A Prank for a Prank

Western Weyr - Infirmary
This long, rectangular cavern smells faintly of antiseptic and strongly of pleasant medicinal herbs. The general atmosphere is one of bustling but orderly quiet and strict cleanliness. The back of the room is dominated by a small hearth for heat and medicinal preparations and by swinging double doors that lead to a small DragonHealing bay, an emergency surgery for human patients, the main storage, and the staff area where Healers can eat, shower, change, and the like during their longer shifts. The front of the room is a waiting and reception area where patients and staff can check in to receive treatment and begin work, respectively. The east wall of the room features examination, birthing, recovery and outpatient treatment rooms while the opposite wall is curtained off to provide privacy and bed-space for patients requiring overnight care.
Western can certainly handle most of the routine and sometimes urgent treatment needs of its residents here. It lacks some of the equipment available at the main Healer Hall. Once they are stabilized, patients requiring specialized or ongoing care are surely transferred there.


The night is clear and the hour is just drifting past midnight. The Weyr, now in summer, is hot and humid during the day and even now the air is only a touch cooler. Most folk have long since gone to sleep, the candidates included among them. All save for one. Kaliena snuck out, presumably alone, at some time not long after the curfew hour passed and when she figured all were asleep. Not that she was out to create any mischief (which isn't as fun on your own) but more so restless and prone to her usual sleeplessness. So she went for a walk, careful to avoid being seen by any who would recognize her. And she may have made it if she hadn't got distracted and almost collided with a guard patrol. Rather then explain, Kaliena fled and of course that led to a one on one chase that of course led her to loosing her balance and falling roughly on the stony bowl floor. Caught, she's been dragged, protesting of course, the entire way to the infirmary. "I'm tellin' you I'm sharding /fine/!" she growls and snarls at the guard, but her words may as well fall on deaf ears. And really, she is, with just a bit of bruising and the tiniest of scratches that hardly bled. Ordered to sit, Kaliena sits, but she immediately crosses her arms and scowls fiercely up at her would-be captor.

And as Kali was being dragged in by one guard, another was being sent to wake up the weyrleader. Why? Because they'd been told to, should Kaliena find herself in any sort of trouble. And Zi'on knew it was only a matter of time before that happened. While the bronzer doesn't much appreciate being woken up, he is a bit alarmed when the guard tells him that she's been taken to the infirmary after trying to escape a guard. So he throws on a t-shirt and shorts and darts across the bowl. By the time he's reached the infirmary he's sweating and out of breath. The guards are thanked, then waved off. At least the one is, the infirmary guard goes back to his post near the exit. And Zi'on stands in front of Kaliena with his arms crossed, scowling with a scraggly beard and bedhead. "So. What's happened then? Is your leg alright?"

Kaliena had slumped back into her seat while the awkward silence built in the infirmary, with the guard refusing to talk to her and the journeyman healer on duty has already been to see her and left when it turns out the candidate is perfectly fine. When Zi'on enters though, she sits up and her scowl only intensfies. "Oh for Faranth's sake," she grumbles, watching as the Weyrleader approaches to stand in front of her with his arms crossed. She meets his scowl with hers, mouth drawn into a tight-lipped smirk. "I'm /fine/." She protests again, sounding frustrated and annoyed, not to mention a touch embarrassed. "I was just out for a walk cause I couldn't. Which I tried to tell /him/, but cotton for brains there wouldn't listen." Kaliena snorts, telling the partial truth at least.

Zi'on figures Kaliena must not be too injured, since she's not in a bed being sewn back together or anything. Also by that look on her face she's not in any sort of noticeable pain. "Fine then," his his response about her being fine. Then his voice gets softer and he sits down next to her. "You know you're not supposed to be out wandering anymore. They're only looking out for you." He eyes her then. "What about the other guard? What did you tell him?" If Zi'on had to guess, she didn't tell him anything. Just bolted when she saw someone of authority chasing her. "I can't bust you out of every jam, Kaliena. Most candidates would get extra chores for this." He sighs and rubs his face with his hands a bit to try and wake himself up.

