==== July 14, 2013
==== M'yck, Nika
====Nika finds M'yck for the first time since before the jump. The time isn't the only thing that has changed.

Who M'yck, Nika
What Nika finds M'yck for the first time since before the jump. The time isn't the only thing that has changed.
When 1 turn 9 months and 0 days until the 12th pass
Where Igen Weyr

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Dustbowl Cantina
To enter the Dustbowl Cantina is to descend: the heart of the ancient tavern lies half underground, at the foot of ancient steps, insulated from summer heat and winter cold by the volcanic rock surrounding it. A windowless place well-lit by glows, it is homey, even cozy, with a certain bijou charm - but for the deep gouges worn in wooden table and solid stone, some //clearly lingering evidence of boisterous brawling. The wall behind the well-polished bar, though, remains free from scars or graffiti, as does the door into the small kitchen, and the stairwell up into the owner's quarters: the barkeep and his staff reign, and they guard their territory well. After all, only a fool angers the source of the booze. //


Sat in a bar stool at the far end of the bar, M'yck rests with his feet on top of the stool next to him, elbow on the bar top and watching the front door. Every now and then his hand slowly raises from the bar to snatch his mug and bring it to his lips. Wearing his usual scowl, he is all but approachable, and has a stake in much of the bar top real estate; an issue for the other customers, no doubt.

Perhaps he has been ratted out by another dragon, maybe Atmanth saw him walk in, but Nika seems to know exactly who she'll find at the bar, and as usual she has no understanding, or just no regard for the social cues from others that say 'Trespassers will be burned alive'. Bouncing into the stool on the other side of the guard-rider, the petite blue-rider offers a warm, "Hey, M'yck!" Her bubbliness in her tone has been sedated. "You came forward." It is both a statement, because obviously, and a question of surprise. The bartender who was use to her frequent visits before she left for Southern places a whiskey in front of her.

Ugh, don't remind him! M'yck watches Nika as she prances through the watering hole, plopping herself at his side. Head rolling to track her movement, he does not adjust his seat to face her when she settles. "Nika," he states her name as if in answer, though his excitement and enthusiasm does not match her own. "Thought you went to that retched new Weyr," it's not contempt which sits on his face, but it's hard to place.

Nika wasn't really expecting him to, her real surprise is that he doesn't just shoo her away immediately. "I did, some crafters still had stuff here." And she offered to give them a ride. "At-man wanted to stretch his wings some. Still mostly cleaning in the dragonhealer infirmary." Though his enthusiasm is lacking for any normal person his lack of contempt is given a soft almost sad smile, something has aged in it, but it only shows for a moment, before it returns to her normal goofy grin. "It's good to see you." A tone that suggests its good to see anyone from home.

Who knew Nika would move mountains? M'yck moves in his seat with a grunt, kicking his feet from the stool to spin and face the bar, elbows resting on its top. Mouth hovering over his mug, it seems as if he's attempting to coax it to rise up and hover into his lips. "Yeah," he admits, though it is not clear what it is he is admitting. Turning his face towards Nika when she offers her niceties, "Is it?" His left hand moves to grab the mug, missing the first time but succeeding the second.

Nika pauses to actually consider the question as she watches man turn, her glass of whiskey is twirled on the counter before being lifted and tested. "Of course it is, M'yck." No matter how dysfunctional their 'friendship' might be. It is fair question, generally speaking, Nika would be happy to see anyone. "You know I consider you a friend. Just a very grumpy cold one who rarely looks happy to see me." The maturity returns to her gaze, as she draws on her whiskey again, but the self-aware smile is genuine if half hidden behind her drinking.

Honest is something that M'yck can appreciate, and Nika will be rewarded for it. Mug clasped, the larger bluerider actually manages a chuckle as he moves to clink cups, raising his in a cheers. "I would have used different words if I was you, but you've conveyed the message." Taking a deep breath, he'll consider the drink before taking it in, pushing the empty mug towards the bar as he seeks a refill. "No, Nika. Good to see you." Don't read into it too much- he doesn't have a lot of friends here.

