If the Pernese were truly a heavily superstitious lot, someone might've warned the Weyrleader not to jinx the luck Southern had been seeing of late. The last few Threadfalls had been met with little injury or hiccups. Winter rains are certainly helping and on this day, with the skies steely and overcast, it looked promising! The first 'Fall met over the Western Seadholds was scheduled and fought almost perfectly with only one serious injury of note in Ocelot. When the Wings returned to the Weyr, it was Va'os who rallied morale by praising (likely through Tsiroth) everyone's good fighting and level heads! Spirits were high, celebrations were no doubt being planned as they were supposed to see a little lull before the next 'Fall. Alas, fate has a terrible sense of humour (and timing). It came as a shock when a sweep rider sent a panicked alarm that Thread was falling AGAIN and right over the Weyr's territory! Cue a rushed scramble as the Wings assembled, adrenaline running high and higher. It could have been so much worse, but Southern rallied together despite the rising number of injuries. If only it would rain (and it will, only much later at night, as if to drive salt into the wound in cruel humour). It happened when 'Fall was at the heaviest peak and tired riders make foolish mistakes; the details are hazy, but the end result is a dismayed roar from Tsiroth as the bronze is struck across the back in a glancing blow by a wayward clump. For a gut wrenching moment, his wings buckle and he drops several feet before he blinks Between. When he reappears, he's very unsteady and even from afar it's obvious Va'os is in a bad way. « Cover for us! » Tsiroth's pained command hits Saetyroith, along with a clashing cord of percussion music and strings. He's hurting and furious (though that may be Va'os' end coming through), but the bronze won't wait around. He vanishes again, away from the fight and back above Southern's airspace nearest the infirmaries. They'll be in the hands of the Healers now, while the fight above winds down. Time for the Weyrsecond's next trial of fire! Can she keep them together long enough? And there will be all the duties to follow after, with the Weyrleader clearly absent and many, many questions and worried gossip already running rampant.

Evka won't lie to herself, Tsiroth's com to Saetyroith sends fear hard and heavy through the woman. Her heart hammers, adrenaline spiking even though she's so tired, and Saetyroith is too. She can only let herself mourn her position for mere milliseconds, however, and then action is needed. TUrning to her training, Evka does her very best to keep things together while she and Saetyroith take the lead. The rest of the surprise fall goes without anything more than a few minor injuries and a frazzled Weyrsecond, but the day isn't over yet and when she and Saetyroith hit the ground, she sends the brown to the dragon infirmary for a very, very minor burn while she herself moves in to the actual infirmary to check on Va'os, receive her orders and get a minor score that wraps around her wrist and forearm looked at. It's a very light score, but infection is never a welcome mistress. She ditches her helmet and jacket the second she can, mocha brown eyes looking around for an apprentice or something because all she really needs is a cleaning and some numbweed. The rest she can do herself. And she searches for the Weyrleader in the process.

By the time Saetyroith makes his trip to the dragon infirmary, it won't be hard to spot Tsiroth among the others. The bronze has been settled in one of the wallows and given how "calm" he's appearing at first glance, his injuries must not be that bad. Bad enough to ground him for now and bandages are draped across his back, right near his wings and the shoulders… and where a rider would be seated. Disturbingly, there IS a set of riding straps discarded by the nearest wall and they are badly damaged; so some luck held, at least, and they aren't mourning a rider falling to his death. Va'os is very much alive inside the Infirmary! Not even drunk, but loopy from some of the natural painkillers offered him. He's refused fellis to this point, so his senses aren't completely gone and merely dulled to be "tolerable". Eventually an Apprentice will come to Evka's aid, both to help her with her injury and to point her in the right direction. The Weyrleader has been settled on a slightly raised cot and he's resting on his front, rather than his back; it's evident why almost immediately. He's been hit along the majority of his lower back, no doubt the result of some secondary impact from the clump striking Tsiroth first. He's already been treated, the Healers now occupied in helping others who've been seriously hurt. Sensing someone approaching, Va'os cracks open a single eye and it takes him a sluggish moment to focus. When recognition sinks in, his mouth curves into a pained but wry smirk. "… go on and say it!" he drawls to her, chuckling gruffly to himself while the Apprentice just looks utterly confused, glancing sidelong to Evka as they back away.

