Fort Weyr - Bathing Cavern
A high, domed ceiling stretches far overhead, voices echoing in the distance. Warm, moist air fills the room, coming from the variety of pools scattered about. Vines have been planted in baskets and grow up the walls, thriving in the soft artificial light provided by glows placed at random intervals about the room.
It's first light at Fort, or maybe even a little before. The outside air is still chilly from the passing night, but it's nice and warm in the bathing caverns. A'lin has learned that it's best to take his bath in the morning, before Njordeth wakes up, rather than try to sneak off for a dip while the brown slept. Sometimes at night he would also sneak out for a quick dip to wash off the day, too. And so the big man is undressing at the side of a pool in the mostly empty caverns. His clothes are arranged into a neat pile before he eases himself into the warm water with an audible "Ahhh." There was a full day of weyrling activities to go about, what better way to start off the morning than a nice relaxing scrub 'n soak?
As usual, as anyone that's conscious this early would eventually have figured out over the past nearly eight months, K'hys gets up and takes care of his morning ritual while most are still dreaming in their beds. With Jheth scrubbed, oiled and fed, the blue Impressed weyrling makes his way into the bathing caverns, shaking off the chill of the pre-dawn hour. This is likely not the first time that Kai has encountered A'lin, pausing just inside the door way to try and scan through the steamy cavern for anyone that might be about. Having missed everything up to the brownling slipping into the water, his gaze trains in on his fellow and he lifts a hand in greeting should he happen to glance the former weaver's way. If not, he merely turns and finds an out of the way place to strip down, wrapping a towel around his waist and making his way over. "Care if I join you?" he asks, waiting for the response, instead of assuming that this would be all right.
A'lin likes to be up and about at the crack of dawn. That way he gets to enjoy all the hours of sunlight. Before he'd impressed, this was the time he took for his exercise. At least some of it. But now there was enough exercise during the day, and not enough hours for him to take the time to do it on his own. When K'hys makes his way over, A'lin is pulling himself out of the pool so her can start lathering up with sweetsand. He gives a mustachioed smile to the other weyrling. "My pool is your pool." He motions to the water with a suds-covered hand. He doesn't seem too shy about things in here. But then again K'hys was a man. And it's probably nothing he hasn't seen before. "I liked the pools hot when it was winter. But now they make me sweat when I'm in them. I can't tell if I'm getting clean or if I'm more dirty when I come out." He laughs a bit.
"Oh really, I'll have to keep that in mind." K'hys teases, only halfheartedly with a sleepy attempt at one of his trademark lopsided grins before a yawn over takes him and he tries to smother it with the back of his hand. "Man, I swear they're trying to kill us." This complaint aside, the younger weyrling looses his towel as he steps into the pool, pulling it free of his body only once things that are best keep hidden are nestled out of view with the surface of the water, giving the terrycloth a toss over to the side and out of the way of any potential splashing. He lets out a long deep groan as he settles in on the lip below the surface, and leans back against the outer most edge, hooking his elbows upon it. As for what A'lin says about sweating, Kai laughs and shrugs, closing his eyes and letting himself relax some before he gets to the whole cleaning thing. No rush to get in and out with Jheth's needs taken care of already. "I suppose in itself, sweat is clean. If you've go all the dirt off, a little bit of sweat can't hurt. Though I have to admit I'm still adjusting to the whole, public bathing thing." he admits and then lashes part, peering over at A'lin. "You?"
A'lin yawns as well, covering it with his hand and leaving a ring of soap around his mouth and suds in his mustache. It's contagious. "Njordeth has us adhering to the schedule fairly tightly. If only there were more hours in the day." Ada works hard to get his bottom-half properly scrubbed. "Heh. In a way, I suppose. Though it's often not the most pleasant smelling." At the mention of public bathing, A'lin look around. "Mm. I suppose I've gotten a bit used to it. Though I prefer the caverns when they're mostly empty like this. It's also less embarrassing without ladies around. There always seems a few who like to point and giggle. I try to be respectful. Even if this 'is a weyr', like they all say." He slides back down into the pool to rinse then. "Dei would pick on the both of us, hearing us talk like this about bathing, I'm sure. She would walk around the barracks in naught but her turnday suit if she could."
