Family, Fighting, and Footrubs

Western Weyr - Recreation Cavern
This large cavern is painted a pleasant shade of pale blue-green, with purple highlights along borders. Western Weyr's badge is featured in a twin tapestries hanging on either side of the entry. Directly inside the doors and to the right is an area with bookshelves and a long computer desk for the public computer. Several chairs line the desk so that people waiting for the computer may pursue other studies. To the left of the entrance is a sitting area with a chess set built into a table.
Along the wall to the left is a bar, set up against the storage closet. Tall metal chairs with bright purple and blue-green cushions line the bar; beside the bar is a pair of gambling machines. Prior to recent renovations, the bar was set up on the other side of the room in front of a huge mirror inset into the wall. Now that mirror is behind a slightly elevated stage featuring a piano recently built by the Harper Hall and transported to the islands. Several music stands and musician's chairs are stacked against the wall, for use when Harpers or weyrfolk desire to perform.
Along the wall opposite the entrance are dart boards, each with a set of couches and chairs nearby for relaxation between turns. And all throughout the room are sitting areas with similarly constructed couches and chairs, all featuring blue-green or purple fabric. Short, darkly stained wooden tables are centered inside each sitting area, for games, food, drinks, and whatever else weyrfolk need. Near the center of the room is a large, long table useable both for crafty pursuits or table tennis, and interspersed throughout the room are card tables with wooden, cushioned chairs.


The current time for zone 22 is: 2696.6.13 09:52:26

It is not unusual these days to see Zi'on in the rec cavern, or at the Tiki lounge or in his lodge. There's little wonder to what the bronzer is doing— he's drinking off his sorrows, clearly. Despite his outwardly jovial appearance, the bronzer misses his weyrmate. Or ex-weyrmate, as the case is now. And time is not healing his wounds as quickly as he would like. It's fairly quiet in the rec cavern tonight, there are a couple of small games going on and some people milling about, but no big rowdy crowds of riders. Zi'on sits at the bar, on the chair furthest from the door, probably hoping to hide while he drowns his sorrows in drink. The bronzer has been wearing his hair longer lately, a dark curly mop on the top of his head leading down into the scruff on his face.

Kayse has been sitting at an otherwise unoccupied table in a corner of the cavern for more than an hour now, most of that time spent staring blankly at a piece of paper on the table before her. Her stare isn't the only thing that is blank, for that matter: the paper is, too. She's been trying this whole time to figure out just what she should write to her family but nothing is coming to mind. It's not that she can't write or anything - she kept a journal for several Turns when she first was posted to Western, after all - but writing in a journal and writing to her family are two vastly different things. Finally the young woman grumbles in frustration and rises, abandoning the still un-marked piece of paper and heading over to the bar. "Whiskey sour, please," she orders as she arrives, settling on to the nearest empty seat - that one right next to Zi, as it happens. The weyrleader gets a thoughtful look from the crafter but she doesn't say anything yet, waiting for her drink to be mixed.

Sundari is there, wandering on into the room while humming a soft tune to herself as she goes. A curious glance is sent towards the few that are around, she ponders and then wanders on over to the bar hoping up upon a seat there and is humming a soft tune to herself. She lifts a hand to get the attention of the bar tender though for the moment is overlooked. She huffs softly and leans there upon the bar, arms folded upon it while she is off looking around and blinks as she find herself near Kayse and ZI'on it seems. A smile is seen and she waves to both. "Hey!" Is offered with that bright friendly tone of hers. Her gaze settles on the weyrleader and she does catch his well, rather down and out sort of look it would seem.

Zi'on has been busy contemplating the back wall for quite a while now. What would his mother say, seeing him this deep in the bottle? Probably to clean himself up and knock it off. His ears do perk though when someone orders -his- drink! Also they're sitting down right next to him. Well, there were worse people than cute woodcrafters to talk to, and Zi'on gives Kayse a bit of a smile. "Don't tell me I got you hooked?" There's a bit of a wave to Sunny. "Hey, Sunny. I guess your slavery is over. You need to let me know where you want to go visit. Time is a-wastin'. Soon the eggs will drop and Suldith won't want to leave."

