got him from my father."

Alexa will happily sip at her Klah and watch the little blue in his antics; a welcome distraction from the paperwork she's probably supposed to be reviewing. "A much more clever name than I would have come up with," she declares cheerfully. "Mine are all named after… well. Colors, really. And one fruit." Because she's not terribly creative.

Aranthi laughs a little. "Colors? Like…Blue? And Blueberry?" she guesses. She waits for Wick to eat that bite before giving him another, once more waiting until he's calm enough to eat it. Her klah arrives as well, but she doesn't touch it just yet. Wick comes first in her care.

"I do have a blue named Berry," admits Alexa with dry amusement. "But at least the others are a little more creative. Not much. My gold is named Honey, my green is Moss. That kind of thing," is explained with another little shrug. "I probably could have come up with something better, but frankly at the time, I was too busy to bother." And now her hoard is forever named after the thing their color reminded her of.

Aranthi looks impressed that she managed to guess correctly. "Ah, well those are sweet names." As if she's been asked her opinion on someone else's firelizard names. Continuing to feed, she doesn't mind lapsing into silence, though it might make things a little awkward. She does glance over at the paperwork, perhaps a little curious. "Can you work here? Seems like…too busy to focus well."

Alexa considers her stack of papers with a rueful expression. "Yes and no," she admits. "Sometimes the noise is nice. Helps me concentrate when there's something in the background. But sometimes it can be a bit much. Then again, it's kinda nice to have an excuse to take a break, too." Which is clearly what she's doing right now, seeing as that poor stack is sitting there, neglected. A nod toward the shoulder knot comes with a returned question of, "Just visiting? Or are you one of ours? Fort's." Their beastcrafters, presumably. One would think Alexa would know this given her job, but maybe not.

Aranthi looks around with a slight frown. "I couldn't work in here. Though, I do most of my work with animals, so." Less distractions, perhaps. Then she grins a little bit, a touch of mischief in her expression for a fleeting moment. "Not sure if I can ever say I'm /not/ one of Fort's," she says a bit cryptically. "But no, I'm not posted here. I'm still at the Hall. Came to Fort Hold to help transfer some ovines up to the mountains near the Weyr, since I know the area and the local Beastcrafters wanted some help. Gave me an excuse to visit too."

Alexa just shrugs, and grins. It works for her, but she's well aware of the oddity of her chosen work space. "I couldn't do that," she admits, just a little teasing in her tone. "Give me books and papers all day, but animals and being outside?" She gives an overly dramatic shudder that's somewhat belied by the mischief in the crinkle of her nose and her grin. "Oh, very mysterious," she adds, happy to play into the puzzle of that statement. "Visiting is nice," she allows. "Though I'd've picked a slightly nicer season to do it. You have family here?" she guesses. "Or friends?"

Aranthi looks surprised. "Truly? You don't like…being outside?" Not liking animals she can understand. But not liking the outdoors? That just doesn't compute in her brain. She chuckles, a hand reaching up to run through her dark curls. "Family. Th'ero and Kimmila are my folks. And I've always enjoyed Fort's winters, though I guess that comes with being born here."

"Sometimes it's okay," allows Alexa, for the great outdoors. "But on the whole… no, not really." And she's perfectly okay with this. Will even smirk a little at her own expense. The revelation about Aranthi's relations might have had her spit out her Klah if she'd been drinking any, though it's a toss-up between shock and amusement to discover that, "You're Th'ero's kid?" It's probably not a very polite thing to say. It's probably also not really polite to look like Alexa might burst into delighted giggles, either. She at least reins that in. "I will grant Fort it's winters. The snow can be pretty, and being cold is somewhat better than being hot all the time." She can always pile on more blankets.

Aranthi looks a touch defensive at that reaction, offering a brief, "Yes," to the other woman's surprise. Then her attention is drawn back to Wick, who has settled against her arm in a contented doze, belly distended with his meal. The woman pulls a small tin from her pocket and opens it to reveal oil, which she begins to gently rub into the firelizard's dark blue hide.

Alexa should probably apologize. She probably knows this, too. And yet, the apology does not come. She'll at least leave off teasing Aranthi (since really, it's not her fault; it's Th'ero she's going to pester incessantly). But while she might not actually say she's sorry for the (immature) response, there's a hint of it in the subdued (or at least, not Cheshire-wide) smile she offers. Draining the last of her Klah, she reaches to gather her papers, a chirper, "I'm glad you're getting a chance to enjoy Fort," because it's true. "I'd better get these back before the crowd really starts coming in."

Aranthi glances over and nods briefly before her attentions return to Wick. "Alright, enjoy staying inside." Or whatever you do when you don't like to get out into the fresh air. Speaking of which, Aranthi probably won't stay inside much longer.