Tilarekna - Monday, November 13, 2000, 2:16 PM
----------------------------------------------

Living Cavern
  The smooth, rounded walls of the vast living cavern sweep upward from an
 oval base, two dragonlengths long and one wide, large enough to seat every
 member of the Weyr at mealtimes.  The soft blackness of the lava which
 forms these caverns swallows glowlight, so shelves for glowbaskets abound,
 dotting the walls every three or four paces and casting gentle greenish
 light up toward the sparkles of gold volcanic glass embedded in the
 ceiling.  Ancient lustrous tables run along the long axis of the cavern,
 and at the far end is the raised dais and high table, where the
 Weyrleaders and their honored guests eat during formal occasions.  
 Behind the high table, the Weyr's symbol is chiseled into the stone: a
 smoking mountain in black, on an orange shield, trimmed in gold.
Perched near the food are twenty-two firelizards.
You see Ale Cabinet, Moufles, Sketch, What's for Dinner, Snow, and Calandra
 here.
Obvious exits:
Northeast Caverns     Kitchens     Bowl     Southern Caverns

Carelock strides in from the Southeastern Bowl.

Carelock walks in, handkerchief held to her nose.   AAAAAAAHHHH-CHOOOOOO! 
 Sniff.  Sniff.  Snort.  Wipe.  Carelock falls into her usual chair,
 slouching, eyes and nose very red.

Tilarekna blinks, nearly dropping her klah mug at the loud sneeze. Turning,
 eyes wide with surprise, she takes in the sight of... Oh dear... A second
 klah mug, along with some other food items, are carried over on a tray,
 which is slid before the brown rider. "You don't look so good," she smiles
 faintly, taking the seat.. well, not QUITE opposite.

Carelock sniffs mightily, sneezing again.  She reaches for the klah mug,
 ignoring the food.  "I don' feel so good, either."  She gulps quickly,
 then puts the mug down before sneezing again.  "Dunno if it's allergies,
 or a cold coming on, but I've been grounded from going Between until the
 Healers figure out what's up."  Ah-Choo.  "I just hope I stop sneezing 
 before I pull a muscle."

Tilarekna bites her lip, not sure whether to pity the rider (NOT something
 Carelock would appreciate, she's sure), sympathise (well, THAT won't work,
 she's not ill..) or just try and cheer the brown rider up. Okay, Dave,
 lets see what's beind door number three... "Oh dear... but that's for the
 best. You don't want to aggrivate a head cold by going between..." she
 pauses, and removes a clean square of cloth from her pocket, offering it
 to the still sneezing Carelock. "Here, I think you might need this.."

Carelock takes the fresh cloth gratefully, stowing her own muchly used and
 abused handkerchief in a pocket.  "Thanks.  Don't mind being grounded. 
 Mind all this sneezing."  She looks for a moment as though she's going to
 sneeze again, but quickly applies the cloth to her nose to forestall the
 action.

Halic slinks silently in from the South Caverns.

AAAAAAAHH-Choo!  Carelock winces as her sneeze refuses to be denied. 
 "Blech."

Tilarekna hides her smile as she looks down, fussing with her skirt pocket,
 before straightening, and leaning towards the rider, elbows propped up on
 the table. "Well, I'm sure the healers will know what to do," her tone is
 one of certainty. Not that she actually knows they will for certain, but
 certainly thinks they can if they try hard enough. She thinks. Get it? Ah,
 never mind. Bay whistles and eyes whirl fast at the sneeze.

Halic blinks at the sudden noise, before diving beneath a table in startled
 fright.  A table whose underside looks suspiciously familiar.

Carelock grins wryly.  "They gave me some foul-tasting tea to drink twice a
 day," and Carelock makes a face, remembering the taste from this morning. 
 Not even the klah she's drinking can quite take the memory away.  "The
 only other suggestion is to keep plenty of fresh handkerchiefs on hand,
 enjoy my Sevenday of being grounded, and come back if I'm still sneezing
 at the end of that Sevenday."

Carelock peers at the boy hiding under the table, and starts to speak. 
 Whoops.  Ah-Choo.  Ah-Choo.  AAAAAHHH-CHOOO!!!  She wipes her nose and
 watery eyes, and gestures at Rekna, then the boy, implying that perhaps
 someone who isn't constantly sneezing should say something. 