"Fine." Kaliena protests one final time and with one last snort, jaw clenched and arms still crossed tightly. She only side glances to Zi'on when he sits next to her and then grimaces when he reprimands her, even as gentle as it is it still irks the young girl. The guard, now at his post, is given another narrowed look too. "Yeah, I know." The candidate mutters. "But I can't help it. I couldn't sleep and got restless, so I got up. I was only going to wander the lower tunnels, really and then go back." Kaliena pauses then and shakes her head, smirking. "I got spooked when I came 'round the corner going outside. So I ran and he chased and I lost my footin' and slipped. That's it. They didn't have to go tattle to you. Not like I fell off the rim of the Weyr or something." She turns her head a little towards Zi'on then as her scowl ebbs back to a heavy frown as she gives him a long, lingering look. "I ain't asking you bust me out of any jam." And really, she does sound surprised he even mentioned it. "Extra chores, is it?"

Zi'on assumed Kaliena would be irked about his showing up. She'd probably be less irked if he'd sent someone else to reprimand her. But since they likely wouldn't know about Kali's sleeping issues she'd be in trouble a fair bit. Zi'on would have to make sure the guards were informed properly that she's to be left alone when she goes on walkabout. "You ought to just… not go to bed if you're not tired. They're less likely to bother someone still up than someone sneaking about. Anyways, they're under orders to tattle to me about you. Sorry." Zi'on looks back at her with his own scowl for a moment, then he chuckles. "You know I don't want you doing extra chores…" And as if to show her why, Zi'on leans over to tilt her chin up so he can press his lips to hers. Hopefully that guard isn't still looking over at them, or else he's getting a bit of a show.

Kaliena would be irked regardless. She hates being reprimanded, even if she deserved it. Later she'll realize how silly she was behaving, so Zi'on may get some form of a mumbled apology. "But there's the curfew." She points out, puzzled by the Weyrleader's suggestion. "So won't they just shoo me off whatever I'm doing and to the barracks anyways?" Her scowl returns when he admits that the guards are under orders to tattle and her voice goes rather flat. "Why?" Kaliena presses, meeting his scowl with hers and then blinking when he chuckles. "Isn't that favortis?" The rest of her protest is cut off when he's tilting her chin and kissing her. At first she doesn't respond, but then she kisses back before pulling away and clearing her throat slightly. Or maybe it's the guard. Either way, she's not making eye contact with Zi'on now. "So I'm off the hook, just like that?" she mutters.

Zi'on shrugs about the curfew. "So? You're a special case because of your sleep troubles. There's hardly point in you tossing and turning if you'd sleep better after a walk anyways. They won't shoo you off. Unless they see you up for hours or something. Or if you're just wandering about the bowl or look like you're causing trouble. Or running away from them." He grins to her at her question. "Maybe. Though it depends on who catches you. If a weyrlingmaster or the headwoman catches you, you're on your own." The kiss seems to end a lot of the argument though, at least for the bronzer. "What, you want to be punished? Fine. Your next rest day you come and find me in the galleries or in my office or whatever. You can help me redecorate and play a prank on Ila'den maybe." He pokes at her nose. It was like a little button that turns on Kaliena's scowl.

"I don't want to be no special case. You're making it seem like I'm… ill or something." Kaliena protests and doesn't seem so much annoyed as she is nervous. "The others are bound to catch on if I'm left to stay up or whatever. Or they'll assume something. So what if they sneak out too? Can they just stay or do they get in trouble cause of me?" It's a disjointed ramble, not really making much sense but the girl is only voicing her thoughts out loud to judge by the distant look in her eyes. "Oh geez, thanks." Kaliena drawls and it's clear then there's at least /some/ folk in the Weyr she fears or at least respects enough to listen to. The argument does seem to be stilled for now, as the girl sighs heavily and her arms uncross so that she can run her hand through her hair, which is unbound and quite the wild mess. "Fair is fair." Kaliena says with a shrug as her hands drop to her lap. "What kind of prank?" Instantly, she latches on to the idea and offer that is spoiled the moment he pokes her nose. It does have her scowling and then she bats his hand away.

