Who

S'erc, Aderyna, Dione

What

A grumpy S'erc threatens Aderyna with death. Sort of. And Dione saves the day.

When

It is late night of the twenty-second day of the first month of the fourth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Star Stones, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 10 Feb 2015 08:00

 

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I'll just wonder how many times your pretty little head hits the side of the rock before you hit the ground.


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Star Stones

Jutting from the jungles, the caldera's northern most edge has been fashioned into the necessary star stones; two great boulders push up against the sky, weathering the winds that scour the ever-encroaching lichens that cling to the humid-moistened rock. A singular stone, so obviously man-made, serves as the eye-rock, long forgotten with only the wind's erosive touch to keep the greenery away. The stones stand upon the flattest point of the caldera, and any who climb the winding stairs, up the mountain's face, will be treated with a view worthy of the effort of the climb of the seemingly endless stone steps. Far and away, the entire weyr is exposed as are the vast jungles and terraced fields that dot the horizon. The Southern Barrier Range looms above the weyr, and from this vantage point, one can see the snows that clings to the summits. The winding Black Rock River sparkles far, far below. The ledge itself is small, however, so only a few brave souls and possibly one dragon could fit up here. With no handrails, the edge of the star stones's ledge offer a danger to the unwary who think to stand where the rock curves down into the bowl below.


One of the few places in Southern that seems to be getting a little breeze in the stifling humidity of summer is the star stones, and luckily it's also a clear night out. While S'erc isn't actually the one posted on duty here, the one that is has gone to wing over the areas while the bronzerider sits here to look up at the sky. He's positioned perilously close to the edge, leaning back on his hands and looking upwards, while Vulkasinth is finally settling nearby with a heavy sigh. S'erc looks as though he could really do with a bath, dirt smudged all over his face and arms along with his clothes - what can be seen, as most of what he wears is black. The bronze, however, who can tell how much of his hide is scarred and how much is just the way he looks.

Up, up the stairs comes Aderyna, mounting each with a light tread and a speed that's just a trifle risky, given their precarious position. The wildling girl gains the top of the stairs with a mighty huff of breath, pausing just a moment to catch her breath before stepping along the ledge. There's no fear in her bouncing step, even though she toes dangerously close to the edge with no semblance of caution. Her attempts at courting trouble cease only when she moves close enough to notice the man trying to blend in with the night, who must accompany the unmistakable shadow of a dragon. "Who're you hiding from?" He's not given much of an inspection before she goes prancing off toward the stones.

The sound of the huff of breath might draw most people's attention, but S'erc is hopeful that if he ignores the person - they'll.. you know, just leave him alone. He doesn't even comment as she gets perilously close to the edge of the ledge, of the mind that if she falls it's her own fault. Vulkasinth, on the other hand, is far more concerned and the huge bronze gives the girl a grumble which could mean just about anything to someone who can't hear dragon's thoughts. "He says you should be careful." S'erc offers flatly, only at the behest of his lifemate's prodding. The other question remains as ignored as the girl's presence at the beginning, though he does turn to look at her as she prances around the stones.

Aderyna laughs as she wanders between the stones, brushing fingertips over the rough surface. Particular interest is paid to the rock hewn by man, her hand pressing into the stone shaped to so precise a purpose. It's meaning is lost on her, but the furrow to her brow - were one able to see it in the darkness - speaks of some understanding that this serves a purpose. "Why should I be careful?" The pads of her fingers linger a moment longer before she pulls away, skimming around a stone to arrive at the edge again. She's careful to edge around the bronze, placing as much space between herself and the creature as can be gained here. It isn't much. She pauses just at the edge of the ledge, her slippered feet pressing against the curve of rock that separates ledge from, well, nothing. Here home is out there, somewhere in the distance, hidden amidst trees and vines that are nothing more than a dark mass spread out before her.