Tilarekna chuckles, before nodding, and peering beneath the table with a
 curious expression. "What are you doing down there?" she enquires, with a
 wink and a smile. Surely Carelock sneezing didn't frighten him under
 there... "What does Morath think of his sevenday off?

Carelock shrugs.  "I think he's of two minds about it.  Feels bad that I'm
 grounded, but glad that he can nap in the sun all day....

Only a scrap of clothing protruding from the table's shadow betrays Halic's
 presence, as the young man struggles to reorient his mind for the day.
 THUMP! Whoops! The table shudders as Halic attempts to jump at the second
 loud noise this morning.  "Errrhmmm...Is...is she done sneezing?" floats
 out from beneath the disarranged table.

Tilarekna grins at that, shaking her head a little. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be
 happy when Bay decided that he's not going to be a Mini-Sev and is going
 to be a Mini-morath instead, and bug him all day." A blink, and she
 glances back beneath the table again. "Uh.. no. She's got a cold." 

Carelock sneezes again, to punctuate her response.  "Sorry.  Probably not. 
 But I'm not sure it's a cold - it could be allergies."  Ah-Choo.  Sniff. 
 "I promise to keep my hanky over my nose, though."

The table shivers once more in anticipation..."Oh. I see. Pity, that,"
 wafts up as the table moves slowly toward a darker corner.

"And if she doesn't have one, I will always supply her with one," grins the
 Weyrgirl cheerfully, poppig a sweetroll into her mouth as she crosses her
 legs beneath the table. "I'd suggest you come out from underthere before
 you get an allergy from the dust.." Not that the weyr isn't near always
 clean. 

Carelock turns her head as another huge sneeze wracks her body, then she
 peers bleerily at the moving table.  "Good grief.  Am I hallucinating, on
 top of all this sneezing, or is that boy really hiding under a table just
 because I'm sneezing?  And is the table really running away from me?"

Tilarekna shakes her head, arms moving OFF the table as it jumps again.
 "Uh, no.. you're not. Hallucinating, that is. He is and it's not running
 away, but bouncing up and down." she would aim a kick at the 
 Halic-beneath-the-table, but that's not too nice.

Carelock rubs her eyes as she laughs.  "Just wanted to check.  Make sure
 all this sneezing hadn't scrambled my brains."  She leans down to look
 under the table, heedless of the pressure that puts on her sinuses.  "Why
 don't you come out from under there and sprawl in a chair like a normal
 person?"  She sits back up, rubbing her forehead.  "Whoa.  Big mistake. 
 Won't do that again."

"But Rekna, at least if it's me sneezing, I'm prepared for it," mumbles
 Halic, a disconcerted air pervading his voice.  Wait... a hair is
 showing...now another hair...now ears and some more hair, and finally eyes
 and a nose peek over the table's edge.  "I don't suppose she's done yet?"
 Halic asks with forlorn hope.

Caylea silently, suavely, glides in from the Northeastern Caverns.

Tilarekna looks sympathetically at BOTH now, shaking her head in dismay.
 "Oh lordy, you two.." And then.. she starts to giggle. She can't help it.
 HE'S hiding under the table because SHE's sneezing due to allergies. It's
 silly really...

Carelock pinches her nose, pausinging the sneeze threatening her at the
 moment.  "I doubt it," she answers, teasing tone not quite matching the
 annoyed look on her face.  Ah-choo!  "See?" she says, wearily.

Gigglegigglegigglegiggle... Reka's wipes at her eyes, shoulder skaing
 slightly as she bubbles with humour. Oh, she shouldn't laugh but.. *hee*
 Taking slow deep breaths, she wipes at her face, calming down, but with a
 huge grin on her features. "Oh deary me.. Hi Caylea!" is shot at the
 latest person to enter the caverns

Halic glances doubtfully at Carelock, then vanishes at the sneeze.  "I
 don't think," he mutters from below, "that it's really safe up here... 
 people making loud noises unpredictably...oh my."

Caylea strides egonamically into the caverns, glancing around.  She spots
 Halic just before he dunks back under the table and chuckles quietly.
 Hearing Tilar, she gives a small smile towards the person.  "Lo.  What've
 I interrupted this time?"