Evka is grateful when she's pointed in the right direction, hands itching to scratch at her score. She takes a seat so that Va'os can see her better and his words pull a wry chuckle from the brownrider. "Are you sure you want me to? Cause there's a few things I could say. I could say fine flying, and be an ass about it, or I could say something about how that drape sheet is just too far up, or I could say something smarmy about your luck running out and it being a bad day. Which would you like to hear oh mighty Weyrleader?" She tries levity in the face of everything else and grins as she lifts a brow to Va'os and whiteknuckles the arm of her chair to keep her nails from ripping at her flesh. Scores itch. It blows.

Scores do itch! So imagine his dismay later when the numbweed wears off and he can't reach his healing injuries! Everyone's going to hear it from Va'os, that's for sure! Right now though, he's addled enough not to be feeling anything except his emotions (and even those are tempered). He scoffs, both eyes open now but heavily lidded. It doesn't stop him from grinning either, when she lists off and he'll add in his own dry, deadpan manner. "Or," he suggests, "You can just say it finally bit me in the ass?" Cue some laughter cut short when even that sends a little twinge of discomfort; he may not be feeling the scoring but he's probably feeling like he's hit a stone wall regardless! That wasn't some comfy flying (or landing). Grunting, he resettles his head as his eyes close briefly. "So," he exhales heavily. "You ok? They hold together until the end?" He could be saying everyone as a whole or he could be asking just on Jaguar but either way, he tilts his head just enough to peer at her.

Evka can't help herself. "Well I could, but it'd be getting a bit redundant at that point, don't you think? Besides I didn't want to be a pain in the ass." Pun intended. She laughs but it too is short lived and a look of concern crosses her face. However, when asked after she beams and grins in an easy show of Bravado. "Oh, I'm as fresh as a field of flowers, see." Cue the Pernese version of a superman pose here, which totally shows off her arm bandage, but hey, who's nitpicking? "THe wings held up alright once we got over the shock of you being hit, only a few very minor injuries. Let us just hope fate decides not to fuck with us anymore today eh? EVeryone's exhausted." Evka just covers it all in one blanket statement. The Wings are alright and Jaguar too. She looks over at Va'os and smiles. "It'll be alright. No more losses today at least."

"That's the spirit!" Va'os chuckles again for her use of a pun. Someone's got to keep the atmosphere light in here! Her pose draws another amused snicker from him and he lifts one hand to point to that bandage. "Looks like you got bit too," he smirks. "Glad it wasn't worse or we'd really be in hot water, huh? Wonder if that's ever happened…" Is he trying to tempt fate to make it so? No, of course not! He's just rambling, because that's what he does. His eyes close again as she reports and he'll be slow at opening them again, though he continues to chatter away. "You're gonna have to check in with the Wingleaders at some point, because something like this is gonna mess with folk. Back to back 'Falls are nasty for that. At least our next scheduled ones aren't big baddies! So… there's that at least." he grumbles the rest by the end, before he mutters some curse. "You sure are chipper about the whole thing, huh?" He doesn't mean to be so sharp but his mood is kind of a roller coaster at the moment!

Evka , being the Zingari she is, flinches a bit at Va'os' tempting fate. Of course she won't say anything, but it twinges things in her. Superstitious lot, her people. Looking at her own bandage though, she nods. "Aye, though…apparently the thread didn't like the taste of me as much." Another joke, another attempt to lighten the situation. Part of her doesn't want to think about the fact that this injury is going to keep Va'os down for a bit, or that it'll be her leading the next fall. Compared to that, what Va'os says she must do next seems easy. There's a nervous glint to her eye the next time Va'os manages to catch it, if he catches it. "Aye, I'll do that after I'm done here." She sighs when he mentions the next falls being light. "Thank Faranth for that…" However, the change in mood catches Evka off guard and she straightens in her seat a bit, side eyeing Va'os like a leery prey animal. "Just trying to lighten the mood sir. Given the events of the day, we got off a bit easy, despite your injury. Y'know, bright side and all."