Talons make terrible noises against the rock's surface as Vulkasinth shifts his weight to get a better look at the girl with his jeweled eyes, interest in the girl where his lifemate couldn't seem to care less what the girl does as she explores the star stones. Despite his harrowing look and large size, the bronze's demeanor seems much more gentle than his exterior would suggest. "He thinks you'll fall. I'll just wonder how many times your pretty little head hits the side of the rock before you hit the ground." S'erc comments, knowing that he won't be able to see that detail if she were to fall. Shifting to pull his legs from over the cliff's edge, he finally turns to see if he can even see the girl in the darkness considering he brought no light source with him at all and he's about as far as a person can get from the stairs that likely have some.

Aderyna skitters away from the scratch of talons against stone, her nimble feet finding footing even as they bump against each other. One arm flails out to stabilize her, throwing her balance back into place as she settles again a few steps from where she stood. Gentle though he may be, the girl still takes a stance with knees crooked and body tensed to flee should the creature come too close. Never trust a beast smart enough to know itself, that's her rule. "Very few, I would think," the girl states contemplatively. Even those few steps she put between herself and the bronze give her the courage to peer over the edge again into the darkness. "I'd split it at the bottom."

Smart he is, and Vulkasinth simply remains still after he's shifted to get a better view lest she run off into the darkness and back down those stairs. All this, despite the fact that it's probably what S'erc would prefer she did. Lifting a hand to rub at his cheek, he sighs a little as he looks at his filthy hand knowing that it means he's going to have to trudge to get a bath sooner or later. Later is always better, since he's rarely seen in them unless it's really late or really necessary. "Guess isn't windy enough to make it more interesting than that." He assents, pushing himself to his feet and stretching to pop a few joints before leaning to pick up his jacket from the rock.

Satisfied that the beast is going to stay in one place - at least for now - Aderyna drops lightly into a cross-legged position, catching herself in the otherwise fluid movement just before hitting the stone with what would likely be a bruising speed. She settles herself carefully, wiggling on the rock until she finds a spot that seems to suit her. The wildling then leans forward over crossed legs, peering with squinted eyes into the darkness. "It would not be of interest to you," she comments without her focus straying, "I would not even scream. You'd see nothing." As the glow from inside has faded from her eyes, the shape of the jungle takes on more form. There are no details to be seen in the darkness, but edges begin to separate the boundaries of wild from Weyr, at the very least. "Might make a noise when I hit the ground." She lifts her shoulders in a casual shrug, glancing toward the shadow of the bronzerider.

"How do you know what's of interest to me?" S'erc quips to Aderyna, having stood up now that she's sitting down. He's not far from the edge himself, having gathered his jacket from the ground and taking a few steps towards the bronze that's lurking in the darkness with him. He's got smudges of dirt all over himself, from who knows what, but hasn't found the time or made the effort to get into a bath and get clean. The clear night appears to have captured more interest than he had hoped it would, even one extra person intruding on his solitude seems to be enough to get him to want to leave. But, so far, Vulkasinth doesn't seem interested in leaving, which makes things more difficult. "She doesn't need you to babysit her. Don't think I won't leave you here." He gripes, looking towards the steps which are his other escape route.

Unfortunately the steps aren't going to be any help either, because there's a distraction of another sort coming up them. Dione, likely looking to get in some quiet on her night off, slowly wanders up the stairs in the darkness, fingers trailing against the bowl wall and a small basket of glows in her other hand to light the difficult path. It's not very bright - she doesn't want to lose her night-sight obviously - but terribly insistent, and her form appears at the top of the steps like a slim roadblock. "Evening," comes her voice, slightly rough with irritation. The spot is occupied, after that long trek upstairs.

Aderyna scans the jungle one more time, a touch of a wistful smile brushing her lips before she looks away. Home is so very far, and yet not truly home at all. She carefully angles her body so that she can lean back, ignoring the precipice of the ledge to stare up at the stars instead. "You told me what's of interest to you," the girl states with certainty. She cranes her neck back, wincing as her scalp scrapes lightly against stone with the motion. "I do not need to be watched." Between her prone position and Dione's arrival, the exit is likely thoroughly blocked - and in response, the wildling lets out a quiet laugh. "Evening."

