Fort Weyr - Center Bowl
The wide center of the bowl is often bustling with activity as riders come and go. Off westward can be seen the entrances for the candidate barracks and the guest weyr, while to the east is a large opening that leads into the dragon infirmary. The bowl stretches off both to the north and to the south, where the sheer stone walls rise steeply to the sky.
It's an unsmiling B'ky who waits in the center bowl of Fort Weyr, Avideth lounging beside him and whuffing quietly at something or other. The dragon has on his crimson straps, though no cargo is being loaded. Indeed, the Roc wingleader just seems to be… waiting. He might even look just a bit tired. The pipes in his weyr are still broken, and he's been having to sleep in a guest room for the past couple of days. It doesn't help matters that his weyr is one of the only ones affected, meaning the problem is likely in or near it. Smiths have been out to check the problem already, but for such a small matter, it isn't as if he can call on much help, really. More important things occupy the smithcrafters of Fort, like studying that drill down in the tunnels and updating the weyr's admittedly dated systems. So a little plumbing problem? Not high on the priority list. And of course, B'ky is far too polite to make a big thing of it. He tilts his head back and leans against Avideth's side, eyes closing momentarily while the dragon lets out a very soft croon, turning to peer at his rider.
A little pansy blue firelizard suddenly appears with a squeak, popping from between with an envelope in his front paws. It's addressed to B'ky, with the bluerider's name scrawled in a strong, unsteady script. The little blue flit presents the envelope to B'ky with a proud kind of trill, and flies in a lazy circle as the man reads the contents. Inside the envelope is a short note. It reads:
B'ky,
Heard about your broken pipe. Am off-duty in Ista due to medical leave. Am on my way now.
A'dar
Very short, very curt…and almost cold. The script itself is bold but flowing, as if the note was quickly scribbled down. And it's pretty clear that the hand that wrote it is not the hand of a Harper….
B'ky's eyes open when the firelizard arrives, the bluerider's thin brows rising a little at the letter. He mouths the word 'A'dar' silently to himself, blinking with some surprise as he likely recognizes the name from somewhere, though he smiles slightly at the firelizard. Avideth just peers at the firelizard curiously, tilting his head to watch the tiny thing circle. Glancing at his dragon, B'ky chuckles softly, likely in response to some comment of Avi's. The man is looking a little more cheerful, now.
B'ky doesn't have long to wait, either. In a moment, a sky blue, silver-striped dragon that appears from *between* over Fort's center bowl. The blue offers a bugle of either greeting or warning; it's hard to tell, as the sound almost seems half a bugle and half a whimper. Mounted astride the blue's neckridges is a man with long auburn hair…and lots of scars. As the two come looping down to land, the rider actually dismounts IN THE AIR and hops down when the blue is near to the ground rather than waiting for his lifemate to land. The firelizard gives a squeak of greeting and flies over to the auburn-haired man, perching on his shoulder. The rider gives a glance to the firelizard, and then raises his eyes to B'ky. It's a flat, dead gaze that is fixed on the other bluerider. "…B'ky?" he inquires, to confirm the other man's identity.
Avideth rumbles a gentle return greeting to the Istan blue that just appeared above, a very 'welcome to Fort' sort of friendly response. Avi is a very polite dragon. B'ky straightens, stepping away from Avideth as the other pair descend, the man's eyebrows furrowing a little at that landing A'dar makes, hopping off the other blue before it lands. B'ky might think that's just a bit dangerous, but he's not going to comment on it. He regards the other bluerider steadily, though B'ky's gaze is much gentler, even if he seems slightly surprised by the other bluerider's scarred appearance. B'ky nods about the inquiry, saying quietly, "Yes. You must be.. A'dar?" And the Fort bluerider smiles slightly, "I hadn't realized news had spread about the, ah, pipes," he looks faintly embarrassed. People in Ista know his plumbling problems! That's just a little unnerving. Not that the wingleader walking all mud-covered through the weyr a couple days ago wasn't noticable enough, really. B'ky inclines his head with a, "Fort's duties to Ista. And.." he smiles a little more, "thankyou for the offer of help," as he turns to Avideth, adding on over his shoulder, "My weyr is just up there," indicating the ledge a little above the center bowl. It's fairly large, certainly enough for two blues to land.
