Who

Doji, Xanthee

What

Both looking for a cool spot, Doji and Xanthee run into each other for a chat.

When

It is afternoon of the first day of the ninth month of the fourteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Mirror Cavern, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 06 Aug 2018 04:00

 

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"The starcrafters say the weather should start turning cooler within the month…"


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Mirror Cavern

Cordoned off from the lake under a cape of stone is a sheltered grotto sized like a dragon weyr. Running water dribbles over the entrance not in any great torrent but lesser strings of liquid. Within, isolated waters assume a perfectly protected calmness pitching prisms of refracted light onto the walls and dome-like ceiling. How they flash when the pool's crystal clear surface is disturbed, serpents of light scattering like tunnel snakes from a lantern. Surfaces are naturally unfinished which explains the varying depths, 2-12 feet, and ability to be comfortly seated. As with any small cavern sounds have a way of being amplified be they swim strokes or nuggets of gossip.

It is the first day of Autumn and 91 degrees.


Autumn may just be a theory at this point. The calendar might say that this morning marks the start of a new season, but the weather certainly isn't showing any signs of changing. Somewhere out in the middle of the lake, a very tired Raktraeth is either submerged or napping. And inside this sheltered cavern, Doji's both escaping the heat and the sun by claiming one of the middling sized pools all for her own. The mirrored cavern is not completely deserted at the moment but at least the gossips are on the far side of the cavern conversing in their own hushed tones that echo eerily. The brownrider is ignoring them with her eyes closed as she tries to soak off a long day of Threadfall and dragonhealing.

Seeking her own refuge from the heat of the day and a work worn body, Xanthee enters the Mirror Cavern wearing nothing more that a dark green sarong over a matching bikini, having already been home to change. With her a gold flirelizar perches on her shoulder, careful of talons on bared skin. Curiosity sets her gaze to wander the occupants, and though the gossips are eyed for a long moment, she finally settles on Doji. With a smile, she wanders closer to the pool she is occupying, clearing her throat on the way to alert the brownrider of her approach, "You mind some company?"

Doji doesn't fully jump at the sound of a throat clearing behind her. Maybe an improvement or more likely, just exhaustion as she opens one eye to peek at just who it is that's come up. Once Xanthee's actually spotted, the rider opens both eyes and gives a small nod, waving one hand half heartedly at the pool. "I think it's big enough. And don't think you're gonna be splashing all about." There are telltale puddles everywhere to show the signs of a not to distant splash battle from some very enthusiastic group. "How are you doing?"

Xanthee slips out of her sarong and then into the water with a sigh of relief, "No splashing for me, I've been daydreaming of a nice peaceful soak all day. Is it just me, or was this summer more brutally hot than they usually are?" she asks before sinking in up to her neck and resting her head on the edge. Selkie flutters down to perch on the edge, head ducking in the water and then lifting it to let little rivulets run down her form to cool her off. "I can't complain, busy, but happy," the raven-haire girl replies simply before turning the question on Doji, "And yourself?"

"The starcrafters say the weather should start turning cooler within the month…" But Doji doesn't sound very convinced at that as she turns slightly towards the cavern's entrance. "It seemed dustier, which makes the heat even worst. Maybe we'll finally get some rain come winter." Small hopes there, but Doji doesn't ask for much. "Busy is a good word for it. Sweeps, studying, 'Fall, sleep and repeat." Monotonous, but there's a slight smile for the routine.

"Well let's hope they are correct. And I think you're right, it has been dustier," Xanthee agrees as she lets her body float just under the surface of the water, "Faranth, rain would be amazing right now, cool everything right down." Her lips curl into a warm smile as Doji explains her routine, catching that smile she gives, "I might be crazy, but I enjoy it. Busy means I'm doing something with myself, helping my Weyr in my own small way. I never knew job satisfaction like this before. I can only imagine what it's like for you riders who are doing the most important stuff."

Doji nods her head again before quickly dunking her under the water to make sure her hair is completely soaked again. Can't let it dry out and defeat the purpose of cooling off after all. "Raktraeth has been asking to go see the forests in Lemos again. That trip is sounding better and better by the day. Maybe they'll have started selling the warm cider if their weather has gotten colder…" There's a bit of a wistful sigh for the cooler weather beverage, but she tilts her head to listen to Xanthee's comments. "Administration is important. It's not like we could fight thread without leather for straps and riding leathers, and agenothree for the flamethrowers and not to mention all the food for humans and dragons a like. Trying to balance it all…" She shakes her head. "Not easy. That's a lot of moving pieces. Most riders are focused on their own little part. And how it fits into their wing."