"I actually didn't get to have one at your lodge," Kayse replies ruefully, thanking, and paying, the bartender as the drink is delivered. "By the time I got through the line at the ladies' room it was a bit too crazy for me to brave getting back to the bar, so I just came back here and went to bed," she admits. Sundari is granted a brief nod of greeting before Kayse turnes her attention to examining her drink. A cautious sniff has her regarding it with some interest before she takes a tentative sip. That first bit of mixed drink is rolled about a bit as the crafter explores the flavor, then she swallows and inhales. "Huh! That's an interesting mix of flavors," she comments, swirling her glass gently to watch the fluid ripple. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Once again it's clear that she isn't pleased, but then again she rarely is. Only this time she doesn't seem angry, annoyed, or even just plain upset with the world. No, today she actually looks miserable. Like something actually hurt her today, although if one looks closely they might find it to be true. Not her hand today, in fact today she actually has her hand out of the bandage formally wrapped around her broken knuckle. No, today the problem was her face. If one looked at her left eye they would find it beginning to blacken and swell. She tried to look like there was no problem though, like everything was alright. Her misery managed to shine through though, in the weak frown on her face and the faint wetness in her eyes. With a sigh Naris sits down at the bar, quietly ordering a drink. One with alcohol this time, something rather odd for her. She completely fails to notice the people around her, or maybe she just doesn't care.

Sundari tilts her head while a curious glance is sent to Kayse and then back to Zi'on. A soft smile seen. "Well Ya I suppose so huh?" Funny how fast time flies. She glances to the counter top and pauses once the bartender asks her what she wants, cider is her answer at the moment. "I'll figure something out." She lets her fingers tap upon the counter a moment, pondering on asking what is wrong but she doesn't go being /that/ nosey just yet.

"No? Well, that's okay. Having one here is almost as good. And there are less people crowding you in, so you can relax and enjoy it without worrying that someone is going to knock into you and spill it all over." Zi'on grins. There's a strange look given to the woodcrafter as she rolls the drink around in her mouth. "It's not wine. You can just drink it." He laughs. Hard liquor generally wasn't something you rolled around in your mouth. Even when deliciously flavored with sour mix. Zi'on peers over at who he thinks might be Naris. Was she drinking? Yes she was, apparently! "Wonder what's wrong with her." He says, motioning to her with his head. "You're free to let me choose. But then you're stuck with my decision." He says to Sunny, grinning and taking a sip of his drink.

"Right!" Kayse agrees. She also has precious little experience with hard liquor, and it shows. "Oh, really?" She's left blushing at the gaff and takes a hurried shot of her drink in what she thinks should be the proper way - a nice solid mouthful. Unfortunately, while the swished sip was not overwhelming, the larger swallow is good bit more potent, leaving the young woman coughing once she manages to get it down. Wheezing, she wipes her streaming eyes and blearily asks, "Okay, that wasn't the right way, either. How do you drink it? Maybe I should just have cider like Sundari." The last is paired with a watery smile toward the younger apprentice. Now, Kayse isn't one to butt in to other people's stuff. Well, mostly, anyway. So normally, she wouldn't say a word to the dejectedly approaching Naris, much like she hadn't said anything to Zi, letting him start talking. But even through tearing eyes Kayse can tell something is downright /wrong/ with Naris, and she frowns toward the younger woman, forgetting her own, transient misery in the face of such obvious distress in a younger person. "Hey, are you okay?"