K'hys releases yet another heavy sigh, nodding his agreement about rigid schedules, or perhaps about the lack of time for everything to be done. he at least has the decency to find something else to look at once A'lin is scrubbing his nethers. Yep, mighty fine wall today over yonder, very stoney. "Yeah, it can get kinda foul if you let it stagnant, especially under the arms. Girls got it worse then we do, its like people expect guys to have a particular smell, but the females are expected to be sweet as a morning blossom or some such. All the time. I don't know how they do it." He seems to recall that he was not here to socialize but rather to get clean, and so dunks himself before A'lin can move on to reply to his question about bathing publicly. Coming up with utterly drenched and flattened hair, applying a handful of the crumbly stuff to the top of his head and scrubbing the dickens out it, creating a foamy transformation. He listens as the brownling speaks, and nods a few times. "Yeah. I guess it's worse on my end. I feel like everyone's staring at me, not just the girls." Some amusement there, but also the smallest fraction of just how uncomfortable he feels with being naked in front of dozens of strangers. "Not that I have anything to be embarrassed about, of course." He'll just puff his chest out there, maybe strike a pose, purely for his fellow weyrling's benefit and entirely of a joking nature. He laughs quickly at mention of Deitra, "I'm pretty sure if she did that, I would get very little done. No matter how much I was nagged at. That is one…beautiful woman."
A'lin will agree about the wall while he's scrubbing his own nethers. Or the ceiling. Might fine rock, yep. Just don't think about how hard it is. A'lin laughs a bit about females and their smells. "True enough. Though I've learned to think better of that over the years. Between my own sister and then running with the hunters. Most of them are wild, even the girls. And they smell it, too. Baths were always few and far between, and perfume only attracts unwanted guests to camp." The brownrider blinks a bit at K'hys. "Everyone? I feel mostly alright if it's just men around. I don't often have much worry about them." A'lin laughs and strikes his own pose. "Maybe once our dragons are grown we'll have time for proper work outs again." There's a bit of a wistful sigh about Dei. "She is indeed. I have enough trouble getting things done around her with her clothes -on-," he admits, with a chuckle. "Hunting has done wonders for her physique."
K'hys finishes with his head, and dunks. He rinses out all the suds, then comes up for air, slicking his wet tresses back. Not that there was a whole lot of them, what with the former weaver keeping his locks rather short. He's back up in time to hear about hunter women, and sisters. There's a twitch though for that, "I've never had enough courage to ask my sister or mother about anything female related. I love women, don't get me wrong, but they get this look sometimes that…I don't know how else to describe it." he says, cringing. As if this was all the explanation that was necessary. "I don't doubt they can be as smelly as we can." With a chuckle, he gets to scrubbing at himself again. Here and there, and eventually everywhere, locking brown eyes on some point on the wall as he sees to some areas in particular. He also is quiet during this awkward time, only speaking up once everything has been rinsed out and things of such a nature can be forgotten that they ever happened. "I like men as well, as you might recall." he reminds, going back to leaning against the edge of the pool, eyes sinking closed. It was time to soak and relax. "Once our dragons are mature there is only one work out I'm going to be interested in." Jheth must of fallen asleep again, for K'hys never spoke of things of that nature unless his lifemate was. Lately this had become a topic that had always managed to surface, in one way or another. The sixteen turn old was of that age after all. There is somewhat of a good natured grumble for that which considering the source shouldn't really be a surprise. Even when Kai was serious, it seemed he wasn't entirely. "I'd say dragonriding has done wonders for everyone." he comments, slapping a hand against his belly, which was clearly defined. Ripped, without being grotesque or ill suited.
A'lin had gotten too distracted with the chit-chat to scrub. It's only when K'hys dunks his head that he remembers why he's here. It's not to catch up on the latest gossip, though that never hurt at the weyr. "Ask them about women? What's to ask?" A'lin had no doubt been schooled in the uh… mechanics. Past that though… well, he obviously hasn't thought much past that. Or at least if he has he'll never admit to it. It would sully his honor! Or something. The brownrider spends an absurd amount of time scrubbing his mustache and the tiny bit of fuzz on his head that he calls hair. Everything had to be just so! At the end he looks like a snowman, covered in shiny white suds instead of snow. There's a blink when K'hys reminds him of his sexual preferences. "Er right. Uh… sorry." He dunks quickly, then comes back out. "Oh? What workout is that? Flying? I heard that can be quite a workout for rider and dragon." A'lin was a little older, almost not a teenager anymore, but the urge was still there. He laughs a bit at K'hys' notion. "I suppose that's true! I think I've lost muscle someplace and put it on in others." In otherwords, he looks much the same he always has. "Maybe I'll grow a bigger mustache, so I look different as well."
