Who

Kyriatis, Alyna

What

Breakfast the day of a Fall, Kyriatis is packing lunches for busy riders, of which Alyna is one.

When

It is early morning of the twenty-eighth day of the third month of the fourteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Kitchen, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 16 Jun 2018 04:00

 

kyriatis_default.jpgalyna_default.jpg

"Do you have rituals for that, before 'fall?"


kitchens.jpg

Kitchens

Renowned, the culinary prowress of Southern, and suitable her kitchens to the task. A broad and airy sweep of room, it cannot help the sweat-drenching heat — though hearths are cleverly set within the ground itself to maximize efficiency. Big copper pots gleam along long tables, cooks hustling to and fro to prepare the necessary meals. There is never a candlemark the kitchens are left unstaffed: even in the wee hours of the night, bakers can be seen shaping loaves and mixing biscuits. For those who miss meals, a sideboard brims with leftovers that are easily transformed into portable potables, complete with sweet herbal tea and a large wheel of a soft, white, crumbly cheese.


Despite what +time says, it's not actually before dawn: it's an hour or two after, and the kitchens are, as usual, busy. There's threadfall scheduled for later this afternoon, but that's enough hours away that there's not huge urgency just yet. Kyriatis, still on an early-morning-chore-roster, is helping to prepare breakfasts-to-go for those disinclined to take the time to sit. "Here's your sandwich, bluerider," she says, far, far too cheerful, as she hands over a neatly-wrapped package to a Leo wingrider. "Fly well today."

Even though dawn is well in the past, sleep still clings to Alyna as she blearily makes her way to the Kitchens, rubbing the sand out of her eyes, and yawning loudly, making a token effort to cover it. She's dressed in an odd assortment of tight woolen leggings, with a long-sleeved men's cut tunic and a weatherproofed cloak that glistens already from a short trip down here. As Kyria is spotted preparing breakfasts on the go, the promise of a smile plays at her lips, more likely to become the real thing when she manages to find some klah. "So they snagged you again huh?" is her opening line to the gardener-turned-candidate, but her manner is jovial enough. "Any chance of getting food for two? Wanna surprise D'har with breakfast in bed," she says with too-casual nonchalance, as if it's really no big deal and Kyriatis better not make it one.

"Morning, Alyna! Don't tell anyone, but I swapped with Kemilla, since she can't bring herself to get out of bed in time." Kyriatis is unrepentant about the no-doubt-illicit swap, aside from a slight lowering of her voice just in case there's a stray headwoman-or-assistant in the vicinity. "I'd rather be outside, but this isn't so bad." Her expression is decidedly, and somewhat unusually, neutral at mention of the greenrider's weyrmate, but her answer is cheerful, "I can do my best, though it won't be anything fancy. Sandwich? Sweet rolls? I can find some fruit, too."

"That's fine. I just want to have a quiet morning in before Fall later," Alyna comments as she cranes her neck around until she spots a pitcher of klah and some mugs and is drawn towards them. "Be glad you're not outside, that rain is not letting up," the greenrider comments as she comes back to where Kyria is stationed, her mug of klah held with both hands as if precious. Finding an out of the way spot to perch, she blows softly over the steaming surface of the hot drink, "So how're things with you? Haven't seen you much lately…"

Nose wrinkling, "I had to walk across the bowl to get in— that's the one downside of not sleeping in the caverns, I s'pose." Without interrupting the stream of her conversation, Kyriatis starts on the sandwich creation process, hands working busily. "I'm… no, things are fine. Good. I'll be happier after this whole candidacy thing is done with, but that's inevitable, right? Candidate chores are the worst." Abruptly, she blanches, dropping her knife in order to execute a sharp-ish salute. "I'm sorry— I forgot. Greenrider."

Alyna scoffs openly at Kyria's belated show of respect as she takes the first sip of her klah, just a tiny one because it is still quite hot. "Feel free to keep forgetting," she says with a sharply raised eyebrow for emphasis, "I hereby grant you permission not to do all the extra stuffy..stuff." Her nose is wrinkled distastefully as she takes another small sip, "Yeah, it can't go on forever," she goes back to the topic of what's inevitable, "How are you feeling about it the second time around? I mean you hardly got a chance to recover from the first stint before the second clutch was laid." Blunt as always there Alyna.

By way of answer, then: a grin. "I'll remember not to," Kyriatis promises, reclaiming her knife and adding extra cheese to the sandwiches, because clearly Alyna has now made her morning. Her mood is good enough that that smile doesn't diminish under the greenrider's bluntness, though she pauses, exhaling heavily, before answering. "I wish there'd been more time between. I wish I could be back in the gardens. I'm terrified of being left behind again. I'm trying to be positive about it," smiling, even!" "but sometimes that's really hard."

"Good," Alyna states succintly, smiling a little bit as she sees that extra cheese go on there, "Got any spreads for those? Something creamy maybe?" A long sip of her klah is now possible since it's cooled down sufficiently, and the greenrider savours it as she takes in the girl's words and processes them. "Yeah, that was unfortunate that there wasn't more time between the clutches, but…" she trails off significantly to make sure she has Kyria's attention, "Doing something despite being terrified of one possible outcome, that's fucking brave. Which is something you'll need to be as a rider." She's really not the guru type, but Alyna has a soft spot for the plucky gardener girl that's developed in the last Turn or so. "And you don't have to be positive all the time. You can't just push the fear away, you have to acknowledge it for what it is, an instinct, a warning but nothing more." The greenrider may be doing a little bit of that later this morning herself.