Naris is surprised by Kayse's voice and it shows. Not only surprised though, she actually looks rather alarmed. The moment she speaks the girl flinches and looks around frantically, as if expecting someone to jump out and attack her. However, within a few seconds her alarm dies down and her eyes focus in on the source of the voice. She is silent for a moment, simply looking at the girl with an oddly blank look on her voice. Eventually she mutters is a voice that is oddly soft for her, "yeah, I'm f-fine." That is when the bartender brings her her drink and she takes a small sip, only to end up sputtering and accidently snort the liquid out her nose. As she brings her hand to her face it is clear that she is not used to drinking, in fact this may very well be her first time. Either way it is obvious that she is far from fine.

Sundari takes a sip from her appley cidery drink and peers up at Zi'on once more, pondering. "If you could go somewhere, anywhere, where would you go?" She questions curiously, pausing a moment. "Well, if'nn you wouldn't already do that let's say." Well he is the one with a dragon so he can sort of go anywhere. Her gaze turns to Kayse and she grins a bit. "Cider always hits the spot in my book." This said with an amused tone before she looks to see whom they are talking about and peers at Naris. She frowns a moment but doesn't speak up, listening for the moment. She peers back towards Naris at the sputtering a bit. "You… Don't seem fine. Want to talk about it?"

Zi'on blinks a bit as Kayse takes a big gulp of her drink. "Whoa there! Just small sips, that's all. Like a hot drink." Zi'on pats her back and tells the bartender to bring her a glass of water. "You're making too much a show out of it. It's just a drink, Kayse." He chuckles a bit. Zi'on doesn't open up any conversation with Naris because every time he talks to her, she yells at him. Which isn't terribly pleasant. Though he frowns a bit at her reaction to Kayse's question. "Hm… where would I go? Probably up to Telgar, to visit my ma and the twins. Or maybe to Ista to see the black sands… or the crafthalls at Landing, or maybe the Red Butte. I dunno. It's a toss-up that might depend on my mood." He ponders a bit and leans over to look at Naris. "Did you get into a fight?"

Kayse gives Zi a pathetically grateful look as he orders her some water, rinsing the drink down. "Sips. Right. Ehm, yeah." She can't argue that she wasn't trying too hard, because clearly she was, so she'll settle for sipping at the water. Hey, what's this? Kayse is not alone in being a liquor novice; someone else is having drink issues, too! Too bad for Naris that she isn't having a good day. "Sundari's right, you don't look like you're fine." Rubbing the last of the tears from her eyes she gives Naris a solid look and frowns as she picks out the bruise forming around Naris' eye. She opens her mouth to ask Naris what happened but Zi beats her to the punch. So while she's waiting to hear Naris' reply, she asks Zi, "Who's twins are at Telgar?" Siblings? Spawn? Cousins? You never know with the Shiptons.

Another voice chips in, a voice that she was actively arguing with last time she spoke to het. Naris doesn't know a lot about Sundari but she does know that last time she encountered her it was less than pleasant, why should this time be any different? But then again she was offering for her to talk about it, actually talk about it. It had been quite some time since anyone did that and it felt nice, no matter who it came from. For a moment she considers saying something, but before she can Zi'on is leaning over to look at her and asks if she got into a fight. Immediately a the frown on her face deepens and she looks down slightly, answering his question before she even says anything. However, she does not remain silent. Her voice is soft but has a bitter note to it as she mutters, "/I/ wasn't the one fighting." She completely fails to notice Kayse's question before her responce and thus does not poke her nose into it like she normally might.

Sundari was trying to be friendly, and worrisome or something along those lines as to what is wrong with Naris. She lets her fingers slowly tap and curl around her mug as she lets her gaze turn back to Zi'on, pondering a few moments it seems before she smiles. "You pick. We're go anywhere you want to. How's that?" maybe this will make Zi'on feel a wee bit better about getting to go somewhere? She isn't sure but she is at least attempting!