"Women are a mystery my mustashed friend, the only mystery worth solving in my humble opinion." K'hys remains unmoving, though his eyes crack some to peek over at the brownling. Perhaps to gauge his reaction to this. If there was any reluctance to admit that there were things he didn't know that he wanted to, he certainly was doing a crap job hiding it. He does get a rather comical look on his face when he sees the sudsy fellow, his smirk deepening before he seals up his gaze behind sun kissed lashes. He was still retaining some of the tan he had acquired in his time at Ista, but a few more months and he would be as pale as one might expect a Fortian rider to be. He waves off the apology with a laugh and shrug of his shoulders, sinking down a bit lower into the steaming pool as his expression goes slack for a time. It doesn't last too long of course, not with A'lin and his obliviousness to what he was insinuating. "Sex, Ada, I'm talking about sex. Though Jheth is looking forward to the flying, he hasn't even noticed any greens yet. I don't think he's ready, and I doubt he wouldn't tell me if he was. Bad enough keeping things I'd rather not share with the entire weyr somewhere he can't find it. Came close a couple times." He shakes his head at that, and then eyes open despite the tiny beads of water clinging to his lashes. He seems to be inspecting the other guy, head tilting some off to one side. "Or you could shave it off. That would be different."
"Hm." A'lin contemplates K'hys' words. "I suppose they are quite a mystery. They say one thing, but often mean another.. And they tell someone else something completely different than even that." Despite Ada's background coming from a tropical climate, his tan his long since gone. Of course it's been quite a while since he was last at the hold even for a visit. There's a blinks then as K'hys is more direct about his workout. "Ohh." There's a long pause there. It's hard to tell if the big man might be blushing from the heat in the air. "I uh…hm. I haven't given that much thought. It's more proper for a man to save himself for his bride, but I'm not to have a bride now. And there will be flights…" A'lin is trying to sort things out in his head. What was the proper way to bed a woman as a rider? "Ah… Hm. I haven't really talked about that at all with Njord." In a way the brownrider might have it a bit easier. Until that first flight comes, probably. "One step at a time. I'm more worried about him getting off the ground, to tell you the truth." There's a shocked look on Ada's face as K'hys recommends shaving off his 'stache. "What!" He puts a hand over his face defensively. "I could never! I would feel naked! Plus the women would think me half a man!"
K'hys nods his head slowly, hmmhmmming in an affirmative fashion, and then is shaking his head with a sigh. "And it goes on and on. Would be nice to meet a woman who just says what she means and is completely honest. I think I might be done in by that." A bit of a grin for that, and then he slips from the lip of the pool and sinks down up to his chin, jaw twitching. A brow arches however as A'lin reacts to his blunt comment about the kind of workout he himself was looking forward to, and his expression shifts to one taken aback. "Are you telling me you've never…been with…anyone?" he asks, just as bluntly. He looks as if he was having a hard time believing it on one hand, and on the other the surprise remains. He looks the older lad over, he who was so precariously close to being no longer a teenager, whild K'hys was turns away from such things himself. "Well…I…well…shells, Ada." Staring some now, perhaps seeing the other guy in a whole new light. Is that respect? "I guess you can't miss what you've never experienced. Not that I was in and out of a dozen beds, but I did all right. Tend to want to make a connection that's more than physical, before actually going through with the physical. It's great that you waited though, stuck with it all this time. I don't have that kind of willpower." Again, he sighs, lashes lowering and falling quiet for a few moments. "Kinda a coward actually." Whatever that means, and even though he's the one that brought up the topic, he practically leaps at the topic shifting to flying. "I doubt he'll have much trouble. Dragons are naturally aerodynamic, even the larger ones." A pause for this, "I mean if you're really worried, you could talk to Melze or Miki about it. They can put your concerns to rest." His smile returns, toothily, in full force when A'lin seems so appalled at the mere mention of a shave. He schools it though, in an attempt to look affronted. "So you think women see me as half a man?" he asks, stroking his completely smooth chin. There wasn't any hair on Kai's body, save for below his navel.