Zeituth's response to the greeting from Avideth is a rather quiet croon of thanks. A'dar nods when he's asked his name. "…Yes, that's me," he replies softly. Though he shakes his head at the mention of B'ky's problems heard at Ista. "…They might not have. I'm Istan…but I wander a lot. You…hear things when you wander a lot…." This almost causes a smirk. He angles his head up as the other bluerider points to his weyr, and nods. "…Shall we, then?" he inquires, indicating that B'ky should lead the way. Aloysius flies over to Zeituth and perches on his neckridges, waiting for A'dar to follow him. The auburn-haired man does a moment later, mounting up, though he waits for B'ky to take off first.
Nodding, B'ky pulls himself up to Avideth's back and the blue stands, unfurling wings and then just pushing off easily to wing up to the ledge. Once there, he tucks his wings back in and moves inside out of the way while B'ky slips off and waits for A'dar a bit inside the entrance.
Fort Weyr - B'ky and Avideth's Weyr
This weyr, situated high above the center bowl, is large and airy. There is a spacious ledge, with room enough that a couple of smaller dragons could lounge easily. Just beyond the sky entrance is a dragon's couch, worn smooth over the turns. The main living space is partitioned off by a rod-mounted curtain of thick, heavy fabric that has been dyed a deep indigo, with striking crimson designs along the top and bottom edges. There is a bed against the far wall, its blankets an odd clash of blue and red. Above it, an enormous tapestry has been hung, depicting dragons soaring in threadfighting formation. Tall wooden shelves take up the remaining wall-space, holding books, scrolls, and various trinkets from all over Pern. There is a single ornate armoire tucked in one corner, and a large table set back by the entryway, with a few chairs around it. Glowbaskets have been hung from the ceiling to provide light, although there are some electric bulbs, indicating that this weyr, at least, has been somewhat modernized. There is even a small writing desk, which holds not only hides and neat stacks of papers, but a laptop as well. The stone floor is covered by a number of plush, colorful rugs, and there is hearth which provides warmth in the colder months, near which are situated two comfy couches and numerous gaudy pillows. A rounded archway at the back of the weyr, covered by another rod-mounted curtain, leads to a bathing room with piped hot and cold water. And there is also a door which provides access to tunnels and stairwells that likely lead back down into the weyr, for those who do not have dragonwings to guide them here.
A'dar and Zeituth follow B'ky and Avideth up to the weyr in question. Once again, A'dar jumps off of Zeituth before the blue has landed properly. Up this high, that's…not very safe. He could slip and fall. But if he realizes the risks, he doesn't seem to consider them very much. He doesn't bother looking around or commenting on the place. He merely unstraps the tool kit from Zeituth's back. "…Where is the damaged pipe?" he inquires softly.
B'ky's brows rise a little at that landing, but again, he doesn't say anything. He was reckless enough in his youth, and it isn't like the man doesn't have a dragon to catch him if he slipped. "This way," B'ky says with a nod, leading the way past the bathing room and into the adjoining hall. All the gunk has been cleaned, but the place still smells of damp earth, and just a bit moldy. The weyr's going to need serious airing out after this. B'ky indicates a section of the wall, where a large plasticraft panel has been removed to reveal a space containing numerous pipes. In there somewhere is the one that has burst, allowing dissolved rock to get into the system. Beyond the mess of pipes, the hole actually opens to the adjoining weyr. Likely only the few surrounding weyrs were affected; it's just bad luck that B'ky was the the one taking a shower when it did. B'ky stands back to let the smith do his job, saying quietly with a faint smile, "I hope it's repairable."
A'dar strides over to the place where the panel has been removed, and kneels down to inspect it. He pulls a small glow from the tool kit and sets it near the panel so he'll have light to see by. He takes a moment to inspect the pipe…and frowns thoughtfully. "Hmm…good thing these have been replaced recently…" he murmurs to himself. Pausing, he looks up the pipe, and locates the valve. Making sure it's shut off, so he doesn't get too big of a deluge of nasty, dirty water in his face, he starts to unscrew the damaged pipe section from the line.