Zi'on pats one of Kayse's hands and smiles at her. "You don't have to try to impress me, Kayse." It's hard to tell if he's being patronizing or not, really. "My only full-blooded siblings live there. Ma, too. My set of twins lives here at Western." Though thinking about them just reminds him of Kiena, which makes Zi'on turn to his drink again, swallowing the rest of it down. "Well it looks like you were in a fight." He says to Naris. "What happened?" There's a brow raised to Sunny then. "My first choice is always Western, you know. Melon-island, I call it. Kiena and I went out there, looking for a nice place to get away from the weyr to. And we found melon trees when we went out to hike around. But… I suppose we can find something fun to do out of the weyr, too…"

Kayse snorts at Zi'on's words - trying to impress him? Riiight. - except snorting while sipping water makes for more awkward choking and coughing. Maybe she just shouldn't drink anything tonight… Oooh, siblings. "Sisters, brothers, or one of each? Do you see them often?" She's always curious about family that isn't her own. The rest of the conversation about travel passes with no comment from her. Kayse doesn't know for sure, but she suspects that nobody who says they weren't fighting, especially while bearing such an obvious mark of it, couldn't possibly be telling the truth. Or at least not the whole truth. "If you weren't fighting how did you get that shiner? It's going to be huge by the time it's done darkening up. You should put something on it." Conveniently enough her water is pretty cold, and she offers the glass toward Naris. "It's cold. Might help until you can get something better."

Sundari doesn't go and say anything else, something Naris can't help but be grateful for. However, it seems the others aren't done quite yet. Zi'on comments that it looks like she was indeed in a fight before repeating his question. The girl she doesn't really know but she thinks she has seen about, Kayse, she thinks, proceeds to ask how she got the injury on her eye if she wasn't fighting. But before any more questions can be asked she offers her drink, saying that isn't cold. Naris offers her a small smile along with a murmur of thanks before holding the glass up to her face, letting out a small sigh as the cool cup touches her sore skin. After a moment she responds, "I didn't say there wasn't fighting, just said I wasn't fighting. You know I'm not the most charming person around, guess I said the wrong thing to the wrong person." There's a small shrug before she adds, "it's alright, not the first time it's happened."

Sundari is normally bubbly and friendly, though with Naris she isn't all that interested in it for some reason or another. A glance is sent over to Naris and she points to the glass that Kayse has hold of. "It is good to put something cold against it, helps keep the swelling down for sure." She has older siblings so this is something she knows rather well! A nod is seen while she looks up to Zi'on, soft smile offered to the weyrleader. "Can go there if you like? To melon island." Though would that make him think of his ex-weyrmate more? Possible. As Naris speaks up a bit on what happened she just smirks a moment. "Well, who would have thunk it."Though she does pause a moment. "So, are you going to be alright?" his is questioned with a tone that shows she is perhaps a bit worried over the fight the other had.

Zi'on leans over to drop the ice left in his drink into Kayse's glass. The one she's holding out to Naris. It'll be extra cold that way. "Brother and sister. I see them every so often. It's hard for me to make the time, especially with my own kids now. Mom says I ought to foster my next little one in Telgar, but their mothers always end up being here in Western, so I dunno if that will work." Zi'on frowns a bit and motions to the bartender that he'd like another drink. "Well maybe if you were nicer you wouldn't ignite people's tempers so much. My mother always told me if you don't have something nice to say then keep your mouth shut. It wouldn't kill you to relax once in a while, either." There is little sympathy for Naris it would seem from the bronzer, too. There's a brief smile given to Sunny then. "No. I said I would take you out of Western. So I will."

"Sorry to hear that," Kayse says to Zi when he reveals that he doesn't see his siblings often. Her lips quirk in a wry expression, not quite a smile. "Those who say having a dragon solves everything never think about the responsibilities that come with them. Here you are with the ability to travel wherever, whenever, and still it isn't possible." She shakes her head and leans against the bar, pushing the remains of her whiskey sour over toward Zi. "Is she that sure you're going to have another kid? You have, what, four or five now?" She's sort of kept track of his spawn, even as she's been in and out of the Weyr. Naris' reply regarding the fight elicits a raised brow and a sardonic, "There is fighting with fists, and fighting with words, and you can certainly tie the latter to the former." She shakes her head again, this time with a measure of disgust; any concern she had felt toward the younger woman was readily dispelled by her attitude.