A'lin laughs. "Surely there must be some ladies out there who are honest. What about… Shalla? She seems pretty honest." Though somehow not the bluerider's type really. "I uh… well, once. Actually. It was at Ista. During a goldflight. The first I'd ever been at a weyr for. So… I don't have a good memory of it." Though the way Ada is scrunching his face can only mean that what memory he did have surrounding it wasn't a particularly pleasant one. There's a not to K'hys about his own experiences. "I suppose I'd like to toss it up to willpower," he admits, "but really there hasn't been much opportunity. I haven't been at a hold in a while, and most weyr ladies don't find me very interesting I'm afraid. Probably due to lack of experience." There's a brow raised. "A coward? Dealings with women are always difficult. I wouldn't call you that." The brownrider rubs his chin about his dragon. "I suppose I ought to talk to one of them. His wings look small to me, is all. I hope they can support his girth." There's a furrow of brow at K'hys then. "It's one thing to stay clean shaven. It's another thing entirely to have a mustache and then shave it off!"
K'hys considers a moment as Xanshalla is suggested, and then the blueling makes a face and shakes his head. "She's a little too ditsy for me I think. Nice girl, but…" That one appeared to be out, "I was kinda leaning towards Miki, but…" A frown replaces his grin, and he ruffles the top of his own head as he rises from the water up to just level with his hips and reaches for his towel, his fingers all pruney and lingering not seeming the sort of thing to do in the bathing cavern of all places. He has to reach for his towel, his backside emerging from the water in its entirety before he manages to grab what he's reaching for. "Goldflights don't count, Ada. Flights in general don't count." He steps out of the pool then and wraps the towel around him as he goes, securing it at one hip before looking down on the guy he normally has to look up at to have a normal conversation. A hand to one hip. "Finding someone interesting has nothing to do with lack of experience. I find you very interesting, and I like guys. So…" He's not a girl of course, but there it is anyway. "I wasn't talking about a woman." he drops all together flatly, turning and heading towards the rest of the towels in the recesses of the walls over by the entrance and takes one up, using it on his head to fluff his hair. As for the brownling's dragon, Kai jerks a thumb towards the exit. "Hurry up and finish already, we should go grab some breakfast before the morning crowd wakes up." He then disappears into the steam, only to reemerge fully dressed and applying something to his hair, likely whatever he put in it to make it stick up like it did. "I think you'd be hotter without it, personally." he suggests, tightening one of the leather bracelets on his wrist.
A'lin chuckles. "She didn't seem like your type. Miki seems a nice girl. I don't know her very well though in truth. It would be a bit awkward to be wooing her at this point in time and all." When K'hys goes to get out, so does Ada. So there's two exposed backsides. He picks up his own towel and dries off a bit before wrapping it around his waist. There's only a few moments of looking down at him. There's a blink about what he says about flights. "But I wasn't flying in it. I was just there." Surely it counts for something? Maybe? Please? The brownrider looks even more defeated at his next statement. His shoulders slump a bit. "Well.. perhaps I am just not interesting then." There's a very confused look on Ada's face afterwards. "Er… thanks, I guess." Though it sounds like he's mistaking K'hys's admittance of him being interesting as more of a way of being nice. "Hm? Oh!" The brownrider scrambles into his clothing then at the mention of breakfast. "I think I've lingered too long in here anyways! I've got pruned skin all over!" When K'hys emerges Ada gives him a serious look and purses his lips. "I will.. think about it. Perhaps get a few more opinions." But the little voice inside him is screaming nooooo not my mustache! Maybe that's why all the weyr ladies didn't like him? It's been the mustache all along!
Towels dropped off, K'hys makes sure his weyrling knot is where it should be and straight before he leads the way out of the bathing cavern towards the smell of food cooking. Following his nose as it were. He claps a hand on his fellow weyrling's back when his shoulders slump, "You're interesting. Trust me." he says, and then lets his hand fall away. "Been through a goldflight or two when I was in Ista. Unfortunately I was alone both times, so you're the lucky one. So to speak. I'm not really looking forward to having my choice on who I sleep with taken away from me, but it's not about us during a flight. It's about the dragon." Or so he seems to be trying to convince himself of considering his tone there, shoving his hands into the pockets of his open tweed coat, his scarlet scarf left loose and looped around his neck. He eyes the taller guy at mention of opinions, "You mean you're going to ask Dei and Shalla." Maybe he was a good guesser, or maybe he'd been watching the brownling more closely than either of them might of realized. "I like a clean shave myself, not that I grow much of the stuff myself. I have to shave, maybe twice a sevenday. Never been particularly hairy."