Nika could never be faulted for being dishonest, and she lifts her glass to cheers the man. "If you were me?" Grinning a little at the imagery of that particular situation, the small bluerider considers the other oldtimer quietly for a moment. "You'd be Pern's smallest guard." She pauses, his finally comment receiving a smile, "Thanks." And then she seems content to lap into a comfortable silence for a moment with the other bluerider.

As the newly filled mug slides back towards him, M'yck absently catches it with his left hand, still looking towards Nika. Ignoring the comment on the Guard, "How's that piece of shit you lot are calling home, coming?" Opinions not reserved, the bluerider coughs into his right hand before soothing his throat with a drink.

Nika would expect nothing less of M'yck, "Well. We have Sandblast's old wingleader as a weyrleader, and they've asked me to help out with a wing." She giggles softly. "So you can imagine." Not well. "But it is home. More than here. And it's new, an adventure." With a shrug of tiny shoulders she smiles easily, "Neverminded a challenge, M'yck. Just gotta take what we've got and live. Just gotta live."

When Nika mentions Sandblast, M''yck sneers unknowingly. "Gave you a wing, then? Or are you running second?" Forehead crinkling in thought, the bluerider's lips purse as he chews on his cheek. "A /challenge/, is living in this sand infested shit hole." A hand splays out to showcase their very location. "And if all we've got to do is live?" M'yck cocks his head to the side, preparing for his next comment. "Some are able to simply live, because others work to allow it."

Nika shakes her head, "No, I'm not wingleader, M'yck." Know thyself. And she nods at his appraisal of Igen, "It isn't the nicest of places, but it's what you have." She shrugs, choices have been made so now she deals with them. "Not just exist, M'yck. Live." The word stressed as if he should know the difference. She sighs, but smiles in agreement with the man. Her agreement and disagreement all wrapped up in the one motion. "True. Some people don't pull there weight. Other's do. I can't control anyone but myself, M'yck." Hopefully that's not true now, but the point is at least attempted, "And trust others to do their part. Sure they'll let me down sometimes. But I'm sure I'll let them down too. All we can do is keep trying to make it better, or be miserable." And it seems they have both made their choices on that matter.

Hey, it's Southern! "That's where you're wrong," M'yck educates Nika in matters of crowd control. "Discipline can do wonders for a population- it's just that these people have none." Strict and orderly, M'yck will not rest until the entire Weyr is militarized, dammit! "I suppose you can try a new approach, in a new land. Let me know how it goes." Misery it a choice, and this bluerider is nothing if not devoted. "You know, one of Q'fex's brats took a swing at me the other day," he states in a surprised manner- who would dare?

Nika knows relatively little about discipline, she gets her work done, but militarized? "I'm not saying it couldn't." She wrinkles her nose at him, "Took a swing at you? But you're…HUGE. What kind of moron would do that?" She giggles softly at the idea, surely he isn't serious. "What happened?"

"Apparently a moron with a bone to pick," the type of bone, is quite specific. "I may have threatened his life," the bluerider takes a drink from his mug, pulling it away for a moment. "A few times," and more drinks follow. "Hypothetically," because he's definitely not going to have it written in stone. "So," he stretches out as the drink is placed back on the bar top. "I put him into the dirt until that W'rin showed up." Probably an /absolute/ stranger to Nika.

"Threatened his life?" Nika's face twists up into a smile, and she laughs softly. Sounds about right. For a guy who likes order, he sure does like to stir shit up. "W'rin? The Whirlwind wingleader?" She was around long enough to at least know names of people to salute. She shrugs. "You didn't put him jail or anything?" Blinking at him for a moment, speaking of jail, "Did you figure out who killed the weyrlingmaster yet?" Cause only M'yck could figure something like that out in this chaotic place.