The moment they start to speak Naris begins to feel self-consious. So they think that she brought it on herself, that she did something to deserve it, of course. But why she they think any different? Isn't it always the same? Rude, blunt, horrible Naris, anything that happens to her she deserves. One might be able to tell that she is getting a little defensive, curling in on herself, by how she begins to stiffen up. She listens to them silently, not so much as uttering a single world. There is not a frown on her face but certainly not a smile either. Despite her best attempts to not show any sort of emotion there is the smallest bit of pain on her face, the tiniest bit of a cringe. Her voice is monotone as she says, "I told him that he should be careful with the knife he was cutting roots with, it was clear he was inexperienced and the blade was close to his finger." With that she sets the drink down and begins to get up, looking down at her feet and trying her best to be unseen despite having been talking a moment before. No good deed, even if it is only a piece of advice, goes unpunished. Seems like that is very true for her.

Sundari lets to the conversation at hand, her gaze flicking from one to another as she ponders and ahs softly. Her gaze drifts towards Naris and she nods to what Zi'on says, agreeing with him. "Maybe if you didn't point out everyone's faults all the time it would end better for you?" Well it is just a thought. Her gaze turns back to the weyrleader and she nods with a smile. "Alrighty." She'll be fine with that it seems!

Zi'on shrugs a bit. "Gotta make a choice with my free time. I see them enough though. They've got their own lives, too, obviously. Having their big brother dropping in on them all the time would be annoying, even if he is a handsome weyrleader." The bronzer grins to Kayse, hooking the glass with the rest of her drink with his finger and sliding it closer so he can easily pick it up. "She's pretty sure, since Raev is pregnant and I told her." He laughs. "So… unless something horrible happens and Raev loses the baby, I'll have another little one in seven or eight months. Hopefully a boy. To even out my brood." At least talking about kids seems to have perked Zi'on up. The bronzer furrows his brow. "And so he hit you? For that? Or have you offered him 'advice' before?" There's a grin to Sunny then. "You still owe me a foot rub."

With everyone else handling Naris, Kayse's perfectly content to let the youth do whatever without further input on her part. She's much more interested in what Zi has to say about family, at least for the moment. His quip about being a handsome weyrleader gets a smile from her and a response of, "As least your siblings like you visiting. I can't remember the last time I went home and mine bothered to spend any time with me." She wrinkles her nose at the memory, adding, "And all my mother did was try to fix me up with a journeyman she's training. At least your mother trusts you to find your own way." She does, right? "Oh, really? Well, congratulations." Kayse's pretty sure that's what she's supposed to say, even if she doesn't really know who Raev is. "Hope that all goes well. No horrible things or whatnot." When Zi mentions that Sundari owes him a footrub she raises her brows and glances between the two. "How did that debt come about, and how do I go about getting added to the 'needing footrubs' list?"

She is already up and walking when they talk to her. For a moment she pauses, her body stiffening as their words hit her ears. "The advice wasn't what upset him," she growls. "I was the fact that it was me. Like I said, not the first time." With that she leaves the room, trying to ignore the tears starting to build in her eyes.

Sundari doesn't' comment about the whole 'kid' thing, well she is a kid herself still after all, well to some degree at least. She blinks and eyes Zi'on a moment at the foot rub bit, which she makes a face over. "I was so hoping you'd forget about that" As for Naris the other gets a slight look after and she frowns a moment, pondering before a soft sigh escapes her. "She is way to stressed out Can't be good for a person." Right? Right! She sips at her mug and looks to Kayse before a soft ah escapes her. How to explain this so she says nothing and sipsipsips at her mug.