B'ky leans back against a far wall, just watching with, admittedly, some fascination. It's not every day he gets to see the inner workings of the weyr like this. Though he'd probably have much preferred it not included a mudbath earlier. Nodding slightly, the man murmurs, "I believe it was, hm, two or three turns ago that the bathing room was updated." He tilts his head to glance at the bathing room a moment, and then shakes his head, offering a quiet, "Ah, careful though, I've seen the, ah, stuff in the water. It's rather unpleasant." He'd be a terrible person if he didn't warn the smith about it. No more blueriders need to take mudbaths, really. Avideth meanwhile settles and rumbles softly, evidently curious as well, though the dragon it mentally quiet, apparently not the talkative sort even with another dragon. Though he doesn't seem to mind the other dragon's presence at all.
For his part, Zeituth seems oddly listless for a dragon, his eyes a sad yellow-gray. And he doesn't seem to much care that Avideth's not speaking much. He lays upon the ledge where he landed, head resting upon his crossed front feet. Where his rider is concerned, while A'dar seems to generally know what he's doing, it's clear that he's no professional at this sort of thing. He fumbles a bit with the loosening tools, they slip a few times, and he looks a little awkward. A'dar nods to the noting of their having been upgraded, and then pauses at B'ky's warning. He looks to the other man and nods once more. "The warning is appreciated," he replies quietly. "I expect there's still some sludge in the line…." As he speaks, the loosening line starts leaking the stuff B'ky was talking about. "Ah-ha. Thought so," he mutters. Pause. "Careful…it's almost loosened, and it might not smell pleasant—"
FWOOSH! Deluge of muddy gunky stuff, all over his hands, all over his boots, and all over the knees of his pants where they touch the floor.
"—When it finally does come out…." He sighs. "…Disgusting…." Though he doesn't seem overly grossed out by it, either way. "Oh well…better out than in, I suppose…." He reaches into the tool bag and starts rooting around for another piece of pipe. He'd brought some with him, of various sizes. He probably has one of proper dimensions; he did do a little reasearch on Fort's plumbing before sending the firelizard.
Avideth offers a kind croon at the listless blue. He can see something's wrong, but is too polite to ask outright. B'ky blinks and glances over, pale gaze flickering over Zeituth's posture and eyes. B'ky turns back to A'dar, as if to ask what's wrong, but then, FWOOSH! The Fort bluerider takes an automatic step back, grimacing slightly, and looking immediately apologetic. Moving to fetch some towels, he nods and smiles thinly. "It is," B'ky agrees, holding out a large towel and indicating the floor, "Here. I'm sorry about that." As if it were his fault. Still, no need to have to sit in the stuff while working, after all. "It certainly was a surprise the other night; I don't think I've ever been so grateful for the bathing caverns," B'ky adds quietly, shaking his head.
A'dar almost smirks at the mention of the bathing caverns. "It is lucky they've been kept around…otherwise you'd be bathing in the lake," he comments. He accepts the towels with a quiet thanks, leaning up onto the balls of his feet to place them on the floor underneath his knees. That done, he settles back onto his knees atop the towels. "No need to apologize. I'll help you clean this mess up after I'm done," he replies. "Actually I should be the one to apologize…but there weren't any others who had more expertise that were free. And I was tired of sitting on my hands doing nothing, so I volunteered." He goes back to looking for a piece of pipe. Clinking and clattering sounds emanate from the large tool bag.
B'ky also drops a towel near his own feet, having inadvertantly stepped into the gunky water on his way. Still, he isn't too concerned; he knows from experience it doesn't stain. The man chuckles quietly, "I have done that before," about bathing in the lake. Although he doesn't elaborate. "Ah, you don't have to," and he smiles somewhat, about the offer to help clean, "I'm just grateful someone took the time to help." There's another faint smile, "With everything going on recently, finding any smithcrafters who aren't busy has been a little difficult." And he certainly sounds grateful, too. There's a quiet pause as B'ky glances back to the other rider's dragon, and then asks gently, "Ah, your note said you.. were on leave?" Those scars were certainly noted, though B'ky isn't about to press the man for answers, either.
A'dar listens to B'ky's words. While he doesn't reply, he nods at intervals, to assure the man that he's listening. Though at the mention of cleaning up, he replies, "It's no trouble." Though he again pauses as B'ky reminds him of the wording of the note. It's a moment before he replies, long enough for him to retrieve a section of pipe and a roll of what looks like white plastic ribbon from the bag. He pulls a piece of the plastic ribbon off and starts winding it around the 'male' end of the pipe still in the wall. "…Yes. Ista raided a Renegade camp not too long ago, and I was involved it…." The explanation sounds pitifully incomplete…but truthful.
