"It Feels... Bigger This Time"

Who	Yulena, Aaron, Katarina, Q'fex, Korlerak
What	Yulena gets Searched in the midst of a partaaay down in the stores. But will she ever get her klah?
When	One Turn, two months and 27 days until the 12th Pass
Where	Southern Weyr Stores

Stores
Need requires this room be cleared, and cleared it is: hooks for glow-baskets line every neat row and aisle. Though the shelves are largely bare, some things are starting to trickle in — mostly dried meats and salted fish, in large quantities. Guess the weyr better get used to a low-carb diet.
The glowbaskets are lighted and illuminate the room beautifully.

Yulena is wandering through the stores, a checklist in hand, muttering to herself. "Check… check… oh heck, we're gonna…" Another mark is made, "Shells." Long suffering sigh, "We're gonna just need… I'll have to mention to… Renalde…" The cook is organizing, possibly for the huge influx of ovoids on Sands. Harrumph.

Aaron closed up shop a few minutes early, leaving a certain apprentice to do all the cleaning on his lonesome, with the expectation that it would be DONE and DONE RIGHT, or someone would be losing his rest day. Having been unable to locate Yulie in the kitchens proper, he ignored the indignant stares from some of the newer staff, and made his way down into the store room. "Yulie?" his deep voice booms out into the cavern, about as discreet as Lendai, but slightly more sane.

Yulena is used to having the stores to herself, and starts a little. "I'm over here!" she replies because there's only one man in this Weyr who can make her ears ring quite like that. Even though she greeted, Yulena's coming out to meet mid-way. If Lendai sounds half as sane as Aaron, Yulie will … still probably not fall for her. "Hello, dear," the cook says, "What are you doing here?" Not that he's not allowed or anything, but, "I mean, even I feel a bit … trapped here."

Aaron comes down the appropriate aisle, looking around a little and shrugging. "Eh, it's fine. I closed the shop down a little early, and I wanted to come see you." Looking over his shoulder towards the door, he chuckles ruefully. "I might've ruffled a few feathers up there. One of your… colleagues thought to stop me from coming down here. Silly little man." He bends down, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I love you. I missed you. How're you doing today?"

Yulena's eyebrow arches slightly, "Oh. Kuan. Yeah, he's… particular." STRAAAANGE, she means. A bit of a grin, and Yulie continues, "This is my last task for the day… Give me a few minutes?" she requests, but mmms happily, accepting the kiss, then… leans up for a brief kiss to the lips, "Ditto. I'm doing well. Looking forward to dinner," and there's a smirk, "Have you eaten yet?"

Aaron smiles and nods, not really expecting the kiss to the lips. This /is/ almost a public place, even if they are TOTALLY ALONE. "I noticed… And no, I didn't hit him." Grin. "Take your time, though I do want to eat with you. No, I haven't eaten yet." Gears grind in his head, and he suddenly grins. "By the way, Lendai says I'm not your problem anymore. If I pick a fight, she'll just kick me out of the Weyr."

Yulena chuckles a little, "Alright, then. I'll finish quickly." Still, it seems to take Yulena soooo long to finish going through the stacks and by the time she's done, there's a hint of perspiration. "Lendai said you're not my problem? Hah." A laugh a minute, that Lendai, but Yulena's cheerful enough as she puts the hides under her arm, grabbing Aaron's hand, "You're still my problem, whether Lendai says, or not. Let's eat."

Aaron lets out a little laugh, relaxed and rather amused right now. "Oh no, love. If the /Weyrwoman/ says it, it must be true," he says with a wink. He lets his hand be grabbed, twining fingers with hers, and then climbs on up the stairs. "What'd you make?"

Yeah, if the Weyrwoman said she was handing Yulena a gold firelizard egg, the cook still wouldn't entirely believe her. "Well. We'll see." On to much more pleasant topics, "I think dinner's wherry stew," even though she's utterly sure it's wherry stew. Unless someone wants to get in MORE TROUBLE. Hah. Hah. "It will be good." She and Aaron stand at the end of one aisle, chatting quietly.