Kyriatis' eyes brighten at the request for something creamy, but she's distracted from her task by Alyna's motivational speech, and merely stands where she is, listening with absolute intensity. By the end of it, her shoulders have drawn back, and her expression is more serious, but she's nodding— once, and then a second time. "I had to think really hard about accepting, this time," she admits, more quietly. "More than last time. I was afraid to say yes. Ibrahim had to talk me through it, my reasons for being unsure. I'll still probably need to psych myself up when the time comes, though. Do you have rituals for that, before 'fall?"

"I don't blame you for having to think hard accepting again," Alyna remarks with a thoughtful tilt of her head as she considers which pre-Fall rituals are appropriate for teenage ears. "Well lately, things are a little different, but I usually like to just indulge in things that make me feel really alive right before Fall. Death doesn't scare me if I know I've done all the living I can." Waving her hand a little dimissively, knowing that she's gotten a little morbid, the greenrider decides it might be time to change topics, "So what's been your favorite chore so far?" she asks before taking some more of her now well cooled klah. Her light blue eyes wander slightly around the ktichens, trying to spy something she can snag to bring some klah back up to her weyr.

Kyriatis is probably (or would be, at least) very, very pleased not to hear about sexytime pre-Fall rituals. Maybe in a couple of turns. For now, she's happy enough to find her pot of 'something creamy' and finish up the sandwiches. "But don't you feel like you have turns and turns and turns of more living you want to do?" she asks, even though the greenrider has already moved on to her next question, which she answers, allowing room for her question to be ignored if Alyna so desires. "None of them. I mean, I prefer the outdoor ones, I suppose, except on days like this. But mostly it feels like a waste of my time, when I have a job I'm actually trained in, you know?"

"Well of course, I don't have a death wish or anything," Alyna says with a snort as she rolls her eyes slightly, "Yes, there is so much more living I want to do, and I thank Faranth every time I get to come back safe." Sighing softly, the greenrider shakes her head, returning to the more mundane topic, "I can see that I suppose, but it's really not meant to waste your time. It's like an equalizer, puts everyone on the same footing." At least she's always assumed that was why, she never really questioned it herself, "I was just glad to be doing things other than just washing people's clothes, which is all I did before getting Searched."

Kyriatis gives a little acknowledging nod in answer to Alyna's answer to her question, and evidently chooses not to follow up on it, because she focuses, instead, upon the latter response. As she does so, her sandwiches are tidily cut and packaged, as are a handful of sweet rolls. It's a good thing there's no one else waiting for her services for the moment - she's taking her time. "I can see that," she allows. "I think I just wish… I don't know. As if I'm just marking time. Not really being useful, the way I could. I wish I could have waited and accepted Search, like, a week or two before the hatching."

"But you are being emminently useful," Alyna says with a bit of surprise in her voice, "You are a candidate. The Weyr can't run without people to present to the eggs. So all the rest is just noise, that's your real job here." With a rather hungry look in her eyes at the great job Kyriatis is doing with her packed lunch, she goes over to the sideboard and grabs a couple redfruits to include as well. Suddenly dropping her voice, she raises an eyebrow in the girl's direction, "If I know candidates, there's got to be some mischief going on. Now's the time to get into it. Because there's no room for that if you impress, it will make you grow up rather quickly. So enjoy it." The greenrider's signature nonchalance is back with a shrug of her shoulders as she looks at the pile of food, "You got a basket or something for this?"

"Yes, but…" Kyriatis can't seem to find the words to explain more comprehensively what she means, but her expression is determined: she feels it, regardless. It doesn't prevent her expression from twitching as she allows, "I couldn't possibly comment on such things, but I'll take that under consideration. I feel…" She makes a face. "I feel so much older than most of the candidates who haven't Stood before, does that make sense? Even though a lot of them are a lot older than me. Just… jaded. Because I know what's coming for half of us." She produces, however, a tidy basket, and begins piling her work into it. "Just make sure you bring this back later, please."

Alyna actually frows at the girl as she considers her last words, "That's unfortunate. You always seemed like such a carefree young woman, I really hate seeing you like this. I would have thought you'd be at your happiest being able to do your duty for your beloved Weyr, no matter the outcome." The greenrider has been witness enough to the teenager's Southern pride to speak fairly confidently. "It's obvious you got shook by being left standing, and I'm sorry that happened to you. Just don't forget to live today worrying about what tomorrow will bring." And that's it for the greenrider's wisdom today as she takes her now empty klah mug and goes to deposit it in the washbasin. Returning, she nods smartly regarding the subject of the basket as she watches the girl slowly fill it, "No worries, thanks for all this by the way, it will be much enjoyed, I assure you."

Kyriatis' expression turns more solemn, both serious and regretful and more than a little conflicted, all at the same time. "I know," she says, quietly. "I just keep thinking, and I don't know how to stop. I'll do my best, I promise." Because how could her sense of duty allow her to do any less than that? Still, she pushes her mouth into a smile, even if it's a little lacking about the edges, and adds, "I'm glad to hear it. Enjoy it as much as you can— enjoy your morning as much as you can. I'll look forward to hearing that you're safely back on the ground again, afterwards. Fly safe, Alyna."

"Yeah, turning the brain off sometimes can be tricky," Alyna admits as she gathers up the basket that Kyriatis so expertly prepared. "I have no doubt that you'll end up making Southern proud," she relays with absolute certainty as she holds the basket in front of her, hesitating before heading back out, "I will do that, and don't worry, Haquith hasn't failed to bring me home in one piece yet," she adds with a playful wink in the girl's direction before she turns and heads back towards the Lower bowl where the green is waiting for her.

"Thanks, Alyna," calls Kyriatis after the greenrider. But she's more work to do, and more sandwiches to make: so it goes.

Add a New Comment