A'lin smiles a bit to K'hys. He takes his damp towel and wraps it around his neck. "Heh. well, I'll take your word for it." He holds onto the ends of the towel as they walk. "Mm. I suppose that's unfortunate. But the awkwardness the next morning… I'm not sure it was worth it. A man should properly woo a woman before bedding her… at the least." If not wed her! But there'd be no handfasting for Ada anymore. "Mm. It is about the dragon. We are… secondary in a flight." Not that he feels any better about it than Kai. Ada is in a plain gray t-shirt today and a pair of brown pants. There's a brow raised to the other weyrling. "Aye. Is there someone else I ought to be asking? To me, Shalla and Dei represent the wide spectrum of womanly types. Shalla is cute and bubbly and innocent. Dei is sultry and serious and beautiful." He holds out his hands to emphasize his point. "Plus they are the only two women I know well enough to consult of such personal matters. At least here in Fort." He chuckles and rubs his chin. "I could like do with a shave. But it will have to wait. I am ill-equipped for such things this morning. If I didn't shave but twice a sevenday I would be shaving off a full beard each time! Then you really wouldn't like me." He sighs then. "My mustache though… without it what sort of defining physical characteristics would I have?"
K'hys peeks around once their into the living cavern proper, seeing that they are just now bringing out trays of delicious baked goods that are for the morning meal. Gleefully the blueling half jogs off to grab a plate and put some sweet things onto it, making all smiles and lashes at the kitchen staff. The boy was now thinking with his stomach. Once laden with food, he picks out a table visually, as there was plenty to chose from, only a few people milling about this early in the morning. Most of them shuffing either half asleep or half awake, coming onto a shift or off. He waits then for A'lin to get his own food, though does stop off at the beverage table for a steaming hot mug of klah. Adding some sweetner and milk. "It's not all going to be girls you know." he reminds, killer of joys as he is at present. "There's a bunch of male greenriders here I wouldn't mind waking up next to." Course as he says this, one such greenrider seems to pass by, yawning and completely ignoring the weyrlings as he tosses some pretty blond hair over one shoulder and helps himself to the same pot of klah that K'hys had been using a moment before. He'll just appreciate the view, until the greenrider wanders off, sighing most heavily once he's out of sight. "In some ways graduating scares the pants off me, but at times like that I wouldn't mind." When it comes to comparing Deitra and Xanshalla, Kai blinks a few times and then shrugs a shoulder, wandering off towards the table he'd been eying moments before. Though he pauses, turns and stares at the brownling, "Are you serious?" he asks, when queried about defining characteristics. "You're physically fit, handsome and I know you can't see back there, but one very fine posterior. If I were you, I'd lose the mustashe and grow some hair out up top." He half gestures towards the guy's head before settling into a chair and setting down his breakfast on the table before him.
A'lin follows K'hys to the food tables, though somewhat less enthusiastically. He's more of a meat and tubers man. The sweets he leaves off his plate. No klah even. The bath was enough to wake him up, and he needed the juice for the nutrients. There's lots of smiles and thank yous to the kitchen staff from Ada, as he is wont to do, before he heads over to sit across from the bluerider, and begins peeling a piece of fruit. There's a bit of a frown about the notion of sleeping with men as well. "I know even less about begging another man as I do about bedding a woman, honestly." Ada just sees… a man walk by and get some klah. "I will be glad to not have to shovel dragon dung and join the weyr. But participating in flights is not high up my list of things I'd like to do." He pops a bit of the fruit into his mouth. "Perhaps Njordeth won't like to chase very often." It sounds like he's trying to console himself a bit there. He blinks at K'hys. "Hm?" Then he laughs a bit. "So my hair is in the wrong spot, is that it? I thought that weyrlings were encouraged to keep short hair anyways. So it doesn't get caught on things."
K'hys picks up his fork, and cuts off a piece of pastry, spearing it, and then lifting it up towards his mouth but it ends up getting pointed at A'lin for a moment. "Good thing your friends with a guy like me who's done it all then. But I wouldn't worry too much about flights just yet, or what may come of them. The dragons aren't even a turn old yet, though now that I think about it I guess that's just around the corner." This said, he pops the bite past his lips and chews, making a face that easily portrayed his delight with the flavor. Swallowing he takes up his klah, and sips at it. "Shoving dung doesn't really bother me, at least not anymore. It is getting tedious though, be glad when Jheth can go between and do his business there." He nods about the lack of interest in flights, going back to eating his breakfast, and perhaps letting his attention wander some before the brownlings laughter draws Kai back to the conversation. "Hey now, my hair is plenty short. It doesn't get caught on anything." He peers over at his fellow weyrling and then asks, "So any reason you keep it so uh, nonexistent?" he asks, brows drifting upwards in unison.
