Wednesday, February 19, 2002

 

Galleries

Tiers painstakingly cut from the sides of the cavern wall line the sides around the tunnel reaching from the weyrbuilding. Lovingly smoothed down, cushions are scattered to provide more comfortable seating. Columns towards the back _usually_ hold baskets of glows to light the darkness, but with the recent shortage they barely illuminate the aisleways that run between each section of seating. The passages into the grounds are just faint outlines at the edges of the hot sands and likewise with the airway above into the cavern.

To see the current clutch on the sands, type 'look on sands'. To see a particular object on the sands, type 'look <object> on sands'.

You see XW Logging Machine, Minime, Akio, Darwain, Amelia, Baby, Tennyo, Khan, Benz, Dweezil, Rikimaru, and Sariel here.

F'ox is here.

Obvious exits:

Exit   Ledges

You slips forth quietly up the stairs from the Hatching Grounds' tunnel.

 

F'ox is draped backwards over one of the benches in the gallery, not too far from the front railing. It's damn dark in here, the glow shortage in Xanadu making the lighting of the otherwise empty galleries a non necessity. Despite the darkness, it's overly warm, which might explain why he's shed the jacket and most of his shirt too as he is apparently dozing. Just like his big lug of a dragon out on the Sands with the Xanadu queen.

 

Taire scampers into the galleries, onto to draw to an uneasy pause. Dark... Eyes wince as she tries to pierce the murky darkness despite the dim lighting. A hand slips over to slide along the wall as she slowly makes her way forward, flicking a glance now and again towards the sands -and not seeing all that much out that way either. So, this requires a closer look. Gradually, Fortian makes her way down an aisle, only to hesitate at a very familiar and 'dozing' presence? Mischeviousness twinkles in her eyes despite the darkness, and the girl eases behind the bronzer, only to quietly slide hands over his shoulders, "Ohhhhhh, Fyne...." Would 'Boo' be any better?

 

From the Hatching Sands, Mizuth stirs upon the sand, her gaze going to the galleries and a low, warning rumble given before she nearly flows between eggs.  A few ovoids are inspected before, with a satisfied whuff, she settles down on her watch-mound again. 

 

F'ox flails for a second as his mind tries to catch up to where he is, why he's sleeping on such a hard surface and why it's so dark. Even his own weyr is somewhat lit from the entrances, but this place is rather dim. The hands and voice are familiar though, even if the setting isn't. "Taire?!" His voice is a little high with surprise, echoing through the cavern and making him wince with some embaressment as he angles his head and looks above/behind him. "Oh! Didn't expect you to come down to Xanadu so quickly." he says somewhat sheepishly. The bronze rider struggles to sit up, trying to tug his shirt into place.

 

Taire cannot repress a smile at F'ox's reaction, dimples deepening in mirth to go along with the amusement evident in her eyes. She draws back up to stand, hands dropping down to rest upon the low swell of her hips as she peers over at him, "Why? You've got a girl down here that you were hoping to hide away 'fore I got here?" Her lips slide to the side, teasing him. "I heard tell that there are eggs on the sands..." Her gaze flickers from him momentarily to eye the dark sands and the shifting gold, before looking back to him,"... for all I can't see them that well."

 

F'ox snorts softly as he stretches, one arm up, the other behind his head. "Oof, if I was hiding a girl here, Taire, I'd be sleeping somewhere more comfortable!" He smirks up at the greenrider and pats the spot on the bench beside him. "Aye, they've got eggs. Thirty in all. We made a count after the clutching while Mizuth was resting up. Kizokuth's just too full of himself right now." he notes with a gesture at the silhouette of the bronze dragon on the outskirts of the sands.

 

"And Kizokuth has every right to be," Taire quips, glancing to where the bronze is with an almost proud smile. She slips back down to the bench where F'ox is, sliding down to the place indicated with maybe a finger-width separating her thighs from his. She leans back in the seat, one leg crossing neatly over the other. Next words flow from her with all due frankness, "And just why are you sleeping up here? How am I supposed to spend the night with you if you are laying out in the galleries? The benches do nothing for me."

 

F'ox is rather thankful for the cover of darkness as he can feel his cheeks burning already. Dang that low blush factor, you'd think he'd get over it by /now/. "Ah well they offered me this weyr that's kinda unused. Belongs to the brownrider who's Lyllya's weyrmate or something I think." That brings another memory to the fore and he goes still. "Incidently... the weyrwoman is sort of.. pregnant." He pauses again. "It could be mine. Could be M'dan's." Fyne adds that last part rather quickly.

 

Taire bobs her head at the mentioning of the weyr, "Oh, well, that was the least they could do." As for that last part. Total and complete silence. A fitting pregnant pause. Fortian greenrider isn't oft rendered speechless. In fact, it is hard to remember a time in recent memory when this has happened. Ominous, isn't it? She speaks low and deliberate, "You have been drinking your healer potion." Yes, pointedly spoken as a statement, because she refuses to question on that score.

 

The pause this creates is even longer. F'ox has a slightly confused, slightly consternated expression going on here. "Healer potion?" Looks like /someone/ wasn't paying attention to the right parts of their weyrling lessons that weren't that long ago. The very question itself is an answer and the bronze rider starts to wonder if he can sneak away under the cover of darkness.