Va'os is a little slow (ha ha, no really it's the medicine!) and he will miss that nervous glint in her eyes completely. Right now, there's a lot that isn't sinking in, as he's still recovering from the shock. That'll be all later, when it hits him and his mood sours. For now? He's more or less himself, just sore and spaced out. Just as swiftly as he'd been rough, he's smirking again and amused. "Bright side, huh? Guess that's the only thing to do! And what'd I say about using my name," he exhales in fake exasperation. How many times is going to have to stress that! But unlike his previous comment, there's no edge or heat to it. "Y'gonna do fine, Evka. Most of the Wingleaders have been through worse than this and it's not like I lost a limb or something. Tsiroth and I won't be out long! And it's not like I can't, y'know, do something!" Except flying and fighting! Suddenly, his eyes widen and he stares fully at Evka as if an idea just struck. "Hey! Does this mean I can pick some Candidates as helpers?" Va'os no. Someone tell him no!

Evka relaxes a little, her facial features softening a bit. She chuckles even, when Va'os chides her about using his name. "Well, Va'os, you can forgive me for being on my toes. I don't want to be accused of being flippant or anything…" There's a little sarcasm to her voice and she tucks a few of the fly aways that have escaped her braid behind her ear. His encouragement is warming and Evka graces him with a smile, whether he's looking or not. "Glad you think so. We'll see. Sink or swim time, right?" She chuckles nervously and outright laughs a bit when Va'os mentions doing something. "And what are you going to do Va'os? Guard crawl the ground with a flamethrower?" She's teasing, obviously. His next has Evka laughing again and she gets a bit of a wicked gleam to her eye. "I don't see why not…"

"Why not? It's so fun when people are so openly disapproving! Makes it easier to gauge just how they really feel about you!" Va'os snickers under his breath, having never hidden the fact that he hates the song and dance of propriety and politics. He scoffs, "Yup! Sink or swim, baby! This is gonna be your chance to prove 'em wrong." Haters gonna hate! He wasn't oblivious to the ripples he caused when her promotion to Weyrsecond was official. Blinking, he frowns heavily. "Y'know," NO VA'OS. "That's not a half bad idea? I could do ground crew!" No he can't. See that Healer over there making a 'don't give him ideas' gesture behind his back? Of course she's teasing and he's teasing (kind of) back just to get a rise out of people. "Really?" he drags it out, eyeing her suspiciously and surprised she's agreeing.

Evka gives Va'os a tiny smirk for his first, her head shaking lightly as he talks. She knew there was a reason she liked him so much after working with him a bit. His near easy going manner is hard not to like. Baby? He gets an odd look for that one, though it turns into a look of avid disapproval when he starts thinking about a ground grew. "You'd get toasted in this condition Va'os!" Oh Yes, she sees that look she's getting and she hadn't been trying to give him ideas! Honest! "Come on, you need the vacation anyhow, don't be so eager to get back out there." Evka's nerves about her performance aside, Va'os isn't in any condition to be doing well…anything really, or so she thinks. She eyeballs that extended 'Really?' and snickers. "Of course! That's what they're there for right?" Right?!?!

"Kind of already lightly toasted as it is!" Va'os twists on the bed a bit, trying to gesture animatedly towards his injuries (that're covered under a blanket and bandages) and while he can't feel anything, that sort of movement is Not Good! Judging by the warnings shot at him from a few disgruntled Healers (who have better things to do than babysit, let's be honest!). Rolling his eyes, he settles back onto the bed, propping his head up on his folded hands. FINE! "I'm not just gonna sit on my ass and twiddle my thumbs all day, y'know that right?" His tone has a 'try and stop me' challenge to it and maybe a hint of what headaches lay ahead. Evka may find that dealing with HIM is the bigger problem than, say, leading the Weyr in his stead! "You call this a vacation!? I'm gonna pass on that. The moment I'm cleared to move, I'm moving!" He still peers at her suspiciously but soon a slow grin blossoms, mischievous to the very end. "Right! They'll have to be the best of the best of the crop." Yeah, because that won't sow favouritism AT ALL, Va'os!