Zi'on laughs. "You're not -ill-. At least I don't think mild insomnia is technically an illness. Maybe the healers can give you something though to help you sleep. Fellis drops you can put into tea or something." He raises a brow at her ramble. "Well, no one gets into trouble if you don't get -caught-. So that's the best way to prevent this from happening. Anyways, do you plan on leading a parade of candidates around during your nighttime walks? If it's just a couple of you you'll be fine, I'm sure." Zi'on looks confused when she seems irked that she's on her own for some people and not others. What did she want? He smirks about the prank then. "Well, there's the glue thing, obviously. I also had this idea of sending him a bunch of loveletters, to make it seem like he has a secret admirer. Then arrange a meeting at one of the guest weyrs, but instead of a girl being there… put a herdbeast in there instead." He snickers.

"No." Her rejection to medication comes so fast and swift, its obvious Kaliena is dead set against it even before Zi'on has finished explaining. "No fellis." And she's not about to argue it either, to judge by the set of her jaw and the stubborn, but set look in her eyes. Who knows what she wants, it seems like half the time the girl has no idea what she wants or where she wants to go. So it's no surprise if the Weyrleader is left confused. "Not planning anything like that. Just sayin' some might come out when they notice I'm not there. I dunno." Yep, confused. She only shrugs then in frustration, rubbing at her eyes slightly and making a dismissive gesture with her other hand. Enough of that and plus, Zi'on is bringing up the prank now. "So you're plannin' two pranks then on him? Glue one is simple." And funny, to judge by the slight smile quirking one corner of her mouth upwards. "Other one is complex. Plus what if his weyrmate gets the letters? Won't she be mad?"

Zi'on peers at Kaliena. "Ookay then. No fellis." Maybe Kaliena didn't want to be knocked out or something? Just another mystery to add to the list. Zi'on is unfortunately often left confused when it comes to Kaliena. There's not much he can do there really, either. Other than press her about certain things slowly. "Uh, I suppose they might. Though I would think most people sleep through the night. Unless they get up to use the toilet." In otherwords, most of the candidates wouldn't care if they saw an empty cot at night, unless it was one of Kaliena's friends. As the topic switches over to the pranks, Zi'on seems to relax a bit. "Well, I might use the glue one as a diversion from the other one. I doubt Iris will be mad. Unless he starts sending them back. Or hides them from her or something and she finds out." He gets up then, offering Kaliena a hand up. "Your leg okay to walk on? We can finish your walk and then get you back to the caverns."

Kaliena just has an aversion to fellis it seems. Maybe she doesn't like being knocked out. Bad reaction maybe? But Zi'on will have to mull over the mystery himself, because she's not elaborating on her rejection. The girl shrugs her shoulders then, accepting the Weyrleader's reasonings without further protest and because, honestly, it's true. Whatever she's concocted in her head is obviously not really… logical. "Mhm. Perhaps." Is her only comment on it and then it's on to the pranks, a subject far less confusing and perhaps a little more amusing. "So a prank within a prank? You are crazy." Kaliena chuckles dryly, "But it could work, I guess. Still think the love letter one ain't wise." At his offered hand, she almost looks rebellious and may have once brushed it aside. But not wanting to upset Zi'on (if he'd even be upset by such a thing), she reluctantly takes it and gets to her feet with ease. "I keep telling you. It's /fine/. I was fine to walk here and I'm fine to walk out." She grumbles, before freeing her hand from the bronzerider's and promptly moves on out of the infirmary. Seems like they're going for that walk!