 

Taire doesn't like this silence any better. And it sure seems to be ruling. Deliberately, the greenrider scoots away from F'ox, leaving a good handspan or two between them now. "Okay..." It is at times like this that she is rather glad it is dark as well as her eyes get all kinds of glossy. "And what do you think..." she manages.

 

F'ox lets out his breath with a whoosh. "I don't know what to think of it. It came as a kind of surprise. Haven't gotten to talk to Lyllya much about it, in the middle of the clutching seemed like a bad idea." He leans forward and braces his chin on his palms while his elbows rest on his knees. "I didn't expect it to happen, hardly ready to be a father. I know weyrfolk foster their kids and all, but I'm holder bred, still getting used to the idea." He sneaks a peek at Taire out of the corner of his eyes. "You mad?"

 

Taire slides entirely off the bench now, easing into the aisle with deliberation, almost as if she is trying to distance herself from him. Its her close-knit trader background, where ties of family and blood are intrinsic in importance. "Then you should be one." Arms move to wrap about her middle, clutching close as she draws in a breath, refusing to answer.

 

F'ox looks over at her in concern, worry making his throat close up tight. He was never the kind of boy who was all that good with words, being rather quiet but demonstrative. As Taire has probably noticed. So instead he scoots towards her instead, reaching out with an arm to try and snag it about her waist if she'll let him. "It might not be mine. Lyllya says it's a good chance that it's M'dan's. She sort of forgot to take it her potion she said." The rider does his best to let the sincerity ring through. "You /are/ mad. Or at least upset." Poor F'ox hasn't a clue what to do other than the usual male fall backs. You know, beg, plead, and whine? "I'm sorry?" Or that one.

 

From the Hatching Sands, It probably wasn't the best time for Lyllya to make her presence known. However, Mizuth demands her presence- with all of this darkness, the maternal gold needs comforting- and Lyl isn't going to deny her.  Still, she's not going to listen in or speak up. She's too busy in silent conversation for that.. well, silent conversation and trying to figure out just what colors these eggs are.

 

Taire is shaking again, which only seems to happen when intense emotion is running through her. So intense that despite her best efforts to keep it deep within, transfers to a physical trembling. And not a bit of it of anger. Lashes brush her cheeks as she instinctively angles away from the bronzer's reach, but his arm does make it about her waist... and from there she melts, back onto the bench and onto him, sniffling. "F'ox..." Just give her a moment and the rage will come, and inevitably it will. Unless someone/thing can manage to distract her before it possesses.

 

F'ox instinctively pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her and most certainly will not let her go. "Taire... it was a flight. It wasn't as if I went out just to knock up a gold rider for the fun of it." << Kizo? Please tell Mizuth's rider that I'm sorry! Honest! >> ;) "What's wrong? You weren't upset about the flight before. What's changed?" he asks in a worried tone, trying to plant kisses on her face. "Tell me please? I still love you if that's what you're worried about."

 

"No, I... I'm proud of you 'n Kizo." The very idea of lying or even hiding is so utterly foreign to Taire, that every word from her mouth is exactly what she is feeling and thinking. "Its just that... you getting some old Xanadu goldrider pregnant. I mean..," and the girl turns her head back up to him, "And being a father? When we just... I don't like that at all, but I know it isn't your fault." Oh no, someone else's entirely. She leans into his embrace, eyes mere slits as her fingers curl into F'ox's shirt. "I'm sorry I acted like a stupid git just then. I was... scared."

 

From the Hatching Sands, Mizuth gives another warning rumble toward the galleries but finally settles into covering and inspecting her eggs. Those closest to the galleries are chosen first, sand carefully.  Of course, Lyllya was /really/ trying not to butt in there but... well.... "Hey, who you calling old?"  Wait, this is Lyl being quiet and taking a glow basket to try to inspect the eggs further.  "Mizuth? I'm not an egg.. no burying me."  

 

F'ox holds her tighter and sighs softly, kissing her brow reassuringly. "I know, it's unsettling. But this isn't unusual in a rider's life so I'm told. We'll..get through it. HOnestly we will. It's not like I'm going to leave you for her, it's not like Lyllya's interested." He goes red again as the weyrwoman's voice rises out of the darkness. "Erk. Uh... sorry Lyl! We'll just... head out of here for a bit, ya?"

 

"That was /her/ wasn't it?" Taire definitely heard something from the area of the sands, and a denial at that. Greenrider tenses, if it weren't for F'ox's arms about her she would be launching over the railing, streaking across the sands, and pounding Lyllya into a pulp, gold dragon or not. This coming from the girl who has given black eyes and other various physical hurts to quite a few residents of Fort Weyr without a qualm and will happily do so again. Smoldering eyes try to peer through the darkness to the goldrider, but fail. 'Til we meet again, goldrider. Taire continues to keep a firm hold of F'ox's shirt as she rises to her feet, nearly dragging him up with her. "Yeah...lets go find that weyr."

 

From the Hatching Sands, It's a safe bet that Lyllya wouldn't be very much afraid, especially here on the sands with an over protective dragon.  "Nah, no problem!" Cough.  "Mi/zuth/! I told you to /tell/ me when you're going to do that! Shardit! I'm not an egg!!!"  More sputtering from the sands is heard before the young rider moves away from her lifemate and into some semblance of light.  "Alright, alright, I'll wait. It's not like I'm.. no, I didn't say that."  Internal argument.  "/Lace/!?!"