Xanthee demures against Doji's assertion, shaking her head a little bit, "Ok, so maybe important was the wrong word. I'm well aware, now, how much work is done behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly, it certainly staggered me when I started. Like you said, many moving parts. But what riders do…" she trails off, a faraway look in her emerald eyes, an old hope, "It's what keeps us all safe enough to be able to offer all we can in return." Xan's flair for the dramatic seems to have only deepened in her turns since meeting Doji as a candidate. With a sigh ringing with an air of finality, she shakes herself off and grins, going back to something else Doji had said, "Forests of Lemos? They are going to look amazing in a few sevens when the leaves start changing. Mal took me to Telgar last fall for a short getaway, and I'd never seen the like! All those colors, it was like a painting."

"We all have duties," Doji reminds with a shrug. Another day, she might be willing to lecture more, but it's way too hot for that and her eyes turn towards the ceiling as Xan brings on the dramatics. "They are. Trae prefers them in the spring, but the woodsmen weren't exactly too keen on having a dragon poking his nose around the seedlings last spring." A perfectly reasonable fear given the size of the brown, but trying telling him that. "I haven't spent much time at Telgar. Mostly just to learn the points. Most of our visits have been tree or water focused, but Mal's a miner, right?" It's been a while, but she tries to remember.

"I bet they weren't," Xanthee replies with a giggle, just imagining the chagrined woodsmen faced with an inquisitive Raktraeth, "Yes, it was the first time I'd seen anything but Igen's desert or Southern's jungle, I was awestruck. He is a Miner, apprenticed at Telgar, but he's from Ista originally." Yes, she's aware Doji never asked for all that information, but once Xan starts speaking of her boyfriend, it's kind of hard to stop. She's been more aware of it lately though and tries to keep a lid on it as much as she can. "What about you? Didn't I hear something about you and a certain greenrider who was also in our candidate class?" she muses with a sly smile and a twinkle in her emerald eyes.

Doji winces slightly at the memory of just how not-happy the woodsmen were. "There was… cursing. I did end up paying for a few that were squished." Like father, like son when it comes to habits of property destruction. Luckily for Doji's pockets, tree saplings are much cheaper than runners. The brownrider nods along politely with Xan's torrent of information about her boyfriend. "Uhhh-huh." She'll possibly file it away for later, if it ever comes up. As for her own relationship status, it's not the heat that causes the red head to start blushing. "Yes? I've been seeing K'mine." To put it mildly.

"At least you're considerate like that," Xanthee remarks, regarding paying for damaged property, with an easy smile that curls further at the brownrider's next admission. "Uh huh, that's what I've heard," and as much as Xan would love to hear all about it, she doesn't pry, just lifts her brows specutatively with a toothy grin before she reaches out to Selkie who has shuffled over to her and begins rubbing her little golden head on her cheek. Letting one finger caress the soft hide of her cheek, she tilts her head to one side and recalls something earlier in their conversation, "You mentioned studying? Still in healing or something else?"

Doji looks slightly aghast at the idea that someone wouldn't pay back for damaged property. "But he did land on those three. It was an accident but…" She shrugs and she did of course pay it. As for the uh huhing, doji just continues turning a deeper red as she sinks lower in the water, although it's not like it's doing much to hide her. At least the work subject is a welcome distraction. "I am… dragonhealing. Started around when the last clutch hatched. Been over a turn now? Still have a bit to go before moving on from being a trainee…" But she's working there.

"Of course, you totally did the right thing. I'm just not sure if everyone would do the same," Xanthee says with an easy shrug. To the deepening blush, Xan just giggles slightly but doesn't tease, instead nodding along to her last with an easy smile. "Dragonhealing must be facinating and soooo challenging," she guesses then takes note of the timeline, "Has it really been over a turn now since the last clutch? I guess it has. Still seems like not that long ago for some reason." she remarks with a curious tilt to her head.

"It is! And Raktraeth is getting pretty good at the whole aerial catches," It helps that Doji's lifemate happens to be larger than most of the Weyr's bronzes even when it comes to supporting any wing injuries back to the ground. "It's so different from working in the infirmary. Most of the time you're working on something that's above what you can normally reach. Thankfully we have ladders…" She blinks when questioned about the time for the last hatching. "I think so. I mean, they've already graduated." So clearly, time has passed!

"Aerial catches?" Xanthee has heard of such things, but still the idea of such a maneuver makes her shiver, "Those always sound so harrowing, must have taken a lot of practice to get good at it." She listens intently to Doji, a grin for the challenges she faces in her new studies, "Yeah, I could see that definitely make things trickier, I bet you get a sore neck after awhile." Just then a bronze firelizard familiar with to Xanthee comes looking for her. Calling Apa, Mal's bronze, over, she takes the note tied to his leg and reads it, a smile growing on her face. "Well, that's Mal asking what I want to do for supper," she explains as she offers another smile to Doji, "I better get going." Climbing out of the pool, she wraps the light sarong around her damp frame, "Stay cool Doji." she calls after with a wave over her shoulder.

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