Zi'on grins to Kayse. Though he doesn't seem to be making much headway with his flirting. He's not sure if that smile is just polite or if it's interested. "No? How many siblings do you have? Also it depends on the age. Once they're through being teenagers they tend to be more accommodating. They start to realize the value of having family." He chuckles. "Mothers will do that. But you'll be a journeyman yourself soon, right? Or are you already? You won't need a husband, then. Not that you need one now, being in the weyr and all." There's a roll of the eyes at Naris. "The truth hurts, sometimes. But all work and no play won't make Naris many friends besides the headwoman." There's a grin to Sundari. "I'm not calling your bit complete until I get one." He turns to Kayse then. "I beat Sunny in a race, and as punishment she was to be my slave for a sevenday. But somehow always got out of rubbing my feet. If you like though I'll rub your feet, Kayse. Just say when." He wraggles his eyebrows at her.

"You're probably right about that," Kayse comments to Sunny. As for Zi, well, she never really knows when she is being flirted with, and after an incident a few Turns ago with him she's been a bit cautious. She can never tell if he's being serious or not. "Two. Older sister, younger brother. Two Turns off in each direction, just about," she answers. "I think my sister's mostly just busy with her craft, but my brother is a right clod. Brought a bunch of his very rowdy friends to what was supposed to be a quiet family Turnover gathering last Turn. I thought my grandfather would have a fit when they started a food fight." Even as she speaks against their behavior she can't help but smile ruefully at the memory. "Hmm? Ah, that's the hope. Both making journeyman and her letting be, that is. Part of me thinks Mother just wants me back at the Hold. I think I'm the first family member to take a posting away from the Hold since my grandparents settled there, and I have over a dozen cousins." Somehow she's ended up talking the whole time about family and forgot all about her question. "Wait, what? You'll rub my feet?"

Sundari isn't going to comment on the race, she smirks a moment and shrugs. "Yes well.. He won he race and ya It is one of the things I have to do. Still surprised you remembered it." His been all busy after all. Her gaze drifts between the two and she shifts in her seat. "Well. I think I'm going to skitter off. Have to take some fish to market before the day is over. Have a good day you two!" If not she will for sure get a longlonglong talking to. A slight wave is seen and then she is off heading towards the boat. "I'll talk to you later about that flight!" This is said to Zi'on before she is too far off.

What did Zi'on do to Kayse two turns ago? Flirting was flirting. Zi'on was not very good at it. The girls did fawn all over him, and when they did he never notices until it's too late. "Ah. I'm the oldest out of my set. Not da's oldest, obviously. But his oldest son." Which makes him prince of the Ton-spawn, a position coveted by many of his younger siblings… perhaps. Though Zi'on being weyrleader probably gave L'ton something to brag about. There's a grunt about her brother, and he chuckles. "How old was he? Boys don't tend to think through things like girls do. Also they don't mature as quickly." There's a nod about her mother. "Probably. It's good to get out and on your own though. I get pestered when I don't have a weyrmate, as well. They just want to make sure we're looked after." He chuckles and grins. "Sure. Why not? Take off your shoes." There's a wave to Sunny as she heads off, leaving just Kayse and Zi'on at the bar. He lifts Kayse's whiskey to finish it off.

"So how much older than you is your oldest sister?" Kayse inquires with a curious tilt to her head. "Uhm…" and Kayse has to do the math in her head. "Seventeen? Maybe sixteen. Somewhere in there. You're probably right. Probably doesn't help that he's the youngest and the only boy." She reflects on Zi's comments about mothers and finally just shrugs, not sure what to say to that. As Sundari rises she waves to the girl, offering, "Good luck at the market," as she departs, before looking back to Zi and blinking. "Seriously?" A foot rub is a foot rub, though, and she isn't going to pass on this chance. Slipping her flats off she scoots the stool about so she can offer Zi a foot. Her feet are fresh, yay! No sticky or clammy.