Maybe she was allergic or something. He'll have to remember that when they start having kids and Kali is on the birthing table. Kali was just going to have to accept that as long as she was at Western, Zi'on was going to be looking out for her. Not even breaking up with him will relieve her of that burden. He laughs. "Well, it's more a distraction. So he thinks I'm pulling other pranks and not the love letter thing." He tugs at his beard in thought. "Well, you got a better idea then? It's gotta be something clever and more elaborate then putting a stink bomb in the toilet before his morning routine." He blinks at her. "Relax, I was just checking." Really the reason he was offering her a hand up was so that he can continue holding it as they walk. "Bleh. It's so sticky out."

For Zi'on's sake, Kaliena should never discover that she'll always be watched over. It backfired so spectacularly with Th'ero, after all, though with Zi'on it could be different. "If you did it /right/ he'd never guess it were you. Plus if you prank him, he could get suspicious." She points out thoughtfully and then shakes her head. No, no ideas from her, though she wrinkles her nose for his other idea. "Eh, overdone." The candidate drawls and maybe their plotting would have continued if he hadn't made her move and her temper rise with it. "I don't like being coddled. It's just a scratch. I won't keel over or nothin'. Sheesh." Kaliena at least is walking by his side, even if she's dropped his hand. Could be worse. At his comment, she grimaces. "We need a good storm." She adds and hen glances upwards to the sky in hope but they're clear and only full of stars.

Zi'on would just do little things. So it looks like he cares but isn't hovering over her all the time making sure she doesn't get herself into trouble. He laughs. "Well, maybe -I- won't be doing it at all, so even if he does suspect me, he'll be wrong." He wraggles his eyebrows at her, as if to say 'catch my drift'. "You and some of your new candidate friends can do it." Zi'on frowns at Kali. "I wasn't coddling you, I just asked a question. Shards, Kali." Since she's not letting him hold her hand, he'll slowly drag behind until he's walking a bit behind her. Just far enough to step on the back of her heels. Perhaps even good enough to take her shoe off! Oh yes. Now Kali is the one being pranked. Surely this is better than being coddled, no?

"Uh-huh. Oh no, nooo no. I ain't writing mushy love letters for you, even if it's to prank your Weyrsecond. I'll deliver 'em, but it'll be a /warm/ day Between before I right mushy love letters." Kaliena's caught his drift all right and she's smirking, before leveling him with a disbelieving look over her shoulder when he suggests pulling other candidates in. "You serious? Gonna start your own prank team or somethin'? What you gonna do if we get caught? Take the blame?" She snorts. "Folk either won't believe you or just think you're trying to save us from punishment." Kaliena only shoots him a look for his frown and then ignores him, until he's clipped her heel and taken off her shoe. Stumbling, she grunts and curses, whirling around to nudge it back onto her foot before Zi'on can snag it or something. "Shard it! What's crawled up your backside?" the girl growls and might've elbowed him for his little prank too. But he's out of reach! So she only glares. Definitely better then coddling; even if Kaliena is acting all miffed and annoyed, it's half a ruse.
Zi'on laughs at Kaliena. "No? What if I told you what to put in them? They just need to be in someone else's handwriting that's not my own." The bronzer grins to her. "Not too many candidates. But maybe a few. Keely maybe, I could get her to join in. And that Xander guy, he's already sort of working for me. Heh, if you get caught? I'll deny everything of course. What do you think the point of having a bunch of patsies using my ideas for pranks is for?" He's more quiet then as he falls behind her. Glad for once to be ignored. As her shoe comes off he's only able to hide his amusement for a couple of seconds, before he starts to chuckle, and then laugh. "What? You told me you didn't want to be coddled. So… there. No more coddling. You'll get the pranks like everyone else."

"Not even then!" Kaliena remains stubborn on this issue too. "I dun know either of them," The girl drawls with a thoughtful frown before she rolls her eyes and shoots Zi'on another look before glancing off ahead. Her path seems to be leading them around the bowl rather then straight across. "Figures you'd leave us in the lurch to suffer. You're awful, you know that?" But neither is the candidate saying she won't have some part in the prank. Then she's being pranked! With her shoe back firmly on her foot, she whirls around to face the Weyrleader, finger already pointing at his chest as he laughs. "You better watch your back then. A prank for a prank." Kaliena threatens, mockingly of course. It's hard to tell if the girl will act on her words and actually do something. Who knows?