B'ky watches the pipe repairs quietly, glancing back once at Avideth. He just nods at the reply, quietly murmuring a simple, "I see," although for a moment his eyes harden, jaw tightening a little. But he is silent, asking no more questions, and if he notices the explanation is somewhat incomplete, he lets it stand. He has plenty of things he'd rather not have people asking about, after all, and he's just met A'dar. Not his place to probe, even if Avideth regards the other blue with a little concern. Instead, B'ky moves for more towels, some of them as brightly colored as his riding leathers.
Zeituth physically looks perfectly fine, and it's obvious from his near-spotless hide that he's well taken care of. Not a single dry spot marks the sky blue hide of the silvery gray-striped dragon. Yes, he's well taken care of. Perhaps obsessively so. At least physically. His eyes are closed at this point, and it looks like he's sleeping on the ledge. Though his mind is still active, and his breathing isn't slow enough for him to be asleep. For his part, A'dar doesn't seem to notice the hard look B'ky is giving him. Well, if nothing else, the fact served to explain the scars that seem newer than the rest. It didn't explain the rest of his countenance, though. But A'dar doesn't seem inclined to explain. He just winds a second piece of plastic ribbon around the 'male' end of the piece of new pipe he was about to put in. That done, he starts to twist the new pipe into position.
B'ky moves to stand back against the far wall to watch the rest of the repairs, sliding a towel with a shoe to catch any gunky water that tries to flow off across the floor. He doesn't ask any further questions of the other rider, apparently satisfied that if the man's dragon is healthy, it must be alright. B'ky is quiet, though his expression is gentler, the hardened look relaxed into thoughtfulness. "Hmm," he ventures after a moment of watching the repairs, "I hope the other side of the bowl doesn't develop a similar problem," and then glances distractedly over toward the ledge murmuring, "I suppose I'll have to suggest the weyrleaders have someone in to check." And then he shakes his head, turning back to A'dar and saying, "I would have asked the smithcrafters at Fort about the pipes, but they haven't had much time lately. The ancient drill in the tunnels has everyone fairly occupied." And he chuckles softly, smiling quietly to himself about that, admitting, "I can't really blame them, I suppose. I wish I had more time to spend down there myself." He's just making light conversation, his voice casual, without any hint of the tense expression that had flickered over his face at the mention of the renegades.
"That might be a good idea," A'dar ventures. He doesn't look up from the pipe, which he fumbles with a moment. "If this pipe is weak, there's no telling where there might be other such problems in the plumbing. It would be a shame if this happened again to someone else…." He pauses at the mention of the drill, though, and looks to B'ky. "Oh?" He almost seems to smile a little. But it could be a trick of the light. Then he looks back to his work. "Hmm…since I'm here…I might as well go look myself. After I'm done here, that is." Pause, and he looks once more to B'ky. "…You want to come with me?" he asks suddenly. This is shocking enough to Zeituth to make him open his eyes and raise his head, looking to his rider. The blue's eyes swirl light green with surprise.
B'ky nods about the pipes, still looking fairly thoughtful. There's a smile about visiting the drill, the wingleader saying, "You should. It's rather a remarkable, ah, machine. It's a shame it was abandoned down there." And then he chuckles quietly, "I suppose I had better," about going with him, "The tunnels beneath Fort can be rather, ah, confusing. I've gotten lost a few times, just on the way to the library." That, and he'd be responsible if anything /did/ happen to the Istan bluerider. B'ky's dragon has just been relaxing, watching the two riders but remaining quiet. When Zeituth raises his head, Avideth tilts his own head curiously at the other blue. There's a faint mindtouch then, polite and as solid as mist, Avideth asking quietly of Zeituth «What is it?» It's just a faint glimmer of concern, though Avi, like his rider, isn't about to press for answers.
A'dar actually chuckles a little…though the sound is wry and hollow. "That would probably be a good idea, then…it wouldn't do to get lost in a strange Weyr. Especially if these tunnels are as confusing as you say. I might never be found." He doesn't sound too upset by that prospect, honestly. He finishes tightening the pipe, and shakes the excess gunk off his hands. Picking up one corner of the towel that wasn't too full of gunk, he wipes his hands on it. "There. If no more's coming in, it's logical to assume that running the water a while should help to get the remainder of the mud out of the system," A'dar suggests. Zeituth's mind touch answers, like a chilly winter breeze in the dead of the night. «He has been…solitary. He won't stay with people anymore. Solitary…and sad.» A'dar frowns sharply, shooting a look to Zeituth, and the blue quiets.