"I said what I wondered, not what interested me." S'erc clarifies, stopping as the light that Dione is carrying with her precedes her entrance. He gives a sigh as his departure is blocked, at least from the secondary way that he was going to leave - though his first option might be getting a little less concerned now that there's someone else around. "Evening." He offers in return to the greeting, though his own voice is laced with annoyance as he retreats back to the bronze's side with some evenly paced steps. "Let's just go back to our weyr." He mutters.

"Ah, it's you!" Dione's head tilts, recognition of the tall man seeping in, and one mouth corner twitches upwards into a smile. Her gaze is curious as it settles on the wildling girl, and she sets the basket down some distance away to get a good look. "Is he troubling you?" she asks, kind enough, before her expression turns wicked. "He's the naturally troublesome sort, so I can understand that. Besides, he's so lazy he might not even hit on pretty girls." Her steps take her slowly past and beyond the bronzer, a quirky mirth-filled nod of the head there for Vulkasith, but her chosen perch is still steps away: an outcropping of rock with a view of the star-crusted sky. "Aderyna, right?" she asks the girl. "In the galleries, with K'lir."

"What's the difference?" Aderyna doesn't bother attempting to crane her neck from her prone position this time, instead focusing her attention on studying the sky. One arm lifts, a finger pointing toward stars as she mumbles to herself and marks out familiar pinpoints of light against the night's blanket of darkness. "Troubling?" The word is echoed after a moment's pause, as though it has only just occured to her that there is just one 'he' present, leaving her as the 'you'. "He wishes to see me fall to my death. It is no trouble." There's a shrug, and the light scrape of her shoulders against rock with th emotion. "Aderyna," she confirms with a smile pointed skywards. "How is your Kitten?"

For all that Dione recognizes him, S'erc sure plays as though he doesn't know her from a hole in the wall. He just glowers and lurks in the darkness near where his dragon is settled, rather than looking at either girl in particular. He leans against the leg of his bronze, crosses his arms over his chest and is certainly not nearly as laid back as he usually is. "That isn't what I meant at all. I swear, women only hear what they want to hear." He snaps, and to Dione he adds, "The /last/ thing I want to do is hit on some vapid little girl." He certainly has enough anger to spew tonight, it would seem. For the moment, neither dragon or rider is leaving.

Dione makes herself at home, and is still settling when the truth comes out. "He wishes that?" She darts a glance sideways to the tall, lean man before she smoothes her dress down, fingers thoughtful and slow. "You look as if you can drag him along with you, so I wouldn't worry too much. The Kitten is fie, thank you. I'm still waiting for you to make a turn there, but apparently some animals are not easily tamed to the indoors." A joke, perhaps, given her smile. "And I see someone is in a rotten mood. Didn't you get your nap in today, S'erc? Or did the aunties chase you away from the nighthearth?" Every feline has his happy spot, after all.

Aderyna squints into the dark, her brows drawing together as her expression darkens to a frown. "I don't wish to be hit, and I will return the blow," she utters, the words tossed out to no one in particular. "What is vapid?" She reaches up with both hands this time, gaze fixed upon her fingers as she flutters them against the arc of the sky. Stars seem to flicker, appearing and disappearing between her fingers as they move. She laughs to herself. The sound may be out of place in the midst of conversation, but she seems not to notice. "I have been to your Kitten and saw a man on his head. I had many drinks." Free ones, too. At this memory the wildling laughs again, grinning up at her wiggling fingers. "Perhaps he's part wild, dreaming of blood."

S'erc makes a few starts as though he's going to say something, but in the end he just remains silent and glowers for a while longer. He keeps his position leaning against Vulkasinth, irratition building but so far being restrained. That is, until Dione brings up a joke about him missing a nap. "None of /your/ business." He snaps again at her, this time short and sweet, and utterly ignores Aderyna. Perhaps this is normal for many bronzeriders, but not usually him. He pushes away from the dragon to pull on his jacket and this time looks as though he's truly going to leave, and the bronze is actually going to comply this time.

"I'll just bet you did," Dione says expansively, momentarily amused. That fades, however, when there's a snap and a snarl in her direction from a person she thought a friendly acquaintance. "He wouldn't hit you for no good reason," she informs Aderyna sideways as she stands to look at their prey. A measuring look, a frown: "What's going on?" she asks S'erc quietly, wandering over to straighten out a stubborn collar on the jacket. "It was said to tease you, that's all. Do you have to leave?" A look back at Aderyna, and a pair of hitched eyebrows. If the girl speaks Eyebrow, of course.