Carelock can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.  "Not quite
 unpredictably," she manages to stutter between guffaws.  "Every time you
 see me grab my nose, the noise won't be far behind."  Grab.  Ah-Choo! 
 "See?"  She grins at Cay.  "Seems my constant sneezing is viewed as a
 threat in certain quarters, even thought the Healers don't think I'm
 contagious."

Tilarekna grins at Caylea, nodding with Carelock'ss words. "Care's got
 allergies. And the next sevenday off," she adds helpfully to bring the
 healerite up to speed. "And Halic.." now she starts giggling again, "Halic
 is afraid of her sneezin'.."

Silence from beneath the table...then, "Caylea?" Profuse protestations
 erupt from down below, "It's not contagion...it's startling...Cay, I'm not
 usually under tables, /really/, Reka, how is it funny?"

Nutters.  The whole Weyr's nutters.  Caylea just rolls her eyes, chuckling. 
 "Never know, next the Weyr in all may be sneezing.  Allergie seasons well
 on it's way."  She heads over to the counter for a quick drink before
 hearing Halic.  "Of course not.  Just any time I walk into the room, is
 all."  

"Because it _is_.." is the giggled reply as eyes dance, filled with good
 humour. Tilarekna has a very strange sense of humour at the best of times,
 but.. "Hal, WHY are you under the table? You never answered me before.."
 Not properly, anyway..

Another huge sneeze explodes from Carelock, as hanky is dutifully applied
 to nose and eyes.  "Sorry you find it startling.  I'm finding it a bit
 annoying, myself."

Caylea glances towards Tilar.  "I think he likes them a lot.  Last time he
 was hanging from one."  She gives a small roll of her eyes.

Halic * rises up, screeching in impotent rage and frustration...and must
 needs go. Good day, my dear ladies. *bow*

Caylea *has to leave really soon as well.  Bye Halic!

Tilarekna * hugs!

Halic has disconnected.
Halic falls asleep.

Tilarekna shakes her head again.. then blinks as Halic.. goes to sleep?
 Under the table? "Oh dear... Someone's going to have a stiff neck in the
 morning.." she comments, before prodding his chest lightly with her toe.
 Yup, faaaast asleep. Eyes rise to meet Carelock's red puffy-looking ones.
 "So, when did you see the healers about this?"

Speaking of healers, Caylea quickly heads back to 'work' with only a wave
 of her sleepy hand.

Caylea goes home.

Carelock looks quite miserable.  "Yesterday, when all this mess started." 
 Unusual for Carelock, who tries to avoid Healers as much as possible. 
 "Went to bed fine, woke up like this.  Knew I couldn't fly Fall with a
 stuffy nose, so went to see if they could give me something for it." 
 BLAH-CHOO!!!  "Yeah."

The housekeeper arrives to cart Halic off to bed.

Tilarekna nods, klah mug being reached for.. and found empty. Darn it...
 "Want some more klah?" Chair scraping as she pushes it backwards to stand,
 her head tilts as she waits for an answer.

Carelock nods, managing to squeak, "Please," before another sneeze forces
 its way out.  "The steam seems to help."

Tilarekna ahhs as she wanders to search for more hot beverage, each jug
 tilted a little, and an annoyed face made as she seaches but cannot find
 one. "Hang on.. I'll check in the kitchen.." After a few minutes, she
 returns not only with fresh klah, but a bowl of steaming hot water.
 Sheepishly, she sets jug and bowl before Carelock. "One of the cooks asked
 who was sneezing, so I told her.." she gives a vague shrug, "and she said
 for you to try this."

Carelock smiles wearily, as she leans her head over the steaming bowl. 
 "OOOooo.  Nice."  Eyes close as steam opens sinuses and comforts raw nose.

Tilarekna giggles a little, as she sits herself down again, all three
 lizards waking and STARING at Carelock. Uh, what is she doing? Sleepy
 chuurs and chitters indicate their awakening state.

Carelock leans back in her chair, relaxing for a brief moment before yet
 another sneeze convulses her body.  She looks at 'Rekna, sighing.  "I
 think I better just go back to my room and go to sleep."


Carelock * has to go.  Work.  Blech.
Tilarekna * snugs.

Carelock strides to the Bowl.

Tilarekna nods sympathetically, and waves goodbye to the retreating back of
 the rider. Reaching for her mug, she gives a sigh...

-----------------------------------------------------------------