B'ky smiles slightly about the tunnels, though he doesn't comment much more on them. Instead, he's moving to fetch another towel and mopping up a bit of water on the floor, and then tossing it in a nearby laundry basket. It seems B'ky collects colorful towels. And pillows. And, well, lots of things. "I appreciate you coming all this way to fix it," he says honestly, with another smile, and then heads to one of the taps in the bathing room, saying, "I should be able to test it?" but not turning the tap yet, likely waiting for A'dar's okay. Thus, he misses that frown completely, as he isn't looking at A'dar or Zeituth. It's likely B'ky isn't even aware Avideth is being nosy, though the Fortian blue croons quietly at Zeituth at that answer, though he makes no further comment. Although B'ky is then suddenly also looking in the direction of the dragons, thin brows coming together just a moment before he shakes his head slightly at Avideth. Avi also quiets.
Zeituth puts his head back down on his paws and offers a returning croon of apology. That seems to satisfy A'dar that Zei won't be revealing anymore secrets, and so he leans down as starts to help mop up the cruddy water that's on the floor. As he does, he replies to B'ky's question, "It should be all right. I'll fix it again if I've done it incorrectly. I'm no professional…but I did get instruction before leaving." Pause. "The water that comes out will be quite nasty, I warn you," he reminds from where he's mopping up the water with another towel.
Avideth just watches Zeituth quietly, having already been warned off by B'ky, likely. The Fort bluerider seems more concerned with the plumbing at the moment, though, reaching for the tap and then nodding slowly at the warning about nasty water. B'ky very carefully opens the tap, and there is a gurgling. And a sputtering. And then greyish gunk flows out. But he just keeps the water running until, eventually, it does run clear. B'ky is smiling slightly as he closes the tap, saying, "It seems to be alright. I will speak with the weyrleaders about checking the weyrs across the bowl." There's a glance at Avideth then, and the blue rumbles at his rider, but B'ky only turns to get more towels and clean the rest of the floor. "The cavern with the drill isn't too far into the tunnels," he says quietly, tossing the towl into the basket after the floor is cleaned, "I don't have any cargo to deliver today, if you want to head down there."
A'dar smirks a little darkly, looking down at the knees of his pants. "Hmm…gunky as it is…it's just water," he notes. Then he looks to Zeituth. "Would you be all right with it?" At least he's considerate of his lifemate's feelings in the matter. Zei stands up properly and tilts his head down, to look at A'dar, and to sniff at him. The blue snorts. "It's just mud, I promise," A'dar replies. "Remember…people think clock oil smells much worse." He gives that smirk again.
B'ky finishes the mopping up, though he glances at A'dar a moment when the other man speaks. But he doesn't interrupt the other rider's conversation. He's fairly certain it isn't aimed at him. B'ky himself has been having a running, if silent, dialogue with Avideth, after all. Though the bluerider doesn't look too distracted, even when Avideth shifts a little so B'ky can stow a glowbasket in the crimson straps. B'ky just waits for A'dar's answer about the tunnels, though he's standing by Avideth and adjusting the straps a little now, which likely means he doesn't intend to use the ground exit out of his weyr.
Zeituth seems not to be too upset about it. This is confirmed by A'dar's next words. He looks to B'ky and replies, "He's fine with it. So long as I bathe time very well when we're done." He chuckles and starts to collect his things, wrapping everything back up in the bag he brought and strapping it back onto Zeituth's back. "I apologize for not replacing the panel…I don't know much about the material, and I don't want to risk damaging it by trying to put it back wrong."
B'ky smiles slightly, nodding to the dragonpair and then swinging up to the dragon's straps. "It's alright," he says quietly, about the panel, "At least the pipes are fixed. Thankyou again." And there's a fairly grateful smile for that. Avideth then moves to the ledge to take off.
"My pleasure," A'dar replies, giving something like a smile. Then he mounts up himself and follows B'ky out to the ledge. It's the Istan bluerider who is obviously the odd one out here…so he waits for B'ky to go first. Once the other pair are in the air, A'dar and Zeituth take off themselves. He and Zeituth follow B'ky down to the Weyr proper….
