Fort Weyr - Lookout Ridge
An open plateau of rock that's nestled on the northern face of the bowl wall, used to provide an ease of access to important parts of the Weyr; traffic here being minimal. Stonecut stairs lead down to the administration complex, while the bridge that adjoins this plateau spans across a gully to get to the central bowl wall, where the wing corridor can be quickly reached. A shortcut is also built up toward the Star Stones, so those without dragon can reach the long since used rocks.
Beyond the pathways and access routes, the view from this terrace is amazing. The eye has a good vantage point of the entire bowl below, from the hatching caverns, to the training complex, to the stretches of the central and southern most bowl. The rise of the mountain and the forest ranges can be glimpsed from here as well, distant images but outlined enough to distinguish where they start and end. Oddly enough there's a bench here, settled back against the bowl wall and angled to give the best view of the world beyond.


It's a glorious afternoon at Fort! The crisp air is full of sunshine, kept cold - especially at this height - by a brisk breeze that whips at clothing as it blusters on by. Clothing is, thankfully, not a problem for Thys as the moment, as her practical outfit of trousers, shirt and jacket aren't getting in the way. What is proving a problem, however, is the contraption she's fiddling with. It's propped up on a tripod, with a plastic body and a long glass lens, and she's peering into the back of it and huffing with frustration when whatever it is doesn't do what it's meant to.

Th'ero wanders out here on the rare occasion, usually to brood over his own thoughts. He's dressed against the cooler weather as well, practical as always. What the Weyrleader wasn't expecting was to find someone else up on the ridge, let alone one of Fort's goldriders. "Afternoon, Thys." he greets in his usual low, quiet way. That contraption is eyed not with curiosity but a mixture of it and suspicion. "What is that?"

Clearly Thys wasn't expecting Th'ero to arrive either, as his voice makes her jump. "Th'ero! Hello." She straightens up, digging her hands into her pockets to warm her fingers. "That's something the Techies told me I absolutely had to have. It's a… cam-… oh, what'd they call it? A cam-something. It creates pictures. Without paint or anything." It's something that she's excited about, even if she's currently showing signs of frustration. "I thought I'd try taking some of the Weyr, but shards if I can get the damned thing to work. Want to give it a go?"

Th'ero's half smile is a form of apology, even though he never outrightly says the words. He didn't mean to sneak up on Thys. Stepping closer, he studies the camera on its tripod but there is a distinctive lack of enthusiasm. That doesn't mean he still isn't slightly curious about the whole thing. Just wary of it. "Probably best that I don't touch it. This sort of… technology and I disagree." he admits with a grimace. "I'm lucky if I can operate the lone computer in Fort's library." Never mind that the thing is ancient — possibly in a close to literal sense. "You sure this thing even functions? That the Tech Crafters aren't just pulling your leg on this?"

"If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't have believed them, but look…" Thys digs a little frame from her pocket, with a portrait of herself in it. "It looks almost real. Quite creepy, really, but also fascinating." She looks at it for a moment, then holds it out to Th'ero for him to have a look at. "All you're supposed to do it look through here to set up the picture, then click this button, and then it does it for you! But I'm clicking, and nothing's happening, and I think I've broken it already."

Th'ero extends his gloved hand for the frame, taking it and examining the picture within. It seems to fascinate him more than the actual camera itself though he doesn't hold it for too long before passing it back to Thys. "Uncanny," is his word choice for it. Listening to the 'instructions' as they were, he'll peer again at the camera, grimacing again. "Wouldn't surprise me. I don't put much trust in these tech gadgets. Though it'd be… useful for archival purposes." THAT he admits quite reluctantly. "Does it create the images right away?" Thys hasn't been taking the same photograph dozens of times and storing them, has she?

Indeed that is almost exactly what Thys has been doing. "You click the button, and the image is sort of stored inside somewhere, then you take it back to the Techies and they turn it from that," she waggles her fingers unknowingly at the camera, "to that," then points at the portrait. "I had thought it would be lovely to use at a Hatching. Capture the first moments of Impression… perhaps to sell on to the family after?" She reaches to click the camera's button again, then shrugs. "It's not making the right noise. It should make a sort of whiiiirrrr, instead of click."

"Clever idea, if some folks will go for it. Don't know if some of the more stuck up lot of folks would be willing to accept a picture like that." Th'ero, ever the pessimist. He steps carefully around the tripod, though he doesn't touch the camera. He knows better than to start fiddling with something he barely understands. "Have you thought, perhaps, to ask a Techcrafter? We've some skulking about here in the Weyr." Kind of. Their expertise is more in the 'useful' tech fields as the Weyrleader would put it but surely they'd know a bit about this camera?