Korlerak emerges from deeper within the stores, escorted by one of the storage clerks. He gives Aaron and Yulena a quick look, nodding before the clerk murmurs something about a signature. The sailor shifts a wrapped bundle under his arm and walks away a few steps to deal with the hidework, stepping out of the way inside one of the other aisles.

Aaron is standing there with Yulie, conversating quietly. Mmmm, wherry stew. "Didn't one of the new guys try to change it or something last time? I hope you corrected the error of his ways?" Pause. "Oh, hey, I keep forgetting to tell you, I'm almost out of klah spice in the jar in my desk." Sad face. "The apprentices found it, and they keep using it up."

Yulena, hides under-arm, and Aaron are busy chatting about dinner at the end of an aisle. It will be wherry stew, if Yulie's fellow cooks can follow orders. Hahahah, good luck on that one. Mango soup, people.

Ain't nobody got swag like the weyrleader, and swag it up he does: Q'fex, moving down one aisle with a glow-basket lofted, muttering under his breath. His eyes light upon Korlerak and he rounds suddenly: "What is that that you have?" he demands, without so much as a hey-man what's-up. "That isn't…" He lowers his voice, mutters something to himself, and glances up again expectant.

You overhear Q'fex mutter, "… … … sure I had left it down here, … someone … … the little …" to himself.

Katarina wanders into the stores with a hand full, three steaming cups of Klah. She'd come down asking for Yulena and had been directed this a' way. She wanders up to Aaron and Yulena with a smile. "Anyone care for some Klah?" She knows Yulena will take some at least. Q'fex is given a respectful nod, as her hands are too full for saluting.

Yulena hmphs, "Yeah. I don't see a lot of him anymore," and somehow Yulena sounds offended at this! The nerve. "Oh, I'll give you some good stuff," and Yulena's eyes glint… mischievously, "And then label the regular stuff I give you 'weak'." That will learn anyone, including blueriders, as Yulena watches Korlerak go by, escorted, and then Q'fex… not so escorted. "Um, sir? Can I … help you with something?" Is there any help for the Weyrleaders here? Like… Oh hey look, KLAH! She waves Kata over, "Yes please!"

Korlerak looks up quickly when Q'fex addresses him, then he and the clerk exchange a confused look before the clerk's turns uncomfortable. "All legit, sir," says the dirty blonde, offering the weyrleader a quick and easy smile. Hide work done, he can flip the cover of his bundle open. "Sail cloth. Not much use to most folks don' feel like wearin' sacks."

Aaron ooohs happily at the sudden arrival of KLAH, happily taking an offered mug. Korlerak gets an eye for the brief time that he's visible as Aaron tries to place him, and then… Q'fex. And then YULIE throws herself on the grenade. Oh my. Settling out of the way, he just WATCHES. "How were drills today, Kat?"

"Yulena," Q'fex's tone is imperious, and he gestures at her. COME OVER HERE, that's a good lass. His look of disappointment at Korlerak's legitimaticy is probably hilarious. "Oh. Well then. My apologies." He scratches his chin with sudden interest, waiting for the Yules while examining the seacrafter. "You've a ship, then?"

Katarina closes the gap between them and lets Aaron take his as she offers up Yulie's. "I was told you were working down here and I figured it might be nice to bring some refreshments." She smiles broadly and finally gives Q'fex his salute. "Sir." To Aaron she smiles. "They were fine…" Though she'd done her damn best to avoid scrutiny.

Klah, or Q'fex. Q'fex, or klah. Yulena is TORN. Dagnabit, but surely Aaron and Kat'll keep that warm mug for her, "I'll be right back." So hopeful, so innocent. Yulena makes her way over to Q'fex's side, "Something I can help you find?" A hand moves to free one hide from under her arm, "I've just taken some stock of foodstuffs, if you're looking for anything in particular. Like mangoes. A look at Korlerak, "You… don't want people to wear sail cloth?" The cook huhs, "Makes sense."