"Oh I know you won't be sitting on your ass doing nothing, because something tells me you won't be sitting for a bit." Evka's another one giving Va'os that look when he twists around. Her short tutalage under Igraine had taught her enough about healing to know that Va'os shouldn't be moving like that. Evka has no problem meeting his challenging tone with one of her own, a bit of motherly assertiveness backing it up, even though she's never really been one. "It's more a vacation than it is anything else, and I'm sure you will, but until then, you're stuck. That is why I'm here after all." She says, echoing her bit about the candidates in regard to herself. Easing back, Evka snorts jokingly at Va'os' last. "Oh well of course, but you do know that means I'm going to have to slip a baddy or two in there right? Just to mess with you?" Evka doesn't know when she started looking at Va'os like someone she can joke with and tease like this, but it feels nice to have that bit of comradery with someone other than her girlfriends.

Va'os narrows his eyes in a mock glare for her little pun remark about his lack of 'sitting'. Well played, Evka! Well played. "Then I'll be standing and doing nothing!" he quips sullenly, almost like a stubborn child (man-child, really). Her warning that she may slip a bad Candidate into the mix brings another laugh cut short with a grimace. Ow! Bruises, right. "Are we gonna turn this into a game of 'spot the bad ass'? Because I'm all for it! Throw in some good lookers too, while you're at it!" Sorry Candidates, he really is a jerk sometimes. Not that there are any here, right now, to hear him say such things! Exhaustion is creeping up fast and his eyes grow heavy, not just from the medicine in his system. "Shit… don't I feel like I've just hit a wall," he mutters, mouth pressed in a grim line as he struggles against the tide of his body trying to INSIST that he rest.

Evka rolls her eyes. "Standing? You're high." And he is, too. "We most certainly can, I'm a whiz at Spot the Badass. Prepare to lose." She's teasing…maybe, and laughing a bit. And then she's all mock seriousness. "Now lets not be pulling a F'kan there Va'os, I mean, some of them are real pretty but you'll just have to deal with us average Janes until they either don't impress or are near graduating. Sorry boss." She's in the middle of yet another laugh when Va'os starts hitting his wall and she quiets herself and stands, moving over to lay a gentle hand on his shoulders. "I got this…. I may be metaphorically pissing my pants, but I got this. You rest, that way you can get back to tormenting us all sooner alright?"

"Who said anything about just girls?" Va'os just throws that one out there without filter or guard because his head is getting so foggy and mixed up. He forgot that it was Evka he was talking to! It's not like he doesn't hide it either, he's been known to flirt but some just chalk that up to his overall behaviour. "And I'm no F'kan!" he scoffs after a moment, his eyes stubbornly opening again just enough to glare at her. Then he grins, cheshire like, one last time. "… I'd not get caught." HA! No seriously, he's good at playing and flirting at times but he'd never cross that line. He's got SOME decency to him! Feeling her hand on his shoulder, he relaxes against the cot and sighs heavily. "Got it. You got this too, Evka… don't let 'em try to bully you. Keep me in the loop, eh?" Whether in person or through their dragons, Va'os doesn't care! But he is losing to sleep and soon he'll be out of it completely and gone.

Evka lifts her brows at that first one. "Well Jacks and Janes, either or, you're stuck with the lot of us for now." She chuckles and beams when she feels Va'os relax. It helps that he has faith in her. That glare is met with a mocking one of her own, though it cannot withstand the power of Va'os next and Evka chuckles heartily. "Of course you wouldn't get caught…sure." Again with the teasing, but she really can't help it. She knows he's a decent one by now. "Bully? Never. They got another thing coming if they think they can bully me Va'os." After agreeing to keep him in the loop, she leaves the Weyrleader to his rest and moves to speak with the other Wingleaders and check on injured riders and dragons. It's going to be a loooong day yet.