"I know I would have loved to have a physical memory of when Rhenesath chose me. Sometimes it feels like the one I have is fading." Thys frowns softly, then smiles again. "Anyway, no harm in trying, right? I'm sure Kouzevelth or Kayeth will be rising soon enough. My marks are on Kayeth, actually. And in the meantime, I'm sure I'll find it in me to go back to the Techcraft and have someone look at it, but… well, truth be told, I'm a bit embarrassed that I can't work it, Th'ero. They've got 12 year old apprentices working wonders on all the computers and everything, and here's me struggling to press a button right. What're they going to think of me?!"

"It has been some time." Th'ero will admit that much concerning Kayeth's last mating flight. He snorts, turning away from the camera and taking a few steps back, arms folding across his chest as he gives Thys a levelled look. "And? What do you think they'll say if you break it because you were too embarrassed to ask for help? A twelve Turn old Apprentice has already been studying nothing but tech. You'd be forgiven for not understanding the deeper workings of the contraptions they come up with."

"I just don't like not knowing how to do things," Thys admits, crossing her arms to mimic Th'ero's stance. Instead of looking at him, though, she looks at the camera. Maybe a glare will get it to work? "Somehow I feel that it's just something really simple that I'm getting wrong, and that's embarrassing after they've already shown me how to work it, but… you're right. Given how much it cost, it'd be in my best interest to take it to them before I blow it up, or something." She reaches out to flick a switch on the camera, and it makes a little whirr-sigh sound as it shuts down. "Would you like a portrait of yourself and Kim, when it's back? When she's back?"

Th'ero does chuckle this time, even if dryly. "In my experience, it is generally something simple." Mention of the camera blowing up has him casting it another suspicious look. Can they blow up? It better not. His brows knit and he considers her offer. "I could ask her. She may appreciate that. If not of us, perhaps of our children." Yeah, right. Good luck getting the three imps to sit still long enough. He shakes his head, "Soon, I hope. She recovers slowly but is still not healthy enough to withstand flight. Varmiroth has healed, thank Faranth."

Thys nods, drumming her fingers against her arm as she's apt to do. "So long as she's getting better, and he's healed." She exhales softly, then makes the effort to smile at the Weyrleader - an 'it'll all be ok' sort of smile. "So long as I can figure out how to used the sharding thing, I'll be happy to take your portraits. Or, maybe I'll just slip an apprentice a mark or so to follow me around all day, taking pictures for me. It'd be great to have some of the Weyr itself, don't you think? So much better than tapestries - and far easier to maintain, too! Not to mention being cheaper than paintings."

"She is. The progress is slow only because of the nature of the injury." Th'ero gently explains. "Luckily it's nothing worse than some strained, pulled muscles but it's all in her back. The Healers don't want her risking too much now and only regress again." He'll echo that smile with a small one of his own. Consider it a thank you! He chuckles again, "I'm sure you'd find an Apprentice willing enough for a few marks. Or you could just charm them?" Did… the Weyrleader just imply something there? Maybe. He could mean it purely as a joke too (and likely that's the case). "Are these cheaper than hiring an artist?" He knows nothing of the materials and process necessary. He shakes his head, "Tapestries and paintings are as much of our history… I'd not do away with them entirely. Some folks make their living by such trade and skill. The pictures, at least, could serve as an alternative archival means." Can't hurt to have backups of backups of backups of their history, right?

Thys grins. "Oh, I love paintings as much as anyone else and wouldn't dare suggest we stop commissioning them, but if we can find some way to make a camera useful while saving a few marks here and there… well, you never know when they'll come in handy, right?" Her grin brightens, and she starts dismantling the camera from the tripod, slipping the former into a padded leather back. "I suppose I should probably take this back now, before I'm needed elsewhere. Hopefully they'll get me working it again by this evening - I want to take a picture at dinner."

Th'ero can't argue with that and he'll nod his head in agreement. "Suppose you have a point there." he murmurs, watching her as she dismantles the camera. "Best of luck, Thys. Hopefully they can fix whatever the issue was… or at least give clearer instructions." Not that he's implying that she's simple. Not in the slightest! "I suppose then I'll see you later this evening?" If he assumed by 'dinner' she meant the living caverns. He makes a habit to eat there as much as possible of late, often with Weyrwoman Nyalle up on the leadership table.

Thys slings the camera bag over her shoulder, and tucks the folded tripod under her arm. Rhenesath's already waiting by the star stones for her, and she looks up to her dragon with a loving gaze before replying to Th'ero. "This evening, hopefully! You'll be sure to look your best, now, won't you?" She winks, teasing, the gives a playful salute. "See you later then, Th'ero! My regards to Kimmila and Varmiroth!"

"I'll do my best." Th'ero can at least make an effort in that regard and probably send word of warning to Nyalle, as neither of them will hear the end of it if she's to have her portrait taken and be anything but proper for it. Her salute is returned, albeit just as casual. "I'll send them your regards. Clear skies, Thys." And while she goes to Rhenesath, the Weyrleader will linger a little longer on the ridge, lost to his thoughts.


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