Who

M'noq, Vani

What

Vani found a thing!

When

It is evening of the fourth day of the second month of the eleventh turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Archive Library, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 03 Jun 2017 05:00

 

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You can take the girl outta the bar, but not the bar outta the girl… or something.


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Archive Library

Where once books reigned supreme, this open space is now dominated by a stalwart skybroom reaching to the sky through a broken ceiling. What was once evidence of collapse is now ornately carved with engraved ivy, matched by a clever contraption of stone that allows the gap to be closed in inclement weather. A small garden occupies the space around the tree-trunk, all manicured bushes and flowering shrubbery enclosed by a grated gutter. The walls are lined with bookcases, while a spiral staircase leans on the western wall to wind upwards to the second level. Tucked in the corners and scattered in the main areas are tables and chairs, cafe-style, and comfortably worn overstuffed armchairs. It is the perfect place for individuals to gather, to enjoy the offerings of the food-cart or a spirited conversation.


Sure, there are plenty of other places Vani could be on a hot summer evening… Like the bar where she was formerly employed… or the beach where her so-close-to-full-grown dragon is currently sporting. But no, she's here stuck at one of those cafe like tables with a stack of hides and leather-bound books before her. There is an expression on intense concentration on her face even as she chews the end of her stylus and reads. And as if she was reminded of some other obscure point she starts pawing through her stack, looking for something she remembers reading a million years ago. Such is the precarious nature of her homework, that unnoticed by the greenrider a hide works its way free of the pile and starts a slow slide for freeeeeeedom! Ooops.

M'noq comes in with a stack of very old books, most of which look like they'd be better used for doorstops than to read, and drops them off at the circulation desk. The librrian begins checking them back in with her slow, methodical process, and in the meantime, M'noq spots a Lynx. He sidles up to her table all quiet-like, getting there just in time to catch the escaping hide before it slide all the way to the floor. "Watch out, these things are tricky," he says, returning the fugitive to the table, if not the top of the stack. "You look like you're studying something intensely," he adds, glancing over the hide to see what it's about.

"Attempting to." Vani admits with a shrug as she takes the wayward hide and tries to find a place for it on her over-flowing table. "Still a bit too new at reading to be very quick about it." There is an even mix of frustration and determination in her voice, even as she looks up at her wingleader. "Do I still salute you?" Not that she is making moves to do so, but you know…And then her expression turns speculative even as she glances back at her stack. "I was trying to see if the ruins I came across this morning were in the records somewhere. Even if it's just something we've already mapped." And down that rabbit hole she has been ever since.

M'noq gives her a wry grin. "On duty, yes. Off duty, I don't insist upon it." There's still a line-up and a meeting before and after Threadfall and drills. PT as well, though that tends to be more informal. Still, some of the older riders always salute, even though they don't like M'noq's young age much. "Oh yeah? Where abouts were you exploring?" He skims over any maps she has out to see if he recognizes any location names. It's hard to recognize a random bit of coast just by the shape.

Vani waves that hide in the direction of the jungle. "Followed a new path out in the jungle… Came across this Ocelot rider looking about at this path and possibly a building in a swamp…" Vani shrugs. "He thought it possibly might be an old thread-shelter, I thought it might have been something more." SO in order to satisfy her curiosity, she's come to the records! M'noq should be proud. "But this isn't like reading a book or a report at all." Hence her troubles! HAHA M'noq is younger than her too (Look those 25 days are SUPER IMPORTANT RIGHT?), but she doesn't seem to mind.

M'noq hums at this, still looking over the maps. "There are the remains of the old Southern Weyr out there," he says. "We did a camp-out there when I was a candidate." Which feels like a thousand Turns ago. "You'd know that for what it was if you saw it, though. I've seen other old buildings and sometimes just caves that people lived in. The wildlings are out there, and pirates and smugglers too. It feels like new things are always being found, though. The jungle hides them until it decides it's time to reveal them."

Vani pushes her bits and pieces out of the way to reveal a sketch that is not at all old. It's not great, but the pertinent details are captured. "My thinking was, there was entirely too much work done for it to have been just a shelter." One slightly ink-smudged finger points out the remains of the eroded causeway that leads to the dark maw of some kind of building. "But I don't know enough about any of that to be sure. Ruins and wildlings and Southern that was." And then she finally abandons it all to grin up at him. "Interesting though." She admits with a wink. "If you had told me a turn or two ago, I'd be doing actual research I probably would have laughed in your face and cut you off from the booze." AND NOW LOOK AT HER!