A'lin laughs. "I suppose? Though you doing things won't make my doing things any easier. I try not to let things keep me up at night. Of course at the end of most days there isn't much of anything that could keep me up." Ada goes about working on his piece of fruit, setting half down and tending to his meats and tubers. "It's good exercise, I'll give you that. But the smell. Oh Faranth! Sometimes I worry Njord's gotten into the garbage pail. But since I'm with him almost every second he's awake I know that can't be the case. Unless he's very stealthy." Ada reaches up to run a hand over his almost shaved head. "Not in particular. Easier to tend to, I suppose." Being that it requires no tending to at all.
K'hys nearly chokes on the bite he'd just taken when A'lin speaks next, having to wash it down with a long sip of his klah before he gives the brownling the once over again, this time with a dubious lit. "I meant, if you were ever in need of instruction or advice in that area. Things work themselves out, especially if you aren't thinking about them too much." he considers, and then waves a hand dismissively. "Meh, you'll be fine. People have been having sex for as long as their have been people, else you and I wouldn't even be here." This topic aside, he tries not to concentrate too much on what they were discussing just then, given as they were eating. He can't help a bit of a grimace though, "Well they do eat raw meat. Can't expect it to come out smelling all that fantastic after having been through a dragon." He laughs though, "Oh I wouldn't put it past Jheth to sneak off if I wasn't watching him so closely. Likes to get into trouble that one." He sips his klah and then sets down the mug, digging into his breakfast with a bit more enthusiasm. he pauses between bites though to take in A'lin and his very very short hair. "You know, if you took more time in your appearance aside from all those rippling muscles, I'm pretty sure the ladies are going to notice. Then again, as my preferences go I would have you shave off the mustashe and grow your hair out a bit. Not long flowing locks or what have you, maybe longer up top and sort of feathered back away from your face." He squints, as if he were trying to picture it.
A'lin shifts a bit in his chair. "I shall keep that in mind, Kai." Even if he doesn't sound thrilled about keeping it there. "I suppose that's true. There's not much one can do about flights anyways." Except maybe plan an exit strategy to avoid the awkward. "Mm, that they do. I might be a bit sad when they start hunting on their own. I rather like feeding Njord by hand. I've gotten quite good at disassembling a herdbeast." Ada chuckles a bit. "Njord isn't one to pull any pranks like that. He likes to follow the rules. Almost to a fault." The brownrider rubs his chin a bit between bites. "He'd have to be tricked into doing something like that." And the brown would not be happy to find out afterwards that it was a trick and they were into trouble. Ada looks down at himself with a frown. "I'm starting to think maybe it would just be better if I stayed single." He sighs. "Alas, that won't do though. My father is likely still expecting me to provide him with some strapping lads for the hold. And for that I will need a woman to at least put up with me for a short while. In some ways, things were easier at the hold. By now I'd be married already. If I had done back, of course."
K'hys chuckles at the less than thrilled tone that the brownling had going on just then, happily finishing up his pastries without much more thought on the matter, or flights either. Instead he focuses on the dragons, as he sets his fork down on his empty plate, resisting the urge to lick the crumbs and remaining icing from it no doubt, given the way his eyes were glued to it for perhaps longer than they should of. "I'd prefer not to have to cut up an animal if I can help it. I'm an artist, not a hunter." he reminds A'lin, sitting back in his chair and sipping idly at his klah. He nods a few times as the other weyrling talks about his lifemate, brows shooting upwards. "Really. I mostly just follow the rules that matter, like anything having to do with Jheth and his growing up the right way. I broke most of the rules that I had when I was just another weaver apprentice, but now it's not just my life I'm messing up. I don't have any desire in wrecking my lifemate, so I'm behaving myself and making sure he does the same. Plenty of time after graduation, the rest of our lives really, to be silly." He disappears mostly behind his mug of klah, concentrating on the contents, until Ada seems privy to insulting himself. "Am I going to have to grow some breasts and a vagina for you to listen to me, and stop putting yourself down?" he asks, some measure of playful frustration there, half laughing at the end. "There's more to self worth than pairing off and breeding. I'm holdbred to, so it's not like I don't understand the mentality. I get it. You're a dragonrider now, or will be when our dragons are flying." Downing the rest of his drink, he sets the empty mug on the table, crossing his arms over his chest. "Given any thought to what wing you might be interested in?" Nothing quite says stop dumping on yourself like a change of topic!