Some of the conversation seems to have gone over Aderya's head - quite literally, given her prone position - but the girl still listens quite intently. As S'erc snaps, she finally twists, craning her neck to stare at the bronzerider. The stony ground forms the ceiling from which he hangs in her vision like a grumpy bat. "Was he hit on?" she asks, misuing the phrase with casual curiosity. Needing to better see the proceedings, the wildling girl finally pushes herself back up into a seated position, her legs neatly crossed. While she may not speak Eyebrow fluently, she does understand that the look means Something. "Stay?"

S'erc pulls away as quickly as the collar is touched, at least, as soon as he's aware of it. He doesn't touch Dione, but takes a very certain step backwards to regain personal space he'd lost in her advancement which also keeps him from leaving as quickly as he might have liked. "Misunderstanding, I guess." He says flatly, anger somewhat disappating as quickly as it appeared. "Things happened." He admits, but goes into no detail. "If you know someone looking for a stargazer, tell me. I have a very nice one I'll sell cheap just to get it out of my weyr. Or, I'll toss it off my ledge." Of course, Vulkasinth won't actually let him do that, lest someone be hit with it on the way down. He does look over towards Aderyna, and offers, "Sorry, that I was rude."

Dione watches, flat-lipped, throughout the explanation and subsequent apology to Aderyna. "Alright," she finally mutters, and steps back to her original position. Then, cautiously, she leans to scoop up the light she had left and nods to the two of them. "I'm sorry to hear about that. Aderyna, perhaps I'll see you at the Kitten still? A good evening to the two of you. I have to… yeah. Good night." She doesn't run down the stairs, she's not mad, but she descends them at a goodly clip, light soon disappearing around the bend of the staircase.

Aderyna presses fingertips into stone for anchoring as she leans forward, trying to get a better view of the two of them. Their interaction is met with a curious tilt to her head, and while her blank expression betrays nothing of her feelings on what has just transpired, the fixation of her gaze suggests at least some interest. 'Stargazer' is echoed silently by her lips, mentally catalogued as something to ask about at a time when distractions aren't so readily available. "You could give it away," she suggests with a smile that ignores his threats of possibly violent disposal. His apology is met with an arched brow and a simple shrug. "You weren't." She draws up her legs to ensure that she's fully out of the way as Dione beats a hasty exit. Though her expression registers disappointment, she makes no move to stop the other girl - likely because she knows she wouldn't even have a chance. A solemn expression is turned toward S'erc, as she states, "I think you said the wrong thing."

"I'll think about it." S'erc says regarding the stargazer, the non-committal answer the best he's going to give for the time being. He takes in a deep breath and sighs as he calms down a little more, watching Dione rush back off the direction she came from. When that distraction is gone, and the light gone along with her, he returns his attention to Aderyna and shrugs his shoulders in response to her final statement. "Seems to be something that happens often." He muses, and doesn't seem offended by the fact that they were left either. He lifts his hand to fix the collar of the jacket to the way it was before Dione messed with it, and then goes about checking the straps on the dragon to make sure they're still secure. He adds, "I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of the night."

"Yes, think about it," the girl says firmly, clear in her convictions in spite of the fact that she's no clearer on what they're talking about than she was a moment before. With Dione gone and the crisis of S'erc's angered leaving averted, Aderyna leans back again to regain her former position stretched out on her back. Her legs remain crossed even in this position, stabilizing her lest she accidentally roll over the edge. "Maybe you should stop," she suggests lightly, almost tossing the words away as she speaks them. With elbows pressed to her sides, she lifts her hands just above her body to make the stars shimmer and vanish again. "Perhaps you should consider enjoying yours. I think it much better than coloring your mind with blood." She cranes her neck for just a moment, smiling an upside-down smile at him. And then it's back to a quiet contemplation of the vastness above her, with ill-tempered bronzeriders forgotten for the night.

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