Zi'on ponders. How old was Zip? "Quite a bit older. At least five turns if not seven. She was born at the cothold. An accident between Da and one of his cousins, or something. I don't know the whole story. She's a rider, too. Not sure where, now. We spent time together when I was real little, but not much past that." There's a laugh as Kayse is taking up his offer of a footrub. Zi'on can give a mean footrub, he's had lots of practice, since pregnant ladies are always in the mood for one. He starts in on her foot. "So how much longer you figure, until you make journeyman? I guess the moves up depends on how long you've been with the craft and all, right?" Zi'on would know, since Kiena's craft was what was keeping her away, more or less.

"Five to seven Turns, huh? Does that put you toward the middle of the age range, or is there an absolute horde of much younger half-siblings out there?" Kayse's sort of heard about Zi's father and done a little inquiring, but the actual scope of his brood has escaped here awareness thus far. As Zi'on starts in on her foot her eyes cross for a moment and she makes an appreciative sound that is not quite a moan. "Shards, I didn't even know my feet hurt that much until you squeezed!" she murmurs, leaning her side against the bar. "Eh, right now I'm sort of stuck. The master I was training with was recalled to the Hall and a new one hasn't been assigned yet, as far as I know, and I've not gotten a response on what I'm supposed to do until one gets here. I've studied what I can, but I was gearing up for a heavy practical workload when he left."

Zi'on shakes his head. "No. I'm actually one of the older ones. Dad didn't get busy until after him an ma broke it off, I don't think. Most of the brood is younger than I am. And a lot of girls, for some reason." Maybe L'ton had a strange diet? He chuckles. "You'll feel like you're walking on clouds the rest of the night. But they'll go back to hurting tomorrow. Be careful, the foot rubs can get addicting." He makes sure to work them good, getting all that deep tissue and all of the knots out. "What does practical work involve for you? I thought you were more of a knowledge center. Like… knowing what the trees are and about their wood… or whatever it is that you know about. My knowledge of woodcraft isn't very thorough. At least not the specialties that aren't carpentry." He admits, waving up the other foot.

Kayse tries to stay focused on the conversation, but seriously, thinking is hard when someone you are getting your feet rubbed and all those unexpectedly tender spots are brought to screaming attention before being soothed. It's intense, and it's really tough to concentrate through. "Ah… oh. Wonder why so many girls," she manages to get out during a moment where her brain is firing properly. After that she's pretty much a lost cause, and it requires Zi'on pausing his work for a few moments before she can manage a coherent response to his question. "Practical is being responsible for evaluations and decisions, and doing the follow-up research needed for a logging site. Kind of a live final exam. And that's about all I have left to make journeyman. But I have nobody to evaluate me and it's a six month or more process."

Zi'on's brain is already muddled from having a fair amount of drink. It's a wonder he can keep himself upright. "Don't know. Maybe it's his diet or something. Maybe it's all those wood chemicals." He chuckles. What wood chemicals? Maybe the stains or something. Zi'on wants to get the other foot, so he is pausing for a bit. Also so he can take a sip of his drink while Kayse talks. "That all sounds horridly complicated. Though I suppose it is what you train for. Your master was here, then? And now he's gone? I can maybe help push to bring another back. I can use the melon grove maybe as an excuse. I'd like to plant a few of the melon trees closer to the weyr. To get some fresh fruit the holds don't have to provide." He'll go back to rubbing once her other foot is in place.

Kayse switches feet readily when Zi'on indicates for her to do so, wiggling the worked one a bit to enjoy the better feeling in it. "Maybe," is all she has to say about Zi's father. What does she know about it, anyway? As she places her other foot in Zi's grasp she shrugs in response to his comment, agreeing, "I've spent almost six years learning it. Makes a lot of sense to me, but I don't expect others to get it. Much like I don't understand a thing about, say, the Plastic Craft. We all have our things we know." His offer has her blinking owlishly at him, baffled by this second unsolicited nice thing he's volunteered for in one sitting. There he was, defying her understanding of him all over again. Not that she thought he was greedy or anything, but this level of nice was more than she was used to from anyone. "You don't have to do that. I mean, I'm sure there's a reason there hasn't been another master posted," she says, trying to buy herself some time to figure out what the offer meant. Of course then her second foot starts to be squeezed upon and rubbed and it gets that much harder to figure anything out.