"It's definitely one way of putting it," M'yck admits, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, used to be. Now he's /running/ that bunch. Why? Pfft," the bluerider ends his sentence with a shake of his head. "No clue." Turning to face her again, "Nah, W'rin will sort him out. Next time, though, he's mine." Then the sore subject of the weyrlingmaster is raised, "Not yet. Can't offer too much on that anyway." Tightening his lips, they seek out the mug once more.

"I wonder if he got in trouble. Rumor is that's why Q'fex use to be their leader. It was a punishment." Nika shrugs, Igen Weyr's drama no longer her problem. Not that she ever really felt like she belonged here. "Not looking for anything. The dead bodies at Southern are way more exciting. And older." Her eyes widen, "I was in the kitchens before it opened and a cooked guy fell out of the hearth. Plop. Right on the floor." Cool, huh? At least the way she's looking.

"Must be why. Can't imagine he'd do it willingly." They finally agree on something! M'yck straightens up a bit at the mention of dead bodies- that's kind of his /thing/. "You guys have any idea what the heck is going on down there?"

Nika shakes her head slowly, "No, not really, it kinda looks like something happened and people turned on each other." Her eyes widen and she pulls gently on a curl, "You don't understand. Unless you see it. It is like people just fled. When we first got there it looked like they were still set up for a meal, bowls on the table with rotted food. And the kitchen looked like they left it with the fire going. Pots on the stove. People visiting the weyr left baggage, valuables." The tiny woman's head shakes again. "It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. My weyr had this trunk in with a note, from some woman. She wouldn't let her kid visit his dad, cause she'd heard rumors about murders." Nika wrinkles her nose. "But a whole weyr couldn't have…"

Shrugging, M'yck digs into his mug, "People can't surprise me anymore, to be honest." The bluerider shakes his head in thought. "When you step away from fixing people up, and work on making sure they stay in line, you run into a different clientele." Studying some scars on his knuckles, "Well, maybe the same. But different situations." Though Nika fixes /dragons/, it still works. Maybe. "Just be careful you don't find what made them all start going after each other. Don't want to repeat history."

Nika shrugs, "They may if you realized that sometimes they do good stuff too, M'yck." The smaller rider's turn to offer some teaching. And despite what the older man thinks about her she usually does run with the other clientele, and finds that they are often the more respectable of the two sides. His last comment draws a laugh, "No matter what I find, M'yck. I'd never kill anybody." Smiling softly at him as she down the rest of her whiskey making her way to leave. "Hey, M'yck. You remember when I was real young, that one time in the stables, when you told me I shouldn't ever show everyone the whole me, I should keep it covered and safe?"

"Not in front of me, they don't," Stubborn as they come, M'yck will never admit that people do good things. "Hey, you never know. I've seen some big things in small packages." Nodding, he looks her up and down. "Maybe you're right, though. You wouldn't be able to." Attempting to push some buttons, the bluerider is stopped short as Nika poses her question. Always suspicious, an eyebrow is raised as he answers cautiously. "Yeess?" It's drawn out.

"I really wouldn't." Nika offers a grin at M'yck, perhaps she's learn to get passed the button pushing of the man's she considers a rather dysfunctional brother figure. "You've given me a lot of advice over the years, M'yck, and a lot of it was pretty good. But, that, well - I'm just glad I could never bring myself to live out." Slipping from her stool, she looks up at the much taller rider, "Just once, you oughta try to let your guard down." A purposeful pun? If nothing else, a comment and four hundred years as caused the girl to be able to stand on her own, and return the advice with some that life has taught her. Old smile returning and a little wave, she starts to turn, "It really was good to see you, I'm glad you're here." And then without any fanfare the girl is half bouncing step is taking her back out to the bowl.

Being schooled by the once pupil, M'yck considers Nika as she offers advice and slips away. "I've done it before," the bluerider responds, chasing the girl with his words. "Didn't work out." The last three are stated quieter, mostly to his mug. As she says her farewell, M'yck reverts back to his old tricks. "Don't kill or be killed, rider." That means bye.

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