Aaron sips from the klah with a little 'ahhhh'. Q'fex is /watched/, though not a word is said. How does he keep getting mixed up with the Weyrleader? Who knows. Looking down at Kat, he shrugs, takes the third mug of Klah from her and sets it aside. "This might take a while, or it might just take a couple minutes. You're feeling alright?"

After giving some of the others a curious frown, Korlerak turns back to Q'fex, donning his easy smile again. "I do, sir. High Roller. She's docked now if ye feel like givin' 'er a look sometime. Not headin' oceanward again fer another couple o' sevens." Yulena gets a closer look when she comes forward, and the sailor gives her a cursory once-over. "Wouldn' be all that comfy, now would it, miss?" he asks, holding out the bundle in case she wants to feel for herself. "Wear than goin' overboard, an' ye better hope ye got a knife or somewhat on ye. Better ta be saved nekid than drown wearing sailin' rags."

Q'fex scruffs at his cheek, a sure sign that the man is overdue for a shave. "Brownrider," he distractedly returns to Katarina, splitting his attention between Korlerak and Yulena. "I need," he begins to Yulena, before Korlerak's answering. "High Roller." His voice is THOUGHTFUL, which is absolutely dangerous given who the speaker is. "I may — have a proposition for you. Later. If you're interested in some, hmm, contract work." Q'fex lifts his eyebrows in half-query, since he's obviously the mobster of this group.

Katarina gives a shrug. "I have my days." She sips at her klah and watches the scene unfold in front of her. Korlerak is given a quitked brow, and a look of interest is given to Q'fex . She turns back to Aaron and sighs, "I still haven't….ya know?" Oooo. Secrets.

Yulena is a cook, damnit, not a weaver! She gives the … package Korlerak's holding out a curious finger-poke. "No, I can imagine it wouldn't be…" A little shudder, "That'd be… awful. Give me linen and hide any day." The following conversation is… met with blinks. Contracting, propositions, MAN, Q'fex is everywhere. "You need a preposition?" Colour Yulena confused. "I could… get you some klah?" A thumb over her shoulder at Katarina and Aaron, with a sad sigh. The cook COULD just get her own, later. But that interrupts her klah now.

Aaron hmmmms softly, leaning against the shelving and just watching for the time being. "You're going to have too, Kata… Soon." Oh yesh, secrets.

Korlerak straightens somewhat and gives Q'fex an even better smile. "Y' heard of 'er, then?" he asks the weyrleader, interestedly. "Always interested in more bus'ness, sir. Like I said, come on down, an' we'll talk o'er some rum 'r tequila or some'at."

Katarina sighs heavily. Really? Must She? She blushes prettily and hides behimd her klah mug for a moment. "Yes, I know…it's just I'm an oldtimer, female and I ride a male fighting dragon… I don't think this'll get recieved much better than any of those other traits…." She trails off into whispers even though her voice had been barely above a murmer before.

"No, that isn't," Q'fex starts to Yulena, before holding up a digit in 'one moment' please while he turns to Korlerak. "Come see me, sometime. If I'm not drilling, I spend a great deal of time in the council rooms. It would… be good to talk." He doesn't speak of alcohol. Now. Back to, "Yulena." He's FINALLY FOCUSING on the cook, giving her one of those 1000-watt smiles that he can turn on at whim but does so rarely. "How have you been, my dear?"

Korlerak affirms the tenuous agreement with a nod in the weyrleader's direction, but as Q'fex moves on to other business, so too does the sailor. He claps the clerk on the shoulder, quietly thanking him, then starts heading for the exit, sail cloth under one arm.

Yulena huhs and frowns at the finger. All Q'fex's operators are busy, please hold! A little grin at Korlerak, "Oh, I can make some interesting things out of rum and tequila." Like cocktails; Yulena's expanding a little. And now Q'fex is taken off hold and he's… talking again, catching Yulena off guard, "I'm… fine, sir?" Such things should only be statements, but Yulena's gonna give the question phrase the ol' school try, "And yourself?" All in politeness.