Zi'on pouts at Kali. "What? Why not? You'd just have to go through the motions. Fine. I'll get someone else to write them, then. Enka, maybe." Zi'on doesn't seem to mind the trek around the bowl. He laughs at her reaction to him letting everyone take the blame for his ideas. "I know." He continues laughing for a while before he can answer her, wiping the tears from his eyes. Then he moves forward into her finger, trying to look threatening a bit. Or maybe sexy. It's hard to tell. He's trying to loom, either way. "Yeah? And what's a girl like you going to do to me, the weyrleader of Western? Hm? Hm? Switch the salt and the sweetener? Put a crawlie in my sock drawer?" Clearly Zi'on doesn't believe Kali when she says a prank for a prank.

Kaliena gives a mocking pout in return to Zi'on and then smirks, scoffing slightly. "I'll deliver 'em, I said. Just not writing! And Enka, really?" Somehow the girl hadn't pictured the Weyrwoman as a prankster either, but there's little the girl knows about a lot of the Weyr's riders, especially ones of rank. Zi'on is the only exception! Perplexed by his continued laughter, the girl only frowns at him, not catching on at all to what could be so amusing to the bronzerider. "What?" she snaps slightly and then tilts her head up and back when he attempts to loom and be threatening. It might work, for half a second as her hand drops to her side. Then Kaliena's shoulders square and she tries to loom against him, not caring at how ridiculous she looks trying to out threaten Zi'on in the middle of the bowl in the dead of night. "I could!" she declares hotly, "Little ones like that or bigger ones that'll mess with your day!" Hardly a concern! Does she have nothing? Something dawns on her then and a sly grin settles on her features. "I /could/ write letters." She drawls slowly, "… to Th'ero. About how you've hurt me so. Broke my poor, poor heart. Oh woe is me and all that." Her tone is mocking, taking on a dramatic flare as she acts out the part and then sighs. "Who /knows/ what I could tell him." Kaliena points out with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Then she's taking a few backwards steps from Zi'on, still grinning before she turns and continues along her walk, confident perhaps that that would unsettle the bronzerider. Maybe it won't! And then won't she look really silly?

Zi'on laughs. "So you'll deliver them, but won't write them? That doesn't even make sense. If anything he'll catch you as opposed to the writer, and assume that you're the one writing them. And yes, Enka. Maybe. I dunno, he might recognize her handwriting." Which could be awkward. Zi'on has almost a foot on Kaliena, so it is a bit comical probably. "Mess with my day, hm?" He could come back to find his leathers torn to bits or all his clothes having been run through the "mud" wash. "Th'ero?" He looks concerned for a moment, then laughs. "Like he wouldn't be pleased as punch if we split up. Anyways, I don't believe you. I had to beg you for the last letter you wrote him, and even then you wrote it just to tell him how rubbish he was. And if you did do that and I denied it, he'll inevitably seek you out to get the truth out of you. And I'll make sure to tell him right where you are, too." He hop-skips a bit to catch up with her.

"How does that not make sense?" Kaliena counters back. "Someone's got to be the messenger, right? And I'm good at sneaking around if I'm focused on it." She makes a low sound, almost a grunt when Zi'on does make a good point, but the candidate only shrugs again. "Do I look like a girl who'd right mushy love letters? Really?" Yes it could be awkward if it were Enka, or her or anyone really. Kaliena only nods her head again, jaw set and a determined look in her eyes as she faces off the Weyrleader. He could come back to find those scenarios or maybe she'll muck up his paperwork so he has to redo it. That might get her into actual trouble though. For a moment, the girl thinks she's gained the upper hand when Zi'on looks concerned, having glanced behind her to see. Then he's laughing and her smugness falls to a deep frown. "That's cause you were making me ask him to mend a mess he made himself because he was being an ass and you were being too spineless to go /talk/ to him." She goes silent when he calls her out on how vicious she was in the letter, knowing full well it's the truth. Then he has her well and truly caught and Kaliena's eyes narrow. "You play low, Zi'on." She drawls, shooting him a look when he hop-skips back to her side. "I'll figure out another way then."