A'lin chuckles a bit. He'd probably encourage K'hys to just get a second pastry if he starts to lick his plate clean. Manners and all. "Ah, yes. Well, you can mend my straps for me and I'll cut your meat? Doing delicate work like that… my fingers are not cut out for." It's not hard to see why, with his big man-paws. "I don't consider myself much of an adventurer when it comes to breaking rules, but Njord is much more serious about them than even I am. He has quite a sense of duty. Though kids will be kids, even if they are dragon kids. Not that I'd like to see anything happen to any of the dragons." He blinks then, mid-chew. "I was… just agreeing with you. I don't have a need for a woman right this soon. But I have let my family down I feel. It weighs heavy on me, is all." Ada contemplates for a bit. "I have given it a bit of thought. Njordeth would likely be better suited for transport, since he is large. But my survival skills may make me better suited for Search and Rescue. I will be happy wherever they put us, honestly. How about you?" It doesn't take long for Ada to return to his jovial self, a big mustachioed smile given to K'hys.
K'hys shakes his head, "Not much for that kind of work. Looking forward to when I can commission some straps, and leave it up to the professionals. I barely passed my sewing exams back in the craft, and I had Xanshalla make my candidate robe." he admits rather sheepishly. "As far as skills go, I'm pretty lacking in all areas except artistically. I can make art out of just about anything, but that's not really a marketable skill set. If Jheth hadn't come along, I'd been stuck designing clothing for the rest of my life and probably died alone and bored somewhere bleak." He must be kidding, for he was grinning like an idiot, and there was a tone in place that was anything but serious. However, just something about how he says it, may show the smallest fraction of relief in avoiding that particular path. "I'm thinking either search and rescue or diplomacy. Jheth would be thrilled if they armored him up and let him lead troops off to battle but I told him that there isn't much call for things of that nature nowadays." A laugh for this, avoiding the topic of disappointments and such. Perhaps even on purpose.
A'lin nods. "It will be much better for the professionals to see to my straps as well. Oftentimes I think the straps are more sturdy unmended by me." He jokes a bit, laughing. "I had thought of taking up woodcrafting actually. Or even smithing back when I was a boy. But I think I would rather put that time into the wing now. But think of all the wonderful clothing that you'll have dreamt up! And people would be wearing all across Pern. Though I suppose you will still have time for designing such things. Me… I am due for some new clothes I think. These are getting threadbare. Perhaps I can convince a rider to take my measurements to a weaver." Ada nods a bit. "I hadn't considered diplomacy. I thought they usually let the weyrwomen and the weyrleaders handle most of that? I suppose that's where Dei will be though. Faranth help the holders who have to deal with her." He laughs.
"You could still pick up a craft, if you wanted to." K'hys suggests, but then merely nods as A'lin continues on and says that he'd rather dedicate his time to a wing, keeping mention of the crafter's wing to himself as he seems to contemplating a second cup of klah. With all the eying there going on of his empty dishes, perhaps even a second helping of pastry. Looking back up at mention of clothing and designing, the former weaver rolls his eyes some, but not in such a way as to denote mocking of the brownling's compliment. "My designs were perhaps a bit too fashion forward for the taste of people nowadays," he laughs, "Perhaps I'll leave them to one of the children I'm sure I'll have, and by the time I'm long gone between with Jheth, they'll be of some use." He can't help looking his friend over as he takes of new clothing, perhaps a habit he picked up at the crafthall. "We're due for leathers soon. Perhaps you should wait a bit longer before passing on any marks just yet. I know some people over at the hall that specialize in leather, I'll see if I can get one or both of them over to take care of the class." A shrug, "No promises of course. We're not close friends, them and I. I just know them from being about over there." He pauses at mention of weyrleadership, "Oh? Perhaps things work differently here than they do in Ista. Search and Rescue it is then. I've no interest in politics myself."