"I am quite well. Ah, well, relatively speaking. I'm sure you heard about the unpleasantness with Lendai in the galleries, about the," Q'fex gestures on in a 'of course you know' kind of way, nodding after Korlerak as the sailor goes.

Yulena's eyes slowly sharpen… She remembers the last time Q'fex smiled so… enticingly in her direction, but shrugs a shoulder, "I was watching on the side… She seemed bemused by the new platform," that no one else here had a HAND in constructing, did they? "And then she was talking with Bailey, but I couldn't overhear anything." Man, you press Yulena when there's klah waiting, she spills like a packfish, "But there's a lot of eggs, isn't there?" Circumspect enough not to mention the disparity of clutch sizes, the cook continues, "And I was just taking stock of what we'll need for all the candidates coming in." Yup, innocent Yulie and all…

Katarina and Aaron seem to be whispering at eachother behind their klah for now.

"A lot of eggs," Q'fex agrees. "Forty-two. An impressive number." He doesn't seem to begrudge Hannah her larger clutch of eggs than his own bronze recently sired, anyhow. "Oh, yes. Candidates. I'd forgotten about them." He gives Yulie a SHREWD look, then a very strange expression comes over his face. "Yulena, do you know Br'er?" This can't end well.

Yulena relaxes slightly, nodding, "And they're so colourful, too. Like Talicanitath's was." Yes. Totally. And Candidates. "Hah. They'll eat us out of the Weyr, almost!" A little lightheartedness never hurt, right? She's thinking of other bad jokes she's heard about Candidates but Br'er… isn't a Candidate. "Um. Br'er, sir?" Gulp. "I've met him once or twice… Seems like a decent sort…" Even if Q'fex only asked for yes/no, Yulie will write a memo, "Rides a green, if I'm not mistaken." At least she's right about one thing, of the three aboev.

Q'fex has APPROVAL for Yulena's linking of the clutches. "They are colorful. These seem to be especially wild. And those three red ones — did you have a chance to see them? Have you a favorite? Or have you spent your time elsewhere than the galleries?" He has a little nod for the topic of Br'er, but apparently her answer wasn't what he was looking for. Uh. Thankfully? Maybe?

It's the feeling when you toss a bunch of ingredients together and come up with something amazingly delishuz, "Oh! Um, I did see some of them," as they came out. "But I don't have a favourite yet. There's one that's really pale that seemed quite nice. But I haven't had a chance to go back yet." She eyes Q'fex curiously, "Do you have a favourite, sir?" There's a little pause as Yulena ponders the next question, "Is Br'er okay, sir? He's not… in trouble, or anything?" Just in case she has to defend someone ELSE against Lendai. Because that worked so well the first time.

"A pale one." Q'fex considers Yulena for a long moment. His face is almost OMINOUS. "Why haven't you had time to go back?" Pause again, and then he shakes his head, "There are a few. I'm given to enjoying the blue ones." A half-smile, inward, "Kraakenaeth's egg was blue." Go FIGURE. At the last, he bestows upon her one more of those rare true-smiles. "No, Yulena. Br'er's just fine, and if he ever got into trouble, he'd have more than enough help to get him out of it." It's said to reassure.

Katarina breaks off from Aaron, who leaves rather quickly and approaches Q'fex and Yulena.

Yulena grins and shrugs a little, "The pale ones can stand out or blend in." Oh, that's not why Q'fex is ominous? "We're stocking up for the influx of patrons of the Weyr. You know, more food, more staff." More Yulena removing her personal knives from the kitchen, "Just… getting ready." A fond little smile at some memory of blue eggs, "Did you see that one that was swirled with white? That was different." Kind of a MAN's blue after all, maybe Q'fex saw it, but Br'er's being okay gets a, "That's very good." Yulena will consider the implications later. Katarina approaching gets a little grin, "Kat, do you have any of that klah still?" Sureley Q'fex is parched, and by Q'fex, Yulena is waggling eyebrows to mean herself.