Zi'on chuckles. "Well, do me a favor next time you sneak out of your bed and focus on it." He teases. "No, you don't. But neither does Enka, really. Do I look like someone who would write mushy love letters?" Zi'on might be a little angry if she screws up his work. He might make her redo it, instead. It was one thing to play a prank on him that affected him only, another to play one that couple affect the weyr. "That's because we both love you. Though in different ways, obviously. It was better for you to play middle-man." He chuckles. "I don't mean to play low. Or was that a comment about messing with your shoe?" Once he's back at her side, he smiles to her. It's not a smirk anymore. "Your eyes look pretty in the moonlight."

Kaliena rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "You just told me I wouldn't be hassled for being out past curfew. So which is it?" she grumbles and then smirks crookedly, giving him a searching look. "Actually," she drawls, "You would seem the type to do it. I bet they'd be dripping with sappiness too." And again it's hard to tell if she's teasing, even when she chuckles. Kaliena might not muck up his work then, unless she really /was/ angry at him and seeking revenge. Leave it to her not to see the whole picture before she went and did something stupid like that. "Love me?" That has her abruptly stopping in her tracks and if Zi'on isn't careful he might run into her. Then she's resuming her walk, but it's much, much slower. "I doubt it. At least with Th'ero. You… yeah, that's obvious enough." Kaliena mutters and then hastily switches topics and Zi'on provides the easiest way out. "You're just saying that." She points out, still not welcoming his flattery except to act all offended despite the blushing.

Zi'on chuckles. "Well no, you won't. Other candidates might still though." He grins to her when she pegs him as a love letter writer. "Well, I guess you'd be right. I have written them before. They didn't seem like your style though. I figured they'd just make you mad," he admits about why he hasn't written her any. He didn't want her to feel left out or anything. Zi'on is walking next to Kali again, so there's no danger of him bumping into her. He does double back a bit when she stops though. "Yeah, he does. Even if you don't want to believe it." He knows she doesn't. The bronzer moves over to wrap an arm about her waist. "I'm just saying it because it's true. Anyways, you know I love your eyes. Or you ought to know it, by now."

"Well that's one thing you got right, at least." Kaliena remarks in a slightly snarky tone of voice, confirming that it'd be a very bad idea to shower her with love letters. Any overly romantic fluff is likely going to get her all bristly and annoyed. So Zi'on is safe there. "I don't believe it and it's going to take a lot more then you tell me or him telling you or whatever." She grumbles, only confirming what he already knows. Then she's rolling those eyes and shaking her head. "Flatterer." Kaliena drawls, sighing a little and suddenly looking tired. To really make it noticeable, she yawns and leans a bit into his arm. "Tired." She mumbles and begins to steer them towards the caverns that'll lead them to the lower tunnels. "I think I can sleep now. Gonna escort me back then?" It's asked in a sarcastic manner, but the girl probably won't mind… too much. Though she may also regret offering it.

Zi'on wonders if Kali will ever accept any of his more romantic gestures without getting bristly. Also if she might shed some of those rough outer layers as she gets older and leave the holder girl behind for the weyr dwelling smith. There's not much that Zi'on can say at Kaliena's dismissal of her brother's feelings about her. He's certainly seen firsthand that Th'ero loves his sister, but convincing her would be much harder. She was right on that account. He chuckles as she calls him a flatterer. "Better than pervert, I suppose." He nods about escorting her back. "I'll leave you off at the caverns. I wouldn't want to embarrass you with the other candidates. If you get lonely at night, you can always wake me, you know." And he does leave her at the caverns. Which is probably good, since before they part ways Zi'on insists on another kiss.


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