M'noq peers at the sketch for a moment. "Nice detail. It doesn't look familiar to me, though. You remember where you saw it, exactly? We could take a trip out there tomorrow." He frowns as he looks at the maps of the general area. "Maybe this is a new location, but I'm not sure. I don't map much of the interior, except where I find smugglers' trails or wildling settlements." Then a wry look and half-grin at her for her last comment. "If you remember from the first time I met you in the Kitten, I don't drink. But you've probably laughed in my face more than a few times." But he's still talking to her after that.

"I wouldn't say laughed per se…smirked maybe? The occasional droll snort…" Vani teases, her lips curving slightly. "It's not personal though, probably a side effect of all those turns stuck behind the bar." Or her dysfunctional childhood, but that is personal and they have't gotten to that point in their relationship yet. "You don't need to be able to read to be able to draw." Vani shrugs, that is also personal information hidden in nonchalant acceptance of the compliment he just paid her. With a full body stretch she looks about to check out how much time has passed since she started on her self-imposed learnin'. "What brings you here this evening? I would have thought even if you don't drink, you'd be a bit more… fun than this." Although he also likes gardening, so she may be entirely too optimistic about that.

M'noq hums at her question then shrugs. "Returning some books. Getting some new books. Whenever I can't sleep, I try reading the most boring book I can find. It usually does the trick." As for why he can't sleep, when he obviously works hard most days, anyway, well, he doesn't volunteer that information. "Anyway, shows what you know. I'm probably the least fun of anyone you know. Except maybe N'lim." The Lynx wingsecond, who is a huge stick-in-the-mud. "Besides, you're the one with the weyrmate. I'd think you'd be getting some action this time of evening." Don't think he has forgotten what she was doing when he handed her the Lynx knot.

Sitting, she was sitting. Much like she is now, except you know this time she is sitting on a chair and not a person. "Hal's a dragonhealer, I have evenings alone a lot." Although the mention of action does get an eyebrow quirk. "Only so much drinking and visiting a girl can do." There are other activities, but they belong to the greenrider conspiracy club, of which M'noq is unable to join. "I'd imagine that would be effective. I usually go with a tot of something if the humidity gets too much." You can take the girl outta the bar, but not the bar outta the girl… or something. "Or well, I wait and see if Hal is working all night." Now she's smirking, but it's more for her thoughts than for her not so interesting after all wingleader.

M'noq was really just teasing. He doesn't really want or expect to have a summary of her nocturnal activities. Also, he doesn't really need to know the activities of the greenrider conspiracy club, most of which he can probably guess. "You know, there is a shelf of books here in this library that run pretty racy. There used to be a book club for them… not sure if that's still around or not. They're quick reads… if you're looking for something interesting to practice with." And right now he's imagining Vani and A'hali reading one of those bodice-rippers before bed… no, stop that. "Anyway, we can check out your ruins tomorrow after PT, if you want. See who else wants to go." Hey, Lynx party.

Apparently thoughts of Vani and Hal are pretty invasive…and oddly appealing. HAI A'ndi, we know ;) "I've got my own collection." HAVE FUN WITH THAT THOUGHT M'NOQ! "But funnily enough, I don't really have maps and things." There is a thoughtful cock of her head as she considers for a moment. "We can check out those ruins, if you'll give me some pointers in map making? They might look a bit prettier on the wall than the tar and stuff." She has boring shipweyr walls. With another stretch and a sigh she stands, looking towards the tree and the hole it's poked in the roof to check the time once more. "I think I should probably get something to eat…" She announces.

"Sure thing," M'noq says. "Though the map-making skills are rather different from sketching, even though both are important." He nods when she comments on leaving. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. I've got a few books I've been meaning to find." He waves a list on a piece of scratch paper. "Try not to stay up too late." And he'll leave her and her giant stack/pile of records and whatnot. The librarians are going to love her if she makes a habit of leaving a huge pile of records and things whenever she comes in here.

Vani has a bad habit of not picking up after herself, "Tomorrow then." She promises with a wink, the slightly naughty smile her only answer to the question of staying up late. HE DID REMIND HER! And then she is off, using the exit closest to the dragon infirmary than the fields. "M'noq." He is so lucky he picked her for his wing right?

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