"I may perhaps! We will see once we're graduated. I don't want to shirk my duties as a rider, either." A'lin says. He finishes up his plate, munching on his last piece of toast and sipping his juice. "Oh? Fashion forward?" These are new words to Ada. Most of his visits to the weavers involved them gaping over his measurements, and then him telling them to make him clothes that looked much like the ones he was replacing. "Ah, leathers. That will be good. Hopefully they come out to fit us." Otherwise Ada will be in big trouble when he tries to squeeze into the biggest pair of leathers they provide. "I am not sure the specific make up, in all honesty. I would have to ask. Perhaps Dei would know better, if they have additional riders for diplomacy." He leans back in his chair a bit. "Nor I," he admits about politics. "But they are everywhere, alas."
K'hys shakes his head, "It's not like the days of thread, as long as you're a productive individual, I don't think it much matters what it is your doing." Someone was paying attention during their harper courses, mandatory for everyone on Pern. He chuckles though when A'lin seems so interested in term fashion forward, having himself used it without thinking that anyone else might not catch its meaning. "It means ahead of the times, not so much seen in what you see people wearing everyday. Which would be all fine, well and good if I was doing some sort of show for the craft. Or met someone with eclectic tastes. I personally would wear the things I design, but that doesn't mean the rest of Pern would." His hands twitch at talk of leathers, once again looking the brownling over, as if he were visually dressing him with something he had in mind, but a second later is distracted when a woman wearing a spicy scent drifts by on her way to the serving table. "Yes, I hope so too." he mutters distractedly, a few seconds later giving Ada his full attention rather then focusing it even remotely on the backside of that poor passerby. "She's a goldrider now, part of me is actually intimidated by that. Before all this she was just this smoking hot babe that was fun to be around, but now she's a junior weyrwoman. How the sharded did that happen?"
A'lin nods. "I suppose that's true enough. It would more be a hobby type of thing for me now I suppose. Something to fill the hours since I won't be running with the hunters anymore, or at least not as much." Ada studies him as he explains what fashion forward mean. "Ah. I would think there would be people at the weyr who would be open minded to some of your designs. Holders would be a tougher sell. My father's closet is full of mostly the same tunic over and over. In three different colors except for the one that accidentally got washed with the darker colors." He laughs. "For me, if it fits me proper I'll wear it. As long as it's appropriate, I suppose. I don't plan to wear shorts in winter, or pants that let me fall out of them." There's a frown and a nod about Dei. "Mm. I haven't had much a chance to talk with her since we impressed but in passing. She seems a bit intimidated by it herself." He chuckles. "I don't much envy her, either. I doubt she's had too much use for sums and history before. Now they'll have to school her in all of that. And she'll actually have to remember it all."
"That's something else you can ask Melze or Miki, I don't know if you can still be a hunter being a dragonrider, but it'd be cool if you could wouldn't it?" K'hys asks, brightening some talking about such a dry topic, or perhaps because of its banality and lack of any awkward topics. Not that he should be blaming anyone but himself in that regard. He rolls his shoulders in regards to clothing design, "I wanted to be an artist with the harpers, but my father said there was no point in doodling pictures. Or money to support a family. So I went with the weavers, at least they wouldn't bat an eye twice if I had a sketchbook in front of me, long as I got the craft work done." Glancing at the time, the blueling makes a face and pushes himself up to standing, collecting his plate and mug sans refills that he missed out on due to interesting conversation. Ah, well. "I'll send a letter with one of my firelizards next I have time. I can feel Jheth waking up, and already he's complaining about the gaping void he calls a stomach." He nods however, at what the other weyrling says about the lady formerly known as Deitra. "Best we can do for her is try to help out if she gets to frustrated, but I think she might just surprise us." This being said, he turns and heads off towards the bins, depositing his dirty dishes and then heading back to the table. "We should probably get back to the barracks."
A'lin hms. "I suppose that's true. I may have to join a particular wing, but I also may have special hunting duties as well. That would be fun! Training Njord to hunt and all." Ada seems excited about this possibility. Like he was about to run off and ask them right now or something. "Ah… that is a bit unfortunate that you weren't able to pursue what you really wanted to do." A'lin rises from his seat as well, taking up his own dirty dishes. "Njord is still abed at this hour. Though he will be cross with me for not waking him. We're already behind on today's schedule." There's a smile about Dei. "She'll be a fine goldrider. I'm sure we can support her well enough. She likes to call me soft, but about some things she can be soft as well." There's a nod about heading back to the barracks after Ada sets his dirty dishes away as well. And off they go!
'The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967, 2000. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on PernWorld MUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.