Q'fex glances briefly to Katarina's approach before focusing in on Yulena. "Blue. With white? I…" His eyes go unfocused, and then after a moment, "Ah." Did Kraakenaeth just spy for him? Of COURSE not. "I do like that one. As a matter of fact…" He pauses here, lingering. THOUGHTFULLY. "Yulie." It's as if something just occured to him. Right, fear shit NOW.

Alas, the klah is not available and Yulena puts her effort into a casual shrug. "Yes, it was quite lovely, I thought. But they all are," is the diplomatic ending of that thought. She's totally not noticing strange expressions, since they've mostly gotten past that original Q'fex 'Shall we dance' seduction smile that did actually get Yulena laid in the end last time, "But there are so many out there to choose from… It's like choosing my last meal… Yes, sir?" Sorry, Yulena was thinking about food.

"Last meal. Last egg. It seems fitting." He hesitates, here, and reaches out to touch Yulena's arm as if to get her attention. "Yulena," Q'fex states, his tone suddenly unwontedly gentle: "I'm giving you the choice - the real choice - now. If you want to cook and bustle around, I'll see to it that none of my searchriders bother you. But if you think one of those eggs out there may be your own version of a last meal… the best kind of last meal… you can have this." Like magic, he's holding out a white knot, cupped in his open hand: a gift, this time, not a punishment or bullied opinion forced upon her.

Oh hey, touchy! That definitely gets Yulena's attention. "Last egg, wha?" The very idea of that… guh, but Q'fex is Saying Things. Things about choice, so she'll listen, her expression flitting between bemused, flat, and astonished. "But the… last…" Oh hai, white knot. Yulena stares at it, so innocent and palein Q'fex's hand. For the second time, for the however many-eth time, Yulena regards it, a strange light of possibility in her eye. This isn't like at the last Igen hatching where she was danced and left on her own, now Yulena is being asked directly. An inhale of brave slightly dusty air. "Yes. Alright." If it's Yulena's last meal, she'll make the most of it, "I accept, then."

Another smile for Yulena, who seems to be so unique to receive such a broad variety of facial expressions from the weyrleader. "Thank you, Yulena. I think you would make an incredible dragonrider." Coming from the man who generally-speaking doesn't think it's a terribly good idea for women to ride fighting dragons, that's … something. Don't know WHAT, but it is something. Q'fex takes it upon himself to affix it to her shoulder, looking down with that proud expression that most PARENTS would have. (Not that that would be weird or anything.)

Yulena stands stiffly while the white knot is added to her shoulder, and then gives Q'fex a tentative, nearly-charming smile, "I'll do my best to make you proud, sir," is all she can come up with, then peers down at it. "Huh. It feels… bigger, this time," Because that's indeed what she said (just give in to the weird, it's all around you). As any girl stares up at a large figure of a parental… figure, Yulena very slowly, very carefully, salutes Q'fex, "I suppose I can salute again, then." Like /not/ saluting was strange.

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. "I guess you can," Q'fex agrees, returning her salute sharply. "I'm sure you're familiar with Renalde, but I'll walk you to the barracks." That part isn't option, obviously. "If you are ready, that is." He seems to suddenly recollect that he imperiously requested her attention not-too-long ago, with no clue what she was doing down here in the first place. (Even though she totally told him.)

It's probably not mature to 'woot' in front of the Weyrleader, but Yulena nearly does anyway. Why not? "Yes, I know the Headman," and not even that can dampen the mood, so Yulena nods, "I'd finished my tallies just as you'd come in," Or was it that sailor dude, or even Aaron? "I can have them put on his desk." Because there's at least one drudge who can deliver. And since Yulena's already removed her kitchen knives, all is well and Yulena smiles properly. She'll learn to salute that nicely soon. "Now, sir?"

"Now." And because she isn't a candidate YET, Q'fex will even crook his arm just so, to gallantly parade her up through the weyr and through the bowl to the barracks.

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