"Right," is all Kayse can think of to say at this point, once again leaning against the bar and making the occasional borderline naughty sound as Zi works on her foot. It's not that she thinks Zi is not very nice, she just never really expected him to be nice to /her/. While he seems to have forgotten her outburst at him some two Turns past, she still remembers it with loads of shame for her immaturity and general poor behavior, and she keeps expecting it to pop up and cause problems. Being barely out of her teenage years, she's just not figured out that people can let things go and move on, as much to her benefit as their own. And the whole friendship thing is still over her head. She's always been something of a loner, though not purposefully, and doesn't understand friends being friends. "Uhm, well, I sort of thought they did it because of me, not because of Western," she admits eventually. "And he was due for a change in scenery, I just thought they'd wait until I advanced to call him back. It would have only been another Turn," she adds slowly. "Well, I can't properly start until the fall anyway, because that's when the camps become most active and you can do a proper survey, so waiting another month or two for them to send someone isn't hurting anything. I'm just bored. I ran out of things to do and have too much free time."

All these noises are not good for Zi'on. This is what got him into trouble last time, if memory serves. As soon as he starts to think with his other head… But really Zi'on isn't one to hold a grudge. At least not for a bit of verbal hand slapping, especially if he deserved it. Despite the bronzer having friends of every age and around every corner, lately he's been feeling more alone than ever. Though a quiet chat with someone like he's having now with Kayse seems to help. "You think they didn't bother sending a master because of you? Why?" Zi'on looks puzzled. "Well, another month or two. Then we'll see what we can do. Remind me, if I get preoccupied with search. It's been a while since we've had any candidates. I feel like I might be swept up in the madness." He pats her feet. "Anyways… I should mosey back home to my empty bed. You should stop by the next time you'd like a foot rub." He lets her feet down gently, then gets to his.

Kayse sighs wistfully as Zi lets her foot go and moves them out of the way, looking at him with an indescribable expression somewhere between thankful worship and bemusement. "Thank you," she offers, not yet willing to touch her feet to the ground. "They feel loads better now. You're really good at that." And then her expression falters when he asks about the reason behind no master being sent. "Uhm, I think I might have bruised a few highly-placed egos when I asked for permission to cross-train with the Healers. In both crafts, for that matter. I'm not officially cross-crafting, since apprentices can't, but I'm pretty sure it's part of the reason it took so long to get promoted to senior apprentice in the first place. So this would be more of the same," she explains after a moment. "But I could be overthinking things, and it's just that people are busy. Or Nala's not actually delivering my letters. I have't gotten responses from my family, either." When he agrees to another month or two she smiles and nods. "I'll be sure to follow up with you if nothing's been resolved by then," she vows. As he rises she reaches out to touch his arm before he leaves, expression caught between nervous and compassionate. "You should stop by the next time you want to get a drink." And that's all she's going to say to reference his earlier morose drinking, dropping her hand and offering up a weak smile. "Have a good night, Zi. Rest well, and thanks again."

Zi'on chuckles. "Thanks. You have cute feet. You should get them rubbed more often." The bronzer cracks his knuckles. "Ooh. A second craft? I don't know how you craft people find the time. That seems an odd combo though, trees and people. But we'll make it happen, if that's what you want. Ziria is a journeyman here. And Western's known for having one of the best infirmaries around." He chuckles. "There might be a big pile of them building up in between, you never know. Have one of the riders take you out to see your family if you're worried." He smiles to her as she touches his arm. Kayse mean for him to stop by -instead- of getting a morose drink? Or is she asking him out on a date to go get drinks? Zi'on, being who he is, assumes it's the latter. He leans in to give Kayse a kiss on the cheek. "I will. Sweet dreams, Kayse."


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